Britannia – Crystal Beach

Brittania and Crystal Beach are picturesque family-friendly neighbourhoods nestled on the Ottawa River. Developed mainly in between 1960 and 1980, they feature primarily detached single-family dwellings in the range of $350 and up to $2.1Mill+ for the waterfront properties. Attached homes located in the areas range in price from $325K-$610K.

The gorgeous Ottawa River provides Brittania and Crystal Beach residents with stunning scenic trails for biking and hiking as well as opportunities for water activities such as boating and fishing.

Brittania Conservation Area houses 79 hectares of forest and wetlands with a network of trails and boardwalks that give visitors the chance to see hundreds of species of wildlife. Adjacent to it is the Brittania Park and Beach with playgrounds, picnic areas and BBQs, windsurfing, beach volleyball, jogging and cycling trails, sports fields, tennis courts, gazebos. Added to this is the Ron Kolbus Lakeside Centre which offers a Banquet Hall for rental as well as meeting spaces and drop-in programs for kids.

The Brittania Woods Community House offers a homework club for kids, field trips throughout the year, summer camps, and programs for all ages. Andrew Haydon Park features a bandshell for outdoor concerts, a unique water play structure for kids, two man-made ponds for watching waterfowl, etc.

Dick Bell Park with breathtaking views, pathways for walking and cycling, and a pretty lighthouse is also home to the Nepean Sailing Club. There are also many smaller parks in the areas with sports fields, play structures, basketball and tennis courts, swimming pools, and ice skating/hockey rinks and tobogganing hills in the Winter. Both Crystal Beach and Brittania also have active community associations with numerous yearly events to foster community spirit.

The Bayshore Shopping Centre is centred in between the two neighbourhoods and this large shopping mall offers over 200 stores with a wide variety of shops from large anchor department stores such as Walmart and Hudson’s Bay to speciality stores, brand name clothing stores, beauty salons, electronics, sports shops, toys, bookstores and even an Apple Store. There are several restaurants sprinkled throughout the mall and a large full-service food court.

IKEA Ottawa and the shops of Pinecrest Mall are a short drive away and also offer several large businesses including a Michaels, Chapter’s, Sears Home Store, and many others as well as restaurants, bars, and coffee shops. Restaurants in Crystal Beach include the Villa Lucia Supper Club and Ralph & Sons Diner. Brittania restaurants include Cora’s, Biagio’s Italian Kitchen, and the Baja Beach Shack at Brittania Beach which boasts the best burgers in Ottawa. Also, along Carling Avenue in between the two neighbourhoods, there are a variety of ethnic restaurants.

Excellent schools in the area include the Lakeview Public School, Bayshore Public School, Abraar School, Queensway West Montessori School, St. Thomas Elementary School, and Woodroffe High School. New Apostolic Church, Britannia Baptist Church, St Stephen’s Anglican Church, All Saints Lutheran Church, and Brittania United Church are all located in the neighbourhoods.