Arnprior

Fast Facts

• Population: 9,629 (Statistics Canada, 2021 Census of Population)
• Size: 14.1 km² (Computed from the Statistics Canada Census Subdivision boundary polygon)
• Distance from Parliament Hill: About 51.0 km west (straight-line distance)

Overview

Arnprior is a separate town at the confluence of the Madawaska and Ottawa Rivers, about 51 km west of Ottawa in Renfrew County. It is not part of the City of Ottawa. Established in the timber industry in 1851 and incorporated as a town in 1892, Arnprior's historic downtown along John Street includes the O'Brien Theatre, a cinema dating to 1919 still in operation today.

Boundaries

Arnprior is a separate incorporated town with its own official municipal boundary, sourced from Statistics Canada's Census Subdivision boundary file rather than the City of Ottawa's Neighbourhood Study, since it lies entirely outside Ottawa.

Map

History

Arnprior was established around the timber industry in 1851, at the confluence of the Madawaska River and the Ottawa River in the Ottawa Valley. It was incorporated as a village in 1862 and as a town in 1892.

The town's location at the meeting of two rivers made it a natural centre for the lumber trade through the 19th and early 20th centuries, shaping its historic downtown along John Street.

Arnprior's first cinema opened on the site of the current O'Brien Theatre in 1906; the present building dates from 1919 and originally hosted both films and vaudeville performances, becoming a full-time cinema in 1929. It was restored to its 1930s appearance in 2000, with a second screen added upstairs.

Arnprior has continued to grow as a separate town within Renfrew County, with its 2021 census population of 9,629 representing a 9.5% increase since 2016.

Claim to Fame

Arnprior's defining feature is its setting at the confluence of the Madawaska and Ottawa Rivers, with a well-preserved historic downtown along John Street anchored by the O'Brien Theatre, a working cinema since 1919.

Surrounding Neighbourhoods

Arnprior is a separate town bordering the Township of McNab/Braeside to the west and Ottawa's rural west end (West Carleton) to the east.

Architecture

Downtown Arnprior along John Street retains 19th- and early-20th-century commercial buildings from the town's lumber-trade era, including a landmark clock tower and the 1919 O'Brien Theatre, alongside newer residential development on the town's edges.

Restaurants

• Negi Indian Cuisine — Indian

  Indian restaurant at 60 Madawaska Street, known for its curries, bhajis and vindaloos.

  Visit website

Grocery Stores

• Metro — Grocery store

  Metro grocery store at 375 Daniel Street South.

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Pedestrian and Cycling

Downtown Arnprior along John Street is walkable, with riverside pathways along the Madawaska and Ottawa Rivers offering additional walking and cycling routes.

Schools

• Arnprior District High School — Renfrew County District School Board

  Secondary school at 59 Ottawa Street.

  Visit website

Amenities

• O'Brien Theatre — Cinema

  Historic cinema at 147 John Street North, on a site used for film and vaudeville since 1906, with the current building dating from 1919 and restored to its 1930s appearance in 2000.

  Photo: SimonP, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia CommonsVisit website

Transit Options

Arnprior is not part of OC Transpo's service area; residents travel primarily by personal vehicle along Highway 17.

Nearby on This Site

No listings yet in this area.

Official Information

• Find your ward and City Councillor (City of Ottawa)
• Trip planning and routes (OC Transpo)