Greely–Metcalfe
South
Fast Facts
- Population: 14,069 (City of Ottawa Neighbourhood Study (sum of the two combined boundaries))
- Size: 207.89 km² (Computed from the combined City of Ottawa Neighbourhood Study boundary polygons)
- Distance from Parliament Hill: About 25.4 km south (straight-line distance)
Overview
Greely and Metcalfe are two rural villages in Ottawa's far south end, both part of the former Township of Osgoode before its 2001 amalgamation. Greely, Ottawa's largest rural village by land area, has grown rapidly from a farming community into executive-home subdivisions with several man-made lakes, while Metcalfe, originally called Hawley's Corners, has hosted the annual Metcalfe Fair since 1861.
Boundaries
The City of Ottawa Neighbourhood Study covers this area with two separate boundaries — Greely and Metcalfe — merged here into a single shape spanning a large, mostly rural area of farmland, forest and low-density residential subdivisions south of Ottawa's urban area.
Map
History
Colonel Archibald Macdonell, believed to be the first settler in Osgoode Township, settled just south of present-day Metcalfe in March 1827. The village was originally called Hawley's Corners before being renamed Metcalfe in 1877, in honour of Charles Theophilus Metcalfe, Governor General of Canada from 1843 to 1846.
Greely takes its name from Adolphus Washington Greely, an American Arctic explorer and military general who explored Canada's polar region in the 1880s. Both villages remained primarily agricultural through the 19th and much of the 20th century as part of Osgoode Township.
The County of Russell Agricultural Society was formed in 1856 to hold an annual agricultural fair, originally rotating among the townships of Gloucester, Osgoode, Russell and Cumberland. The fair found a permanent home in Metcalfe in 1861, and the society was renamed the Metcalfe Agricultural Society in 1912.
Osgoode Township, including Greely and Metcalfe, was amalgamated into the City of Ottawa in 2001. Greely has since grown rapidly with executive home subdivisions and several man-made lakes, becoming Ottawa's largest rural village by land area and third-largest by population.
Claim to Fame
Greely-Metcalfe's defining feature is the Metcalfe Fair, an agricultural fair held annually since 1861 — one of the oldest continuously running fairs in the region — alongside Greely's rapid growth into Ottawa's largest rural village by land area.
Surrounding Neighbourhoods
Manotick and the Rideau River lie west, Riverside South and Findlay Creek lie north, Russell-Embrun lies east, and rural Osgoode village lies south.
Architecture
Metcalfe's village core retains small-scale 19th- and early-20th-century buildings, while Greely's newer subdivisions carry executive-style single-family homes built from the 2000s onward around several man-made lakes. Both villages are otherwise surrounded by rural farmland and low-density acreage lots.
Restaurants
- Papa Joe's Pizza — Pizzeria
Pizzeria at 5669 Bank Street in Greely.
Visit website
Pedestrian and Cycling
This is a rural, car-dependent area with limited sidewalks outside the two village cores; Greely's man-made lakes and surrounding trails offer some recreational walking.
Schools
- Greely Elementary School — Ottawa-Carleton District School Board
Elementary school (K-6) at 7066 Parkway Road in Greely.
Visit website - Metcalfe Public School — Ottawa-Carleton District School Board
Elementary school at 2701 8th Line Road in Metcalfe.
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Amenities
- Metcalfe Fair — Annual agricultural fair
Agricultural fair held in Metcalfe every September since 1861, with livestock and horse shows, a demolition derby, and antique machinery displays.
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Transit Options
This rural area is not served by OC Transpo rapid transit; residents travel primarily by personal vehicle along Bank Street, Parkway Road and 8th Line Road.
Nearby on This Site
No listings yet in this area.
Official Information
Last verified: August 27, 2026