Downsizing in Ottawa and Eastern Ontario

What downsizing in Ottawa and Eastern Ontario looks like

This region has two very different halves. The City of Ottawa is a large municipality that includes dense central neighbourhoods, suburban communities such as Kanata and Orléans, and rural areas on its edges. Beyond it, the towns along the St. Lawrence River and the Ottawa River are smaller places where one municipal office, one hospital and a short list of listings cover most of what a downsizer needs to compare.

The practical question is usually whether you want transit and services within reach of a home with less upkeep, or a quieter town where a smaller house still has a yard. Either way, the same provincial rules apply to the sale: the buyer pays land transfer tax, and a gain on the sale of a principal residence is generally not taxed federally. Read our capital gains and principal residence guide and talk to an accountant before you rely on that.

Choose a city: Ottawa, Kanata, Orléans or Brockville

• Downsizing in Ottawa covers the city as a whole: its hospitals, OC Transpo, property tax deferral programs and flood mapping.
• Downsizing in Kanata is the page for this west-end community, which sits within the City of Ottawa.
• Downsizing in Orléans covers the east-end community, also within the City of Ottawa.
• Downsizing in Brockville looks at a small city on the St. Lawrence River with its own hospital and municipal government.

Kanata and Orléans are not separate municipalities. Their property tax, transit and zoning all come from the City of Ottawa, which is why the two pages repeat only what is specific to each community.

Condos, townhouses and bungalows for downsizers

Smaller-home types in the region include condominium apartments, condominium and freehold townhouses and single-storey houses. Which ones are actually available depends on the street and the month, so ask your agent for current listings rather than relying on a general description. If you are weighing a condominium, read our guide to buying a condo in Ontario and the comparison of a condo, townhouse or house.

Life lease and land lease homes are structured differently from ownership, and the details matter. See life lease and land lease homes before you sign anything. This site has not verified any specific 55+ community in this region, so ask any community you consider for its documents in writing. Our 55+ communities page lists what has been confirmed.

Hospitals and getting around in Eastern Ontario

Ottawa has several hospitals. The Ottawa Hospital operates the Civic Campus on Carling Avenue, the General Campus on Smyth Road and the Riverside Campus on Riverside Drive, and Montfort Hospital is on Montreal Road. Queensway Carleton Hospital serves the west end. Brockville General Hospital, at 75 Charles Street, is the hospital for Brockville. Each hospital site lists which services it offers, so check the service you need rather than assuming.

Within Ottawa, OC Transpo runs the bus and O-Train network, and the Ottawa trip planner on octranspo.com is the place to confirm current routes and lines. OC Transpo describes extensions of Line 1 east through Orléans and west toward Kanata and Moodie, so check which sections are open before you rely on a station. Outside Ottawa, ask the municipality what local transit exists. Our guide to getting around Ontario after 65 covers the options when you stop driving.

Flood risk and conservation authorities in Eastern Ontario

Eastern Ontario is crossed by large rivers and many creeks, and more than one conservation authority covers the region. Conservation authorities keep the regulated-area and floodplain mapping, and Conservation Ontario lets you find the authority for an address. The Rideau Valley Conservation Authority publishes its mapping through the RVCA GeoPortal. Coverage varies by address, so a single lookup does not cover the whole region.

Insurance for flood and sewer backup is a separate question from mapping. Read flood and storm insurance when downsizing and ask your insurer before you make an offer.

Property tax and local government in the region

The City of Ottawa is a single-tier municipality, and it publishes a partial and a full property tax deferral program for eligible low-income seniors and people with disabilities. Other municipalities set their own rules, and this guide has not confirmed what they offer, so ask the tax office of the municipality where you plan to buy. At the provincial level, the Ontario Senior Homeowners' Property Tax Grant and the Ontario Energy and Property Tax Credit may apply, subject to age and income limits. The costs and money page explains both, and the land transfer tax guide covers the buyer's side.

Questions to ask before you buy in Eastern Ontario

• Which municipality collects the property tax on this address, and is there a deferral program?
• Which conservation authority covers it, and is any part of the lot in a regulated area?
• For a condominium, what do the status certificate and reserve fund study say?
• What is the nearest hospital with an emergency department, and how do you get there without a car?
• Does the neighbourhood have transit or only a road in and out?

Use the step-by-step downsizing guide to put these in order and the net proceeds calculator to see what a sale might leave you. Messages made through Ontario Downsizing go to real estate agents on the operating team at eXp Realty. When you are ready, contact us.

All municipalities in Ottawa and Eastern Ontario