What comes to mind when you think of Orléans? For many, it’s a quiet, comfortable suburb. A place with good schools, green spaces, and a reliable commute… as long as you have a car.
But what if it could be more?
What if Orléans could also be a place of vibrant main streets, bustling with local shops and cafés? A place where you could meet most of your daily needs with a pleasant walk or a safe bike ride? A place with more housing choices for every stage of life, from young professionals to retirees?
That is the vision behind this website. Welcome to TheNewOrleans.ca, a space dedicated to imagining—and building—a better Orléans.
My name is Rob Attrell, and I’m a resident of Convent Glen North who believes our community is on the cusp of something special. For the past year, I’ve been rolling up my sleeves and getting involved to help this vision become reality. This site is where I’ll share what I’m learning, chronicle the progress, and invite you to join the conversation.
So, how do we get there? It’s not about one single solution, but a collection of efforts. My own advocacy work tackles this from a few different angles:
- At the Neighbourhood Level: As a Director on the Board of the Convent Glen / Orléans Wood Community Association (cgow.ca), I’m working with neighbours to champion the Orléans Corridor Secondary Plan. This is our community’s official blueprint for creating more walkable, transit-oriented development along St. Joseph Boulevard alongside the new LRT line. It’s about transforming our main commercial street from a traffic corridor with businesses into a true destination.
- On Two Wheels: I also serve on the Board of Bike Ottawa (bikeottawa.ca), advocating to make cycling in the suburbs a safe, practical, and enjoyable choice for everyone. Better active transportation is a key ingredient for a healthier, more connected community.
- The Big Picture: To ensure our efforts are financially sound and sustainable, I’m involved with Strong Towns Ottawa (strongtownsottawa.ca). The Strong Towns movement offers a powerful critique of the suburban development pattern and provides a roadmap for building fiscally resilient and prosperous places from the bottom up.
- Urban Transportation: For those who want a deeper, more technical dive into the transportation and urban transportation design side of things, I’ve also got a companion site to this one, LessCar.ca. Think of it as the engine room for the ideas we explore here.
This isn’t an anti-car crusade, thought. At its core, it’s a pro-community movement. It’s about building a place that offers more choices, more connections, and more character. It’s about building a New Orléans.
So please, have a look around. Challenge the ideas you see here. Leave a comment to share your own. Building a better community is a team sport, and I’m glad to have you here.
Welcome to The New Orléans. Let’s build it together.
Leave a Reply