c.1879 Gothic Revival Beauty – Ontario Canada Stone Church For Sale Under $170K

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Pros

1. You get a lot more of a small-town/rural lifestyle

• Lots of detached homes, newer subdivisions, larger lots, and rural properties.
• Much quieter and less congested than Ottawa.
• North Grenville has about 18,000 residents and covers a huge 352 km² area, so there’s a lot of open space.
• If your dream is a house with a yard, trees, maybe a garden or even some acreage, this is much more realistic than living in central Ottawa.

2. Ottawa is close enough for city amenities
Kemptville is roughly 30 minutes south of Ottawa via Highway 416, which is one of its biggest selling points.

That means you can live in a small community but still get to Ottawa for:

• major shopping
• museums/culture
• concerts
• specialty restaurants
• major hospitals
• airport
• nightlife
• Costco, IKEA, etc.

3. Excellent if you like nature
This is probably one of North Grenville’s strongest advantages.

You have:

• Rideau River
• Ferguson Forest Centre
• Rideau Trail
• North Grenville Rail Trail
• parks and green spaces
• kayaking/canoeing
• cycling
• hiking
• fishing
• skating and other winter activities

The municipality has roughly 47.5 km of trails and 20.6 km of bike paths/lanes.

And the North Grenville Rail Trail is particularly nice for everyday walking, biking and running.

4. It has a genuine community feel
Kemptville isn’t just subdivisions surrounding a Walmart. There’s an actual historic downtown with independent businesses, cafés, restaurants, markets and community events.

You also have places like Brigadoon in Oxford Mills if you want a more special-occasion restaurant without driving into Ottawa.

5. Good for families
If you’re thinking long-term about having children, I think this is one of North Grenville’s biggest appeals.

You get:

• quieter neighborhoods
• parks
• recreation
• trails
• community sports
• schools
• relatively easy access to Ottawa

The population has also been growing—North Grenville grew 9.2% between 2016 and 2021—so it’s not a dying rural town.

6. Four-season lifestyle
If you actually like having distinct seasons, this is a good place for it:

• beautiful fall foliage
• snowy winters
• spring greenery
• warm summers with river/lake activities

The downside is that you really do get Eastern Ontario winters, though.

Cons

1. You basically need a car

This is probably the #1 drawback.

Statistics Canada shows that in 2021, about 94.6% of commuters in North Grenville traveled by car, truck or van, while only 0.2% used public transit.

So if you want a lifestyle where you can walk out your front door and have:

coffee → grocery store → restaurants → entertainment → train → work

North Grenville probably isn’t your place.

You can live fairly walkably in central Kemptville, but outside that area you’re very car-dependent.

2. There’s less entertainment

This is the tradeoff for the peace and space.

You won’t have the:

• restaurant variety
• nightlife
• concerts
• shopping
• museums
• specialty stores
• cultural events

that Ottawa provides.

Even North Grenville’s own 2025 budget survey had residents asking for more nightlife/live music and expanded public transit, which is a pretty good indication of the gap.

You might eventually find yourself saying:

“Let’s just drive to Ottawa.”

3. Housing isn’t necessarily the bargain people imagine

I’d be careful with the idea that North Grenville = cheap.

It’s more affordable than many parts of the Ottawa region, especially if you’re looking for a detached house, but housing demand has increased considerably as people move out from Ottawa.

There’s also been concern locally about the availability of affordable rental housing.

So I’d distinguish between:

More house for your money than central Ottawa:
Cheap housing: not necessarily.

4. Healthcare can be a pain point

There is Kemptville District Hospital, which is useful for local healthcare, but you’re still in a relatively small community.

For more specialized medical care, you’ll generally be looking toward Ottawa.

And, like much of Ontario, getting a family doctor can take time.

5. Growth is changing the character of the area

This is an interesting pro AND con.

North Grenville is growing quickly.

That’s good because you’re getting:

• new businesses
• new housing
• more services
• more restaurants
• more amenities

But some residents don’t love the development.

The municipality’s own 2025 budget survey included complaints about roads, sidewalks, traffic, loss of green space and rapid development.