Embrun, Ontario
Encyclopedia
Embrun (ˈɛmbrən in English; ɑ̃bʁœ̃), UN/LOCODE
UN/LOCODE
UN/LOCODE, the United Nations Code for Trade and Transport Locations, is a geographic coding scheme developed and maintained by United Nations Economic Commission for Europe , a unit of the United Nations. UN/LOCODE assigns codes to locations used in trade and transport with functions such as...
:
CA EBU, is a community in the CanadianCanada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
province of Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
in the Eastern Ontario
Eastern Ontario
Eastern Ontario is a subregion of Southern Ontario in the Canadian province of Ontario which lies in a wedge-shaped area between the Ottawa River and St. Lawrence River...
region. Embrun is also part of the National Capital Region
National Capital Region (Canada)
The National Capital Region, also referred to as Canada's Capital Region, is an official federal designation for the Canadian capital of Ottawa, Ontario, the neighbouring city of Gatineau, Quebec, and surrounding urban and rural communities....
. Embrun is part of the larger Russell Township
Russell, Ontario
The Township of Russell is a municipal township, located south-east of Canada's capital of Ottawa in eastern Ontario, in the United Counties of Prescott and Russell, on the Castor River...
in Prescott and Russell United Counties
Prescott and Russell United Counties, Ontario
The United Counties of Prescott and Russell are consolidated counties located in the Canadian province of Ontario. As of 2006, the population is 80,184. Its county seat is L'Orignal, Ontario. It was created as a result of a merger between Russell County and Prescott County in 1820...
. In 2006 (the year of the most recent census), the urban area of Embrun had a total population of 5,655, but if surrouding agricultural areas closely tied to the community are included, the population figure rises to 8,048. This makes Embrun the largest community in the Township of Russell.
Embrun is a rapidly growing community. The population of the urban area grew by 26.6% from 2001 to 2006. This is the fastest growth rate in Eastern Ontario, and the eight fastest growth rate in all of Ontario.
The town has a French speaking majority, with a significant English-speaking minority. According to the 2006 Census, 57% of Embrun's population speaks French at home, while 41% speak English at home. The remaining 2% speak either both languages equally, or speak a non-official language.
The community is located approximately a twenty-five minute drive from Ottawa
Ottawa
Ottawa is the capital of Canada, the second largest city in the Province of Ontario, and the fourth largest city in the country. The city is located on the south bank of the Ottawa River in the eastern portion of Southern Ontario...
, an hour and a half from Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
, and a five hour drive from Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
. Embrun is located near Trans-Canada Highway 417
Highway 417 (Ontario)
King's Highway 417, also known as Highway 417 and the Queensway through Ottawa is a 400-series highways in the Canadian province of Ontario which connects Montreal with Ottawa. It is the backbone of the transportation system in the Ottawa region, where it forms part of the Queensway along with...
.
Politically, the community is situated in the electoral district
Electoral district (Canada)
An electoral district in Canada, also known as a constituency or a riding, is a geographical constituency upon which Canada's representative democracy is based...
of Glengarry—Prescott—Russell
Glengarry—Prescott—Russell
Glengarry—Prescott—Russell is a federal electoral district in Ontario, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons since 1953...
both provincially and federally.
History
The first residents of Embrun settled the town in 1845. François Michel named the town in 1857 after EmbrunEmbrun, Hautes-Alpes
Embrun is a commune in the Hautes-Alpes department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in southeastern France.-Description:...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
. The town was prosperous throughout the Victorian era
Victorian era
The Victorian era of British history was the period of Queen Victoria's reign from 20 June 1837 until her death on 22 January 1901. It was a long period of peace, prosperity, refined sensibilities and national self-confidence...
, but much of the 20th century was spent in a period of economic stagnation. Embrun has since recovered and is now experiencing economic prosperity
Prosperity
Prosperity is the state of flourishing, thriving, good fortune and/or successful social status. Prosperity often encompasses wealth but also includes others factors which are independent of wealth to varying degrees, such as happiness and health....
. The population of the town was 8,048 in 2006.
Railway
In 1898 the New York and Ottawa RailwayNew York and Ottawa Railway
The New York and Ottawa Railway was a railroad connecting Tupper Lake in northeastern New York to Ottawa, Ontario, becoming part of the New York Central Railroad system in 1913 although it was under the larger company's possession since the end of 1904...
was built. This railway, which travelled between Tupper Lake, New York and Ottawa
Ottawa
Ottawa is the capital of Canada, the second largest city in the Province of Ontario, and the fourth largest city in the country. The city is located on the south bank of the Ottawa River in the eastern portion of Southern Ontario...
, stopped at Embrun six times every day except for Sunday.
This railway line continued operation until 1957, when a combination of pressures from the National Capital Commission
National Capital Commission
The National Capital Commission , is a Canadian Crown corporation that administers the federally owned lands and buildings in Canada's National Capital Region, including Ottawa, Ontario and Gatineau, Quebec.The NCC was created in 1959, replacing the Federal District Commission , which had been...
, who wished to cut down on the number of railway lines through Ottawa in an effort to eliminate noise pollution
Noise pollution
Noise pollution is excessive, displeasing human, animal or machine-created environmental noise that disrupts the activity or balance of human or animal life...
, as well as from the Saint Lawrence Seaway
Saint Lawrence Seaway
The Saint Lawrence Seaway , , is the common name for a system of locks, canals and channels that permits ocean-going vessels to travel from the Atlantic Ocean to the North American Great Lakes, as far as Lake Superior. Legally it extends from Montreal to Lake Erie, including the Welland Canal...
project, which required the removal of the railway's bridge in Cornwall, caused the railway line to shut down. The last trains ran in February 1957, and in April CN
Cn
- Places :* People's Republic of China, ISO 3166-1 alpha-2 country code; sometimes refers exclusively to Mainland China* Comoros, FIPS Pub 10-4 and obsolete NATO digram* CN Tower, Toronto* CN Centre - an arena in Prince George, British Columbia...
purchased the railway track and proceeded to demolish it. Although some segments in Cornwall and Ottawa were retained, the line through Embrun was scrapped. A few decades later, the municipal government constructed a rail trail
Rail trail
A rail trail is the conversion of a disused railway easement into a multi-use path, typically for walking, cycling and sometimes horse riding. The characteristics of former tracks—flat, long, frequently running through historical areas—are appealing for various development. The term sometimes also...
on the right of way, which remains in use to the present day.
Economy
Embrun is a bedroom community: a majority of the population works in nearby Ottawa and commutes into the city on a daily basis. A large proportion of these people are people with post-secondary education who work in the Canadian civil service or Ottawa's large high-tech sector. This has been the case since the mid-20th century. Prior to then, agriculture employed the majority of the community's population.Agriculture still has a significant presence in the area. It is one of the major distributors of dairy products and bovine in the region. These farms also include hundreds of sheep, corn (sold to local grocery stores and markets) and numerous other products.
Media
Three newspapers are published in Embrun: La Nouvelle (weekly newspaper published in French), Le Reflet (another weekly French language newspaper) and The Prescott-Russell News (in both English and French).A newspaper that is published in Rockland
Rockland, Ontario
Rockland is a bilingual community located about east of downtown Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, part of the city of Clarence–Rockland. Rockland has a population of 9,210.-History:...
called Vision is delivered in Embrun as well. The Villager, a newspaper that is published in the neighbouring town of Russell, is also delivered in Embrun. Unlike Vision, The Villager is a paper that people must subscribe to or buy at a local store.
Education
Being a primarily French-Canadian community, the community is well-served with francophone schools. There are two French-Catholic schools in Embrun: École St. Jean http://saint-jean.csdceo.ca/fr/ is the elementary school (grades JK-2), La Croisée is the second building of the elementary school (grades 3-6), and École Secondaire d'Embrun http://www.esce.csdceo.ca/fr/ is a high school (grades 9-12) that also has a middle school extension (grades 7 and 8). There is also a French public school: École Publique de la Rivière CastorCastor River (Ontario)
The Castor River is a river in eastern Ontario, in Canada. It flows into the South Nation River near Casselman. It has a number of branches, including the North, Middle, South and East Castor Rivers which join in Embrun...
. There is no French public secondary school in Embrun. Instead, a French Public High School in nearby Casselman
Casselman, Ontario
Casselman is a village in eastern Ontario, Canada, in the United Counties of Prescott and Russell on the South Nation River.It is a village on the Trans-Canada Highway 417 between Ottawa and Montreal at the crossroads of Regional Road 7, about 55 km southeast of downtown Ottawa. Highway 138 to...
serves Embrun.
The anglophone
English Canadian
An English Canadian is a Canadian of English ancestry; it is used primarily in contrast with French Canadian. Canada is an officially bilingual state, with English and French official language communities. Immigrant cultural groups ostensibly integrate into one or both of these communities, but...
minority in Embrun typically relies on the primarily English speaking nearby town of Russell
Russell, Ontario (community)
The Village of Russell is part of the Township of Russell which in turn is located in the United Counties of Prescott and Russell which covers part of Eastern Ontario, Canada...
for education. English Catholic students in Embrun attend Mother Theresa Elementary School and St. Thomas Aquinas Secondary School, both in Russell. Non-Catholic anglophones in Embrun go to Russell High School. When attending elementary school, they have the choice of attending either École Saint-Joseph http://russell.csdceo.ca/fr/, Russell Public School or Cambridge Public School (the latter of which is nearby La Nation Township), depending on whether they would prefer Full French, French Immersion or Core French (École Saint-Joseph is a French language school, Russell Public provides French immersion, while Cambridge Public provides Core French).
The Ottawa Carleton E-School
Ottawa Carleton E-School
The Ottawa Carleton E-School is a private virtual high school run out of Embrun, Ontario, and is accredited by the Ontario Ministry of Education, and is inspected every other year by that ministry....
is based out of Embrun.
Neighbourhoods
In the map to the right, the neighbourhoods of Embrun are colour-coded. Below is a legend as to what neighbourhood each colour represents.
- Yellow - Industrial Park
- Red - Business Park
- Green - Chantal Development
- Light Blue - Centre ville (town centre)
- Purple - Bourdeau Development in the Embrun-Sud (Embrun South) area
- Pink - Lapointe Development and Mélanie Construction
- Orange - Maplevale
The smaller community of Brisson
Brisson, Ontario
Brisson is a small place in Russell Township in Ontario, Canada. Although still marked on some maps and still listed as a locality by Statistics Canada, the community effectively no longer exists, and is not recognized by any municipal entity. Brisson had its own post office from 1907 to...
may be considered part of Embrun, as it is no longer recognized by any municipal entity.
The municipality has recently adopted smart growth
Smart growth
Smart growth is an urban planning and transportation theory that concentrates growth in compact walkable urban centers to avoid sprawl and advocates compact, transit-oriented, walkable, bicycle-friendly land use, including neighborhood schools, complete streets, and mixed-use development with a...
principles to guide its future development. The official plan calls for densification and infill of existing urban land, rather than acquiring more rural land. A near-doubling of Embrun's population will be accomplished in the next 10–15 years with only two new neighbourhoods (both in land already designated as urban land use zones) being built. The rest of the population growth will be done by building housing units in the open spaces between existing neighbourhoods, and by eventually replacing single-family homes on some busier streets with apartments and condos. Through this plan, Embrun's population will increase from its current population of around 6,000 people to upwards of 10,000 people in 2021, with only a small amount of land to the west being added to the urban zone.
Business Park
This part of Embrun, however, has almost no permanent residents due to the fact that it is almost exclusively commercial. There are a few people living on Notre-Dame Street in this area, however, these people are counted as part of the Chantal Development in population counts. The area is paved with many asphalt service roads crisscrossing the area.
Industrial Park
Embrun also has an Industrial Park. Despite the name, the Industrial Park doesn't really have any industry, just semi-industrial commerce such as warehouseWarehouse
A warehouse is a commercial building for storage of goods. Warehouses are used by manufacturers, importers, exporters, wholesalers, transport businesses, customs, etc. They are usually large plain buildings in industrial areas of cities and towns. They usually have loading docks to load and unload...
s. The Ontario Provincial Police
Ontario Provincial Police
The Ontario Provincial Police is the Provincial Police service for the province of Ontario, Canada.-Overview:The OPP is the the largest deployed police force in Ontario, and the second largest in Canada. The service is responsible for providing policing services throughout the province in areas...
Station is also located here. The Industrial Park is located just to the north of the Embrun Business Park.
The Industrial Park is one of the westernmost areas of Embrun. It has three streets: Industrial Street, New York Central Avenue, and Bay Street.
As a result of municipal zoning regulation reform undertaken in 2010, the Industrial Park technically no longer exists, as the old commercial & industrial zones were replaced with a new "Business Park" designation. Nonetheless the two areas are distinct in the types of enterprises operating in them.
Chantal Development
Chantal Development is a rather quiet residential area in the Western part of Embrun. To the east of Chantal Development lies the town centre (officially called Centre-Ville). To the west lies the Business Park and the Industrial Park.There are several streets in the Chantal Development: Olympic Street, Domaine Street, Menard Street, Isabelle Street, Loiselle Street, Chantal Crescent, Promenade Boulevard, and Chateau Crescent.
An infill subdivision is planned for the area and will be located immediately to the north of the current development.
Town Centre/Centre-Ville
Town Centre/Centre-Ville is home to two of the town's schools (École Publique de la Rivière Castor and St. Jean/La Croisée). Also, the Église St. Jacques is in this part of town. To the west of Town Centre/Centre-Ville is Chantal Development. To the east is Lapointe Development. To the south is the neighbourhood of Embrun South. To the north is rural areas.The major streets are Ste. Jeanne d'Arc Street, Blais Street, Centenaire Street (also in Lapointe Development), St Jean Baptiste Street, Castlebeau Street, St. Augustin Street, and Lamadeleine Boulevard.
Some infill has occurred in recent years, and more is planned along the western and northern fringes of the neighbourhood.
Lapointe Development
The Lapointe Development is in the eastern part of Embrun. To the west is Town Centre/Centre-Ville and to the south is the small neighbourhood of Maplevale. To the north is BrissonBrisson, Ontario
Brisson is a small place in Russell Township in Ontario, Canada. Although still marked on some maps and still listed as a locality by Statistics Canada, the community effectively no longer exists, and is not recognized by any municipal entity. Brisson had its own post office from 1907 to...
. The Lapointe Development is currently undergoing infill
Infill
Infill in its broadest meaning is material that fills in an otherwise unoccupied space. The term is commonly used in association with construction techniques such as wattle and daub, and civil engineering activities such as land reclamation.-Construction:...
expansion. The term Melanie Construction (after the developer who is building the infill projects) refers to the newer infill subdivisions. Another infill subdivision is planned just northwest of the current infill area, and will be integrated into infill projects in the Town Centre/Centre-Ville. In addition, an entirely new neighbourhood (not infill) is also planned to the northeast along St-Thomas Road.
There are several streets in the Lapointe Development: Lapointe Boulevard, Fleurette Street, Sophie Street, Alain Street, Chateauguay Road, Filion Street, La Prairie Street, Centenaire Street (also in Town Centre/Centre-Ville), Frontenac Boulevard, Citadelle Street, Louis Riel Street, La Croisée Street, Radisson Drive and Normandie Street.
Embrun South
The area of Embrun south of the Castor River is called Embrun South (Embrun-Sud in French). The area has a housing subdivision, as well as older, mixed development along arterial roads. To the north lies Town Centre/Centre-Ville. To the east, west and south lies rural areas. The area is near the Embrun Water Tower on St-Jacques Road. The land area formerly known as the Norm's Gym summer camp (condos will replace the camp), as well as the École secondaire catholique Embrun are in this area. No infill developments have taken place, although a completely new neighbourhood to the east of the current development, along St-Joseph Road, is planned.Maplevale
The small neighbourhood of Maplevale, located to the immediate south of the Lapointe Development, is a more affluent area with a higher land values and larger homes.Municipal
In the 2006 Russell Township electionElection
An election is a formal decision-making process by which a population chooses an individual to hold public office. Elections have been the usual mechanism by which modern representative democracy operates since the 17th century. Elections may fill offices in the legislature, sometimes in the...
, citizens of Embrun showed a particularly strong support for current mayor Ken Hill, with 1,431 Embrun voters voting for Ken Hill compared with 678 for Denis Bourdeau and 560 for Michael McHugh.
Lorraine Dicaire, Jean-Paul St. Pierre, Donald St. Pierre and Jamie Laurin received the most votes in Embrun for councillors, in order of most votes to least votes. These four councillors were also the ones who received the most votes in the township as a whole. The candidates that ran for councillor, but didn't get into council were Charlie Harland, Jean-Serge Brisson
Jean-Serge Brisson
Jean-Serge Brisson is a politician in Ontario, Canada. He is the former leader of the Libertarian Party of Canada, which he joined in 1986.-Biography:...
, Pierre Brulotte, and Marthe Lepine.
The newly elected mayor was tested when major blackout (caused by a freezing rain storm which was part of the Early Winter 2006 North American Storm Complex
Early Winter 2006 North American Storm Complex
The Early Winter 2006 North American Storm Complex was a severe winter weather event in the last week of November 2006 and continuing into December 1...
) affected the town from December 1–2, 2006, which left virtually the entire town without electricity. Hill declared a state of emergency, which lasted for several days.
In the 2010 election Ken Hill was defeated soundly, falling to third place. The election was won by Jean-Paul St. Pierre who became the township's new mayor, however Embrun voters favoured second-place candidate Lorraine Dicaire (1246 Embrun votes for Dicaire compared to 889 Embrun votes fo St. Pierre) This was balanced out by overwhelming support for St. Pierre in the rest of the township, however, so in the end St. Pierre won handily.
Provincial & Federal
Embrun is part of the electoral district of Glengarry-Prescott-Russell for both federal and provincial elections. Traditionally this seat is a Liberal stronghold in both governments. This is starting to change, however, as the Conservatives gain support in the area. Federally, the riding was Liberal for many decades until 2006 when it was narrowly taken by Conservative candidate Pierre Lemieux. Lemieux's support has gradually increased, and in 2011 he won re-election by over 10,000 votes.Provincially, however, it has remained Liberal. In the 2011 provincial election
Ontario general election, 2011
The 40th Ontario general election was held on October 6, 2011 to elect members of the 40th Legislative Assembly of Ontario. The Ontario Liberal Party will form a minority government, with the Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario serving as the Official Opposition and the Ontario New...
, the riding stayed Liberal (albeit by a narrow margin) despite the retirement of popular Liberal incumbent Jean Marc Lalonde, and despite the fact that the Liberals lost nearly twenty seats across Ontario.
Traffic
As the community of Embrun grows, traffic concerns also grow. The community's primary road, Notre-Dame Street, is projected to reach a level of traffic volume beyond its design capacity in the near future. The municipal council considered either expanding Notre-Dame Street into a 4-lane roadway or by re-routing traffic on Notre-Dame Streets' collector roads. The latter option is considered preferable by the municipal government.St. Guillaume Road, which connects Notre-Dame Street with Trans-Canada Highway 417
Highway 417 (Ontario)
King's Highway 417, also known as Highway 417 and the Queensway through Ottawa is a 400-series highways in the Canadian province of Ontario which connects Montreal with Ottawa. It is the backbone of the transportation system in the Ottawa region, where it forms part of the Queensway along with...
, is projected to start nearing its design maximum capacity in the near future as well. Widening St. Guillaume Road was discussed as an option during a study by the Prescott and Russell United Counties
Prescott and Russell United Counties, Ontario
The United Counties of Prescott and Russell are consolidated counties located in the Canadian province of Ontario. As of 2006, the population is 80,184. Its county seat is L'Orignal, Ontario. It was created as a result of a merger between Russell County and Prescott County in 1820...
government, as well as introducing a new corridor to connect Notre-Dame Road with Highway 417.
In recent years, public transit service has been introduced to the community. The municipal government runs three peak-hour express routes to downtown Ottawa from Embrun. The local government has expressed interest in joining Transit Eastern Ontario
Transit Eastern Ontario
Transit Eastern Ontario is a commuter bus service which operates from communities along the Highway 417 corridor, east of Ottawa in Eastern Ontario, Canada...
to improve local transit service.
Climate
Embrun has a continental climate with cool winters, humid summers, and short autumns and springs.Summers in Embrun usually last about 5 months long, and winters are about 4–4½ months long. Autumn and spring are shorter.
The first snowfalls of the year usually occur in mid-to-late November, but snow doesn't actually cover the ground until December. Before that, snow usually melts as soon as it hits the ground.
In the spring, the snow usually starts melting in March, although occasional "warm breaks" with temperatures as high as 10°C (50°F) usually occur once or twice in January and February.
Also, in the spring, the area tends to smell of cow manure, and the run-off into the Castor River begins.
In recent years, winters have gotten much warmer, so often in the winter freezing
Freezing
Freezing or solidification is a phase change in which a liquid turns into a solid when its temperature is lowered below its freezing point. The reverse process is melting....
rain will occur. This makes driving very hazardous and often cancels school buses and makes the roads very icy for a few days.
In the summer, humidity is often common, especially in July. Although temperatures are usually just under 30°C (86°F), with the humidity it can feel as hot as 35°C or higher.