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November 13, 2026

Living in Rockland, Ontario: A Local Guide for Buyers

By Nicolas Sigounis, REALTOR®, EXIT Realty Matrix, Brokerage
Last updated: November 12, 2026

Rockland sits on the south shore of the Ottawa River, east of Ottawa. People ask me if it is part of Ottawa. It is not.

It is part of the City of Clarence Rockland, inside the United Counties of Prescott and Russell. That one fact changes your property taxes, your school boards, your services and your drive to work.

This guide uses public sources only, and they are listed at the end. Where I could not confirm something, I left it out.

Rockland at a glance

  • Municipality: City of Clarence Rockland, not the City of Ottawa
  • County: United Counties of Prescott and Russell
  • Population of the city: 26,505 in 2021, up from 24,512 in 2016, about 8% growth (Statistics Canada)
  • Languages: 67.6% of residents can speak both English and French (2021 Census)
  • Average commute: 29.7 minutes in 2021, measured during the pandemic
  • School boards with schools in Rockland: two English and two French
  • Property taxes: set each year by the city

The census figures cover the whole city, not only the town of Rockland. The city also includes villages and rural areas such as Clarence Creek and Bourget.

Is Rockland part of Ottawa?

No. Rockland has its own council, its own tax rates and its own services. If you are moving from Ottawa, expect differences in three places.

Property taxes are set by Clarence Rockland and the United Counties. Schools come from eastern Ontario boards, not the Ottawa boards. East of the Ottawa boundary you are on County Road 17, and there is no OC Transpo bus service in Rockland today.

A bilingual town

The mix of French and English is the first thing most newcomers notice. In the 2021 Census for Clarence Rockland, 14,910 residents reported French as their only mother tongue and 8,885 reported English. About 67.6% can speak both languages, 25.7% speak English only and 6.6% speak French only.

Compared with 2016, the number of residents with English as their mother tongue went up, and so did the number with another language. French still leads, and the mix is widening.

In daily life you will hear both at the store and at the rink. Families can choose English or French schooling, public or Catholic.

Getting to Ottawa

Driving County Road 17 and Highway 174

Most people who live in Rockland and work in Ottawa drive County Road 17 west, which joins Highway 174 at the Ottawa boundary. The 9.1 km section between the boundary and County Road 8 has two lanes and carried more than 22,500 vehicles a day, according to a 2025 report on the United Counties’ plans.

With two lanes, one slow vehicle, a collision or a snowstorm can back things up fast.

The 2021 Census puts the average commute at 29.7 minutes, down from 34.4 in 2016. Read that number with care. The census was taken in May 2021, when many people worked from home, so it likely understates a normal commute. Of working residents, 86.1% drove, 6.4% rode as passengers and 1.4% took public transit.

What would I do? Drive from the house to your workplace at the hour you would really leave. Then drive home at your real quitting time. If you can, do it once in winter.

Road improvements

Two projects are in the news, and neither has a construction date.

In June 2025 the United Counties approved $2.3 million over three years for design work to widen the 9.1 km section to four lanes. The full plan has five phases, an estimated cost of $121.2 million and about 11 years of work. In April 2026 Ottawa and Ontario signed an agreement to move forward with transferring Highway 174 and Ottawa LRT to the province. No timeline was announced.

I would not count on either one to shorten your commute in the next few years. Buy for the road as it is today.

Public transit, as of November 2026

There is no regular public bus between Rockland and Ottawa. Leduc Bus Lines served the area as of late 2019, and OC Transpo says most of its regional commuter routes were suspended during the pandemic. In April 2026 council voted to begin exploratory talks with OC Transpo. Those are early talks, not a service plan.

The O Train Line 1 East extension will run from Blair Station to Trim Station. As of November 2026 it is not open to passengers. Test runs to Trim were scheduled to begin November 22, 2026, and CBC reported that a public opening before 2027 looks unlikely.

When it opens, Trim will be the closest station for people driving in from Rockland. This page will be updated when service starts.

Schools in Rockland

Rockland has schools from four boards. School boundaries do not follow street lines, and boards change them. Before you buy, confirm the assigned school for the exact address with the board.

English public: Upper Canada District School Board

  • Rockland Public School
  • Rockland District High School

English Catholic: Catholic District School Board of Eastern Ontario

  • St. Patrick Catholic School

French public: Conseil des écoles publiques de l’Est de l’Ontario

  • École élémentaire et secondaire publique Carrefour Jeunesse
  • Coming soon: École secondaire publique Rockland, a new school for Grades 7 to 12 with room for 414 students at 300 rue L’Étang. The board expects construction to finish in summer 2027 and the school to open for the 2027 to 2028 school year.

French Catholic: Conseil scolaire de district catholique de l’Est ontarien

  • École élémentaire catholique Sainte Trinité
  • École secondaire catholique L’Escale

If you are looking outside the town, in Clarence Creek for example, the nearby schools will be different. Check with each board.

Parks, trails and recreation

Parks and the waterfront

Simon Park, at 1450 du Parc Avenue, is the town’s main park and the home of most big events. It has a splash pad, a skatepark, a play structure, a baseball field, a basketball court, an outdoor rink, a gazebo, and tennis and pickleball courts. The city approved a plan to turn it more into an events site, and demolition of the old Jean Marc Lalonde Arena on the property began in October 2025.

Du Moulin Park, at 100 Edwards Street, sits on the river with a boat launch, docks, a play structure and open green space. Alain Potvin Park, at 1245 Docteur Corbeil Boulevard, is another municipal park in town.

Arena, YMCA and library

The Desjardins Centre, at 60 Canadian Lane, has two ice surfaces. The Clarence Rockland YMCA, at 1525 du Parc Avenue, is a 17,400 square foot facility with a pool, swim lessons, a gym, a cycling studio, group classes and child minding. The Rockland branch of the library shares the same complex, which makes it an easy stop with kids.

The Canadian International Hockey Academy, at 20 Canadian Lane, is a private school and hockey program based in Rockland. Hockey is a big part of life here.

Trails and forest nearby

The Prescott and Russell Recreational Trail is 72 km on an old Canadian Pacific rail line, running from Hammond in the west to St Eugène in the east. It is mostly stone dust and fairly flat, so it suits walking, running and cycling in summer. In winter it is used mainly by snowmobiles.

Larose Forest, owned by the United Counties, is south of Rockland with parking in the Bourget and Limoges sectors. It offers more than 14 km of hiking from the Bourget lot and more than 7 km from the Limoges lot. In winter there are about 29 km of groomed cross country ski trails and more than 37 km of snowshoe trails.

The Rockland Golf Club is at 301 Montée Outaouais.

Food, drink and local favourites

The city’s own tourism page says Rockland is known for its pizzerias, and that matches what I hear. There is more to try. A few independent places worth knowing:

  • Café Joyeux, also called Joyful Coffee, at 1600 Laurier Street. It roasts its own coffee and serves gluten free and plant based options. Closed Mondays.
  • Halo Chef, at 2254 Laurier Street. A family run restaurant serving African and Caribbean dishes cooked over charcoal. Hours are limited, so check before you go.
  • Brauwerk Hoffman, at 733 Industrielle Street, Unit 5. A German style craft brewery with a beer hall, food and live music.
  • Vergers Villeneuve, at 1341 Rollin Road, an orchard east of Rockland that makes fruit wines and sells cut your own Christmas trees in season. The wine bar is seasonal, so check their site first.

Shopping and errands

Laurier Street is the main commercial street, and most daily errands can be done in town. The Walmart Supercentre at 3001 Richelieu Street has groceries and a pharmacy. For bigger shopping trips or specialty stores, most residents drive west to Orléans.

Events through the year

  • Clarence Rockland Festival: a multi day summer festival at Simon Park that includes Canada Day. In 2026 it had a car show, a kids zone, live music and fireworks.
  • CR Market: a local market at Simon Park, usually the second Sunday of each month from May to October, with a few themed dates.
  • Christmas Parade of Lights: every year. The 2026 parade is Sunday, November 29, from 4:30 to 9:30 p.m.

Buying a home in Rockland

Town or countryside?

Clarence Rockland covers much more than the town. Many buyers choose between a home in town, close to schools, stores and the arena, and a property in a village or rural area, which usually means more land and a longer drive.

Before you firm up an offer, ask what the property is connected to: municipal water and sewer, or a private well and septic system. That changes your inspection, your costs and your upkeep.

Property taxes

Your bill is set by the City of Clarence Rockland and includes the United Counties and education portions. Taxes are paid in four instalments, due on the last business day of February, April, June and August. A tax certificate costs $76 through the city’s online portal.

Your actual bill depends on your MPAC assessment, and rates change every year. Rather than rely on a number from me, check the city property tax page, or ask me to pull the tax figure for a specific listing.

What homes have actually sold for in Rockland

Here is what the MLS shows for freehold homes in the Town of Rockland that sold between August 15 and November 13, 2026. That is 38 sales. Across all of Clarence Rockland, including the township, there were 76 sales with a median of $567,500.

  • Average sold price: about $538,000. Median sold price: $505,000.
  • Sold prices ran from $207,250 to $885,000, and that range includes a vacant land sale.
  • Average of 64 days on market. Median of 48 days.
  • Homes sold for about 98% of their list price on average.
  • Detached homes were 24 of the 38 sales. Two storeys led at 20 sales, followed by bungalows at 13.

The median is the middle sale. Half of the homes sold for less and half sold for more. Three months is a short window, so treat this as a snapshot and not a forecast. If you want the numbers for a specific street or style of home, ask me.

Source: MLS data through REALM, freehold sales in the Town of Rockland sold August 15 to November 13, 2026, pulled November 13, 2026.

What fits and what to weigh

What the evidence supports: a real town with its own main street, schools, arena, YMCA and library. French and English side by side, with schooling in either language. The river, the parks and easy access to trails and forest. A community that has been growing steadily.

What to weigh: you will need a car, because there is no regular bus to Ottawa today. The commute depends on one two lane road, and improvements are years away. Bigger shopping trips usually mean a drive to Orléans.

If you need to be downtown at 8 a.m. five days a week, test the drive before you decide.

Common questions

Is Rockland part of Ottawa?

No. Rockland is in the City of Clarence Rockland, in the United Counties of Prescott and Russell, with its own government, tax rates and school boards.

How long is the commute from Rockland to Ottawa?

It depends on the hour and the weather. The 2021 Census average was 29.7 minutes, but it was measured during the pandemic and likely understates a normal day. Drive your own route at your own hour.

Is there a bus from Rockland to Ottawa?

Not as of November 2026. Regional commuter routes were suspended during the pandemic, and council voted in April 2026 to start talks with OC Transpo.

When will the O Train reach Trim, and does it help Rockland?

The extension is not open to passengers as of November 2026, and CBC reported that a public opening before 2027 looks unlikely. When it opens, Trim will be the closest station for drivers from Rockland.

Is County Road 17 or Highway 174 being widened?

Design work to widen County Road 17 was funded in 2025, but the full plan would take about 11 years. Ottawa and Ontario signed an agreement in April 2026 on Highway 174, with no timeline. Neither has a construction date.

Is Rockland French or English?

Both. In the 2021 Census, 67.6% of residents of Clarence Rockland could speak both languages, and French was the most common mother tongue.

What schools are in Rockland?

There are schools from four boards: English public, English Catholic, French public and French Catholic. A new French public secondary school is planned for the 2027 to 2028 school year. Confirm the school for any address with the board.

How many people live in Clarence Rockland?

26,505 in the 2021 Census, up from 24,512 in 2016.

Thinking about a move to Rockland?

If you are comparing Rockland with other towns east of Ottawa, I can walk you through the commute, the schools and what your budget looks like in each one, in English or in French. You can start a conversation here, and if it is not useful, tell me and I will stop.

Would it be a bad idea to compare two or three towns side by side before you pick a street?

Sigounis Properties. We Know Strategy.

Sources, accessed November 2026

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