Katimavik — often paired with the historic Hazeldean area as Katimavik-Hazeldean — is one of Kanata’s most central and convenient family neighbourhoods, known for its mix of affordable homes, mature tree-lined streets, and a location that puts shopping, schools, parks, and Highway 417 all within a few minutes. Developed largely from the 1970s onward in what is now Kanata South, and named through a community contest in 1972, Katimavik sits roughly 20 to 25 minutes west of downtown Ottawa, bounded by Eagleson Road, Hazeldean Road, the Carp River, and Highway 417.
Katimavik holds a special place in this guide: Jason Polonski lived in the neighbourhood for many years and knows its streets, schools, pathways, and pockets of housing firsthand — the kind of ground-level knowledge that only comes from calling a place home. What follows is a complete picture of Katimavik as a place to live: where it sits, how it got its name and its character, what the homes and schools are like, the parks and shopping on its doorstep, and who tends to thrive here.
Where is Katimavik?
Katimavik is in Kanata South, in the central part of Kanata. Its boundaries are Eagleson Road to the east, Hazeldean Road to the south, the Carp River to the west, and Highway 417 (the Queensway) to the north. That location is one of its defining advantages: with the 417 along its northern edge, downtown Ottawa is only about a 20-to-25-minute drive, and the neighbourhood sits within minutes of Kanata’s two main shopping districts — Hazeldean Mall just to the south and the Kanata Centrum big-box centre to the north.
Because of that placement, Katimavik is one of the easiest Kanata neighbourhoods to live in day-to-day. Groceries, banking, dining, recreation, and highway access are all close at hand, and the Kanata North Technology Park is a short drive away for the many residents who work in the tech sector. For buyers who value being central and connected within Kanata rather than out on its growing edges, Katimavik is hard to beat.
The name and the story: a “gathering place”
Katimavik’s name is one of the more charming pieces of Kanata history. In 1972, the growing community was named through a local contest, won by a 12-year-old resident, Corinne Friesen. The word “Katimavik” comes from Inuktitut and means “gathering place” or “meeting place” — the same word famously used for the Canada pavilion at Expo 67 and, later, a national youth service program. For a neighbourhood built around families, parks, and community life, the name has proven fitting.
The area’s roots run deeper still. Hazeldean, the historic community Katimavik grew around, existed as a small rural post village in the 1800s, and the “Katimavik-Hazeldean” name preserves that heritage. Modern development began in earnest in the early-to-mid 1970s, when the Campeau Corporation built out the Chimo Drive area using garden-city design principles — wide, heavily treed lots with evergreens and birches, earth-toned homes, and low-pitched roofs that blended into the landscape. Through the 1980s and 1990s, the neighbourhood expanded westward with higher-density housing built to sympathetic design standards, giving Katimavik the layered mix of home types it has today.
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Katimavik quick facts
| Location | Kanata South, central Kanata, ~20–25 min west of downtown Ottawa |
|---|---|
| Boundaries | Eagleson Rd (east) · Hazeldean Rd (south) · Carp River (west) · Highway 417 (north) |
| Name | Inuktitut for “gathering place”; chosen by community contest in 1972 |
| Developed | From the early 1970s (Campeau Corporation’s garden-city Chimo Drive), expanding through the 1980s–90s |
| Population | Approx. 10,000–12,000 |
| Housing | Detached & semi-detached homes, townhomes, and condominiums |
| Typical price (2025) | Neighbourhood average roughly in the low $500,000s (verify vs OREB) |
| Signature trait | Central, convenient, and affordable — shopping and the 417 on the doorstep |
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Katimavik real estate: homes, prices, and value
Katimavik is one of Kanata’s more attainable neighbourhoods, and its housing variety is a big part of the appeal. The community offers detached and semi-detached homes — including the distinctive treed lots of the original Chimo Drive area — alongside a healthy supply of townhomes and condominiums. That range makes Katimavik a natural fit for first-time buyers and downsizers as much as for families, since it is possible to enter the market here through a condo or townhome and step up (or down) without leaving the neighbourhood.
On price, Katimavik has tracked at the more affordable end of Kanata. Average sold prices climbed from roughly $390,000 in 2019 to about $553,000 in 2021 during the market’s pandemic-era surge, then settled to a neighbourhood average in the low $500,000s by 2025 — with the exact figure depending heavily on the housing mix in a given year, since a market weighted toward condos and townhomes will show a lower average than one weighted toward detached homes. As always, these figures are a benchmark rather than a valuation; because Katimavik spans everything from condominiums to detached homes, the only reliable way to price a specific property is a current comparative market analysis of genuinely comparable recent sales.
For buyers, Katimavik’s condo and townhome supply is one of the more realistic paths into Kanata home ownership, and its central location supports steady resale demand. For sellers, the key is matching the marketing to the buyer pool — a first-time buyer looking at a condo and a family looking at a detached home on a treed lot are very different audiences. Buyers exploring apartment-style options may find the condos in Kanata guide useful, and a wider read on values is on the Kanata home prices and market trends pages.
Schools in Katimavik
Katimavik is well served by schools across the public, Catholic, and French systems:
| School | Level/board |
|---|---|
| Katimavik Elementary School | Public elementary (serving older elementary grades) |
| Castlefrank Elementary School | Public elementary |
| W.O. Mitchell Elementary School | Public elementary (nearby) |
| Roger-Saint-Denis | French Catholic elementary |
| Holy Redeemer Catholic School | Catholic elementary |
| Earl of March Secondary / Holy Trinity Catholic High School | Public / Catholic secondary |
Katimavik also has a long-running co-operative nursery school, reflecting the neighbourhood’s family orientation. As with anywhere, catchment boundaries determine which schools a specific address is assigned to and can change, so families buying primarily for a school should confirm the current catchment with the Ottawa-Carleton District School Board or the Ottawa Catholic School Board. A fuller breakdown is on the Kanata schools guide.
Parks, ponds, and recreation
For a central neighbourhood, Katimavik is generously green. Young’s Pond Park is a local favourite, with a pond, walking paths, and open space; Katimavik Woods offers a natural treed area with trails; and Hazeldean Park and numerous smaller parks are scattered through the community. The Carp River corridor along the western edge adds further green space and pathway connections. For indoor and year-round recreation, the Kanata Leisure Centre and Wave Pool are close by, offering swimming and programs for all ages.
This combination — a pond and woods within walking distance, plus a major recreation centre minutes away — is a real draw for families and active residents. The wider network of trails and nature across Kanata is covered in the Kanata Outdoors and Kanata Parks guides, and families will find more ideas on the family activities page.
Shopping, dining, and everyday amenities
Convenience is arguably Katimavik’s single strongest feature. Hazeldean Mall sits right at the neighbourhood’s southern edge, covering grocery, department-store, and everyday retail, while the Kanata Centrum district to the north adds big-box stores, restaurants, and a cinema. Major grocery options — including Loblaws and Sobeys — are within a few minutes, and local plazas handle daily errands close to home. The Queensway Carleton Hospital is a short drive away. In practical terms, a Katimavik resident can handle almost every routine need without a long trip, which is a meaningful quality-of-life advantage for busy families and downsizers alike.
Getting around: transit and commuting
Katimavik’s position along Highway 417 makes commuting straightforward — downtown Ottawa is roughly 20 to 25 minutes by car, and the tech park is a short drive north. OC Transpo serves the neighbourhood with routes connecting to Kanata’s park-and-ride lots and transit stations, and onward into the city’s rapid-transit network. Ottawa’s light rail is planned to extend westward toward Kanata over time, but at the time of writing, it does not yet reach the community, so transit-focused buyers should check the current bus service for their specific street. More detail is on the Kanata public transit guide.
Who Katimavik suits
Katimavik’s affordability, variety, and central location shape a broad buyer pool. It tends to suit:
First-time buyers who want an attainable entry into Kanata through a condo or townhome in a well-located, established neighbourhood. Families drawn by schools, parks, the wave pool, and safe, tree-lined streets, with the option to move up within the community over time. Downsizers and retirees who want to shed maintenance without losing convenience — Katimavik’s condos and townhomes, close to shopping and healthcare, are a natural fit. And professionals and commuters who value being minutes from both the 417 and the tech park. Buyers weighing whether the neighbourhood fits a downsizing move may also find the is Kanata a good place to retire page helpful, and there is a companion reasons to live in Katimavik overview.
Katimavik is a less obvious fit for buyers specifically seeking large executive homes or a prestige address — those point toward Kanata’s northern communities. Buyers comparing options across the area may want the best neighbourhoods in Kanata guide.
Katimavik compared to other Kanata neighbourhoods
Within Kanata South, Katimavik’s closest comparisons are Glen Cairn and Bridlewood. All three are family-oriented and more affordable than the north, but they differ in emphasis: Katimavik stands out for its central convenience and its stronger supply of condos and townhomes, which keep its entry prices among the most attainable in Kanata; Glen Cairn is Kanata’s oldest neighbourhood with mature, established streets; and Bridlewood is larger and backs onto the Greenbelt with a wider spread of detached homes. Against the Kanata North neighbourhoods — executive Kanata Lakes and heritage Beaverbrook — Katimavik is decidedly the value-and-convenience choice. Its edge is simple: few Kanata neighbourhoods put this much shopping, recreation, and highway access this close, at this price.
Buying or selling in Katimavik
Katimavik rewards someone who knows it well. Its housing runs from condos to treed detached lots, its pockets vary in age and style, and its value rests heavily on convenience — so pricing, marketing, and buyer expectations all depend on understanding the specific street and home type in question.
Jason Polonski is a Kanata-based REALTOR® with Right at Home Realty who lived in Katimavik for many years and knows the neighbourhood from the inside — its schools, its pathways, its quiet streets, and how its different housing types trade. That firsthand experience, combined with a background in construction and licensed electrical work that sharpens his read on a home’s true condition, helps buyers and sellers make confident decisions here. To talk through a purchase, a sale, or a current valuation of a specific Katimavik home, learn more about Jason, explore the wider Kanata real estate hub, or call directly at (613) 601-9333.
Katimavik: Frequently Asked Questions
Katimavik is in Kanata South, in the central part of Kanata. It is bounded by Eagleson Road to the east, Hazeldean Road to the south, the Carp River to the west, and Highway 417 to the north. Downtown Ottawa is about a 20-to-25-minute drive via the 417.
Katimavik is an Inuktitut word meaning “gathering place” or “meeting place.” The neighbourhood was named through a community contest in 1972, won by a 12-year-old resident. The same word was used for the Canada pavilion at Expo 67 and a national youth program.
Katimavik is a well-established, family-friendly community valued for its central location, affordability, mature tree-lined streets, and outstanding convenience — with Hazeldean Mall, Kanata Centrum, the Kanata Wave Pool, and Highway 417 all close by. It suits first-time buyers, families, and downsizers especially well.
Katimavik is one of Kanata’s more affordable neighbourhoods, with a 2025 average in the low $500,000s. The figure varies with the housing mix, since Katimavik includes condos and townhomes as well as detached homes. A current comparative market analysis is the most accurate way to value a specific property.
Katimavik offers a broad mix: detached and semi-detached homes — including the distinctive treed lots of the original Chimo Drive area — plus townhomes and condominiums. This variety makes it a practical choice for first-time buyers and downsizers as well as families.
Schools include Katimavik and Castlefrank elementary schools, Roger-Saint-Denis (French Catholic), Holy Redeemer, and nearby secondary options. Green spaces include Young’s Pond Park, Katimavik Woods, Hazeldean Park, and the Carp River corridor, with the Kanata Leisure Centre and Wave Pool close by. Confirm current school catchments with the school board.
Yes. Katimavik’s supply of condos and townhomes, its central location close to shopping and healthcare, and its established, walkable feel make it a strong choice for downsizers and retirees who want convenience with less maintenance.
Jason Polonski is a Kanata-based REALTOR® with Right at Home Realty who lived in Katimavik for many years and knows the neighbourhood firsthand. His local experience and his construction and licensed electrical background help buyers and sellers make confident decisions. He can be reached at (613) 601-9333.
