Aylmer
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Aylmer

Aylmer

Historic Gatineau neighbourhood on Lac Deschênes, with Ottawa River cycling and a small-town main street.

Aylmer is a historic neighbourhood in the western part of Gatineau, across the Ottawa River from Canada's capital. It was an independent town until 2002, when it was merged into Gatineau, but it still keeps its own character — quieter and more anglophone than the rest of the city, with tree-lined residential streets and a distinct small-town feel despite being minutes from downtown Ottawa.

The waterfront along Lac Deschênes is the main attraction. The Aylmer Marina and the beach at Parc des Cèdres are popular in summer, and the Voyageurs cycling path along the Ottawa River connects through to Gatineau Park. The old main street has a handful of restaurants and shops, and the Symmes Inn, a stone building dating to 1831, now operates as a local history museum.

Guide

Getting There

Aylmer is about 15 km west of downtown Ottawa and is best reached by car or bicycle — public transit is limited. From Ottawa, cross the Ottawa River via the Champlain Bridge or Portage Bridge into Gatineau, then take Boulevard Lucerne westward; the drive takes about 20 minutes outside rush hour.

Gatineau's urban bus network (STO) runs routes from the downtown bus station into Aylmer, though service is infrequent compared to central Gatineau. Cyclists can reach Aylmer via the Voyageurs cycling path, which runs continuously from the Hull core along the Ottawa River.

Guide

Things to Do

Aylmer's pleasures are mostly outdoor ones, centred on Lac Deschênes and the cycling trails that connect the neighbourhood to Gatineau Park. The historic Symmes Inn and the old village core offer a taste of what the town was before amalgamation swallowed it into the Gatineau metropolis.