Kanata began in 1964 as a planned town in a farmer's field, and today it is where Ottawa goes for hockey, outlet shopping and a very large number of tech jobs.
Kanata Ottawa is the west-end suburb about 22 kilometres from downtown along Highway 417. It is home to the Canadian Tire Centre, the Kanata Centrum shopping area, Tanger Outlets and what its business association calls Canada's largest technology park. It joined the City of Ottawa in 2001 and now spans six communities, from Beaverbrook to Bridlewood. This guide covers where to eat, shop and play in Kanata, how the communities differ, where the trails are and how to get there by car or OC Transpo.
Key Highlights
TL;DR: Kanata is a western suburb of Ottawa with about 99,000 people, a major arena (the Canadian Tire Centre), two big shopping areas (Kanata Centrum and Tanger Outlets), a large tech park on its north side and real forest trails at its edge. Drive in on Highway 417, or take OC Transpo buses to Terry Fox Station. The O-Train does not reach Kanata yet.
| Quick Facts | Details |
|---|---|
| 📍 Where | About 22 km west-southwest of downtown Ottawa along Highway 417 |
| 📅 Population | 98,938 in 2021 (the former City of Kanata) |
| 🎟️ Big draws | Canadian Tire Centre (Ottawa Senators), Kanata Centrum, Tanger Outlets, Kanata North tech park |
| ⏰ Getting there | Highway 417 exits at Terry Fox Drive and Palladium Drive; OC Transpo buses to Terry Fox Station |
Kanata Communities, From Beaverbrook to Bridlewood
Kanata did not grow out of an old village. Developer William Teron broke ground on 26 November 1964 on a 3,100-acre site in March Township, with plans for five "villages" of about 10,000 people each, a town centre and 300 acres set aside for a technology park. The first village, Beaverbrook, was named after Lord Beaverbrook. Kanata became its own city in 1978, then was folded into the new City of Ottawa in 2001.
The directory splits the area into six communities, and each one has its own character:
- Beaverbrook is the oldest, bounded by March Road and Campeau Drive with the tech park to its north. It is also home to the Kanata Civic Art Gallery, covered below.
- Glen Cairn - Kanata South Business Park is another early community. Its edges follow Hazeldean Road, Eagleson Road, Terry Fox Drive and the Trans Canada Trail, according to Wikipedia's description of Kanata's areas.
- Katimavik - Hazeldean runs between Katimavik Road and Hazeldean Road. In the 1978 vote to name the new city, "Hazeldean" came second with 2,964 votes, just behind Kanata's 3,094.
- Kanata Lakes - Arcardia is the area around Kanata Avenue, the main street that runs up to Highway 417 beside Kanata Centrum.
- Brookside - Briarbrook - Morgan's Grant is the newer residential growth north of the highway, along March Road. Morgan's Grant is on the west side of March Road, and Briarbrook and Brookside are on the east.
- Bridlewood - Emerald Meadows sits at the southeast edge, against the NCC Greenbelt. It was part of Nepean until it moved to Kanata in 1978, and the southern part is often called Emerald Meadows.
For every business we list across these communities, see the Kanata area page.
Where to Eat in Kanata
Most of Kanata's restaurants are clustered at Kanata Centrum, an outdoor shopping centre at Kanata Avenue and Highway 417. Its own directory lists a mix of national chains and independents for dinner, plus dessert cafés. One independent there is The Crazy Horse, a steakhouse and saloon with a Texas-inspired menu of ribs, wings and what it calls Ottawa's only StoneGrill steak experience. It says it is locally owned and operated since 2009, with live music every weekend. Check its website for the current menu and show nights.
For coffee, Morning Owl (Kanata) is at 1047 Canadian Shield Avenue. Morning Owl is an Ottawa-founded coffee roaster whose locations are run by independent franchise owners, and it says it roasts its beans in-house. Its location page lists Kanata hours of 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday to Friday and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday.
For a dressier evening, Option Jazz Lounge is inside the Brookstreet Hotel at 525 Legget Drive. The hotel describes it as a spot for live local jazz, with a patio over the golf course and a menu that changes by time of day. At the time of writing, its posted dinner mains ran from $34 to $61 (plus tax), and it listed lunch on weekdays, brunch on weekends and a 3 to 5 p.m. happy hour in the lounge. Call 613-271-1800 or use the hotel's reservation link, and confirm the jazz lineup first.
Browse more in the directory's bars, cafés and breweries pages. For a wider list across the city, our best restaurants in Ottawa guide includes Kanata picks, and the best sports bars in Ottawa guide helps if you are heading to a Senators game.
Shopping in Kanata: Kanata Centrum and Tanger Outlets
Kanata Centrum is the everyday stop. Its directory sorts the centre into dining, shopping, services and entertainment, and the services side is surprisingly practical: a bank, a tax office, a salon, a swim school, a veterinary hospital, a dentist and a kids' coding school are all listed. Terry Fox Station, a major OC Transpo bus stop, is next door, which makes the centre one of the few Kanata shopping areas that works well without a car.
Tanger Outlets Ottawa is the destination stop. It is an open-air outlet mall at 8555 Campeau Drive, just off Highway 417 at the Palladium Drive exit and a short drive from the arena. The local events site 613today puts the store count at more than 75. Tanger's own directory sorts stores into categories such as footwear, women's and men's apparel, outerwear, athletic wear and accessories, and also lists a small food and drink group. 613today says parking is free. Store hours and current coupons change often, so check tanger.com/ottawa before you go, and expect HST to be added to any price you see on a sign.
Away from the big centres, the directory's galleries and theatres pages cover Kanata's arts side, and the Glen Cairn - Kanata South Business Park page lists businesses in the south end.
Things to Do in Kanata: Hockey, Art, Bowling and More
The Canadian Tire Centre at 1000 Palladium Drive opened on 15 January 1996 as the Palladium, with a Bryan Adams concert, and the Ottawa Senators have played there since. The PWHL's Ottawa Charge also play there as of 2026. The Senators plan a new arena at LeBreton Flats, but no opening date is set, so Kanata remains the team's home for now. Our Canadian Tire Centre guide covers lots, seating and food in detail.
Two quick tips from the arena's own site: the two highway exits are Terry Fox Drive and Palladium Drive, and the north loop of the Palladium Drive interchange is usually the lighter route on busy nights. General parking Lots 5 and 6 fill about 30 minutes before the start, while Lot 9 tends not to.
Culture is also close by. The Kanata Civic Art Gallery is at 2500 Campeau Drive, inside the John Mlacak Centre, and is run with the City of Ottawa by its board. It shows and sells original work by its member artists. Its current show, "Maps Without Roads", runs from 16 September to 18 October 2026. The gallery is open Wednesday to Friday from 1 to 8 p.m., Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday from 1 to 5 p.m. (July and August hours differ).
Readers who like books and imagination should note CAN*CON (The Rocket Words Society), Ottawa's science fiction, fantasy and horror literature convention. Its 2026 edition runs from 16 to 18 October at the Brookstreet Hotel, and registration is on its website.
For active family outings, Kanata has an escape room guide and an Xtreme Trampoline Park guide. Kanata Centrum also lists a multiplex cinema and a bowling alley in its entertainment section. If gym time is the goal, read our Movati Athletic Ottawa locations guide, which covers the Kanata club at 19 Frank Nighbor Place.
Kanata North Tech Park: 30,000 Jobs in Ottawa's West End
The tech park is the reason a suburb of 99,000 matters nationally. Atomic Energy of Canada was the first company to move to Teron's technology lands in 1965, and Northern Electric and Mitel followed, then names like Ericsson and Nokia. Today the Kanata North Business Association (KNBA) says more than 802 companies are located in the park, that it supports 63,000 jobs, and that it generated $17.9 billion in economic output across Canada in 2025. Those are the association's own figures, taken from its 2026 impact report.
In January 2025 the City of Ottawa recognized Kanata North as a Special Economic District in its Official Plan, alongside the ByWard Market, Lansdowne and the airport, citing more than 30,000 jobs on about 550 hectares at that time.
International Datacasting is one example of a local company. It is at 10 Brewer Hunt Way and, according to its website, supplies systems for delivering radio, video and data, including digital cinema content. For anyone looking for work here, our Ottawa tech jobs guide explains the hub and how hiring works. Visitors can also look into Hub350, the KNBA's co-working and meeting space, which says it is free for members and starts at $25 for non-members.
Trails and Green Space in Kanata
Kanata's best-known green space is the South March Highlands Conservation Forest. The City of Ottawa describes it as 457 hectares of municipally owned land, right beside the urban area, and "one of the most ecologically significant and diverse areas" in the city. It is used for hiking and mountain biking, and the City's management plan notes that growing development and use put pressure on it. If you go, stay on marked trails and keep dogs under control.
Other green edges are easier to find on a map than in a list. The NCC Greenbelt runs along Bridlewood's north and east sides, and the Trans Canada Trail follows the south edge of Glen Cairn, according to Wikipedia's description of Kanata's areas. This guide does not list trailheads or distances, so check the City's South March Highlands page and the NCC before you head out.
Getting to Kanata and Living There
By car, Highway 417 (the Queensway) is the main route, about 22 kilometres west-southwest of downtown. Exits at Terry Fox Drive and Palladium Drive reach the arena and Tanger, and Kanata Avenue meets the highway beside Kanata Centrum. 613today puts the drive from downtown to Tanger at about 25 minutes, a figure that can change quickly at rush hour or after a game.
By OC Transpo, buses run to Terry Fox Station, which Routes 61 and 62 serve, with a Park & Ride beside Kanata Centrum. For the arena, OC Transpo lists Route 62 on weekdays, Route 162 every day from Kanata and Stittsville, and event routes 404, 405 and 406 for major events. About an hour before big events, Routes 62 and 162 detour away from the arena and serve nearby stops on Huntmar Road and Palladium Drive, so check the trip planner. The O-Train does not run to Kanata. The West extension under construction takes Line 1 to Algonquin and adds Line 3 from Trim to Moodie, with Transitway connections on to Kanata.
Living in Kanata means trading downtown walkability for space, parking and quick highway access. Many residents work in the tech park or commute along 417. The area keeps its planned-town roots, with distinct communities, big shopping centres at its core and forest at its edges. The town centre Teron planned was never fully built, and he reportedly regretted that. This guide does not cover house prices or schools, so use each community page above as a starting point for what is listed there.
FAQ
Q: Is Kanata part of Ottawa?
Yes. Kanata was an independent city from 1978 until 2001, when the Province of Ontario amalgamated it with Ottawa and surrounding municipalities into one larger City of Ottawa. Today it is the city's west-end suburb, and its roads, buses and services are run by the City of Ottawa.
Q: How far is Kanata from downtown Ottawa?
Kanata is roughly 22 kilometres west-southwest of downtown along Highway 417. The local events site 613today puts the drive from downtown to Tanger Outlets at about 25 minutes. Rush hour, accidents and Senators game nights can add a lot, so check a live traffic map before you leave.
Q: Is there an O-Train to Kanata?
No. OC Transpo buses serve Kanata, with Terry Fox Station as the main hub. The O-Train West extension is under construction, bringing Line 1 to Algonquin and a new Line 3 from Trim to Moodie, both short of Kanata. OC Transpo says the new stations will have Transitway connections onward to Kanata.
Q: Where is the outlet mall in Kanata?
Tanger Outlets Ottawa is at 8555 Campeau Drive in Kanata, just off Highway 417 at the Palladium Drive exit. It is an open-air mall with more than 75 stores and free parking, according to 613today. Check tanger.com/ottawa for current store hours and coupons before you drive out.
Q: What is the Kanata North tech park?
It is a business district north of Highway 417 with a high concentration of technology companies. The Kanata North Business Association says it holds more than 802 companies and supports 63,000 jobs. The City of Ottawa has named it a Special Economic District, and its history goes back to the first tech tenants in 1965.
Final Thoughts
Kanata rewards people who treat it as several places rather than one. The shopping is at Kanata Centrum and Tanger, the game-night energy is at the arena, the culture is at the gallery and the Brookstreet, and the quiet is in the forest and the older communities. Start with the Kanata area page, pick the community that fits your day, and check hours, parking and show dates on each venue's own website before you go.
Source: Kanata Entertainment Centrum directory Source: Tanger Outlets Ottawa and 613today: Tanger Outlets Ottawa Source: Today in Ottawa's History: Kanata, The Greenbelt Town Source: Wikipedia: Kanata, Ontario and Canadian Tire Centre Source: OC Transpo: Canadian Tire Centre and Ottawa Senators: Parking Source: Kanata North Business Association and CityNews Ottawa: Kanata North tech hub Source: City of Ottawa: South March Highlands Conservation Forest Source: Kanata Civic Art Gallery, Brookstreet Hotel: Options Jazz Lounge, Can*Con, The Crazy Horse, Morning Owl and International Datacasting
