Metcalfe is a large village

Village

A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet with the population ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand , Though often located in rural areas, the term urban village is also applied to certain urban neighbourhoods, such as the West Village in Manhattan, New...

 in the Osgoode Ward

Osgoode Ward

Osgoode Ward represents the south end of the City of Ottawa and solely made up of residents of the former Osgoode Township. The current city councillor is Doug Thompson....

 of the city of 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...

, 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....

, Canada

Canada

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...

.

The local agricultural fair, the Metcalfe Fair, has been held each fall since 1856.

Metcalfe is home of the famous Metcalfe Lions Club purple benches, which visitors often sit on to enjoy fresh local ice cream from the nearby Metcalfe Variety Store.

History

Colonel Archibald Macdonell, believed by some to be the first settler in the township, settled just south of the current location of the village in March 1827. The village was originally called Osgoode, but in 1877 it was renamed to Metcalfe in honour of Charles Theophilus Metcalfe, Governor General of Canada

Governor General of Canada

The Governor General of Canada is the federal viceregal representative of the Canadian monarch, Queen Elizabeth II...

 from 1843 to 1846.

In its early days, Metcalfe was a stop on the stagecoach route 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...

 (known at the time as Bytown

Bytown

Bytown is the former name of Ottawa, Canada's capital city. It was founded on on September 26, 1826, incorporated as a town on January 1, 1850, and superseded by the incorporation of the City of Ottawa on January 1, 1855. The founding was marked by a sod turning, and a letter from Governor General...

) to Cornwall

Cornwall, Ontario

Cornwall is a city in Eastern Ontario, Canada and the seat of the United Counties of Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry, Ontario. Cornwall is Ontario's easternmost city, located on the St...

. The village of Metcalfe was bypassed in the construction of railway lines, limiting its further growth. The railway line to Cornwall passed to the east, through the town of Russell

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...

, while another to Prescott

Prescott, Ontario

Prescott is a town of approximately 4,180 people on the north shore of the Saint Lawrence River in Leeds and Grenville United Counties, Ontario, Canada. The Ogdensburg-Prescott International Bridge, 5 km east of Prescott in Johnstown, connects it with Ogdensburg, New York...

 passed to the west through Osgoode Village

Osgoode, Ontario

Osgoode is a large village within the city of Ottawa, Canada, located just south of the city proper, near the Rideau River.It was originally part of Osgoode Township but it became part of Ottawa in 2001...

.

Schools

• Metcalfe Public School - The only public elementary school in Metcalfe.
• St. Catherines Catholic School
• Community Christian School
• Osgoode Township High School
  Osgoode Township High School
  Osgoode Township High School is an Ottawa-Carleton District School Board high school in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. It is located in the rural town of Metcalfe.The school was opened in 1954 as part of the Carleton Board of Education...
  
   - The only high school in the township of Osgoode.

Sports

The village is home to various sports facilities, most notably the Metcalfe Community Centre which bears the name of former Montreal Canadiens

Montreal Canadiens

The Montreal Canadiens are a professional ice hockey team based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The club is officially known as ...

 all-star defenceman Larry Robinson

Larry Robinson

Larry Clark Robinson is a former ice hockey player and coach in the National Hockey League. Robinson was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1995 and is currently the defensive coach for the New Jersey Devils...

. The Centre's arena houses the local Junior B hockey team: the Metcalfe Jets

Metcalfe Jets

The Metcalfe Jets are a Junior "B" team based out of Metcalfe, Ontario. They play out of the Eastern Ontario Junior Hockey League.-Season-by-season results:-External links:**...

. Notable Jets alumni include Larry Robinson and two of his brothers, as well as Boston Bruins

Boston Bruins

The Boston Bruins are a professional ice hockey team based in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The team has been in existence since 1924, and is the league's third-oldest team and its oldest in the...

' Marc Savard

Marc Savard

Marc Savard is a Canadian professional ice hockey centre currently under contract to the Boston Bruins of the National Hockey League , but who has not played since late in the season because of post-concussion syndrome...

.

The small community also boasts the home to two golf courses (Metcalfe Golf Club and Poplar Grove), seven baseball fields, a tennis court, curling club, and various soccer fields.

Today

The village today serves largely as a residential community for the City of Ottawa. Metcalfe offers an agreeable rural lifestyle only a 30 minute drive from downtown Ottawa

Downtown Ottawa

Downtown Ottawa is the central area of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. Like other downtowns it is the commercial and economic centre of the city. It is sometimes referred to as the Central Business District and contains Ottawa's financial district. It is bordered by the Ottawa River to the north, the...

 and from the airport. It offers all of the advantages of country living, with big city services within easy reach.