Embrun
Explore Embrun's schools, parks, everyday services and Ottawa travel connections.
Embrun is a village community in the Township of Russell, within the United Counties of Prescott and Russell, east of Ottawa. Its French-speaking settlement developed along the Castor River in the mid-1840s, with later growth linked to Highway 417 and municipal servicing. Everyday destinations include grocery stores on Notre-Dame Street and Village Street and local French-language schools. The paved New York Central Recreational Trail connects the village with Russell. By car, downtown Ottawa (Parliament Hill) is about 44.4 km away, roughly 39 minutes in free-flowing traffic (OSRM estimate).
Updated · Facts on this page link to their sources
About Embrun
Embrun is a village community in the Township of Russell, within the United Counties of Prescott and Russell, east of Ottawa. Its French-speaking settlement developed along the Castor River in the mid-1840s, with later growth linked to Highway 417 and municipal servicing. Everyday destinations include grocery stores on Notre-Dame Street and Village Street and local French-language schools. The paved New York Central Recreational Trail connects the village with Russell.
Boundaries
This guide focuses on Embrun village, whose core follows Notre-Dame Street. The Township maps the village settlement area's limits on Schedule A1; use that map for the edge of the planning area and individual properties. Definitions vary: the 2021 population centre used for the statistics below is a separate statistical geography. russell.ca openstreetmap.org
Homes
Embrun includes established streets of detached homes: a 2022 municipal planning report describes the area around Forget Street as a low-density neighbourhood made up mainly of single-detached dwellings. The current Official Plan also accommodates semi-detached homes, townhouses, duplexes and apartments. These sources describe an existing local example and permitted housing forms; an Embrun-wide construction-era or dwelling-type breakdown was not verified. russell.civicweb.net
- Paved recreational trail linking Embrun and Russell.
- Accessible play at Jonathan Pitre Park.
- French public elementary education at De la Rivière Castor.
- French Catholic Grades 7–12 at École secondaire catholique Embrun.
- Local grocery shopping at Embrun Co-op and Food Basics.
- Private Route 528 connection to downtown Ottawa.
Community
How Embrun came to be
- 1840s
French-speaking settlers began arriving along the Castor River in the mid-1840s. stationembrun.ca
- 1857
François-Xavier Michel suggested the name Embrun, recalling the community in the French Alps. stationembrun.ca
- 1898
The railway opened, providing Embrun with a new link for passengers, goods and mail. stationembrun.ca
- 1957
Rail service through Embrun ended. stationembrun.ca
- 1970s–1980s
The historical society links renewed growth to Highway 417's opening in the early 1970s and water and sewer installation north of the Castor River in the 1980s. stationembrun.ca
- 1979
The Township acquired the former railway corridor for conversion to a recreational trail. russell.ca
Around Embrun
Walking rings at 5, 10 and 15 minutes from the neighbourhood centre.
Schools
3 nearbyÉcole secondaire catholique Embrun
CSDCEOGrades 7-121276 rue Saint-Jacques, Embrun, ON K0A 1W0csdceo.ca openstreetmap.org
210 m3 min walkÉcole élémentaire catholique Embrun
CSDCEOGrades JK-6; pavillon Saint-Jean: JK-2; pavillon La Croisée: 3-6Pavillon Saint-Jean: 1045 rue Notre-Dame; pavillon La Croisée: 1215 rue Saint-Augustin, Embrun, ON K0A 1W0eece.csdceo.ca openstreetmap.org
400 m5 min walkÉcole élémentaire publique De la Rivière Castor
CEPEOGrades JK-6100 rue Maheu, Embrun, ON K0A 1W0riviere-castor.cepeo.on.ca openstreetmap.org
1.0 km13 min walk
Straight-line distances from the Embrun centre. Living near a school does not guarantee a place: confirm the designated school for an address with each board. All schools and board locators.
Parks & places
10 nearbyAG Bourdeau Park
220 m3 min walkRussell Public Library - Embrun Branch
310 m4 min walkPalais des sports
510 m6 min walkCamille Piche Community Centre
520 m7 min walkYahou Park
590 m7 min walkMelanie Park
630 m8 min walkCamelot Park
650 m8 min walkRichelieu Park
950 m12 min walkPico Park
960 m12 min walkBordeau Park
970 m12 min walk
Shops & dining
9 nearbyMarché Bonichoix
40 m1 min walkHome Hardware
780 m10 min walkI.D.A.
820 m10 min walkJean Coutu
1.4 km17 min walk"Du Project" Convenience Store
1.7 km21 min walkLes Jardins Lamoureux
1.9 km23 min walkRemedy'sRx
2.3 km29 min walkYour Independent Grocer
2.4 km29 min walkShoppers Drug Mart
2.6 kmfrom centre
Getting around
TransitPrivate commuter bus — Route 528
417 Bus Line's timetable effective October 1, 2025 lists Embrun stops and downtown Ottawa service, with morning travel towards Ottawa and an afternoon return. Confirm the latest timetable with the operator.
Commuter service days
417 Bus Line advertises a Monday-to-Thursday operating schedule. Check holidays and service notices before travelling.
Park and ride via Vars
OC Transpo Route 222 links Vars Park & Ride with Blair during weekday peak periods. Reaching Vars requires a separate journey from Embrun; check the onward connection and current service alerts.
Road connection to Ottawa
St-Guillaume Road connects Notre-Dame Street to Highway 417 at exit 88. No fixed downtown driving time is asserted.
For sale in Embrun
No Embrun homes on embrun.homes right now
Selling here? Get a website for your home, or browse every home for sale in the area.
Neighbouring areas
Quick answers
Short answers first; each links to the full answer and its sources.
Is Embrun a good place to live?
Embrun has French-language schools, local grocery stores and township recreation facilities, including the Sports Dome. Its private commuter bus operator advertises service to Ottawa from Monday to Thursday.
As of 2026-10-30 · riviere-castor.cepeo.on.ca csdceo.ca
Where is Embrun?
Embrun is a community in the Township of Russell, in the United Counties of Prescott and Russell in eastern Ontario. It lies east of Ottawa, south of Highway 417, between Russell village and Limoges.
As of 2026-10-30 · en.wikipedia.org
What are homes like in Embrun?
Established detached housing is documented in Embrun: a 2022 municipal planning report describes the area around Forget Street as mainly single-detached dwellings. The approved Official Plan also provides for semi-detached homes, townhouses, duplexes and apartments, but those permissions do not measure the existing housing stock.
As of 2026-10-30 · russell.civicweb.net russell.ca
Where are Embrun's boundaries?
The Township's Official Plan maps the Embrun village settlement area on Schedule A1. This guide's population figures use Statistics Canada's 2021 Embrun population centre, so planning and statistical boundaries should be checked separately.
As of 2026-10-30 · russell.ca russell.ca
Is Embrun the same place as Russell?
Embrun and Russell are separate villages within the Township of Russell. The Township's Official Plan provides separate land-use schedules for Embrun and Russell.
As of 2026-10-30 · russell.ca
Which parts of Embrun should I compare?
Start with the Notre-Dame Street village core and the surrounding residential areas shown in the Township's Official Plan. The Township also identifies the St-Thomas development when describing its park on Lucerne Drive.
As of 2026-10-30 · russell.ca russell.ca