What do you look for in a neighbourhood? A friendly local coffee shop? Access to great schools? A grocery store nearby?
Buying a new home also means buying a new neighbourhood. Need help picking the right one?
In our Ottawa Neighbourhood Spotlight series, we’re heading to South Barrhaven to explore Stonebridge and Half Moon Bay. We’ll give you the inside scoop on their amenities, schools, and latest real estate trends.
By the end of this article, you’ll know whether South Barrhaven is the perfect haven for you and your family.
Stonebridge in South Barrhaven
This highly sought-after community of 3400 homes in the southeast end of Barrhaven is a mixture of executive single-family homes and townhomes.
Stonebridge Amenities 
A golfer’s delight, Stonebridge is known for the picturesque 18-hole golf course that winds its way through the community.
Many homes in the neighbourhood back right onto the green, and there’s no shortage of walking trails or green space.
In 2019, Stonebridge residents voted in favour of an annual levy to preserve their local golf course for greater control over future developments in the community. The cost will be amortized over several years, with the annual levy varying according to home value (for more details, see here and here).
Half Moon Bay in South Barrhaven
The Half Moon Bay community is a newer family-friendly development in the southwest end of Barrhaven.
The Barrhaven South Community Design Plan allocation is for:
- 60% low–density housing (detached, semi-detached, duplexes),
- 30% medium-density housing (triplexes, fourplexes, townhomes) and
- 10% high-density housing (apartments, condos).
This area continues to grow, and there is a Community Design Plan written for the Barrhaven South Urban Expansion Area.
As a new family-oriented neighbourhood, Half Moon Bay has newer schools, built mostly in the past 5 or 10 years. There are also not one, not two, but three new schools planned, or under construction, in this neighbourhood.
Half Moon Bay Amenities
Another plus of living in the south end of Barrhaven is having easy access to the Minto Recreation Complex. The 165,000 square foot public recreation facility, opened in 2014, includes a 25-metre lap pool, two NHL-sized rinks and a state-of-the-art artificial turf sports field.
Half Moon Bay & Stonebridge Schools
Neighbourhood schools are always an important consideration for families moving to a new area. With Ottawa’s many school boards plus French Immersion programs, finding a school can be a confusing process.
To make the process a bit easier for you, the interactive map above allows you to restrict your search to a specific school type. To use this function, click on the icon found on the top left of the map. A menu will slide out on the left-hand side, and you can scroll through the list and check the box of the schools you’d like to see on the interactive map.
For the English boards, you can also type an address into the school locators below to figure out which programs each school offers.
Ottawa-Carleton District School Board school locator
Ottawa Catholic School Board school locator
English Public Elementary (OCDSB)
Half Moon Bay Public School was built in 2016 and has a current enrolment of approximately 900 students. It serves all of Half Moon Bay plus the western part of Stonebridge. See boundary map.
There are plans for the construction of a new public elementary school at Kilbirnie Drive and River Mist for September 2022. The new school will have a capacity of 674 students.
Half Moon Bay students currently attend Cedarview Middle School, found in Old Barrhaven. Currently, there is a review on the possible addition of a grade 7 and 8 program to the new elementary school.
English Catholic Elementary (OCSB)
St. Benedict School was built in 2016. Boundary map.
St Cecilia School was built in 2013. Boundary map.
In October 2020, the province of Ontario announced the construction of a new English Catholic Elementary school in south Barrhaven. The school will have a capacity of 507 students and will open in fall 2023. The new school will be in the northern part of Half Moon Bay.
French Public Elementary
Sainte-Kateri Catholic Elementary School is a French language school with an enrolment of just over 500 students. Boundary map.
In October 2020, the province also announced funding for a new French Public Elementary school in south Barrhaven.
Secondary Schools
There are no high schools located in south Barrhaven. Check the map to find the relevant type of high school and then view the associated boundary maps.
Although not located in Barrhaven, South Carleton High School is attended by some students in the west end of Barrhaven, with Cedarview Middle School listed as one of its feeder schools. Boundary map
South Barrhaven Real Estate 
Are you looking to buy a home in Barrhaven? Check out our current Barrhaven homes, townhouses and condos for sale. If you want more information on Ottawa and Barrhaven neighbourhoods or to hear about new listings as they come on the market, our experienced realtors can help. Contact us today.
Buy and sell with confidence. Choose MacDonald Property Group.
At The MacDonald Property Group, we have a dedicated, national award-winning full-service team all under one roof, ready to provide the expertise you can trust. Our team and associates are recognized as the top 1% in North America since 2010.
With over twenty-five years of experience in all aspects of real estate, we have bought and sold well over a thousand homes. We’ve been honoured to help thousands of clients in Barrhaven and across the Ottawa area close a deal with confidence and satisfaction. Give us a shout, and let us show you what we can do for you!