Pineglen and Country Place

Sunday afternoon, while we all paused between Easter egg hunting and holiday feasting, I decided to go for a ride and check out a small isolated residential community up the Rideau River just beyond Hunt Club Road. This community is made up of two smaller sections – Pineglen and Country Place. Based on the style of houses it appears Pineglen was developed in the 50’s and 60’s, and Country Place a bit later. They are surrounded by an industrial area to the north, the river and airport to the east, and farmland to the south and west.

Here’s how I biked there and back.

After stopping off at Herb & Spice on Wellington to pick up some herbs and spices (go figure) I headed south. To get across the Queensway I pushed my bike over this pedestrian bridge that joins the two sections of Harmer Street. Much safer than riding along busy Holland Avenue.

UPDATE July 29, 2018 : The Harmer pedestrian bridge is no more! They ripped it down this weekend and are building a new one that won’t be ready for 2 years. The city has installed a very controversial detour along Holland that will be fixed before the school year starts. I have adjusted the route on the above map accordingly.

Then I rode all the way down Fisher towards the Rideau River. Fisher is not a great road to bike along. Apart from a short section between Carling and Baseline there is little room and cars go fast along this straightaway. It would be great if they added bike lanes on either side, not only for the likes of me out on a Sunday ride, but to encourage bike commuters though out the year as well.

The first section encountered from Prince of Wales Drive is Pineglen, wherein I discovered a number of mid-century modern homes such as these.

There are also a few recently completed and still-being-constructed big houses such as these, suggesting Pineglen remains a coveted place to live.

At some point heading west Pineglen becomes Country Place. I couldn’t distinguish a specific demarcation, however there is a shift in architectural style from modernist bungalows to two story brick houses with decorative window shutters such as these.

I headed home along Prince of Wales Drive. On either side of Prince of Wales north of Fisher there are wide designated bike lanes, but south of Fisher the lanes are narrower or disappear completely. Most cars and trucks drive at Queensway speeds along Prince of Wales south of Fisher as well.

So, Pineglen is an interesting community worth discovering.
Prince of Wales Drive is fine heading out of town as far as Fisher. Beyond Fisher, not so great.