Village stay 15 minutes from Ottawa

Fifteen minutes from Ottawa, there is a very pretty village that not only deserves a detour, but also a stay. This is even more true since the opening of the Lofts du village, which allow lovers of the outdoors, well-being and good food to spend the night in Chelsea.

Here, you can spend the morning exploring Gatineau Park on cross-country skis, snowshoes, or even on your fat-tire bike (fatbike), eat in one of the many restaurants in the village, spend the afternoon at the Nordik, the largest spa in North America, and have a very good evening meal there, unless you prefer to try another address in Chelsea . And if you feel like doing it again the next day, there is now a new upscale accommodation option in the form of studios and lofts, which complete the offer of the charming Auberge Old Chelsea.

The small municipality has always had a je-ne-sais-quoi and an enviable gourmet reputation, in particular thanks to the beautiful houses that are L’Orée du bois and Les fougères, a few minutes walk or drive from the center. The deceased L’Agaric was replaced several years ago by the Italian Mamma Teresa. A few independent shops, including the adorable Palmier café and Roberto Pizza Romana, with its exceptional squares with a thousand and one toppings, have recently modernized the offer in the heart of the village. The pretty café Les Saisons has also held up for years, allowing swimmers, cyclists and skiers to eat after sports, all year round.

But the most notable change for Chelsea is undoubtedly the big project that is the Square Old Chelsea. The instigator, Manuela Teixeira, settled in the area more than 20 years ago, precisely attracted by this “little something”. The communications specialist became owner of the Chelsea Pub in 2007. In 2010, she opened the Biscotti café. A resident had told him: “Your business won’t last six months! »

Almost 13 years later, not only are these two businesses still in good health, notably with the recent arrival at the Pub of a very experienced chef, Daniel Lalonde, but in addition Manuela is in the process of building a small empire, a synergy already employing nearly 150 people. This now includes the Blue House (for rent), the bright Lofts of the village – for short-term and long-term rentals – then a distillery-economy museum under construction with a central square and an outdoor stage. Although the still is still far from being installed, the Garden Gin already exists. For now, it is produced at Ubald Distillery. Last — and not least — will be the replacement of the old house housing the old convenience store and long-standing bakery with a modern building that will become La Grocerie, with a 20-room hotel above for affordable stays.

Already, the 300,000 annual visitors to the Nordik spa and the millions of people who go to play in Gatineau Park are creating a high demand for services — and some traffic jams — in the area. With the recent real estate projects of Hendrick Farm and Chelsea Creek, there are now more residents to support all these addresses on a daily basis.

In short, for a very small village, Chelsea has a lot to offer and it is far from over.