Welcome to Carp, Ontario

Carp is a village west of Ottawa, Canada.

The village took its name from the Carp River which runs through the village. I live on the main street, which was formerly a section of the Trans-Canada Highway and carried much of the traffic coming from the west into Ottawa. However the village has now been bypassed with the development of the Highway 417, which means it is still easily accessible but quiet, safe, quaint and a great place to live.

The largest claim to any international fame (infamy really) is that the Diefenbunker, a Cold War museum is located within the village, but it's really all about the Carp Fair, where once a year the village is transformed into a turn of the century farm district fair, replete with heavy horses, all the livestock you can shake a switch at, games, rides and contests until the ribbons come home.

With the amalgamation of municipal governments in the region in 2001, Carp is now governed as part of the new city of Ottawa, which is still a contentious issue depending on whom you ask about it.

Carp is used as a mailing address for large areas of the former West Carleton Township. As such, residents of this large area will identify themselves as living in Carp although they may live large distances from the village proper.

A large farmers' market is held in Carp each Saturday from May to October. The Carp Fair is held in September; the first fair was held in 1880. It is now located at the fairgrounds. The fair attracts people from all over the city every year.

There are three schools in Carp at large: Huntley Centennial Public School, St. Michael's and Venta, a private school. Our children go to Huntley.

The area is surrounded by amazing biking, hiking, walking, mx-ing, and snowmobiling trails, joining into hundreds of miles of trails that lace their way back and forth across the Ottawa valley.

In January 1990, the Carp Farmers' Market became a reality for many residents of Carp and the surrounding communities. Before then, the Market was essentially a concept and a dream in the mind of Hildegarde Anderson, an active resident of Carp. Ms. Anderson had fond memories of the success of farmers' markets in her native province of Saskatchewan. After some discussion with a close friend, Kathy Fischer, she decided that a prairie-style farmers' market would provide the agricultural community and the residents of Carp many kinds of social and economic benefits. With a determined spirit, she pressed ahead to transform her dream into reality. Together with her friend Kathy Fischer and marketing specialist Bob Chorney (and volumes of information from Ministry of Food and Agriculture), she proceeded to develop a written plan and conduct a series of information meetings together with a publicity campaign to convince other members of the community of the need for and potential benefits of a farmers' market.

If it so happens that you are out enjoying the CARP FARMERS' MARKET be sure to visit the:

- Diefenbunker, Canada 's Cold War Museum
- Village Art Gallery
- Historical Cheshire Cat Pub
- Lightplane rides at the Carp Airport
- 7 area golfcourses
- 6 area riding stables
- Stan 's Mini-Putt
- The Swan Pub
- Fitzroy Provincial Park
- Pakenham 's historical 5-span bridge

....plus many more restaurants and services in and around the village of Carp.