The secret is out: The sleepy town of Embrun is becoming a hot destination thanks to a trio of benefits — it offers the appeal of small-town living, it’s still close to the city, and it gives you more bang for your buck.
The most recent new-home development to launch in the growing town southeast of Ottawa is the appropriately named Panorama by eQ Homes and SACA Homes. Set on about 170 acres, the flat landscape results in fantastic sunsets, says the site developer, Robert Boudreau, who is an Embrun native.
“It’s big sky,” he says. “It’s spectacular.”
Panorama will eventually see more than 1,000 homes, but this first phase is closer to 200, a mix of townhomes, semi-detached homes, bungalows, two-storey singles and multi-generational homes. eQ launched in July and SACA will launch Sept. 14.
It’s just the latest in recent builder activity in the area. eQ was already building at nearby Embrun Central, while SACA has been busy at St. Augustin, along with Valecraft Homes. Valecraft is also selling at Place St. Thomas (SACA was, too, but has since sold out) and Corvinelli Homes has been developing Embrun Station since early 2023. That’s a lot of development for a town of about 8,500 people; and there’s more in Russell just down the road.
“It’s a good community,” says SACA president and founder Jocelyn Cayer. “I’m from Casselman, so it’s really close to home. I like it because it’s bilingual, they have (lots of) schools, and then we’re still lower in prices than Ottawa.”
Tobin Kardish, eQ’s vice-president of strategic growth, also points to the strong sense of community. “There is just something about the people living in Embrun. They are so passionate about the area; it’s just palpable… They love where they live and they speak so highly about it.”
Residents, he says, “get the best of both worlds. They get access to green, they get access to the city amenities, and they’re not far if they want to commute.”
The township, which includes nearby Russell, offers grocery and home improvement stores, pharmacies, restaurants, schools and more. A recreation complex with three rinks, pool and community hall is expected to open this fall.
Other amenities for those who like the outdoors include a 10-kilometre paved recreation trail, the Castor River and conservation areas.
Reaction to Panorama has been positive, says Kardish. “We’ve seen a lot of strong interest in our single-family homes as well as our towns.”
That interest is coming not only from Embrun and Russell residents but from the east end of Ottawa as well. “They see the value,” he says. “In a very similar home that they would get in Orléans (but for much less), they see the opportunity for their family to have what they want, what they need and at the right price.”
eQ’s homes start at $477,788 for a three-bedroom townhome (at the time of writing) and include nine-foot main-floor ceilings, smooth ceilings throughout and luxury vinyl plank flooring on the main floor in the towns. There are two levels of finishes in the singles to be mindful of budgets.
“We focus highly on how people want to live in the space and engage in those spaces, so larger kitchens, we’re now offering a lot of flex spaces on the ground floor that can easily be turned into an in-law suite,” says Kardish. “We’re thinking more about how families are coming together.”
SACA’s homes will start at $533,629 for a three-bedroom townhome. Features include nine-foot ceilings on the main floor, smooth ceilings throughout and hardwood or luxury vinyl plank on the main floor.
“Our standards are nice,” Cayer says. “You don’t need to add anything and your house could still look good.”
Construction is expected to start late this year or early next year with first occupancies in late 2027.
For more information, see our development summary page.
This article ran in the Ottawa Citizen on Sept. 4, 2026.
