Barrhaven, Ontario

Barrhaven is a suburban area located in the southwest corner of the city of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. Prior to amalgamation with the city of Ottawa, Barrhaven was located within the city of Nepean. It is approximately bounded to the north by the Greenbelt, to the east by the Rideau River, to the west by Highway 416, and to the south by the Jock River. However it is growing quickly, and much of the surrounding farmland is being overtaken by the urban sprawl. Much of this expansion can be attributed to a rapid influx of high-tech companies into the area during the 1990s (such as JDS and Nortel), and the growth of the Public Service in the National Capital Region.

It's rumoured by some Ottawans that Barrhaven may be named for Mel Barr, a Kingston developer who offered to build a horse racing facility in the area that is now Barrhaven. He was unaware that the nearby Rideau Carleton Raceway had already been built so he offered to build a subdivision instead, which was called Barrhaven, from the term "Barr's haven".