Barrhaven is a suburban area located in the southwest corner of the city of Ottawa. To its north lies the extensive of the Ottawa Greenbelt, and the east, the Rideau River. Highway 416 borders its west side, and the smaller Jock River on the south. In continuum from the Greenbelt, Barrhaven has a beautiful landscape, with multiple public parks and playgrounds, and the Walter Baker Sports Centre, which provides a library and a wide variety of recreational facilities.

Barrhaven was established in the 1960s, one of a group of new suburbs built across the Greenbelt from the city of Ottawa. Mel Barr was the original developer, for whom the community is named. Barr had originally purchased a 200 acre farm intending to construct a horse racing track, but upon the establishment of the Rideau Carleton Raceway further east, he instead opted to build a new subdivision. As a newer community, almost every street consists of larger 20th century style suburban homes, with shopping areas littered with big box stores like Wal-Mart, Staples and Winners.

Several strip malls are tucked away throughout the community for easy access to a variety of shops and services. There is a small tennis club, veterinary clinic and more. Overall, the community affectionately known as "Far Haven" or "The Haven" is a quiet, family oriented suburb with plenty of great amenities. The Fallowfield bus and VIA Rail station provides a variety of services to the area. Three local routes, 170, 186, and 173 loop through the community. The railway services routes 1A and 2A, providing service to Ottawa's OC Transpo station downtown.