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Blackburn Creative

Custom software development in Ottawa.

Purpose-built web applications, portals and dashboards for Ottawa businesses whose process no longer fits off-the-shelf software.

Ottawa has no shortage of software shops, and most are built for enterprise or government budgets. Our custom software work is aimed at the businesses in between: firms with ten to a hundred people, a process that is genuinely theirs, and a budget that needs a working first version in weeks rather than a year-long project.

We keep projects small and shippable with fixed-price phases, boring reliable technology and a handover so you are never dependent on us. Where a request only needs an integration or an automation, we say so, because it is cheaper. Where a product is the business, as with the real-estate platform we built for Parsell, we build the platform.

Ottawa's Parliament Hill at night under the northern lights, seen across the Ottawa River

What makes the Ottawa market different

Ottawa is a crowded market for web and marketing services, and a distinctive one. Buyers include professional firms, clinics, contractors and studios competing city-wide, plus a large public-sector and tech workforce that shops with high expectations and reads in both languages. A generic template site does not stand out here.

We work with Ottawa clients from just across the river in Gatineau, which comes with an advantage most Ottawa agencies cannot offer: native French. A site that serves Orleans, Kanata, the Glebe and Gatineau in both languages reaches customers your competitors quietly ignore.

  • English-first search with a significant francophone audience in the east end and across the river
  • Dense competition in professional services, health, construction and hospitality, where reviews and page speed decide who gets the call
  • Bilingual capability is a real differentiator for firms working with government, associations and NCR-wide clientele

Read the full Custom Software Development guide

Questions from Ottawa businesses

Do I need a bilingual site for an Ottawa business?

It is not required in Ontario, but it is often worth it. Roughly one in six Ottawa residents speaks French at home, the east end and Gatineau are heavily francophone, and government or association clients expect it. We can build English-only and add French later without rebuilding.

Can you meet in Ottawa?

Yes. We are minutes away in Gatineau and meet clients across Ottawa, from downtown and the Glebe to Kanata, Barrhaven and Orleans, or work fully remotely if you prefer.

Can you take over an application built by another Ottawa developer?

Usually. We start with an audit of the code and hosting, then recommend whether to extend, refactor or rebuild, with honest numbers for each.

Service areas

Other communities we serve around Ottawa:

Have a process that deserves its own tool?

Describe it in the project form and we'll tell you whether it needs software, an automation, or neither.