The mineral springs at Russell Road and Bear Brook supported a resort spa community from the mid 19th to the mid 20th century. Guests came "to take the waters" for ailments such as rheumatism, nervousness, and digestive disorders. Local hotels supplemented spa therapy with a variety of social and recreational activities.

Eastman' Springs:

The village was known as "Cathartic" (1864 land survey) but locally the sector was known as Eastman's Springs. The site of the village would have been bought in 1846 by C Billings. The Russell Road was probably an Indian path at that time.

• 1849: John Forsythe is the first settler in the region (lot 10, concession 7)
• 1850: construction of the first school.
• 1854: construction of a saw mill by Judge Musgrove.
• 1860: construction of a general store and a post office directed by M. Boyd. At this time Eastman's Springs became very popular for its sources.
• Before 1870: two hotels, two stores, a school, a tannery, a cheese dairy, a blacksmith, an office of telegraph and a "carriage shop ".
• 1870: construction of hotel of 17 beds, built by the Dominion Springs Company.
• 1873: starting from this date, a priest came to celebrate the mass, a father oblat of the St-Joseph parish of Ottawa.
• 1876: a fire destroys the first hotel.
• 1881: May 16th, blessing of the 1st St-Laurent chapel by Mgr Thomas Duhamel, this chapel is located on the Russell near the Halls Rd section. Cost of $550 for the land and the construction.
• 1883: Canada Atlantic (C.N.) arrives in Eastman' Springs.
• 1887: The Christian community becomes the St-Laurent Mission attached to the parish of Billing's Bridge, the mass is celebrated twice per month.
• 1891: The residents decides to build a new chapel because the current one is to cold.
• 1892: Another hotel is built: the Johnson family
• 1895: during the summer, the current church is build (on the Eighth line Rd) at the cost of $5000, the current sacristy was used as the presbytery.
• 1896: February 17, benediction of the church by Monseigneur J O Routhier v.g., there are two schools at this time: a separate school and the other public.

Carlsbad Springs:

1902: The name becomes Carlsbad Springs in honor of famous " the spa " in Czechoslovakia, The visitors comes to drink the water of the sources and to take baths. We can find one of the largest dancer floors in the area of Ottawa and the first bowling place.
1905: the rail station is destroyed by fire, the company Grand Trunk replaces.
1910: the St-Laurent mission becomes Paroise St-Laurent, first priest is P. Bélanger.
1912: construction of the current presbytery. The presbytery had been sold in the
1990's and is now a private house.

Population :

1882: 26 French families
4 Irish families
6 Scottish families

1891: 64 French families
11 Irish families
3 Scottish families

1895: 76 French families
16 Irish families

1898: 96 French and Irish families
57 pupils at the catholic school and 48 pupils at the public school

In 1946, Carlsbad Springs counted two catholic schools: St-Laurent and Ste-Cecile. At this time, only the St-Laurent school still exists. St-Cecile became the community center, located on the Ninth line Road. The population in 1984 was approximately 1400 people (560 homes) (64 square km). In 1974, the province of Ontario (Ontario Housing and the NCC) launched a project of "satellite city" where is located Carlsbad Springs. This project could not be carried out because of the soft ground and the rock layer being to deep. In 2004, Carlsbad Springs counts around 1900 residents and 660 homes. Since the installation of "the trickle water system" in 1997, Carlsbad Springs is now connected on the water network of the City of Ottawa. Carlsbad Springs was a rural sector of the of city of Gloucester; since the amalgamation in 2000 of the 12 municipalities of the region formerly knows as Ottawa-Carleton, Carlsbad Springs is now part of the City of Ottawa.