BUS INESS
STRATFORD, PEI Working to Meet Our Growing Community’s Needs
Stratford, Prince Edward Island might be one of Atlantic Canada’s best kept secrets. Nestled on the Hillsborough River, just a quick bridge crossing away from Charlottetown, this growing community is coming into, and finding its place on the Island, and Atlantic Canada scene.
▲ Michael Thomas Waterfront rendering
Words and photos courtesy of Town of Stratford
I ncorporated in 1995 after the amalgamation of five 5,800. From the 2016 to 2021 census periods, Stratford grew by over 12%, and today is more than 11,000 strong. Stratford is poised to continue to grow at a rapid rate with many exciting projects underway in the community, and projections for a population of over 20,000 by 2041. communities, the population at that time was approximately
witness to the rising housing prices and inflation, which are pushing many out of being able to afford to live in the community they want to live in. Current zoning in Stratford, and other Island municipalities, necessitates a high frequency of council consideration of zoning and approvals, which most often result in adversarial public meetings on development projects. There is a systemic challenge built into the existing process in building public and council support for projects that increase density due to the values associated with traditional patterns of low-density development. The Shape Stratford project is aiming to change this by: • Working with residents, developers, stakeholders, community groups, and others. • Providing an engagement and education component. • Looking at the planning framework and process. • Forming an inter-municipal committee for collaboration and sharing. • Designing the project so that it can be replicated in other Canadian municipalities upon completion.
As the project nears a completion date of March 31, 2024, much work has been undertaken to date, and the next few months will continue to be busy ones for this project. Please visit www. shape.townofstratford.ca to follow along with the project, learn more and be part of the conversation.
STRATFORD COMMUNITY CAMPUS
Community life is an important aspect of any healthy and vibrant community. Residents who have access to facilities and spaces which support their mental, physical and spiritual health are happier and have a stronger sense of connection. The Town of Stratford has a bold vision to develop a multipurpose campus in the community, and construction is currently underway on required infrastructure to move this project forward. Upon completion Stratford’s Community Campus will encompass recreational, cultural, and educational facilities and amenities including the new high school currently underway by the Province of PEI. Sports fields for soccer, baseball/softball, and cricket, alongside a future multipurpose facility that is intended to include a rink, multi-
SHAPE STRATFORD
The Town of Stratford received funding through Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC)’s Housing Supply Challenge’s Round two of funding. The Shape Stratford project supports finding solutions around barriers to new housing supply and believes that by working together and having conversations in our community, we can identify and close gaps, and create goals to achieve suitable housing for all. Stratford recognizes that there is widespread public concern about housing affordability and availability, not only in our community, but across PEI and Canada. We have all been
34
www.pei-living.ca FALL23/WINTER24
Made with FlippingBook - Online magazine maker