Stratford to “thoughtfully develop our city” with infrastructure

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Stratford has long had a reputation for innovation, and its strategic plan will use it to increase infrastructure, housing and community in order to thrive into the future. 

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In 2013, Stratford was ranked as one of the “smartest cities on the planet” by the global think tank, Intelligent Community Forum.

Despite its reputation as a cultural hub, the city was making forays into the digital economy, embracing technological transformations through investments in high-tech infrastructure and Stratford’s autonomous vehicle demonstration zone.

But a lot has happened in the past decade. There’s been a worldwide pandemic, U.S. President Donald Trump was elected twice, and a national affordability and housing crises driven by inflationary pressures and other factors has impacted all of Canada. 

While not immune to these changes and challenges, Stratford, guided by a mission statement to “thoughtfully develop our city,” is looking to the future and preparing a new vision that will provide a guide for years to come. 

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That “thoughtful” mission statement comes from the city’s recent 2024-2027 strategic priorities plan, which focuses on four key areas: enhancing infrastructure, building housing stability, working together for greater impact, and intentional change to support the future.

Emily Roboson, the city’s corporate initiatives lead who helped work on the plan, said this concept of intentional change is a response to shifting demographics while thinking about who is coming into the city.

“We see greater diversity among the residents here. We see some of those demographic changes. So what are the kinds of things that we can undertake in terms of work here at the city that really support that team to make this a place that everyone feels welcome and that we are kind of forward looking?” Robson said. 

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The 2016 census indicated that roughly six per cent of Stratford’s population was a visible minority. By the 2021 census, that had grown to eight per cent.

Along with responding to demographic shift, intentional change includes supporting economic growth and diversification by bringing more employment lands to market, which is a focus of investStratford, the city’s economic development corporation. 

“This objective is around how we think about expanding what the economic kind of landscape here is locally,” Robson said.  “We’ve had great strength in manufacturing. Are there other types of manufacturing — adjacent industries — that we could target that would support the diversification of our local economy ?

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“This is even more important now when we understand some of these threats, particularly around the (possible U.S.) tariffs. How are we creating this really resilient local community or a local economy where we’re closing some of these supply chains and thinking really intentionally about how we kind of have a diverse set of industries to be resilient during these challenges?” 

As Robson explained, the strategic priorities are being driven by several planning documents, including the transportation master plan and the city’s official plan, which is currently undergoing a review given the number of changes the city has seen since the last plan was finalized in 2015.

“Stratford has experienced significant population and economic growth, attracting new businesses and talent while increasing demand for housing, services and infrastructure,” explained Adam Betteridge, the city’s director of building and planning.

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“The conversation around housing affordability has also evolved. What affordable housing means in 2025 is significantly different from what it meant in 2015. Affordability is now intrinsically linked to building and maintaining sustainable, complete communities.”

While Ontario municipalities are required to update their official plans to ensure they reflect current provincial planning legislation and policy, there is also an opportunity to more accurately address new growth while being  forward thinking, Betteridge added. He noted the 2015 plan’s vision statement employed a very generic “to be the best place to live, work and play.”

“This general statement is very common; it’s by no means unique to Stratford. Through the official plan review, a new vision that reflects the uniqueness of Stratford and articulates a more specific direction for the city can be developed,” Betteridge said.

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That official plan, which will guide the city’s development and policy priorities over the next 25 years, is set to be finalized and released in the coming months.

Since 2016, the city’s population has grown from roughly 31,400 residents to more than 33,000 people. While not a significant change, the city does face challenges adapting to growth, Bettridge said.

This is particularly evident when it comes to housing those who work here. According to the investStratford, almost half of those who work in Stratford commute from other communities, which is something that CEO Joani Gerber said “keeps her up at night.”

“I believe that it’s my core responsibility to make sure that, if you want to work here, you can also live here in a safe and happy way with your family. That’s just a personal belief of mine, and something that this organization has really embraced,” Gerber said.

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However, Gerber also noted that roughly 20 per cent of those who do commute to Stratford do so because they want to.

“They could be coming from St. Marys, Shakespeare, Mitchell so, when we say commuting, we mean they don’t physically live here, but that doesn’t mean that doesn’t mean that they don’t live 10 minutes down the highway,” she said.

The local United Way recently reported that one in four Perth-Huron households could not afford a one-bedroom apartment at the 2023 asking price while, according to 2021 figures, 16 per cent of renters in Stratford spent more than 30 per cent of their gross income on housing. The average one-bedroom apartment in Stratford cost $1,492 per month in 2023. 

Gerber noted the idea of being able to live, work and play in a safe, innovative, welcoming community is the goal of all municipalities in Ontario. That is really is the “Holy Grail,” she said.

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Although investStratford is a business-supporting agency that looks towards the future, that support includes more than just lobbying for lower taxes and being a business-friendly city, Gerber said. It also includes building the required housing, along with adequate community resources and services, including education and childcare, that help build a good quality workforce.

“When companies are choosing where they’re going to locate . . . a friendly business climate, available land and buildings, all of those things make a big impact, but what matters most for those companies is the quality of life and the quality of place they’re going to locate. They don’t want to have to invest a whole lot of money and then find out this isn’t really the city they thought it was,” she said. 

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Betteridge agreed with that sentiment, saying if all goes well over the 25 years, the new official plan will help advance Stratford “as a vibrant, sustainable and inclusive community.”

“The city would have a diverse range of housing options that are accessible to all residents. Public transit would be even better, and active transportation networks would seamlessly connect all of our neighbourhoods and business areas, making it easier to get around without a car,” he said.

That economic growth, he added, would be balanced with environmental responsibility while community facilities, parks and cultural venues would be thriving.

However, as Robson noted, the biggest challenges with implementing these strategic priorities is resources, given that the major revenue stream for Stratford, and all municipalities, is property taxes. This year’s tax increase was 5.46 per cent, which followed a 7.9 per cent increase in 2024.

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“This is a very challenging time for people to make ends meet, and so we have to be so careful about what we’re asking for in terms of property tax,” she said.

That said, looking towards the future and the way that Stratford “wins” going forward is by building that necessary infrastructure to meet demand, Robson said.

“We need to be in a position where we can welcome new residents, we can accommodate the residents that we have and have a good quality of life and a good experience in our city because, living here, we really want to mean thriving here,” she said.

“We’re not talking about exponential growth for growth’s sake. This is really about balancing that need for growth with sustainability for our community.”

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