Town Profile

The Town of Stratford is the fastest growing municipality in Prince Edward Island with a growth rate now over 20% between census years. Now, with a population of over 9,000 persons, the average number of residents per household has stabilised at 2.44, signalling that the demographic shift occuring with the aging population has stabailized. 

Stratford is situated on a peninsula just south of Charlottetown, the provincial capital.  It is bounded by Fullerton’s Marsh, the Hillsborough River, Charlottetown Harbour and the Hillsborough Bay and covers a land area of 22.1 square Km.  The town is well known for its magnificent water views, desirable and peaceful neighbourhoods, rich rural heritage and high quality of life.

The area was first settled in the 1750's by Acadian families and early activities were farming, shipbuilding, and brick making. The Town of Stratford was formed in 1995 from the former communities of Bunbury, Southport, Crossroads and Keppoch-Kinlock and the unincorporated area of Battery Point. The area population grew rapidly after the construction of the new Hillsborough Bridge in 1961. Today, the town is a predominantly residential community with higher than average quality housing stock and higher than average income levels.

Recently, a new commercial core has begun to emerge to make the town a full service community. The quality of life in the town is enhanced by the pride that residents take in their properties, the abundance and accessibility of recreation programs, the proliferation of municipal parks, the beautiful views of water and pasture land, the number and variety of trees in the community and the community spirit that is evidenced by the high level of voluntarism.

Demographic Profile

The population of Stratford increased from 7,083 in the 2006 census to 8,574 in the 2011 census, this represents a 21% increase in 5 years which is, by far, the largest population increase in Prince Edward Island.  By comparison, for the same period,, the population of the province increased by 6.7% and the population in the City of Charlottetown by 7.4%. 

Population growth alone does not tell the whole story of growth for Stratford because the number of persons per dwelling unit has stabalized, this reflects the younger familiy profile within our community relative to Prince Edward Island and Canada.  Real growth can be also be seen in the number of dwelling units in Stratford; from the 2006 to 2011 census, the number of dwellings increased in Stratford from 2,898 to 3,509, a 21% increase.  This compares to a  compared to a 6.7% increase in the province and a 7% increase in the City of Charlottetown over the same time period. 

The Town of Stratford is the preferred location for residential development in PEI and all indications are that this trend will continue.   With the development of a new core area plan, Stratford is ready for a significant increase in retail and commercial activity in our “downtown”.

Location

Stratford is located just 59 Km from the Confederation Bridge to New Brunswick and just 58 Km from the Wood Islands Ferry to Nova Scotia.  It takes less than 10 minutes to drive to the regional airport on the periphery of Charlottetown and only 5 minutes to drive to the regional hospital or to downtown Charlottetown.  The town is connected to Charlottetown by the Hillsborough Bridge, and Stratford has the highest annual average traffic volume in the Province with an average of over 31,000 vehicles per day crossing the bridge.

Taxation

Stratford’s tax rates are the lowest of any of the full service communities in the Province.  The municipal residential property tax rate is $0.64 and the municipal commercial rate is $0.99 per $100 of assessment; provincial residential and commercial property tax rates, which are in addition to this, are the same in all communities. 

Town Services

The central portion of the town is serviced by a municipal sewer system and a central water system is being developed.  The Stratford Business Park and the newly emerging commercial area around the Kinlock Road and Trans Canada Highway intersection are serviced with municipal water and sewer.  Fire rated water is also available in these areas for building sprinkler systems due to a recent investment in a water tower.

The Town of Stratford has an abundance of recreational parks and green spaces in the town including four major community parks and 25 neighbourhood parks.  There is a new outdoor recreational trail system in development and public access to the shore at various locations throughout the town including the public beaches at Tea Hill Park and Kinlock Beach Park.  Town recreation facilities include 4 ball fields, 6 soccer fields, four tennis courts, an outdoor rink, a youth/seniors centre, several other community centres and access to additional sport fields at Glen Stewart School.
 

Stratford runs many different recreational programs for all ages, including: soccer, baseball, softball, volleyball, hockey, ball hockey, basketball, tennis, badminton, rhythmic gymnastics, line dancing, fitness classes, karate, walking, jellybean gym, fun`n learn drop-in and play, wildlife carving, and computer camp.  The town also hosts special events such as Canada Day celebrations, Winter carnival, Stratford Days, a New Years Day Levee and various other functions.

Municipal offices are located in the Stratford Town Centre located at 234 Shakespeare Drive.  The Town Centre also includes a stage, gymnasium, walking track, meeting rooms, town offices and leased office space for the headquarters of the Eastern School District.

Stratford provides police protection, fire protection, street lighting, sidewalks, animal control, urban planning and building inspection, and a number of other services.  The street network within the town is owned and maintained by the province. 

As part of the town’s effort to increase employment and the commercial tax base, a new business park was constructed adjacent to the existing industrial area of the community.  The first phase of the business park was completed in 2000 and subsequently all building lots have been sold and are in various stages of development.  Buusiness Park services include fire rated water, sewer, three phase power and fibre optic cable access.

Housing

Residential housing lots vary in price from low prices in the $25,000 to $35,000 range to more than $300,000 for some waterfront lots.  The residential housing market is very strong in Stratford, with more than 3,500 dwelling units in the town.  Stratford is the fastest growing municipality in the province and the second fastest growing municipality in the Maritimes.

Stratford is fast becoming a regional service center for the residents and the surrounding service area which extends into eastern Prince Edward Island.  There is an eighteen hole championship golf course, Fox Meadows, with a first class clubhouse and excellent facilities located near the center of town.  

Retail Services

Stratford enjoys services provided by a full service grocery stores, full service building supply store, a number of medical and dental clinics, a pharmacy, liquor store, restaurants and more than 130 business enterprises. Minutes from the vast retail services provided within the Greater Charlottetown Area, Stratford is a great place to live and work, truly a town of beauty and opportunity.

Research Reports

Statistics Canada Profile