Image of Stratford Mayor Steve OgdenMayor’s Message
Fall 2023

Wow! What a summer!
I hope everyone got as much joy and satisfaction from the past few months as your mayor and council. It was so great to see construction begin on our new community campus and high school, waterfront park, new active transportation connections, a new water tower, and many other long-awaited projects. As well, the Gray Group is beginning the development and building of the future downtown Stratford. It is very gratifying to see the realization of a lot of planning, visioning and hard work by staff, this council, and previous councils on this project.

This fall, council, staff, and I will be mapping out priorities for this term of council and laying the groundwork for the 2024/2025 budget. Residents are asked to consider how they would like to see their tax dollars spent. Input from residents and the recent annual resident survey results will help guide the budget discussions. Thank you for taking the time to share your views. There is a wealth of expertise, experience, and great ideas in the residents of Stratford, and we really appreciate you sharing it to make our community better.

Adequate affordable and attainable housing is a top Town priority. We have been working with developers, Federal and Provincial government representatives, social and co-op housing advocates, and service groups to address this great need in our Town. The Shape Stratford initiative aims to identify barriers to development and propose solutions. As part of the project, there has been a great deal of analysis and research which will be invaluable during the current review of the Town’s Official Plan.

I look forward to seeing many of you this fall throughout the community, whether at Town events such as our upcoming New Resident Meetup, Fall Fest, or Remembrance Day, or just in passing. I hope you enjoy the turning of the season. Have a great autumn in Stratford!

Sincerely,
Mayor Steve Ogden