Discover

'Stratford' (2006 pop.: 7,083) is a Canadian town in Queens County, Prince Edward Island and a suburb of the provincial capital Charlottetown.
It is currently the province's third-largest community based on population and is experiencing some population growth as a direct result of an improved highway connection to neighbouring Charlottetown.

Contents

Amalgamation

Geography

History

External links

Amalgamation

Stratford was created in a 1995 amalgamation of several rural villages and communities east of the provincial capital of Charlottetown, including:

★ Southport

★ Bunbury

★ Keppoch

★ Rosebank

★ Kinlock

★ Cross Roads

Geography

Located on the opposite bank of the East (Hillsborough) River (a 30 km long and 1 km wide tidal inlet) from Charlottetown, the communities comprising Stratford were hampered in their development by geography until relatively recently.

History

Stratford's constituent communities each have had slightly different development patterns. The shoreline of the Hillsborough River in Southport was historically a cottage area for city residents, with cottage development proceeding to Keppoch during the post-war era. Cross Roads, Bunbury, Rosebank and Kinlock were historically agricultural communities.
The area's fortunes are tied to the evolution and development of transportation links with Charlottetown. During the 1800s, a small seasonal passenger ferry service operated between Ferry Point in Southport to a wharf on the Charlottetown waterfront. During the winter months, horse-drawn sleighs would operate directly across the river, if its waters were frozen.
In 1905, the Prince Edward Island Railway constructed the first Hillsborough River Bridge between Charlottetown and Southport, allowing for train travel to the eastern side of the river.
Horse-drawn carriages and sleighs (and later automobiles) were also permitted on the span when trains were not operating, although it was only 1-lane wide with wood planks placed between and on each side of the rails.
The railway bridge was replaced with a 2-lane highway bridge in 1962. Following completion of the new bridge, the communities comprising present-day Stratford began to experience a slow but steady growth, with permanent year-round dwellings and several subdivisions beginning to replace the seasonal cottages which fronted the Hillsborough River. By the 1980s, commuter and residential development patterns in PEI were changing and it became apparent that the traffic levels on the new 2-lane Hillsborough River Bridge were surpassing its designed capacity.
The 1962-era 2-lane bridge was expanded to a 4-lane bridge with new approach routes in 1995 as a sub-contract to the Northumberland Strait Crossing Project (the Confederation Bridge) with cost-sharing between the federal and provincial governments. The expanded Hillsborough River Bridge was completed in the mid-1990s at around the same time as municipal amalgamation took place.
The current town of Stratford is experiencing growth as a result of the improved highway connection to Charlottetown, where most residents work. The population has increased by 769 residents (11% growth) in the 5 years between the 2001 and 2006 census. The new development is quite modest by most North American standards and includes several new subdivisions, a small highway commercial district, and several municipal buildings including a town hall and community centre.

External links

★ Stratford, PEI official site
----