Strathroy-Caradoc’s growth and development both “exciting and it’s terrifying,” says municipal councillor

Ellor Street strathroy
Work on the Ellor Street project

Ontario Construction News staff writer

Strathroy-Caradoc is seeing a burst of growth that, according to one municipal councillor, is unlike anything seen since the post World War II era.

“I studied history for years,” Councillor John Brennan said at a Strathroy-Caradoc municipal council meeting on May 6. “With everything we’re talking about tonight, it calls to mind maybe two other periods in history, maybe post confederation, maybe 1875-1880, and post World War II. I think we’re on the brink of something that’s going to meet or even exceed those.”

On the docket at Strathroy Caradoc’s municipal council meeting on May 6 were three big planning discussions. The first was for council to enter into a servicing agreement to arrange for the extension of services along a portion of Adelaide Road in Mount Brydges.

The village just south of Strathroy is growing at both its north and south ends, and growing infrastructure to service development there is an ongoing pressure for council.

The second was to consider a request for deferred development charges from JASLO Properties, which is planning to build a 38 unit apartment building and 17 unit townhouse at a property on Ellor Street in Strathroy. Council and staff look forward to this project to provide higher density housing in the municipality.

The third consideration was to approve a site plan agreement for the redevelopment of a property just outside of Strathroy that houses WeedMD, a federally-licensed producer and distributor of cannabis and cannabis oil for both the medical and adult-use markets, has received a Health Canada Standard Processing Licence for its 158-acre Strathroy facility. It is waiting for its licence to begin an outdoor growing area during the warmer months. WeedMD estimates it will create 100 jobs in the area during peak times, with additional jobs anticipated when the outdoor grow area goes forward.

In addition to these planned projects, there are also a number of other developments being considered or partially underway, including a plan for a 22-lot residential neighbourhood at Ridge Street, and development of an 80-hectare area at the north end of town that may see up to 900 homes.

An unavailability of housing and increasing costs associated with living in nearby London could be at the root of some of the growth in Strathroy-Caradoc, which is only a short drive from the city.

“We’re going to have some pretty big planning issues for ourselves over the next few years.”

“It’s exciting and it’s terrifying,” Brennan said.

The Municipality of Strathroy-Caradoc was formed in 2001 from an amalgamation of the Town of Strathroy and the Township of Caradoc, and is home to about 20,000 residents. It is located 40 kilometres west of London, Ontario.

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