Mayor Dan Mathieson says his goal is to always see Stratford move forward collectively.
That means that when Stratford has a good year economically then it should have a good year socially as well. He made the comment as his closing statement during this morning’s State of the City Address.
Mayor Mathieson touched on a number of topics including investing in social programs, housing challenges, the skills shortage, the Cooper Site, tourism, business investment, and infrastructure.
He discussed an expansion of Anne Hathaway Daycare from 70 to 107 spots that will start in May. He said the city is also going to help subsidize care for lower income families:
Mayor Mathieson also mentioned a Skills Advanced Ontario pilot project is coming to Stratford between September and next January which will be aimed at addressing the skills shortage in the city.
He also touched on projects like the $20 million Trillium Hatchery, the medical marijuana facility, the South West Ontario Veterinary Services facility, and Futaba’s $50 million expansion, and a new project with General Electric and the Ontario Clean Water Agency.
It’ll look at putting a system in Stratford’s water pollution control plant that would turn organic waste into biogas which could be cleaned and then sold to Union Gas. Mayor Mathieson says there’s a good reason GE is making a big investment in the project:
Mayor Mathieson also said the Cooper Site continues to be an opportunity with the focus on creating a community hub on the property and praised city council for its fiscal responsibility.
