Stratford, Prince Edward Island | |||
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Town | |||
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Nickname(s): A Town of Beauty and Opportunity | |||
Location of Stratford in Prince Edward Island | |||
Coordinates: 46°13′00″N 63°05′22″W / 46.21667°N 63.08944°W | |||
Country | Canada | ||
Province | Prince Edward Island | ||
County | Queens County | ||
Parish | Bedford | ||
Lot | Lot 48 | ||
Settled | 1750's | ||
Incorporated | April 1, 1995 | ||
Government | |||
• Mayor | David Dunphy | ||
• Councillors | Gail MacDonald Keith MacLean Steve Ogden Diane Griffin Gary Clow Randy Cooper |
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• CAO | Robert Hughes | ||
Area | |||
• Land | 22.48 km2 (8.68 sq mi) | ||
Population (2011) | |||
• Total | 8,574 | ||
• Density | 315.1/km2 (816/sq mi) | ||
• Change (2006-11) | 21.1% | ||
• Dwellings | 2,898 | ||
NTS Map | 011L03 | ||
GNBC Code | BAEWW | ||
Website | www.townofstratford.ca |
Stratford (2011 pop.: 8,574) is a Canadian suburban town located in central Prince Edward Island. 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 bridge over the Hillsborough River, connecting the town with Charlottetown.
Stratford was created under the Charlottetown Area Municipalities Act, effective 1 April 1995. This resulted in several rural villages and communities on the east bank of the Hillsborough River being amalgamated into a new town, including Southport, Bunbury, Keppoch, Rosebank, Kinlock, and Crossroads.
The town's naming was controversial as municipal leaders opted to choose a name that had no historic connection to the predecessor constituent communities. It is derived from the Stratford Road, a 4 km suburban road connecting Bunbury via Southport with Cross Roads.
Local observers have noted with humour that unlike communities with a similar name such as Stratford, Ontario or Stratford, Australia which are named after Stratford-upon-Avon and are situated upon rivers that derive their name from the River Avon, the town of Stratford, Prince Edward Island should be named "Stratford-upon-Hillsborough".
It is situated on a peninsula formed by the Hillsborough River estuary, Charlottetown Harbour, and Hillsborough Bay - a sub-basin of the Northumberland Strait.
Stratford is located in the township of Lot 48, Prince Edward Island in Queens County and is a bedroom suburb of the provincial capital Charlottetown.
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.