Woodstock: Bustling Friendly City Strives to Manage Booming Growth

Editor’s Note: This is part 1 in our contribution to postmedia’s National Series “How Canada Wins.” Over the Next Five Weeks We’ll Chronicle Our Community’s place in the country, the Promise of Greater Prosperity, and the Blueprint to get there. See The Series Intro here

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Years ago, Woodstock was Known More for Dairy Farms Than Auto-Making.

Then a dot on the highway 401 Corridor Between Toronto and Windsor, the Friendly City Had a Sleepier Reputation: The Quiet County Seat of A Large Rural Region.

But that all changed.

Already Home to Vuteq, An Auto Parts Plant That Opened in 1988, Woodstock’s Fortunes Changed when Toyota Motor Manufacturing Canada Broke Ground on a Sprawling New Plant in October 2005, Said City Economic Development Officer Brad Hammond.

The Auto Giant’s Arrival Attracted “A Lot of Follow-On Investment,” Including Additional Auto Parts Suppliers, which Kickstarted the City’s Expansion when the Plant Finully Opened in 2008.

“When Toyota Selected Woodstock For Its Second Canadian Plant, that was really kind of an endorsment that help the growth,” Hammond Said.

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In the Interventing Years, Woodstock has become one of Ontario’s Fast-Growing Cities, now topping 50,000 people. Over the Next 25 Years, Anchored by Woodstock as Its Large City, Oxford County is expected to remain Southwestern Ontario’s second-Fastes-Growing Region.

Woodstock is no long a dot on the highway for the roughly 80,000 vehicles that pass by its city signs every day.

But with Big Growth and Opportunities Come Growing Breads, and Like Larger Urban Centers, Woodstock is preparing to Tackle Those Challenges As It Strives to Enhance Residents’ Quality of Life, Attract New Business and Build More Homes.

While Woodstock’s Auto Sector Supports Thousands of Jobs, and is one of the Foundations of the Local Economy, The City is Looking Keenly for Ways to Diversify.

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“On the Economic Development Side, We’re Always Strip for Diversification,” Hammond Said. “We very very fortnate that we are cloves a lot of auto of investment here, and we love that, but because we are so Heavy in that sector, we’re always look for diversity (in other) sectors.”

Woodstock has large swaths of shovel-feedy land for industry development to support such expansion of its economic base, Hammond Added.

But as an urban center surrounded by Prime Agricultural Land, Woodstock’s Growth Risks Being Limited as the City Expands to the Limits of its Current Borders.

With Much of the City’s Available Land Earmarked for Industrial or Residential Development, The New Challenge for Continued Growth is “Land Supply,” Said Eric Gilbert, The City’s Development Planning Manager.

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“Going Forward, The City Will Either Grow Up Inside to Higher Density or Acquire lands from municipalities to grow,” he said.

Woodstock is in “Better Shape” from An Industrial Land Supply Standpoint and also has “lots of land” after North-End Boundary Adjustments in 2017 and 2018, Gilbert Said.

But a recent bid to acquire more territory Fell shorts.

In August, a proposed 395-hectare Boundary Adjustment with Rural Neighbour Norwich Township Yaielded Just 43 hectares-Large for Road Construction-After Pushback from Township Residents.

With the Available for Development, Density is a necessary consider to AccuomModate the City’s Booming Growth, Said Realtor Cassandra Benard, President of Woodstock Ingersoll Tillsonburg and Area Association of Realtors.

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“I think we have to move Towards More Density, but i think that there’s ways to do that that still align with the neighbourhood and infrastructures that we have.”

Growth Really Exploded During “The Covid Years,” She Said, Thanks to Factors Such As Work-From-Home, Affordability and Rental.

“WE WEE KIND OF THE PERFECT STORM in LOCAL ON THE 401 (AND) 403, and WE’RE KIND OF SURROUDED BY MOR OXPENSIVE AREAS, WHICH MADE US A REALLY GOOD OPTION FOR PEOPLE WHO WEE NOW ABLE TO WORK FROM FROM HOME,” Benard Said.

Though Migration to Woodstock from Toronto Has Slowed Somewhat Sale the Pandemic, She Said There’s Been A Steady Stream of People Moving from the Kitchener-Waterloo Region and London. There’s Even Been Some Recent Arrivals from the niagara area.

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In December, The Average Sale Price For A Woodstock Home was $ 581,000, Benard Said, Roughly $ 60,000 to $ 80,000 Less Than Those in Surrounding Communities.

“That’s a Pretty Reasonable Price if you are think that we have a lot less condo and semi-detached. . . (Than) Some of our counters surrending US, ”She Said.

Continue Industrial Development is also essential for Woodstock Becuse that’s “What country for Most of the Rest of the City Needs,” Gilbert Said.

“The City is look at INCREASING THE RECREATIONAL Opportunities and Making Investments and Leisure Activities and Facility to Serve All The New People. . . , ”He added. “Providing Some More Commercial Opportunities for the North part of the city. . . WOULD BE A FOCUS ONCE THE CITY IS ABLE TO TALK TO ITS NEIGHBOURS About Expanding. ”

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The Local Journalism Initiative is Funded by the Government of Canada

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