In this episode, we explore what's behind Strathroy-Caradoc's residential growth by talking to two locals with very different experiences of the community. One is a long-time local who grew up here. The other is a newcomer who just arrived last year. Despite their differences, they often have similar things to say. Oh, and these guests aren't just residents. They're also employees of the Municipality of Strathroy-Caradoc, which gives them extra insight into the community. By the end of this episode, there'll be sharing intel that even the locals might not know.
Strathroy-Caradoc is a growing and vibrant municipality centrally located in southwestern Ontario, Canada, between Toronto and Detroit. We are a dynamic combination of urban and rural areas which provide opportunities for a range of business and industry.
Learn more about the Strathroy business community via the Downtown Strathroy BIA and the Strathroy & District Chamber of Commerce.
About the Growing Strathroy-Caradoc podcast
Strathroy-Caradoc is a place where people and businesses grow deep roots. With a population of 24,000 people. It would be easy to assume that Strathroy-Caradoc is a sleepy part of Southwest Ontario, but new residents and businesses—from independent shops to multinational power players—are flocking here. Listen to the Growing Strathroy-Caradoc podcast to find out why.
If you’re an investor, learn about our value proposition, key sectors, and available properties at investstrathroy-caradoc.ca.
The podcast is hosted by Michelle Samson and produced by Storied Places Media. Learn more about our podcast production services for economic development organizations at storiedplaces.ca.
we have such a diverse cultural population here It's just
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:a very welcoming welcoming community.
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:Michelle: Welcome to the growing
Strathroy-Caradoc podcast.
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:I'm your host, Michelle Samson.
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:And I'd like you to join me as
we explore Strathroy, Kara doc.
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:And what makes it a place where
people and businesses grow deep roots.
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:For this third episode, we explore
what's behind the communities.
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:Residential growth.
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:And we're making a simple case.
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:People are moving here because
it's a great place to live.
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:That's the overarching
message from today's guests.
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:A couple of residents with very
different experiences of the community.
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:One is a long time local who grew up here.
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:The other is a newcomer
who just arrived last year.
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:And these guests, aren't just residents.
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:They're also employees of the municipality
of Strattera care doc, which gives
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:them extra insight into the community.
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:By the end of this episode,
there'll be sharing Intel that
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:even the locals might not know.
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:Let's start with the longtime local.
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:Jessy: I'm Jesse Vander Vart, and I
am a communications assistant for the
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:municipality of Stratford Care Doc.
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:Michelle: Jesse was born in Brampton,
but when he was five, his father
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:was laid off from his job there.
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:That's when his father saw an opportunity
to give his kids the kind of childhood
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:that he had growing up in Ingersoll.
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:Finding the perfect house with a big
backyard and Strathroy seal the deal.
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:Jessy: he loved being
raised in a small town.
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:he was born in 1960, so he had that
kind of childhood where he rode his bike
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:and went fishing, or went and played
hockey on the pond that, you know,
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:sort of standard Canadian upbringing.
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:and he, I don't think he saw that
opportunity for us in Brampton.
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:I.
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:so I think for his children, he
wanted us to grow up with that kind of
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:tight-knit small community upbringing.
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:Michelle: yeah, there's just something
about a small town childhood.
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:So that was your father's
vision for the family.
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:But what was it like for you
actually growing up in Strathroy?
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:Jessy: I think people tend to romanticize
their childhood in a great way.
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:I can't imagine having a better childhood.
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:it was, and still is, I think
a incredibly safe community.
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:and one where you tend to know a
lot of people, So I went to school
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:just across the street from where I
live, and all my friends lived local.
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:So I mean evenings, weekends, over
the summer we were always playing at
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:the park, at the school road hockey
games tag in people's backyards.
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:It felt like a kind of place where
you could kind of pick up and walk
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:around town with your friends and your
parents really didn't have to worry.
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:Michelle: Our other guests didn't
grow up in strata care doc.
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:She arrived last year after accepting
a job offer from the municipality.
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:Heather: Well,
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:my name is Heather Lalonde
and I'm privileged to be the
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:Development Commissioner for the
municipality of Strathroy Cradock.
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:Michelle: tell us a little bit about
where you've lived and worked in the past?
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:Heather: Uh, My husband and I relocated
here from Long Sioux Ontario, which
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:is a little settlement of about 2000
people just west of Cornwall, Ontario.
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:Um, so to put that in context,
about a seven hour drive.
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:I was born in Peterborough, Ontario,
and I was the economic development
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:officer for the City of Peterborough
before becoming the Chief Executive
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:Officer for the Economic Developers
Council of Ontario after working for the
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:Economic Developers Council of Ontario
for many years, I missed having the
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:ability to make impact at a local level.
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:rural economic development has
always been near and dear to me,
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:so this was the perfect opportunity
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:Michelle: Heather considered opportunities
elsewhere in rural Ontario, but Strathroy
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:Caridad had a couple assets that
made it especially attractive to her.
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:Heather: We have family in the area.
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:You know, life lessons really
teach you what is important and,
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:and to me, family is important.
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:So when this opportunity presented
itself, I it was a huge leap of faith,
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:but I felt that the time was right.
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:and, Through my former position, I
was privy to hearing about all of the
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:economic activity that was occurring
in the Strathroy care doc area.
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:And I wanted to be part of that movement.
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:that was also attractive to me.
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:Michelle: As Heather mentioned at the
top, the position that she was hired
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:for was development commissioner.
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:Here's what that means.
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:Heather: My role within the
community is primarily collaboration
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:or connecting the dots.
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:So I work with individual businesses,
stakeholders, . Groups and investors.
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:In addition to those primary duties,
I work on special projects including
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:running an inter-community transit line.
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:and the establishment of
a skilled trade school.
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:And now we're a little bit
into the tourism sector as well.
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:Every day is different here.
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:Uh, and that's why I love
economic development.
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:Michelle: how much time had you
spent here before taking the job,
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:Heather: Uh, I had spent very
little time in Strathroy car Doc.
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:I had driven by it many
times going to visit family.
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:Um, did a lot of online research,
uh, a couple of drive-throughs.
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:and, uh, driven through the
a charming little downtown.
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:All that I saw was opportunity,
Every economic developer's dream.
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:we're a rural community, yet we're
close to some major communities.
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:We're close to the border.
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:Uh, we have a lovely river
that runs through, town.
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:We have a, a very connected, group of
trails for those that like to hike.
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:there's lots of events that
are really family oriented.
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:there's a new arts and culture
center being, um, redeveloped in the
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:downtown, so that's very exciting.
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:Uh, we have everything here.
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:We don't have to leave here.
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:We don't want to.
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:Michelle: Strathroy care.
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:Doc may be the kind of place
that you don't need to leave.
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:But Jesse, like so many small town
kids wanted to explore the world beyond
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:his hometown, which is to say that
he hasn't always lived in Strathroy.
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:Kara doc.
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:He did venture a little
further a field for a time.
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:Jessy: I moved to Cardiff, which is the
capital of Wales in the United Kingdom.
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:a big change for me because at that
point I was 27 and I'd never really lived
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:outside of, besides living in Brampton.
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:I, I'd lived in Stratford my whole life.
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:I moved there for teachers college
and I was there for just under a year.
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:It's about 11 months.
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:Um, Definitely very difficult.
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:I'd say for the first six months.
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:I ended loving it, but, if you lived
one place your whole life, you start
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:to see that as the center of the earth.
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:And then when you go someplace else,
even a place with a shared language, the
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:cultural differences kind of open your
eyes to the fact that where you live.
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:For me, or Strathmore Paradoc isn't
necessarily the center of the earth.
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:And it was cool to see the way that other
people live and just the differences
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:Michelle: Cardiff is the
biggest city in Wales about the
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:same size as London, Ontario.
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:Jesse says somethings were familiar,
like the fact that it was welcoming
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:multicultural and had a small town feel.
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:But there were certainly things
about Cardiff and Wales in general.
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:But let Jesse know that he
wasn't in Strathroy anymore.
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:Jessy: the differences were in things
like I'm a big, hockey fan, so
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:I'm trying to make the least fan.
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:And to go to school or go to work
and not be able to talk to people
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:about your regular sports team.
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:And, and they were all
into rugby and football.
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:The food was a little bit different.
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:It was definitely like, uh,
British style food, uh, pub food,
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:meat pies, that type of thing.
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:So those were the small
things where, where you kind
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:of missed home a little bit.
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:Michelle: how did your impression of
Strathroy change, while you were there?
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:Jessy: there?
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:I've always loved Strathroy.
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:I've always been kinda like a booster
of strathroy and map bridges and
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:the community in general, but I
think that grew while I was away.
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:I mean, I think you always kind of take
something for granted until it's gone
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:so coming back I was kind of elated.
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:I really enjoyed my time away, but
I was pretty happy to come back.
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:Uh, to catch up with old friends, to
eat at restaurants that you've been
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:eating at, you know, your whole life.
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:but I think it helps me
to maybe appreciate the
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:community a little bit more.
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:Michelle: was there any question
that you would come back
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:specifically with Strathroy?
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:Or were you, did you consider places?
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:Jessy: I actually had considered staying
in Wales for a little bit longer, just
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:'cause some job opportunities had come up.
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:But because I was missing home so
much at that point, I did want to
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:come home first and kind of see.
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:And as soon as I got back, I
think I knew that that was the
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:right decision was to come home.
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:I've always wanted to Continue
to stay rooted in this community.
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:the only reason that I could ever
see myself leaving would be for
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:work opportunities, maybe elsewhere.
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:but there's just something that
you can't beat about living if
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:you liked where you grew up.
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:And I loved growing up here, so I
couldn't see myself really living
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:anywhere but here or somewhere, you know,
within half an hour's drive of here.
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:Michelle: So, how did Jesse go from
teacher's college to communications
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:assistant for the municipality?
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:He admits that teachers' college
just about killed him and the demand
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:on his time and stress levels.
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:Wasn't going to improve once
he entered the profession.
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:He decided to pivot.
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:Jessy: When I came back to Strathroy,
shortly after a job opened up, the
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:position was Digital Service Squad member.
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:and that was through,
uh, digital Main Street.
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:That's how I started here.
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:and in that job I was getting to help
local business owners and I was helping
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:them kind of grow their online presence.
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:So that was working with websites,
uh, social media strategies, doing
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:some graphic design work with them.
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:and I really liked that job because
I got to kind of commute all around
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:the community and work with people.
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:And even now, so I've moved, uh, roles.
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:I.
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:Communications here now, but when I go
out to the market or when I'm driving
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:around, I still see a lot of business
owners that I got to connect with
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:Michelle: The opportunity gave
Jesse a chance to meet lots of
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:new people and learn about their
perspectives on his community.
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:That in turn affected his perspective.
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:Jessy: I think the community is
incredibly, an incredibly welcoming place.
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:I think I always knew that,
but I've been fortunate to see
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:it a little bit more recently.
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:I guess it's unfortunate, but with
the conflict with Russia and Ukraine,
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:we've had quite a bit of, um, people
come from Ukraine and, and actually
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:end up in the community and quite
a few of them have actually opened
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:businesses since they've been here.
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:we just had an opening of a business
in, uh, downtown Strathroy and it's
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:a Ukrainian pierogi business they
mostly do pierogis, but they do borsch.
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:They do, cabbage rolls,
crepes and Ukrainian bread.
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:and I mean, there were so many
people there, it was actually
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:spilling out onto the street.
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:so seeing that kind of outpour
outpouring of support and just how
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:much the community welcomes people,
I think like I said, I think I always
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:knew it, but I'm fortunate now to
see it a little bit more, firsthand.
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:Michelle: might be so good at
welcoming newcomers because the
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:community has had a lot of practice.
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:Significant numbers of Portuguese,
Dutch and Hungarian immigrants
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:arrived during the world wars.
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:They became thoroughly woven into
the fabric of this community.
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:Jessy: growing up in, in my grade
school anyways, it almost felt like
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:it was split equally between, uh,
Dutch and Portuguese populations.
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:and there's definitely like a
flavor of that in the community.
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:So in the downtown core here of Stratford,
there's the Dutch shop, and then
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:we've got Portuguese bakeries as well.
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:It was kind of nice 'cause just
last year actually, I took a trip to
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:Portugal and it felt so familiar to me.
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:Um, a lot of the foods I'd seen before
at least had heard talked about.
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:yeah, it was kind of neat.
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:It almost feels like you've adopted a
second culture yourself, um, through
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:growing up and being at friends' houses
and, you know, trying different things
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:and learning a little bit of the language.
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:Michelle: Heather has seen Strathroy
paradox, welcoming nature on a broad
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:scale, too, not to mention the fact
that she experienced it herself.
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:Heather: It's a really interesting
community because it's steeped in
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:agriculture and with agriculture
comes, uh, the opportunity to bring
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:in, temporary board workers every year.
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:So the face of the community
has really changed because a lot
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:of them have decided to stay.
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:And, uh, we have such a diverse
cultural population here now.
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:It, it really brings out the charm of,
of the inclusiveness that you experience
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:when you come here as a new resident.
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:You know, and I can speak from
experience because I'm a new resident.
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:It's just a very welcoming
welcoming community.
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:Without a doubt, I think the
community's best assets are its people.
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:Michelle: The warm welcome.
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:Also extended to her husband.
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:Who didn't have any family ties or
a nearby social network to rely on.
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:He wouldn't be able to make
friends at work either because
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:he retired just before moving.
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:Heather: frankly I was a little
worried about him because I
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:thought, what is he gonna do?
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:He's in a brand new community.
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:, I'm going to work for the first
time to an office because I
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:always worked in my home office.
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:Um, what's he gonna do?
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:Well, You know, I've found
my business network, he's
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:found his, our social network.
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:He's joined the golf, club.
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:He has his little leagues.
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:he has discovered all the
gems of the community.
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:He's the one that's found the
wonderful conservation areas and
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:the trails and, the great little
Portuguese bakery and, all those
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:great little treasures we have here.
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:So he loves it here.
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:You know, I, I had no need to worry.
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:The neighbors looked after him.
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:Um, you know, we moved here in
February and have a little
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:program here called Snow Angels.
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:So if you're not able to uh, shovel
your laneway, you can register and
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:neighbors will come and help you.
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:So there's a little crew in our
neighborhood that goes around and, and,
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:they shovel all the laneways together.
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:So,
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:You know, it's just, one of
those heartwarming communities
265
:where it's easy to make friends.
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:Michelle: Heather's husband got an
early start on finding the great local
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:assets, but Heather has now explored
and integrated enough to have her own
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:favorite things about Strathroy care doc.
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:Heather: One of the things that strikes
me is the architecture here in town.
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:We have, uh, a plethora of yellow brick,
Victorian style homes that, lend to
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:the character, uh, of the community.
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:And, and of course the downtown.
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:Um, you know, we have wonderful
bakeries, some nice eateries.
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:Really lovely retail.
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:it's very charming and,
you know, I'm a golfer.
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:My husband's a golfer.
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:We live down the road from the
golf course, but we have two
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:golf courses in Strathroy, which
is a really small community.
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:Um, And, uh, we're so close to
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:London, we're so close to the
border, we could cross, into
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:the US within 40 minutes.
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:So we really liked the location.
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:Michelle: in previous conversations
you'd mentioned the market.
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:Do you want to talk a
little bit about that?
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:Heather: I would love to
talk about the market.
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:Uh, we have a couple of night markets
during the year, but every Saturday
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:morning, We close off the downtown streets
and, uh, which comprise of two streets
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:Uh, but we have a farmer's market and,
uh, that's where everybody goes to meet.
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:It's almost a gathering spot Lots of
vendors in our downtown shops open up.
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:Um, so it's a, it's a lovely time to
just be able to stroll down the street
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:and, and support your local farmer.
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:Michelle: Great.
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:have you been to the night markets yet?
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:Heather: I've been to both of them so far.
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:they are really well attended.
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:you know, we have entertainment and
again, vendors, lots of people go downtown
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:for dinner and run into each other.
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:And, you know, last Saturday
night there was a dance.
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:Dance floor in the middle
of, of an intersection.
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:So that was fun
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:Michelle: The night markets are there
among Jesse's favorite local events
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:too, and echoes Heather sentiment
about them being a meeting place.
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:Jessy: They offer wristbands so that you
can, like, they license the street so
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:that people can have a drink and kind of
walk around and see the different vendors.
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:it's a really cool way to get
to know the community as well.
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:So if you go to more of these events,
you kind of see some familiar faces
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:and kind of make some connections.
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:Michelle: If the night market is
starting to sound like an adult event,
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:you're getting the wrong impression.
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:They're great for kids too.
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:Heather: Was talking to one of the shop
owners and she told me that her six year
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:old said that it was his best night ever.
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:because, you know, they, we have a
children's area and crafts for them,
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:and it, it's just, it's really nice.
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:Uh, and that's why we're trying to create
one around the holiday season as well.
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:We also have Hometown Festival, starts off
on a Friday night with this huge car show.
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:There's . About 300 classic cars
that show up so that, again,
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:they shut down the streets and
there's a big carnival and vendor.
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:So I love it because of it's really
important when you're trying to attract,
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:families to a community that there's
something for the children to do.
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:You know, we, we have a camp program
here in the summer that people come
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:from all over to participate in it.
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:The numbers are astounding for, um, . The
size of community and the different,
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:we have a museum camp, we have a
art camp, we have a basketball camp.
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:You know there's camps for every interest.
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:Michelle: She is not exaggerating
about the camps, just about
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:every sport is on the list.
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:If your little ones are a little bit
more artsy like myself there's a camp
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:for visual arts theater becoming a mini
museum curator Or if they're the hands-on
330
:type, maybe they'll like a camp to
learn how to be a carpenter or a chef.
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:The offerings for adults
and seniors are broad too.
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:Adult volleyball and basketball,
seniors, Jan berries, Euchre, swimming,
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:lessons, pickleball, and skating.
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:Just to name a few.
335
:But Jessie says the options aren't
limited to camps and rec programs.
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:Jessy: The event offerings
I think are really great.
337
:They're kind of a low cost
option, or most of the time, free,
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:um, for people to engage with.
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:So, um, this summer we're doing
three outdoor movie nights.
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:One in Strathroy, one in Mount
Bridges, and one in Melbourne.
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:Uh, we do an Easter event at the
Fairgrounds Recreation Complex,
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:and that, involves free skating,
uh, free Easter egg hunt.
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:An Easter bunny comes out, uh, winter
Fest, which will take place in Stratford,
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:actually at the fairgrounds as well.
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:And that follows up.
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:After our, annual Christmas parade,
which takes place Downtown Strathroy.
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:Michelle: Strathroy, Kara dog
has a great calendar of community
348
:events and organized recreation.
349
:But it also has a great stock
of independent recreation
350
:opportunities for all ages.
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:The make use of the great outdoors.
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:Here's Jesse again.
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:Jessy: I personally really enjoy some
of the local trails that we have.
354
:prior to working for the
municipality, I actually worked for
355
:the local Conservation authority.
356
:so the Stratford conservation area,
it's got a great set of trails.
357
:Clark, Wright conservation
area just outside of, of Strat,
358
:where here kind of going towards
Melbourne Mount Bridges area.
359
:they do an incredible job so that I know
within the past year or two, they've
360
:upgraded a lot of the trail systems.
361
:They've added, uh, like a chip and
dust trail and they've also added,
362
:um, I believe they're a four foot wide
boardwalk through a lot of the trails.
363
:so for me personally, that's
a big thing that I like to do.
364
:It's my kind of main form of recreation
is getting out and walking my dog.
365
:Uh, I went for a walk last night
through this truffer conservation.
366
:I got an ice cream at a local place
and took a walk through there.
367
:and there's also.
368
:Quite a few parks as well.
369
:Um, so many parks that I can
actually wrap my head around it.
370
:So there are quite a few within
Strathroy, a bunch in Mount Bridges.
371
:Um, and they seem to be sort
of slowly being upgraded.
372
:There's a park here in Strathroy
Salisbury Park that was just redone
373
:they've put on the half court basketball.
374
:They've got like a natural playground.
375
:and I guess another asset of the
community actually is the, Fair Grants
376
:recreation complex here in Strathroy.
377
:they've really grown the offerings there.
378
:so they've put in beach volleyball,
they've got, uh, tennis,
379
:and they've got pickleball.
380
:They've put in a full court
outdoor basketball court.
381
:They've just opened up.
382
:Now the all wheels park.
383
:Which is, uh, an accessible, uh,
skate park, be used with any sort
384
:of, non-motorized, wheeled option.
385
:So roller blades, skateboards,
wheelchairs, scooters,
386
:those types of things.
387
:and that just sits right beside
the outdoor, model railroad.
388
:And then there's also the pool, which
is there as well, the aquatic park.
389
:Michelle: Throughout my
conversation with Jesse.
390
:He mentioned restaurants and
food several times, and I got the
391
:impression that he might be a foodie.
392
:I was right.
393
:Here are some of his favorite places and
personal recommendations of where to eat.
394
:Jessy: For people who come to the
community, their first stop should
395
:probably be downtown Strathroy.
396
:I just think it has kind of
a unique pool of businesses.
397
:We have those Dutch and Portuguese
businesses downtown that kind
398
:of reflect those populations.
399
:there's a pretty popular spot downtown
Strathroy called the Bon Me Shop.
400
:they're incredible.
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:But we've also got some cool
businesses that have opened up.
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:We've got a craft brewery.
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:and then there's a business that's
opened up recently called Cookie Bar.
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:so they make these massive, I
think they're a pound cookies.
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:they're delicious and they also
serve some drinks there as well.
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:Lotus T in Mount Bridges is really good.
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:there's a cute jam place in
Melbourne called in a Jam.
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:all these kinds of places
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:Michelle: As we've heard Jesse and
Heather are both employees of the
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:municipality of Strattera, Cara doc.
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:Which means that they see their old
slash new community with a different
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:perspective than the average resident.
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:They see the inner workings of the
municipal government and everything
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:that happens behind the scenes in
making Strathroy care doc a great
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:place to live and do business.
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:I wondered if they're seeing anything
coming down, the pipeline that you,
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:as a current or future resident of the
municipality should be excited about.
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:Let's start with development
commissioner, Heather.
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:Heather: There are some exciting projects
have a new fire hall on the books.
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:We have a new arena on the books.
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:We have The Wright Family Art Foundation.
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:Um, they're a well-known musical
family in southwestern Ontario with
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:deep roots into Western University.
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:but they were residents here they,
started a foundation and, uh, the
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:group bought, a main street building.
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:So they're in the process of . Uh,
doing some community consultation about
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:what residents, really want to see
downtown And, uh, then they'll be, doing
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:their retrofitting of the building.
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:So from a things to do perspective,
that's really exciting.
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:Michelle: And now here's an
upcoming project that our longtime
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:local Jesse thinks will be an
important addition to the community.
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:Jessy: I think the biggest thing that's
probably creating a little bit of
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:excitement and will continue to create
excitement as more people learn about it
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:is, the development of a new community
center slash arena in Mount Bridges.
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:the local hockey team in Map Bridge
is the Bulldogs and I know that, that
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:team means a lot to the community..
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:They're celebrating their 50th year.
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:most people either grew up playing hockey
there or going for public skates or
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:figure skating or whatever it might be.
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:so I think that's something that's really
gonna excite people and I think it's
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:gonna draw on a lot of people as well.
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:Michelle: Being on the inside of
Strathroy paradox, municipal offices
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:has given Heather and Jessie more
than just insights on the projects.
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:It's also given them a chance
to get to know the people
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:who are making them happen.
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:Heather: The first thing that I
noticed, was the cohesiveness of the
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:team we have a very, uh, diverse
workforce here that brings in a myriad
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:of talents, um, and perspectives.
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:We had a new council, almost
like a 50%, uh, turnover in
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:this last municipal election.
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:So we have some, continuity, but we
have new and fresh ideas as well.
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:And, everybody works really well together.
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:Jessy: I grew up with a lot of
appreciation for the community.
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:That's a big reason why I've, I've
stayed and I've chosen to come back, but
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:working for the municipality, you see
all of the work that goes into some of
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:the offerings Our staff here I would
say a majority are probably from the
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:area, from Snia London anyways, and.
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:All members of staff, they seem to
work tirelessly to make sure that from.
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:The time you walk in the
door at a customer service
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:perspective, they're incredible.
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:all the work they're doing to ensure
that the programs are running properly.
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:just that they're offering the
best services at the, the most
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:affordable costs and sort of looking
at the wellbeing of the community.
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:I've not met anybody yet who doesn't
want what's best for the community.
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:Michelle: If you're a local, I hope you
learned a few things about your community
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:or at least we're reminded of the great
things and people right in your backyard.
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:If you're not a local, but
this sounds like a community
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:that you'd like to live in.
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:Find more information about Strathroy,
Kara doc, via the links in the show notes.
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:If this sounds like a community you'd
like to invest in, Heather would
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:definitely love to hear from you.
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:You can find her coordinates and
more information about the community
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:at investstrathroy-caradoc.ca.
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:Growing Strathroy, Kara doc
is produced by storied places.
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:Media.
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:Thanks for listening.