“I’ve been here since 1956,” says Mayor Ross Kentner. “Today, I would say that we have every bit as good health care, and quite possibly better, than someone living in downtown Toronto. Every week I’m attending a ribbon cutting for a new business. It was not that way when I started, but I take no credit for this. This is just because Meaford’s time has come.” This bold claim is supported by recent data. In 2024 U-Haul named the Owen Sound-Meaford area as Canada’s 17th fastest-growing market, citing a 16% increase in arrivals and just a 1% rise in departures, showing that people are choosing to make Meaford their home. “We’re living in a world where you can work wherever you really want to. I think that everybody is here largely by choice, and that means that everything is better here,” the mayor asserts. HERITAGE AT THE HEART OF DOWNTOWN Preservation is a big part of Meaford’s charming downtown, and the core is currently experiencing an influx of restoration and creative redevelopment. The old firehall, now Station 87 is one example “It is a restaurant, a market, and it’s got two outdoor patios, one in front of the three Romanesque doors for the old fire fighting equipment, and one on the roof of the newer part of it,” describes Mayor Kentner. “They poured something in excess of $4 million into this heritage building to renovate it. That is a huge gain for us.” Right next door is the historic Meaford Hall, a community resource, and home to an opera house and gallery spaces. A block away, the Station 87 developer has acquired the former Capital Theatre. “I’m highly confident they’re going to do something extraordinary there as well,” Kentner adds.“All of this enhances our downtown core.” ENERGY, AGRICULTURE, AND THE SCIENCE OF TOMORROW With 40 oilseed and grain farms, 43 hay farms, 203 cattle ranches, 45 fruit tree farms, and 19 dairy farms, Meaford is known for its rural roots. It’s also fast becoming a player in Canada’s green energy and medical innovation sectors. One of the most ambitious projects on the horizon is 163 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 06, ISSUE 08 MEAFORD, ON
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