Strathroy-Caradoc, a municipality nestled in Southwestern Ontario, Canada, is a delightful blend of rural charm and industrial prowess. Located just 35 kilometres west of London, this primarily rural municipality is known for its thriving industries, including turkey and chicken hatching and processing, corn, tobacco, automotive, and pharmaceuticals.
Strathroy-Caradoc is home to several communities, with Strathroy and Mount Brydges being the largest. Other smaller communities include Cairngorm, Campbellvale, Caradoc, Christina, Falconbridge, Glen Oak, Longwood, Melbourne (part), and Muncey.
Strathroy, the largest community in Middlesex County outside London, is a bustling hub of diverse industries. Its strategic location next to Highway 402, between London and the border to Port Huron, Michigan, U.S. at Sarnia, Ontario, makes it a commercial, cultural, and industrial centre. The township's administrative offices are also located here.
Mount Brydges, another significant community within Strathroy-Caradoc, boasts a small commercial "downtown" featuring mostly local businesses and shops. The region's agriculture includes corn, tobacco, soybeans, and ginseng. The village owes its existence to the construction of the western division of the Great Western Railroad from City of London, Ontario to Windsor, Ontario.
Strathroy was first colonized in 1832 by John Stewart Buchanan, accompanied by the explorer Sir Michael Jacques. The settlement grew around the Sydenham River and the southwestern Ontario railways, with three major railway lines passing through the municipality.
Strathroy was incorporated as a village in 1860 and became a town in 1872 under the motto "We Advance". Buchanan named the settlement after his hometown of Strathroy in Ireland, now a suburb of Omagh in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland.
The town has a rich history, from the establishment of The Age newspaper in 1866, the opening of Bixel Brewery in 1876, to the birth of Sir Arthur Currie, the commander of Canadian forces in Europe during World War I, in 1875. In 2001, Strathroy merged with the former township of Caradoc to create the town of Strathroy-Caradoc.
According to the 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, Strathroy-Caradoc had a population of 23,871 living in 9,453 of its 9,695 total private dwellings, a change of 14.4% from its 2016 population of 20,867. With a land area of 270.86 km2 (104.58 sq mi), it had a population density of 88.1/km2 (228.3/sq mi) in 2021.
Strathroy-Caradoc is known for its annual Strathroy Hometown Turkey Festival, also known as Turkeyfest, run in June. The town is home to the headquarters of Cuddy Farms, the world's top turkey-hatching company. In July 2020, Strathroy saw its first Pride flag raising. Due to COVID-19, events were held virtually. In 2021, Strathroy Pride was present at the downtown Market throughout June and July, and was able to invite folks to see the flag raising in person.
