Retiring in Stratford PEI

For the first in our series of articles on ideal locations for retirement living, we are going to take a quick look at the lovely village of Stratford on Prince Edward Island. It's a great place to live out your golden years, right in the heart of the province that put Canada on the pop culture map.

Prince Edward Island is, of course, the setting for the Lucy Maude Montgomery books about Anne Shirley, as well as the location where the miniseries was set. The Island is still every bit as beautiful as it was when the series was filmed, with the rolling green hills and coasts that took everyone's breath away. So, if you spent your childhood reading these books from a Markham home, maybe it's time to finally live in that world.

Stratford itself is located on The Hillsborough River, which meets the Atlantic quite close by. This means that residents are never very far from the white and red sands that define the beaches of Prince Edward Island, perfect locations for enjoying a nice book during the Island's extended summer. Or you can get out your grower's supplies and contribute to the beautiful lushness of the province.

Stratford is actually made up of a number of different communities, which were amalgamated into one municipality in 1995. Even so, the population of the town is the perfect size for anyone looking for a quiet retirement, as there are only around 7300 people living in the community. This will be quite a change if you're coming from a community like Oakville real estate.

Despite the small size, Stratford is not a risky place to retire to if you are concerned about health issues. Prince Edward Island's largest city, and its capital, is located right across the river. Charlottetown was not easily accessible from Stratford until recently, when a bridge was built over the Hillsborough to accommodate traffic going back and forth. If you're at the point where you need home healthcare, that can also be made available to you from Charlottetown.

A quiet town with easy access to the beach and all the amenities of the province's capital city, Stratford is an ideal place to live during your retirement years. There are a variety of properties available, from large houses to small cottages, beach side to riverside. It's definitely a town worth checking out for anyone wondering where to retire to.