Small town of Rodney, Ont. positions itself to attract young Londoners
It is a village that views itself as an undiscovered gem in southwestern Ontario.
The village of Rodney, located smack dab between London and Chatham, is doing all it can to attract youthful residents and families.
The effort is not only through marketing. The village is also undergoing a physical transformation.
Most major roads in town are being rebuilt and beautified, including the main drag.
It is a $5 million gamble to attract new residents and investments.
But the upgrades do not stop there.
Internet service is improved, and nearly $2-million in provincial tax funds have now been secured to upgrade the former community hall.
Plus, in first for this area, Rodney is looking to be the only place electric vehicles can get a charge between London and Chatham.
West Elgin Mayor Duncan McPhail hopes investors and those looking to settle long-term, will notice.
“Now they could look at us and think, "This is a nice little community, maybe we could do business and live in.”'
But businesses often like to go where young people want to be, and it seems not all of them are buying in.
Eric Gormley and Katherine Wiebe are a young couple who currently live in Rodney, Ont. They say upgrades to attract residents aren't enough to keep them in the village. (Sean Irvine / CTV News)
Eric Gormley and Katherine Wiebe are a young couple who currently live in Rodney, Ont. They say upgrades to attract residents aren't enough to keep them in the village. (Sean Irvine / CTV News)
Katherine Wiebe and her partner Eric Gormley plan to leave the village soon, and unfortunately the upgrades will not change their minds.
“Well, it’s just cosmetics really. There really isn’t that many businesses and jobs here for young people and if you want to go to school, you have to move, so no not really.”
A surprising reaction, some here say, given the housing boom in major centres which has priced many young people out.
Louann Saker came to Rodney from London 15 years ago. She’s noticed more young people in town, but remains baffled why more have not opted to settle here.
“We are so close to the 401, you just jump on the 401, and within 30 minutes you’re in London.”
It is a marketing fact the mayor shares with the young and investors, as he awaits new housing developments.
“When you have young people with young children move to your community, it gives you the opportunity to make your schools sustainable and make your businesses sustainable.”
And in time it just might happen, and if so, perhaps even those determined to leave will find their way back.
“Probably if we had a family or something we would move back because it is nicer to raise in a small family than a city.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
MPP Sarah Jama asked to leave Ontario legislature for wearing keffiyeh
MPP Sarah Jama was asked to leave the Legislative Assembly of Ontario by House Speaker Ted Arnott on Thursday for wearing a keffiyeh, a garment which has been banned at Queen’s Park.
Mountain guide dies after falling into a crevasse in Banff National Park
A man who fell into a crevasse while leading a backcountry ski group deep in the Canadian Rockies has died.
2 teens charged in Halifax homicide: police
Two teenagers have been charged with second-degree murder in connection to an alleged homicide near the Halifax Shopping Centre earlier this week.
'Deep ignorance': Calls for Manitoba trustee to resign sparked after comments about Indigenous people and reconciliation
A rural Manitoba school trustee is facing calls to resign over comments he made about Indigenous people and residential schools earlier this week.
ByteDance prefers TikTok shutdown in U.S. if legal options fail, Reuters sources say
TikTok owner ByteDance would prefer to shut down its loss-making app rather than sell it if the Chinese company exhausts all legal options to fight legislation to ban the platform from app stores in the U.S., four sources said.
12-year-old hippo in Japan raised as a male discovered to be a female
When Gen-chan arrived at a zoo in Japan in 2017, no one questioned whether the then-five-year-old hippopotamus was a boy. Seven years later, zoo staff made a surprising discovery: Gen-chan, now 12, was female.
Here's why Harvey Weinstein's New York rape conviction was tossed and what happens next
Here's what you need to know about why movie mogul Harvey Weinstein's rape conviction was thrown out and what happens next.
Improve balance and build core strength with this exercise
When it comes to cardiovascular fitness, you may tend to focus on activities that move you forward, such as walking, running and cycling.
Legendary hockey broadcaster Bob Cole dies at 90: CBC
Bob Cole, a welcome voice for Canadian hockey fans for a half-century, has died at the age of 90. Cole died Wednesday night in St. John's, N.L., surrounded by his family, his daughter, Megan Cole, told the CBC.