Twenty-three electric vehicle chargers coming to Stratford

The federal government announced Friday an investment of $160,000 that will go towards installing 23 electric vehicle (EV) chargers across Stratford.

The city of Stratford will also be adding $317,428 towards the project that in total, will cost $483,428. The chargers are expected to be ready by January of 2025.

This initiative is in an effort to fight climate change across Canada and to deliver clean air and a strong economy.

“I’m so pleased with the support from the National Resources Canada regarding the city’s work on increasing the number of EV stations in our community,” said the mayor of Stratford, Martin Ritsma, in the release. “The use of the EV charging stations will benefit our local residents and the 1.5 million plus yearly visitors to our city.”

A historic $1 billion has been invested by the Government of Canada since 2016 to make EVs more affordable and chargers more accessible for Canadians.

“Investing in more EV chargers will put more Canadians in the driver’s seat on the road to a net-zero future and help achieve our climate goals,” said Jonathan Wilkinson, Minister of Natural Resources.

Canada has a target of ensuring all new passenger vehicles sold in the country are zero-emission by 2035.