Moving Guide for Woodstock, Ontario
New to the community or planning to move here? Here is helpful information about the community to help you settle in.
If you have not yet hired movers or booked a moving truck, here’s some helpful information on What to Look for When Hiring a Moving Company and our Best 7 Tips for How to Rent a Moving Truck.
General Information
Woodstock, also known as the Dairy Capital of Canada and The Friendly City, is rich in history, being one of the few Southwestern Ontario cities to have all of its original government buildings. Woodstock is focused on manufacturing and tourism, also serving the rich agricultural industry surrounding it.
Woodstock has a population of over 40,000 and is the hub of Oxford County. The 2016 Canadian Census, soon to be updated, shows the median household income to be $68,213, with approximately 78.2% of Woodstock citizens being European Canadians.
The current mayor of Woodstock is Trevor Birtch, who serves as Head of Council to four city councilors and two city & county councilors. The Member of Parliament for Oxford, which includes Woodstock is Dave MacKenzie (Conservative) and the Member of Provincial Parliament for Oxford is Ernie Hardeman (Progressive Conservative).
Schools
Woodstock is home to Fanshawe College, which offers a variety of full and part-time programs and is seeking to expand its current campus. There are also several high schools in Woodstock including St. Mary’s High School (Catholic), College Avenue Secondary School, Huron Park Secondary School, Ecole Secondaire Notre Dame, Woodstock Collegiate Institute and School Within a College – Woodstock (Alternative). For parents who prefer private or independent education, Woodstock offers several choices, such as Woodstock Christian School, The Oxford School and the Woodstock Trinity School.
Industry and Jobs
Woodstock is home to many manufacturing jobs. A large employer is Toyota, which has an automobile assembly plant on a 1,000-acre site. The total workforce for the Woodstock Toyota facility is approximately 2,400, but this number changes.
Another major employer is Hino Motors Canada, which is a Toyota subsidiary. Many of the other employers in the area are related to automotive supply such as Vuteq Canada Inc., Kelsey-Hayes, and Harvan Manufacturing. Other non-automotive employers include Tigercat Industries, RWF Bron, Woodstock Precision Machining, and Agribrands Purina.
Entertainment
Woodstock hosts a lot of festivals! One of our favourites is Cowapolooza and The Woodstock Fair. There is also Summer Streetfest, Woodstock Fleece Festival, The Canadian Farm Show, The Woodstock Car Show and the Woodstock Rotary Festival of Music. Woodstock has several attractions, such as the Woodstock Museum and Woodstock Art Gallery. There is also the Theatre Woodstock, which plays year-round.
Downtown Woodstock is filled with historical buildings and is being revamped. The Business Improvement Area showcases the different shops, places to work and dine.
Food
Woodstock has a great food scene with a lot of variety. Most of the restaurants are along the main road of Woodstock, Dundas Street, or Highway 59. Some very popular favourites are Tandoori Knight (Indian cuisine), Mark’s Chop Suey (Asian), Sushi Cove, Piccadilly Square Restaurant and the Charles Dickens Pub. The Brickhouse Brew Pub, the restaurant branch of the Upper Thames Brewing Company, is another favourite.
Housing Market
Like a lot of Southwestern Ontario, Woodstock has enjoyed increased home sales due to high demand. Woodstock still offers the ability for home buyers to purchase a detached home at a reasonable price, with good schools and a nice neighbourhood. Because of this, it is attracting many out-of-town families, and families with younger children.
Public Transit
Woodstock offers both conventional and paratransit (accessible transit) options. The conventional transit runs on an approximately 30-minute service loop with buses. Transit runs Monday-Saturday and is closed on Sunday and statutory holidays. Woodstock Transit offers a smart card bus pass and riders can register their cards online.
Via Rail operates between Woodstock and other city-centres. Many also use their personal vehicle to get around Woodstock and the Highway 401 or Highway 403 to get from Woodstock to other towns and cities. The nearest major airport to Woodstock is Toronto’s Pearson International Airport, but flights also leave from London International Airport or Hamilton Airport.
Weather
Weather is always a popular subject in Ontario, and Woodstock is no exception. Woodstock enjoys warm summers and cold winters. Being within the snow-belt, Woodstock sees ample snowfall in winters, but is well equipped for snow removal.
Storage Near Me
If you are moving to Woodstock, or you’ve already arrived and are settling in, we have safe and secure self-storage near you!
Have questions about self storage? Call, Text or email us!
And welcome to the community!