Mayor Jerry Acchione

06/01/2026

This is GREAT NEWS for our community and I thank Oxford County on this important project after years of recognizing this is what The City of Woodstock, & Oxford County needs to move people out of Homelessness!

This decision was not made lightly, nor without consideration for nearby residents, businesses, families, and property owners. I fully recognize the fears and uncertainty many people are experiencing. Public safety, neighbourhood security, and preserving the quality of life for surrounding residents must remain priorities throughout this process.

At the same time, I believe our community will ultimately be safer and better served by having supports centralized in one location rather than expecting vulnerable individuals to travel across multiple areas of the city each day to access food, shelter, healthcare, addictions support, and social services. The current reality is that many of these challenges are already occurring throughout our community without coordinated supports in place. A single integrated location gives us a far better opportunity to provide supervision, access to treatment and housing supports, coordinated outreach, and connections to healthcare professionals and community agencies.

That does not mean the concerns of the surrounding neighbourhood will be ignored. Quite the opposite. As this project moves forward, there will be ongoing public discussions and opportunities for residents and businesses to share concerns, ask questions, and help shape operational expectations around safety, security, property standards, and neighbourhood impacts. Those conversations are important and necessary.

I also want to assure you that this is not about choosing the needs of one group over another. It is about finding a balanced and responsible solution that addresses homelessness and addictions while also respecting the people who live, work, shop, and raise families nearby. We must do both.

Ongoing updates, and an opportunity to submit feedback at any time, can be found on Speak Up, Oxford! at www.oxfordcounty.ca/speakup

Opening in 2028, the new centre will offer emergency shelter alongs...

05/29/2026

Woodstock Police Service continue to investigate the source of the false report of a shooting.
“Swatting” is a criminal act in which false or misleading information is provided to police to prompt an emergency response, often to someone's home, business, or school. These calls divert critical police and emergency resources and place officers and community members at unnecessary risk. Anyone found responsible for swatting incidents can face serious criminal charges.
The Woodstock Police Service thanks residents in the area for their patience and cooperation while officers responded to and investigated the incident.

Swatting Incident Prompts Significant Police Response in Woodstock

Woodstock, ON – On Thursday, May 28, 2026, shortly after 5:00 p.m., the Woodstock Police Service received a report of a shooting at a residence in the area of Chippewa Avenue and Cree Avenue in Woodstock.

Officers responded and cleared the residence. The nature of the call resulted in a significant police presence in the area. Through the investigation, it was determined that the reported incident had not occurred and was an instance of swatting. Police continue to investigate the source of the false report.

Swatting is a criminal act in which false or misleading information is provided to police to prompt an emergency response, often to someone's home, business, or school. These calls divert critical police and emergency resources and place officers and community members at unnecessary risk. Anyone found responsible for swatting incidents can face serious criminal charges.

The Woodstock Police Service thanks residents in the area for their patience and cooperation while officers responded to and investigated the incident.

The Woodstock Police Service would like to encourage anyone with information about this investigation to contact the Woodstock Police Service at 519-537-2323 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477).

05/28/2026

In case you missed it, here is more information on Oxford County’s new Homelessness Support Centre. Also, be sure you check back often as community engagement begins and FAQ’s answered here: https://speakup.oxfordcounty.ca/

Thank you for all the support and recognizing the need to change from an Emergency Response model locations to a Fully Integrated Support Center model.

On May 27, 2026, County Council heard from several residents on the purchase of 808 Dundas Street, the former YMCA building, to establish a Homelessness Supp...

05/21/2026

Thank you to all the staff and volunteers of VON Oxford for helping those in need here in our community! 🥰❤️

05/20/2026

Welcome Sunrise Farms to the City of Woodstock, Ontario!

Thank you to Minister Victor Fedeli, MPP Ernie Hardeman and MPP Paul Vickers for joining us for this exciting announcement this morning!

05/20/2026

This is great news for our community and the result of years of work and collaboration!

Through dozens of meetings and ongoing discussions, Council has remained committed to our Strategic Priority of establishing a 24-hour Homelessness Support Centre in Woodstock.

Now that a location has been identified with Oxford County’s purchase of the former YMCA building, the important work truly begins. Through continued conversations with residents, community partners, service organizations, and all levels of government, we can continue designing a space that delivers the supports and services needed for some of the most vulnerable members of our community. Stay tuned for even more public information discussion opportunities and updates as a full communication plan becomes available.

Thank you to Oxford County Council and everyone involved for continuing to move this important initiative forward.

At the request of Oxford County Council, Oxford County is sharing an update on the goal to achieve “Housing for all” in our community.

The County, with funding assistance from the City of Woodstock through Ontario’s Building Faster Fund, is in the process of purchasing the property at 808 Dundas Street in Woodstock, the former YMCA building, to establish a new Homelessness Support Centre. The purchase is expected to be finalized in the coming weeks, with the new facility opening in early 2028.

This is good news for our community and a fundamental step toward getting more people the support they need to get off the streets.

Working with our community partners, the building will offer emergency shelter services along with on-site supports that help people move safely inside, become stabilized, and connect to the right form of housing.

It will also be tied to the new HART Hub and Wellness Centre in Woodstock, a provincially funded facility that provides mental health and addictions support along with other services.

For several years now, homelessness has been at the top of the list when it comes to community concerns.

For this reason, finding a site for this facility has been a priority, with a number of private and publicly listed properties considered throughout this process. The purchase of the building is only a first step: there are many more decisions ahead of us. As we plan this new facility, we’ll be seeking community feedback and input into how the support centre is established and operated within the surrounding community.

We know this is a community that cares, and that wants to see unhoused people get the support they need to live healthy, vibrant lives.

We’ve been excited to share this news with you. While real estate negotiations are protected under the Municipal Act, it was Council’s direction to staff to continue to inform and engage our residents. We have been listening and we’ll continue to listen.

At this stage we also want to thank the many community partners who work every day within the homelessness services system. We look forward to continuing to work together to strengthen supports for those experiencing homelessness.

In addition to hosting public information meetings to take your questions and feedback, we’ll be posting updates to Speak Up, Oxford, on our websites, on social media, and through our local newspapers and radio.

Please stay tuned for more information.

Ben Addley
Chief Administrative Officer
Oxford County

Read this statement online at https://www.oxfordcounty.ca/news/posts/establishing-a-new-homelessness-support-centre-in-woodstock/

05/16/2026

The midway is open. Have fun!!

Update (1:20 p.m.): The rain has cleared up and the midway is back up and running! The forecast looks good for the rest of the afternoon, but we will be sure to share any further updates.

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The midway is closing due to the stormy weather. We will provide an update if it can reopen later this afternoon.