From making wigs to creating costumes and elaborate set designs here’s what it takes to make the Stratford Festival magical When the curtain rises at the Stratford Festival the spotlights shine down on some of the best stage actors in the country But they also illuminate the work of behind-the-scenes artisans whose skills are also essential to the festival’s success carpenters and wig makers – are fine-tuning costumes and set pieces until opening night – and The Globe spoke with six of the festival’s talented makers about their preparations for the 2025 season Mark Smith and his crew of carpenters build the festival’s plays from ground – or Their work typically includes crafting furniture and sets but it can also mean undertaking stage modifications a temporary gutter infill – a type of stage extension – that can be easily collapsed and rolled away will bring the Festival Theatre’s stage closer to the audience for Annie Smith is working on some of the many picture frames that will cover the stage for Sense and Sensibility Some of them have been specially built for the presentation; others have been repurposed from other productions or store-bought and altered Stratford’s carpenters will generally work on shows in order of opening date so its set pieces are not as far along as some of the striking designs for the coming production of Macbeth directed by Robert Lepage “It’s rare to have such a Shakespeare set,” Smith says Before they begin work on any new set pieces Stratford’s designers will scour the festival’s enormous warehouses to see whether any props can be repurposed or modified but much of what appears onstage is custom-made who is in his 26th season with the festival has said one of the biggest challenges in applying his traditional carpentry skills to the stage is learning “how to make things that are fake look real.” Another is ensuring everything is more or less temporary: Set pieces need to be easily disassembled “You don’t want to be grabbing a screw gun every time you need to do a show changeover,” he says The gutter infill for Annie is a good example of Stratford’s sets being built for impermanence From the telltale red curls of Annie to the elegantly coiffed styles of Sense and Sensibility the hairpieces worn by the festival’s players are key to their costumes – and require a deft hand Almost all of Stratford’s wigs are made from human hair; each is tailored to the head of the person who will be wearing it such as ones that are prepurchased synthetic wigs while others made from human hair are built from scratch using a custom foundation with no stretch actors are fitted with a lace front that conforms to the shape of their head and holds the wig in place seamlessly and invisibly several layers of lace are visible on the underside of a wig that has been featured in numerous plays Wigs that are made with real hair require resetting and restyling after each performance The tightly coiled wig that will be worn by Harper Rae Asch so that Frayne won’t have to reset the tidy curls as rigorously after each show which is worn before Annie meets Daddy Warbucks who has been with Stratford for 18 seasons “I’ve always liked working with my hands,” she says Much of Stratford’s behind-the-scenes action focuses on construction but destruction is just as important a part of the magic whether it’s helping an actor look as though they’ve been riding back roads on a motorcycle or living in an orphanage wrecking of fabrics is often key to elevating a character’s wardrobe from mere garments to a part of their identity This year’s Macbeth is set during the North American biker wars of the 1990s so Sylvia Minarcin has painted leather vests to make them look old and dusty She’ll also apply pieces of fabric so it appears to be peeling “You need things to last the run of the show,” Minarcin says of why costumes are not typically actually damaged “We could turn this back into a black leather jacket.” Minarcin is also part of the team responsible for finding the right dyes (or combinations of) to transform textiles into the visions dreamed up by Stratford’s set and costume designers the team catalogues the dye formulas and combinations for the season in several binders Although Stratford generally prioritizes reuse for its costumes a number of characters have been living in the forest a “heavy breakdown.” Her favourite tools for destroying a piece include Dremel tools wire brushes – and a miniature cheese grater whether that’s complementing a costume or maintaining their look and structure through multiple dance numbers Connie Puetz and her team make sure the theatre’s company is always putting the best foot forward Shoes at Stratford are either bought (and modified) or built from scratch Puetz stripped dance shoes of their original colour and then mixed and applied custom paints to match the show’s costumes many of the boots worn by the orphans were custom-made: “They have to be able to do all these acrobatics but we didn’t want them to look like an ankle boot you can buy,” Puetz says shoes often say something about a character Puetz will be affixing gold tips to the toes of her cowboy boots – the only pair in the show with such bling Period-appropriate hats and lavish finishing touches – such as elegant feathers jewels or satin ribbons – can often denote a “good” character from one whose intentions are less than pure Hats constructed for dramas are different from hats built for musical theatre Kaz Maxine explains: “Musicals are fast and dirty.” Many hats must be able to maintain their structure through quick changes Maxine is reinforcing hats built for previous dramatic productions so they can withstand what she calls “musical action,” since the play is not actually a musical who has been working with Stratford since the early 1980s feels at home in the Festival Theatre’s workrooms who can easily sew for leisure on home machines most milliners don’t have the required equipment and facilities in their private dwellings – which means it’s not uncommon to find Maxine working on her own projects behind the scenes Stratford’s sewing and tailoring operations are a sight to behold: Dozens of seamstresses and tailors construct the season’s costumes from the first snip to the last stitch in three dedicated rooms who interpret the costume designers’ sketches into sewing patterns After Farrar-Jackson sees a costume sketch – like this one for Annie‘s Boylan sisters – and meets with the designer to discuss fabric and colour This is done one of two ways: by taking measurements of the actor and then drawing the pattern accordingly or draping fabric onto a stand that’s similar in size to the actor being costumed the designer is able to check in with questions It’s not just conventional clothing that Farrar-Jackson makes: Years ago She bought a plastic dinosaur to get a sense of how it might be constructed drew up measurements for a Ken doll and then scaled them up for a human actor Some costumes require more problem-solving than others such as the maid outfits for Dirty Rotten Scoundrels but they didn’t have adequate stretch for the show’s musical numbers Farrar-Jackson and her team took the backs off the bras filled out the cups and then attached what remained to a spandex corset Farrar-Jackson says she thinks of herself as a “fabric engineer,” combining the artistry of costuming with the strict down-to-the-millimetre mathematics of custom pattern-cutting Report an editorial error Report a technical issue Editorial code of conduct Check your horoscope to learn how the stars align for you today Sharpen your mind with today’s Cryptic Crossword Refine your strategy and solve the Daily Sudoku Relax and engage with the Daily Concise Crossword Authors and topics you follow will be added to your personal news feed in Following Tony Keller is a columnist with The Globe and Mail He joined The Globe in 1991 as an editorial writer; over a career of more than 30 years he has also served as editor of The Financial Post Magazine managing editor of Maclean’s and a TV news anchor on BNN (now BNN-Bloomberg) He returned to The Globe in 2013 to become the paper's editorials editor and remained in that position until 2022 he’s a graduate of Duke University and Yale Law School and has also been a visiting fellow at the University of Toronto Faculty of Law and the Wilson Center in Washington D.C He’s been nominated three times for the National Newspaper Award for editorial writing Andrew Willis is a business columnist for the Report on Business Working in business communications and journalism for three decades from 2010 to 2016 he was senior vice-president of communications for Brookfield Asset Management a leading global alternative asset management company which exposed the ways that Canadian police services mishandle sexual assault cases training and practices around sexual violence Doolittle’s other notable projects include the “Power Gap”, an 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For more information on our commenting policies and how our community-based moderation works, please read our Community Guidelines and our Terms and Conditions What’s that saying — one person’s trash is another person’s chip bag dress We apologize, but this video has failed to load.Try refreshing your browser, ortap here to see other videos from our team.Play VideoArticle contentOr something like that a showcase of eco-friendly designs made from garbage and upcycled fabric but it goes deeper than a fun exercise in resourcefulness “It’s a way to celebrate the creativity and talent of local artists while questioning some of the awful things of the fashion industry and turning it into something beautiful exciting and innovative,” Trashion Week co-founder Pamela Coneybeare said “We think it’s a great opportunity to connect with all the talent here in Stratford as well as do something fun and exciting and vibrant in the springtime around Earth Day.” Coneybeare and Jessika Guy came up with the idea in 2017 to inspire and encourage change in how wardrobes and consumer habits are viewed while also sharing tools to make more sustainable fashion choices one of this year’s Trashion Week designs is a dress made from plastic bags used to ship clothing from major retail chains “We associate it with beauty and fun and talent and design,” she said There are stories behind this year’s designs One designer with an affinity for Miss Vickie’s chips made a dress from the empty bags while a mother of two used homework to create her paper piece A “re-fashion” jacket was made by stitching together parts of children’s denim clothing while a revel cafe employee used recycled material from work to create clothing on display in Stratford’s Agora Gallery through Sunday “I love what they’re doing,” gallery owner Cindy Hubert said There’s so much creativity and imagination of the artists.” The gallery has highlighted local artists since 2014 at its downtown space and there was an opening before the next exhibit moves in later this month Trashion Week designs have grabbed attention from those walking past Agora’s storefront “Stratford is a unique place because of the theatre and there are all sorts of costumiers and people interested in this,” she said and they use material in different and very inventive ways Twenty-one designers — some with experience and others trying for the first time including a 10-year-old girl — contributed to this year’s showcase which started with two sold-out runway shows “That’s the goal is to showcase the plethora of talent in this community not just with events but with artists and the gallery,” Landreth said this Trashion Week didn’t feature a competition “This year was purely about community and fashion and togetherness,” Coneybeare said transmission or republication strictly prohibited This website uses cookies to personalize your content (including ads), and allows us to analyze our traffic. 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By continuing to use our site, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy The Stratford Police Service is in the market for a new deputy chief Deputy Chief Gerry Foster has announced his retirement Foster launched his policing career in 1990 as a military police officer with the Canadian military In April 1995 he joined the Stratford Police Service where he rose through the ranks going from uniform patrol to the criminal investigations division to the emergency response unit Since then Foster was a key figure in negotiating and implementing the expansion of the service into St He also has worked to modernize the service increasing the use of technology to support police investigations and overseeing the implementation of the Next Generation 911 dispatch system “Gerry is a respected member of the Ontario policing profession and has demonstrated exemplary leadership for the members of the Stratford Police Service," said Police Chief Greg Skinner "After 35 years in the law enforcement profession Gerry takes a great deal of expertise and corporate memory with him making his shoes difficult to fill On behalf of the service and the community healthy retirement with his family and friends and thank him for his service." The national search for Foster's replacement will begin as soon as the Stratford Police Service Board is able to form a selection committee Soybeans and Wheat all finished lower to begin the week thousands of students in grades 5 to 8 from across the Upper Grand District School Board (UGDSB) will gather for an unforgettable day of motivation and excitement at this year’s Empowerment Day Owen Sound City Council will formally address the province’s Strong Mayor powers at its upcoming May 12 council meeting 100 Women Who Care Grey Bruce proudly launched their 2025 giving season by presenting their largest donation to date — an impressive $33,200 — to Victim Services Bruce Grey The township is encouraging residents to join the "no mow May" movement which leaves dandelions and clover for pollinators to feast on while other food sources are low Over $300,000 is being shared among five different festivals and events in Perth-Wellington Sign in Join now, it's FREE! Professor says text shows Hathaway lived with playwright in London upending the established idea of an unhappy marriage It has long been assumed that William Shakespeare’s marriage to Anne Hathaway was less than happy He moved to London to pursue his theatrical career leaving her in Stratford-upon-Avon and stipulating in his will that she would receive his “second best bed” Now a leading Shakespeare expert has analysed a fragment of a 17th-century letter that appears to cast dramatic new light on their relationship, overturning the idea that the couple never lived together in London a professor of early modern English literature at the University of Bristol said the text seemed to put the Shakespeares at a previously unknown address in Trinity Lane – now Little Trinity Lane in the City It also has them jointly involved with money that Shakespeare was holding in trust for an orphan named John Butts the letter mentions the death of a Mr Butts and a son who had asked “Mr Shakspaire” to look after money for his children until they came of age It suggests the playwright had resisted attempts to pay money that the young Butts was owed Steggle said: “The letter writer thinks that ‘Mrs Shakspaire’ has independent access to money They hope that Mrs Shakspaire might ‘paye your husbands debte’ “They do not ask Mrs Shakspaire to intercede with her husband who undertakes to pay a debt on her husband’s behalf even though she was previously unaware of it: ‘Knowing how the debt grows Steggle added: “For about the last 200 years the prevailing view has been that Anne Shakespeare stayed in Stratford all her life and perhaps never even went to London.” An illustration of Anne Hathaway and William Shakespeare from the 1860s-1870s The couple married in 1582 and had three children Photograph: Heritage Image Partnership/AlamyThis document which refers to the couple who “dwelt in trinitie lane” suggests that she did spend significant time with her husband in the capital The fragment was preserved by accident in the binding of a book in Hereford Cathedral’s library it has remained largely unknown because “no one could identify the names or places involved” Crucial evidence includes the 1608 book in which the fragment was preserved Johannes Piscator’s analyses of biblical texts who was Shakespeare’s neighbour and his first printer Steggle said that it would be a “strange coincidence” for a piece of paper naming a Shakspaire to be bound next to 400 leaves of paper printed by Field “given Field’s extensive known links to the Shakespeares” John Butts seems to have been serving an apprenticeship because the letter mentions “when he hath served his time” Scouring records from the period 1580 to 1650 He also unearthed a 1607 reference to a John Butts in the records of Bridewell an institution whose tasks included the disciplining of unruly apprentices A document told of “his disobedience to his Mother” and that he was “sett to worke” and living on Holywell Street (Shoreditch High Street today) home to several of Shakespeare’s fellow actors and associates It was an area in which Shakespeare worked in the 1590s, first at the Theatre in Shoreditch the principal base for the Lord Chamberlain’s Men throughout those years were involved in innkeeping and victualling nearby working in the hospitality industry in which they were invested … would very much be on the Burbages’ radar So Shakespeare can be linked to Butts through various Norton Folgate contacts.” If the writing on the back of the letter – in another hand – was written by Anne the words would be “the nearest thing to her voice ever known” The research is being published in Shakespeare, the journal of the British Shakespeare Association the day following the anniversary of his birth Steggle writes: “For Shakespeare biographers who favour the narrative of the ‘disastrous marriage’ – in fact for all Shakespeare biographers – the Hereford document should be a horrible Stratford Walking Tours are set for another season in the Festival City beginning over the Mother’s Day weekend with a tea and tour that might be a perfect gift for mom Offered on Saturday and Sunday (May 11) and continuing on weekends after that the walk starts at the Tom Patterson Theatre A walk along the Avon River to the Stratford Festival will include some historical details about the sites and influential people The walk ends at the Bruce Hotel with a cup of tea and a scone Tour owner Laurie Leduc has brought back some favourites and added a splash of new offerings this season Leduc is bringing back the popular ghost walks “That’s where I point out the different buildings and point out the unique architecture and tell some stories about the people and places and events in the past.” New this year is Steps to the Stage: a history of the Stratford Festival Tour Guests will learn about the early years of Stratford and its development into the Festival City starting with a cruise on the Avon River and then a foot tour around downtown The exterior of the festival’s theatre buildings are showcased as is the role of Festival founder Tom Patterson “It’s just a great opportunity and a new way to explore.” Leduc said walking tours are not just for tourists It’s a great way for locals to see their city and community Christine has all the details on the sale and spotlights the Green Industries program and the students involved: (photo: CJCS) the community support and the journey to arrive at their new location at 34 Brunswick St: The Savour & Sip Trail encourages Al Fresco dining between May through October by featuring take-out items to help create a unique outdoor dining experience.   Trail participants will enjoy a wide variety of curated local offers such as sandwiches popcorn and salad, as well as an assortment of desserts including fruit pies ice cream sundaes and cold beverages (both alcoholic and non alcoholic).  "Today’s travellers are all about meaningful authentic adventures — and we’re thrilled to spark their curiosity with our deliciously fun self-guided culinary trails that celebrate local flavor and hidden gems." Vouchers do not expire and can be used over multiple days until the trail end date of Oct. 31 Perth-Wellington MPP Matthew Rae announced that $310,000 will be coming to the region through the Experience Ontario program and the Spring Works Festival will all be getting a share of the funding "This is part of a nearly $20-million investment in festivals and events across Ontario to help organizers expand programming and draw visitors to stay longer in local accommodations shop at local retailers and support main street businesses," Rae said "The tourism and culture sector are essential to our local economies This provincial funding will allow our tourism operators to continue to provide valuable programming while supporting local businesses and workers." "Stratford Summer Music is grateful for the vital support of the Experience Ontario program," shared Crystal Spicer Executive Director of Stratford Summer Music This funding is essential to the sustainability of our organization and the wider arts sector Ongoing support from all levels of government helps ensure that the arts remain vibrant and a meaningful part of our communities." Funding as provided by the Ministry of Tourism Here For Now Theatre Company's 2025 Summer Season World in a Weekend: International Puppet Festival Perth OPP say the driver of one of the vehicles was hurt in the collision on Friday Editor's Note: This story was previously posted on StratfordToday.ca Stratford has taken a step towards saying ‘thanks but no thanks’ to the province with regard to the incoming strong mayor powers taking the lead from Amherstburg and asking to be removed from the list of municipalities designated under the Strong Mayor legislation Councillor Mark Hunter put forward the initial motion to decline accepting the powers Jo-Dee Burbach suggested Stratford copy the move the Town of Amherstburg made earlier this month in asking Ontario Premier Doug Ford as well as the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing to immediately remove them from the list Hunter said they were making a symbolic gesture with this decision standing up against the adoption of use of the strong powers he feels are undemocratic “These powers do away with the majority rule for a council and it's undemocratic and I share that opinion with several others,” he said “Mayor (Martin) Ritsma indicated he will be issuing a statement on this once he sees where everything lands I think in the next week or by the next council meeting But this would be a fundamental shift to the way the city does business.” Hunter talked about the lead up to Monday’s vote referring to the delegation from Elain Strawbridge and her plea to mayor and council to not use these powers “Town hubs have been places where decisions are made with public dialogue in chambers based on many nuanced levels of consideration,” she said in her presentation “Stratford has made good decisions to preserve and invest in our identity that makes us world famous Bill 39 where these powers come from short-circuits our dialogue and undercuts the very idea that we as an entity get to decide what’s next People can be fired by a CEO-like mayor and you would have one-third of council making decisions – what is the message to councillors that their careful work and application of duty of care is diminished or unnecessary?” The strong mayor powers were ostensibly handed down to municipal leaders to expedite housing starts and Strawbridge says there is no substantiated proof this has happened yet in cities where these powers have already been handed down She also argued that by stripping away a mayor’s support system when it comes to decision making and putting the jobs of those same people in just one person’s hands is no small matter “We must be future-focused,” she said “It’s not about any one person but it’s about putting too much power in the hands of one person We have to decide now to consider future occupants of that chair And what would happen to the level of debate The arguments that Strawbridge and Jane Marie Mitchell made Larry McCabe said living in a time where the process of giving power to governmental agents at the rate that has been happening is concerning and his faith in his fellow councillors makes him believe strong mayor powers are not necessary for Stratford “We have a chance to voice opinions on topics here and I have learned from those and changed my opinion based on those conversations of council,” he said “To move further away from democratic rights is sending a terrible message to the community.” Asked if he thinks Ritsma is still pondering the use of these powers and what it would mean for the city Hunter said he believes the mayor is wrestling with multiple thoughts on the topic and that because of the newness of it all that’s not surprising to him “I said last time when we talked about this my concern is not with Martin – my concern is what if our next mayor decides that they want to build a 30-storey swimming pool for $500 million and put us all on the hook for it We just have less control over that than we currently do.” The vote on Hunter’s motion passed unanimously but the strong mayor powers officially come into effect as of May 1 but it’s one he says is worth making “Martin will have them whether he uses them or not because we can’t reject them,” Hunter said “It’ll take some time to figure out how to work with that and we’ll see what comes down the line These powers are aimed at advancing the provincial priorities but they can change those priorities without notice to the city … they can say and you have to do what we say.’ There is a concern about that I don’t like the control being concentrated I think we all agree that we work effectively together and under the strong mayor powers it would be like going from the mayor being a head of the board to a CEO.” Stratford movie fans will have a chance to learn a little more about the monarchy As King Charles gets set to visit Canada to deliver the throne speech later this month Article contentThe Stratford Film Festival will be presenting two Mid-May screening of The Cowboy and the Queen which tells the unusual story of how an American horse trainer and her majesty struck up this unique friendship The documentary was directed by Andrea Nevins who had originally set out to do a film on the queen’s corgis “Monty told Nevins his life story and she became fascinated not only by his story but by this unlikely friendship between a former rodeo star and the Queen of England,” said Megan Smith-Harris “He was a horse trainer who had a revolutionary way of breaking a horse through gentleness and kindness instead of violence and cruelty Instead of making him a hero in the equestrian world with the Queen and other members of the royal family gently training a horse to accept a saddle and a rider in the less than 30 minutes “Normally to break a horse takes about six weeks and is very cruel and they physically hobble them and whip them and yell at them Monty Roberts’ method was to communicate with the horse to listen to what the horse was telling him and to lead them with his own body language,” Smith-Harris said there will also be an appearance by horse trainer Mallory Phillips and her miniature therapy horse Philipps also volunteers with Out of the Ashes a volunteer-run organization that provides a forever home for more than 90 rescued animals who struggled with PTSD due to abuse from his father and how he saw the benefits of using horses for people inspired Smith-Harris to make Philips a part of the screening and we can all learn that listening and communication is what we need to do today,” she said The film is very relevant to Stratford residents who was “a lasting and constant presence in our lives that led with dignity and kindness,” Smith-Harris said “I know things are pretty fraught right now in the world of politics but I also thought it was important to show that there are other Americans who do lead with kindness and who do listen and do want to to build bridges This is a reminder to everyone to look for the good in the world,” she said watwood@postmedia.com The annual cavalcade of Shakespeare and modern plays on Stratford’s prestigious stages has employed a lot of Queen’s graduates over the years – and this year is no exception.  from directors and actors to musicians and administrators Ed’13, assistant stage manager for this season’s productions of Dirty Rotten Scoundrels and Dangerous Liaisons who is in her second season at Stratford following multiple years at the Shaw Festival and elsewhere says the “multi-disciplinary focus at Queen’s “set me up for the multi-tasking required for the job I do,” a job that can range from helping co-ordinate rehearsals to cueing the technical crew during shows. Her Queen’s studies included a minor in linguistics.   there’s a lot of engaging with language and text.. having a strong understanding of language and accents and the nuance of language is applicable.”   Stratford’s Tim and Frances Price Director of Education says the number of Queen’s grads at the festival is especially noteworthy considering Queen’s is not a conservatory program offered at schools such as the National Theatre School of Canada She also notes there are many Queen’s graduates working in professional theatre generally an intensely competitive sector where training doesn’t necessarily translate into a related career.  Based on her own undergraduate studies and subsequent work at the festival Adamson says Queen’s grads fare well because they’ve learned to collaborate with others as well as creating their own work.  “You learned how and you had the confidence and experience to go and do that.”  “The other thing I really appreciated was the strong foundation in Canadian theatre specifically and the real sense that it has a history and continues to evolve is a Queen’s graduate whose dreams have led him to become artistic director of Edmonton's Citadel Theatre and five seasons at Stratford including directing Sense and Sensibility this year.  “The drama department at Queen’s was exactly what I needed,” he says some directing – I got a really great holistic education that way.. The kind of people who were attracted to Queen’s had a really entrepreneurial spirit – you just built things together.  “is the biggest theatre-arts employer in Canada so there are so many Queen’s grads who ended up here as actors There are so many different opportunities.”   now part of the DAN School of Drama and Music Queen’s Faculty of Education offers the Artist in Community Education (ACE) program ACE certifies professional arts educators for school and workplace careers and Stratford has hired some of the graduates Strong arts programming for decades has ensured dynamic opportunities in fields related to arts educational interests.    is an associate professor in Queen’s Faculty of Education as well as directing ACE may be the “beacon” for many theatre students looking beyond graduation but “Queen’s is where you begin your career...  I tell students go big.’ Stratford is a good example of people who have dreamed big.”  Johnston’s own career began at Stratford the day after she graduated making her one of those whose own big dreams came true.  she continues a relationship with Stratford as well as other theatre and arts institutions.    Johnston credits alumni and donors for their generosity of time and spirit that continue to open doors for students and graduates Artsci/Ed’25 completed his required alternative practicum – a working opportunity that takes place in a non-traditional educational or blended arts-educational setting setting anywhere in the world – for ACE by shadowing Cloran in the rehearsal halls and being mentored by many Queen’s grads in both performance and education.   “Directing is teaching and vice versa,” says Cherney “A little kindness and generosity go a long way.”   Don't miss your monthly issue of the Queen's Alumni Newsletter Queen's University is situated on traditional Anishinaabe and Haudenosaunee Territory "These powers are aimed at advancing the provincial priorities More Spotlight > KitchenerNewsStratford Festival hoping for big season as Anne of Green Gables previews get underwayBy Shelby KnoxPublished: April 25, 2025 at 7:21PM EDT Twitter feed ©2025 BellMedia All Rights Reserved — currently the location of Fellini’s restaurant — was once home to Wong’s Café a Stratford landmark for more than 20 years It was run by members of the Wong family for generations following Wing was the cook at the café. He and his brother had the assistance of two other Wong family members, Yong and May. Wing and his sons, along with the extended family, lived above the café at 107 Ontario St. After a few years of Wing co-managing the business with his brother Clarence, he moved back to China to be with his wife and daughter. Another Wong family member, Joseph, took over with Clarence in 1932. Finally, in August of 1942, George received a letter from his parents that described their ordeal and that they were thankfully doing well and comparatively safe. They were not able to escape Japanese-occupied Hong Kong until April, after which they made their way inland to Hoifung, north of Hong Kong. The story made the front page of the Stratford Mirror newspaper, evidence of the significance of the Wong family in the Stratford community. Later that same year, George stepped away from the family business, and the café was bought by the Lee family. The café was renamed Wing’s Café but, by 1948, had become the Perth-Avon Restaurant. The Stratford-Perth Archives welcomes donations to the collection and is open for drop-in research from Tuesday to Friday, as well as other times, including Saturdays, by appointment. For details about what’s available during Reading Room drop-in hours and appointments for in-depth research, please visit www.perthcounty.ca/StratfordPerthArchives, call us at 519-271-0531 ext. 259 or email archives@perthcounty.ca. Stratford police said they responded to a person in crisis in the Cawston Street area in Stratford on Monday (May 5) morning “As a result the individual has been safely apprehended and transported to Stratford General Hospital where they are receiving the appropriate care and support,” Const Police thanked members of the public for their patience and cooperation and said they appreciate the community’s understanding as they “worked to resolve the situation safely and with compassion.” Mounfield added that at no time was there any risk to the public —————————————————————————————————- Stratford police are requesting the public stay away from the Cawston Street area in the city due to a police investigation Monday morning Police posted the alert on their social media page at 9 a.m MyStratfordNow will have more information when it becomes available Stratford city council endorsed a motion Monday to reject the strong mayor powers that were recently extended to the city by the Ontario government We apologize, but this video has failed to load.Try refreshing your browser, ortap here to see other videos from our team.Play VideoArticle contentThe motion was introduced by Coun. Mark Hunter, who expressed several concerns with the powers now afforded to Stratford’s mayor by the province. “I found most of this kind of offensive. It’s, for sure, a fundamental shift in the way we do business,” Hunter said. Official as of Thursday, the move by the Ford government expands strong mayor powers to 169 Ontario municipalities, which join the 47 already included by the province. Among other new decision-making abilities, strong mayor powers provide the local heads of council with several new privileges, including the ability to pass a bylaw that could potentially advance a provincial priority identified in regulation if one-third of council is in agreement. It also allows these “strong mayors” to propose the municipal budget, which would be subject to council amendments and a separate head of council veto and council override process. The powers also give mayors the power to hire or fire a municipality’s chief administrative officer (CAO). Hunter said there were five options that council could pursue, including pushing for a constitutional amendment, given that provinces have power over municipalities. “I think it would be easier to roll or skate up Mount Everest than to get a constitutional amendment,” the councillor acknowledged Other options Hunter suggested including pursuing legal action, asking the province to rescind the powers, lobbying the province for a fuller investigation of the powers, and making the motion to reject them. Hunter’s concern over the changes followed two presentations from residents. One speaker, Elaine Strawbridge, noted that municipalities have been around longer than Canada has been a country or Ontario has been a province. “Town hubs have historically been places where decisions were discussed and formed, both in public dialogue and in chambers based on many levels of consideration over the decades. Stratford municipal councils have delivered an admirable history of making good decisions to preserve and invest in the very identity that makes us world famous,” Strawbridge said. Along with the motion informing the province they are rejecting the powers, Coun. Coby Sebben also put forth a motion that council request that Mayor Martin Ritsma formally state that strong mayor powers will not be used. This motion also pushed for  a mayoral decision to delegate the ability to hire or fire the CAO to council, and the power to appoint department heads to CAO or council. The motion further called for Ritsma to give the power to determine the organizational structure to the CAO or council, as well as the power to establish determined functions and appoint chairs and vice-chairs of committees to council. In response, Ritsma said he had “no interest in vetoing things. The mayor also said he will need to do his homework before releasing a statement on strong mayor powers. “I have no interest in telling who should be hired and fired that hat’s not my mantra. . . . These are important conversations to  have. It’s a spot that is awkward for many councils across the across this province,” he said. Congratulations Stratford – you’ve made it on to the ultimate bucket list Stratford was revealed as one of 20 communities across Canada in the running to make the top 10 travel bucket list destinations for CBC’s The Current program more than 50,000 votes were cast to help whittle the initial list down to the last 10 The idea behind the contest was to help the show’s listeners to build a Canadian travel guide and more than 2,000 suggested places to visit were initially submitted which then pared down to 20 We apologize, but this video has failed to load.Try refreshing your browser, ortap here to see other videos from our team.Play VideoArticle contentThose words have guided generations of Lions Club members around the world including those in Stratford for a century And it’s a message president Ray Black will reiterate when he speaks at Saturday’s 100-year celebration “I want to reflect on how our service club has helped out in Stratford and has left a footprint in the city of Stratford,” he said “and celebrate the act of sharing your towns with the community and how it can be so positive for others who are less fortunate.”  The club has been a fixture in the city since it was chartered on Jan there were 25 members whose main service to the community was supplying glasses and eye care to children whose parents were unable to afford them — an initiative that remains a top Lions priority City landmarks exist today because of the Lions Club’s work decades ago the club gave moral and financial support to Stratford’s park management to proceed with the construction of the Lakeside Drive bandshell which opened that year and was restored in 1989 The local Lions took on another major project in the 1930s when they decided to build a public pool — something safer and cleaner for residents swimming in the nearby Avon River also provided work for many of the jobless in Stratford during the peak of the Great Depression playground and arena in Stratford’s south end there wouldn’t be the (same number of) services we have in our community,” Black said “(Many) were done by different service clubs.”  He’s spent the last six with the Stratford chapter which remains active behind the scenes despite its 11-person membership you don’t realize the value of it until you’ve experienced a loss or a need,” Black said “I think with any volunteer organization it’s very important People today are involved in so many things Members meet twice a month to share ideas and find ways to raise money that will continue to be reinvested into the community for the next 100 years “and have it prominently displayed so people realize maybe I should join to make things better.” This website uses cookies to personalize your content (including ads), and allows us to analyze our traffic. Read more about cookies here. By continuing to use our site, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Voters from Stratford and across Canada cast their ballots in the federal election on Monday Below are the latest results updated for you in real time We apologize, but this video has failed to load.Try refreshing your browser, ortap here to see other videos from our team.Play VideoArticle contentWhile residents vote for their local members of parliament, it was Liberal Leader Mark Carney and the Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre who were vying to become the next prime minister. The majority of polls closed at 9:30 p.m., in Ontario, and at 10:30 p.m. Postmedia’s decision desk projected a Liberal win. The maps and other graphics below show results as they were counted. Zoom in to find your riding, zoom out to see results from across the country. Refresh your browser for the latest updates. It’s a music career spanning nearly three decades and Stratford’s Dayna Manning is showing no signs of slowing down.  “It's been such a wild ride. In 1997 my first album came out on CD and cassette, and now you can't even play a CD,” Manning said. “I've kind of seen it all. I have four solo albums out and three with my band, Trent Severn. I’ve been Juno-nominated and worked with some amazing people, including Chad Smith from the Red Hot Chili Peppers, and now I think of myself as a 100-mile artist." Despite her experience, Manning isn’t slowing down. She's about 75 percent finished with her new album.  “All of the songs are written, and we have trapped all the beds in Toronto, at Noble Street Studios,” Manning said. “I'm kind of old school. I've always made my records with live musicians, and I've built relationships with some of the best musicians in Canada and engineers, and that's who I make records with, so I'm fortunate to have those connections.”  Helping Manning create her latest album is Kevin Breit on guitar, Ben Bolt-Martin from the Stratford Festival brings the support of his cello and John 'Beetle' Bailey, recently a winner of a Latin Grammy, is the engineer.  A word that kept coming to mind for Manning while working on the album was 'alchemy'. “It really just felt like we were making magic and music, to me, is magic, I just really believe that, and I make music to connect with people, and that's what I hope we can do here, is make that connection and feel the same feelings,” Manning said.  The latest album is called Field Notes, a play on the work Manning has been doing. She is currently working on her Masters in community music from Wilfrid Laurier University. Part of the program is a research piece. So Manning has been making lots of notes and observations, which has led her to draw inspiration for her album.  She has launched a Kickstarter campaign to help with the costs of the album, something she says is caused due to the changes in the landscape of the media industry.  “In the early 2000s I truly felt like an entrepreneur, I honed my skills, produced my own albums, and I could print them and sell them on the side of the stage after a show and recoup the losses with no problem,” Manning said. “I think the digital age has made music invaluable for indie artists. To me, it's an oligopoly, and you can't compete in that world.”  Throughout her career, Manning has relied on her fans and fan fundraisers for support, including two albums with Trent Severn and one of her own. This time around Manning is trying to raise $32,000, which is half of her record budget. “It's a tough ask, and even tougher when you can’t sell CDs,” Manning said. “So this time around, I am selling what I am calling field socks, which are men's and ladies' Nordic socks. You get a pair of socks, and a digital copy of the album when its released.”  Manning’s album will launch on July 14 at the Tom Patterson Theatre.  Her sound is self-described as pure Canadiana with titles like Take Me To Tobermory and even a song called Freedom. “It's just really celebrating what it feels like to live in such a diverse country,” Manning said. “Canada is such an amazing country that you can literally travel across Canada and feel like you see the whole world.”  Manning’s album launch won’t be the only thing keeping her busy this year. She will be running Folk Army Camps all summer long, including one in July and August.  Regardless of how things go, Manning plans on being a community arts leader in Stratford and the surrounding area.  “What's important to me is connecting everyone else with the opportunities to make their own music, and to gather as a community around music and feel better as a community using the tool of music,” Manning said. Article contentA 4-2 win over Strathroy on Saturday clinched the Ontario Super Hockey League Western Division title in seven games “It’s almost a little relieving after we went to Game 7 after being up 3-1,” Irish defenceman Mitch Casey said was seeing the smiles on the faces of fans volunteers and coaches who stuck around after some midseason turmoil that resulted in a change in ownership and behind the bench Jaden Peca scored twice for Stratford in Game 7 including the winning marker on the power play midway through the third period Christian Polillo and Justin Murray each had a goal and assist as Stratford dug itself out of a 2-0 hole less than six minutes into the game at Allman Arena and by the end of the first period we were all over them,” Casey said It was Stratford’s third chance to end the series The Irish had dropped the previous two games which included a 5-4 defeat on Friday in Strathroy Zach Magwood scored twice in Game 6 and was the playoffs’ leading scorer with 17 goals and 30 points in 15 games Peca had a goal and two assists in the penultimate game was fourth in playoff scoring with 14 goals and 24 points in 17 games started 15 of 18 postseason games and posted a 3.20 goals-against average and .908 save percentage Stratford found another gear in the playoffs after a 13-10-1 regular season The Irish went 12-6 and knocked out Petrolia in six games and Tilbury in five before facing the seventh-place Jets in a postseason that was filled with upsets “The league has definitely changed and grown,” Casey said “This year it seemed like every team could be competitive and win some games Casey was on the 2023 championship team and returned to his hometown Irish after playing university hockey last season not just from the first year with the Irish but junior hockey and knowing guys around Ontario,” he said “Playing at the Allman has always been my favourite thing in the world and in front of the fans it’s always an electric atmosphere.” giving him a fourth term in the riding since taking over from Gary Schellenberger in 2015 Nater garnered almost 34,000 votes – 53 per cent – with all 222 polls accounted for He was nearly 8,000 votes ahead of Liberal David Mackey while New Democrat Kevin Kruchkywich was third with almost 2,909 votes Wayne Baker from the People’s Party finished fourth with 1,069 votes “It’s a great honour to continue to serve the people of Perth-Wellington,” Nater said at the Mitchell Golf and Country Club “It looks like my vote total went up a little bit so hopefully that’s a reflection of my service to the community and the hard work I’ve tried to do for all people across Perth-Wellington.” Nater will once again serve in an opposition role after the Liberals won a fourth straight federal election though some projections suggested it would be another minority “There’s obviously going to have to be at least one party supporting the government on different pieces of legislation,” he said “There’s going to have to be folks reaching out across the aisle among all four of the parties Polls had the Conservative Party primed for a resounding victory early in the new year but those started to swing to the left after Justin Trudeau resigned as prime minister and U.S President Donald Trump ramped up his “51st state” rhetoric toward Canada “The only poll that matters is one that happens on election day,” Nater said don’t get too excited about the best polls Don’t get too negative about the worst poll And that’s what we’ve done throughout this campaign The 41-year-old from Mitchell first took office 10 years ago after Schellenberger retired when he was named shadow minister for Canadian Heritage Nater moved to the Standing Committee on Public Accounts which focused on reviewing reports of the auditor general of Canada Nater worked with Ontario Senator Robert Black to pass Bill S-227 in honour of Wellington County food activist Anita Stewart has been a Conservative stronghold since it was created in 2003 Liberal John Richardson was the last non-Conservative to represent Perth County serving as MP from 1993 to 2002 when the riding also included Waterloo-Wellington and then Middlesex counties cosmith@postmedia.com KitchenerNewsStratford restaurant ‘Bijou’ to re-open after devastating fireBy Alexandra HolykPublished: April 30, 2025 at 5:36PM EDT pennants were first commercially manufactured for colleges and schools and sold some time around 1898 These felt creations were sold in the catalogue of a company called J.A made of felt and used to promote school spirit and pride Jump forward 127 years and make a stop in at Alastair Home Design on Ontario Street in Stratford and you’ll find hand-cut felt pennants for sale in three styles, emblazoned with three different designs helping to promote the city. The pennants were something that store owner Bruce Borgundvaag began sourcing after opening Alastair back in June 2024. He wanted something that was well made and would be of equal interest to locals and those visiting the city during the tourist season, as well as something Canadian made. “We knew we wanted to do a really good, quality Stratford pennant for both locals and people who were visiting, so we’ve been sourcing for quite some time,” he said. “At first we tried to work with locals but there wasn’t anybody really doing this type of thing, and then we found a really good U.S. supplier but we wanted it to be from a Canadian one. That’s when we found this company based out of Alberta.” That company, called Yoho & Co., gave Borgundvaag what he was looking for – all felt pieces that are hand-cut and sewn by hand as well. With that kind of craftsmanship comes a bit of a higher price point (ranging from $60 to $105 plus tax), but these aren’t the cheap screened print pennants you get as a hand-out at a Toronto Blue Jays game every now and then. “Obviously the most intricate ones are the most expensive, but having a Canadian supplier was really important to us and they’ve done these exclusively for us,” he said. “These are meant to be better quality decorations that will last you a long time rather than just something that you have for one season then throw away.” The retro look to these adornments harkens back to those days when you had a school pennant hanging on your bedroom wall or one similar to your favourite team’s latest league championship. Borgundvaag said he remembers having ones like that in his younger days and was looking to re-create that sense of nostalgia with something that’s a cross between quality home decor and retro-chic. “These just have that nostalgic feel to them that we really like, and we don’t have any in frames here right now but that’s something we plan on having as well,” he said. “We’re still sourcing frames but they do look really cool in a nice rectangular frame hanging on the wall, something that would look great hanging up at the cottage or in your guest room.” While some things fall into the category of ‘everything old is new again’, Borgundvaag said this was more of a one-off idea that made sense … and this was even before the world went a little nutty bananas thanks to a certain U.S. president. These pennants are a modern take on a vintage classic, perfect for almost any room in the house. “It’s not an area that I really see branching out in, but if they become popular and kind of a mainstay of the store, then it might be something that we offer a limited run pennant once a season,” he said. “I could see a little variation in that way, but I don’t think we’ll be constantly coming up with new designs and changing things up. We’ll wait and see how things go and what the reaction is.” As the Stratford Festival gets set for the start of its 2025 season its executive director has shined a little more light on its bid to purchase the former Normal School building from the city We apologize, but this video has failed to load.Try refreshing your browser, ortap here to see other videos from our team.Play VideoArticle content“It’s a beautiful building We know that the city has indicated that they want to explore what the future of this building is,” Anita Gaffney said staff noted an internal review of municipal properties determined the city no longer had any use for the building at 270 Water St. which the Festival has leased for the past 16 years the city is currently exploring options for the building but does intends to retain the eastern portion of the property for park space According to a second report presented to council at a January public meeting the city has a capital plan for the building that outlines $3 million in repairs that would need to take place over the course of a decade made a case for the city to sell the property to the theatre company for $1 citing the building’s condition and its much-needed repairs He also mentioned the Festival’s current post-COVID financial situation – a “considerable deficit for the 2024 season” – as to why it could not afford a higher price tag and were very much supporting Anthony in his presentation to council that we’re offering something for council to think about recognizing the building requires millions of dollars of renovation and upkeep,” Gaffney said While the Festival’s efforts to purchase the building have been met with some enthusiasm including the round of applause that met Cimolino’s presentation there have been others who have come out against the sale or presented other ideas for uses at the site including affordable housing and childcare space Gaffney said the Festival is “offering to the community (that the Festival) take care of a beloved building.” a reputation for taking very good care of our facilities and acknowledging the importance of that historic building and it might not be the one that’s right for the city but that’s what our suggestion is,” she said was one of four schools built that year to educate teachers in rural Ontario The other schools built at this time were located in North Bay More than 14,000 teachers were trained at the local site which was know as the Stratford Teachers College before it closed in 1973 Stratford’s site is the only one of the four to survive “without substantial alteration.”  The city has owned the property since 2001 The Festival currently uses the building for a variety of purposes rehearsals and a sewing space for its wardrobe department KitchenerNewsStratford Robotics advances to world championship but needs funding helpBy Jeff PickelPublished: April 17, 2025 at 9:57PM EDT We apologize, but this video has failed to load.Try refreshing your browser, ortap here to see other videos from our team.Play VideoArticle contentWhile going up against Conservative John Nater Perth-Wellington’s sitting member in the last Parliament (but) I’m trying to do it in an authentic way I’m standing up because the political system has too many slogans too many gimmicks (and) not enough real conversations and honest conversations with people around Perth-Wellington,” Mackey said While Perth-Wellington has gone blue in every election since the district was formed prior to the 2004 election “He was very successful and was a great MPP and that wasn’t too long ago,” Mackey said Holding a bachelor’s degree in mathematics and computer science from the University of Waterloo Mackey spent his career in software engineering he immediately became involved with the community starting out at the public library’s maker space He now sits on the Stratford Public Library board the Ontario Library Service board and Ontario Library Board Association at the provincial level and its chronic misinformation and disinformation that led Mackey to become a vocal proponent for libraries Not only did libraries exist long before the internet “I felt the library was a place to take my technical expertise So I’m attracted to libraries because I believe they need to be protected,” he added Mackey also volunteered with the local mentorship program which was administered by the former Perth District health unit to help young men build emotional resilience being a Liberal is something that has been a part of his family for decades so this goes back a couple generations,” Mackey said The success of the Liberal Party has often resulted from its ability to pivot with the times with leaders steering the party in the direction that Canada is going “We don’t have the same solid base that the Conservatives have or the NDP have Our success means that we have to be able to offer something that the voters want to buy They know the Liberal Party is going to be right for the time as it changes,” said Mackey noting that Leader Mark Carney’s background is very different from that of former prime minister Justin Trudeau “You’ve got an extremely different political environment south of the border Mark Carney is the only adult in the room when you look at the leaders,” said Mackey Looking at the polarization in today’s political discourse is what drove Mackey to seek a seat in Ottawa While Canadian politics has always been partisan it has gotten even more so in recent years I believe that every single politician of every single party was a Canadian first and they were putting honest viewpoints forward in order to make Canada stronger,” he said Thousands of people – both Stratfordites and visitors – gathered Sunday at the intersection of Morenz and Lakeside drives for the city’s annual swan release accompanied by the Stratford Police Pipes and Drums Band were eager to waddle the short distance to the Avon River We apologize, but this video has failed to load.Try refreshing your browser, ortap here to see other videos from our team.Play VideoArticle content The Stratford Public Library is reporting a very successful 2024 which saw its membership numbers grow to its highest level in decades We apologize, but this video has failed to load.Try refreshing your browser, ortap here to see other videos from our team.Play VideoArticle contentAccording to the library, there is a $6.64 return on investment for every municipal dollar invested in the library, and it has a total economic impact of $19.3 million. “Just when we thought we couldn’t get any busier, we did,” library CEO Krista Robinson said in a release. “(We) offered more services and programs in 2024 than ever before, and our community responded with record-breaking engagement.” The library also saw 25,096 people attend 903 programs, including garden tai chi, glow-in-the-dark karaoke, Swiftie parties and after-hours trivia nights. It also had 1,163 children join its summer reading program.  The library also partnered with 62 different organizations, which led to programming such as a welcome to Stratford kit for new residents and expansion of the wonder pass collection, including new passes to the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame and Stratford Warriors home games. The library also partnered with the Perth County Library system to launch a county-wide book club, featuring the book Cold, by Drew Hayden Taylor.  After months of negotiation, the library also came to an renewed agreement with Perth South that will see residents of the township have access to the Stratford library’s services for the next five years. “(Last year) was a year of growth and momentum but, more importantly, it was a year of belonging,” Robinson said. “From delivering books to homebound readers to creating exciting new programs, every step we took was about connection and community.” The growth of library users underscores the need for a bigger location, library officials said.  According to a 2023 report, the library is undersized by roughly 1,858-square-metres for a city of Stratford’s size. The library is currently working on a partnership with the city and YMCA Three Rivers that would see it eventually relocate to the Grand Trunk Site. In a previous interview, Robinson noted that a new location would allow the library to grow its seating by 400 per cent.  Following a successful 2023 in which they posted an more than $400,000 surplus the Stratford Festival was unable to repeat that success instead reporting Thursday that it ended its 2024 season with a $1.1-million deficit We apologize, but this video has failed to load.Try refreshing your browser, ortap here to see other videos from our team.Play VideoArticle contentDespite cutting expenses by four per cent – to roughly $76.5 million – the non-profit theatre company also suffered a $4.8-million dip in total revenue dropping from $80.1 million in 2023 to $75.3 million in 2024 Earned revenue was $39.3 million while the contributed revenue was $36 million The loss comes after the company saw a decrease in attendance of 13,000 patrons finishing the 2024 season with a total of 430,000 theatre-goers “As we look at attendance in the performing arts in this post-pandemic world we do so with a knowledge of just how bad things can be,” said executive director Anita Gaffney who noted the challenges of bringing back the audience post-pandemic have been felt around the world “What drives us to attract people into our theatres is not just the very real need for ticket revenue but more importantly the difference we can make for people,” Gaffney added Gaffney still called the 2024 season a strong one with enthusiastic responses from patrons and media from across Canada and around the world a tremendous accomplishment at a challenging time in theatrical history We presented a playbill that celebrated classics musicals and exceptional new work,” Gaffney said There were also several triumphs for the Festival in 2024 This included the world premiere of three new productions: Get That Hope by Andrea Scott; The Diviners based on the novel by Margaret Laurence with text by Vern Thiessen with Yvette Nolan; and Salesman in China by Leanna Brodie and Jovanni Sy Salesmen in China was presented in both Mandarin and English and moved to the National Arts Centre in Ottawa for a second successful run The Festival also extended two musicals for three weeks due to high demand – La Cage aux Folles and Something Rotten The latter play had more than 8,000 patrons see it multiple times including 75 people who saw at least seven performances The non-profit also enjoyed a great response to its student programming Sales to school groups increased by 14 per cent with some 40,000 students from 500 schools attending performances Additionally around 45,000 students from 40 high school and post-secondary institutions now make use of the Stratford Festival’s Classroom Connect streaming service including the musical series Never Doubt I Love the award-winning short film The Understudy and the second season of The Everyday Forum Podcast The Festival also hosted 200 events in its Meighen Forum attracting 19,500 visitors to a range of events that included a Broadway singalong “The work of the Stratford Festival stretches far beyond the work seen on our stages,” said artistic director Antoni Cimolino “Yet we are careful to ensure that everything we do has a positive impact on stage and for audiences we deeply understand the importance of developing the talent – and the theatregoers – who will ensure the Festival’s success as we look to our 100th anniversary and beyond,” Cimolino added the Festival had eight young actors participate in its two-year Birmingham Conservatory program and six mid-career directors in the Langham Directors Workshop The Festival’s focus now moves to the 2025 season that is just around the corner with the first preview performance of Annie set fpr April 19 This season will also feature productions of As You Like It at Stratford General Hospital’s emergency room As measles cases in Southwestern Ontario continue to grow the region’s public health agency is warning of a new measles exposure at Stratford’s hospital We apologize, but this video has failed to load.Try refreshing your browser, ortap here to see other videos from our team.Play VideoArticle contentOfficials with Huron Perth public health say this exposure occurred Sunday, March 9, from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Stratford General Hospital’s emergency room. Anyone who was at the emergency room during this timeframe, were born in 1970 or later, and are not up to date with their measles vaccinations are urged to contact public health at 1-888-221-2133 ext. 3299. Even people who were only in the emergency room briefly are asked to get in touch since the virus is highly contagious and can linger in the air for hours. As part of its mandate, Huron Perth public health completes case management and contact tracing for all confirmed measles cases. In cases where the agency cannot reach everyone who was potentially exposed, public health issues a public notification. This exposure comes roughly one week after Huron Perth public health announced six lab-confirmed cases of measles in its region, making the two counties a designated area of concern. At the time, all of these cases were connected to the ongoing – and growing – outbreak in the Southwestern and Grand Erie public health regions, Huron Perth public health officials said. The Canadian Press reported March 6 that Southwestern public health, which includes Woodstock, St. Thomas, and Oxford and Elgin counties, has now seen 115 cases since the outbreak began last October. Ninety-one of those cases have been identified since the start of 2025. Earlier this month, provincial officials described the outbreak as the worst in three decades. Through the first two months of this year, there were 119 confirmed and 23 possible cases across the province. The agency has been holding measles vaccination clinics during this March Break week to help families without a health-care provider get up to date with their measles immunizations. Clinic times and locations are available online at www.hpph.ca/measles. Measles symptoms include a red rash, fever, cough, runny nose, upper respiratory-type symptoms, red eyes and fatigue. Serious complications, such as pneumonia, encephalitis and blindness, are possible. People most at risk of measles complications include pregnant women, young children and the immunocompromised. According to Huron Perth public health, measles symptoms begin seven to 21 days after exposure to the virus. Someone who has measles can be contagious from four days before the rash starts to four days after the rash starts. Most people fully recover from measles within two to three weeks but, in some cases, worse complications can occur, including pneumonia, ear infections, diarrhea, hearing loss, brain swelling (encephalitis), seizures and, in rare instances, death. Public health officials urge people who think they or their family members have been exposed to measles to: The festival is in the midst of outreach initiatives in target American markets but the Stratford Festival team is also working hard to appeal to domestic tourism as well 2023.Christopher Katsarov/The Globe and Mail As this year’s Stratford Festival inches closer two crucial questions are circling around the idyllic Southwestern Ontario town: Who will take the top job in Canadian theatre when current artistic Antoni Cimolino steps down at the end of the 2026 season And what sort of festival will they inherit when they start As for who will run the festival: Right now Kelly Nestruck suggested that several of this year’s individual directors might be in the running – folks such as Chris Abraham (As You Like It) Daryl Cloran (Sense and Sensibility) and Stafford Arima (Forgiveness) all of whom currently serve as artistic directors at regional theatres across the country and would be fine candidates for the job continues to caution against making any assumptions about how this year’s programming might predict next year’s leadership “I have no idea who the next artistic director will be,” said Cimolino, who in 2024 rejected Nestruck’s notion that he had programmed this year’s festival as a “battle royale” for potential directors “But I have every confidence in the committee doing the search.” head of the Stratford Festival’s selection committee said in an e-mailed statement that the committee is “open to a range of possibilities” when it comes to the next artistic director with the understanding that “the artistic goals of the new artistic director will need to be integrated into the festival’s strategic plan.” The chosen candidate will join the festival three years into a continuing five-year strategic plan who shared that the festival’s top priorities currently include attracting developing and cultivating talent; programming sustainable competitive seasons; nurturing audience loyalty and engagement; and supporting an inclusive “Many long-term priorities at the Stratford Festival remain in place regardless of artistic leadership,” said Gorlin “We are committed to a comprehensive and competitive search process and look forward to sharing news as appropriate.” The chosen candidate, who will program the 2027 season and beyond, will earn between $400,000 and $475,000 a year, according to job postings for the role that circulated late last year Here’s a taste of what the Stratford Festival’s next artistic director The 2024 season posted a $1.1-million deficit owing to attendance numbers that didn’t measure up to the festival’s projections (The festival posted a modest surplus of $404,000 in 2023.) which is an incredible accomplishment,” said executive director Anita Gaffney “But that’s short of what we budgeted – coming out of the pandemic we were anticipating that we would continue to see increases from one year to the next but we fell a bit short of that.” (The festival reported 443,000 ticket sales in 2023 indicating a 2.9-per-cent drop in attendance between years.) Antoni Cimolino is stepping down from the role of artistic director at the end of the 2026 season Cimolino is photographed in the Tom Patterson Theatre on Oct “We were a little disappointed with how the box office performed in 2024,” said Cimolino I’m immensely proud of the work on the stages last year To be 10,000 seats off from where we’d hope to be is not happy news – but I’m happy with the quality of work on our stages as we continue to come out of the pandemic and keep moving into the future Whether the deficit will still be in place when the new artistic director starts depends on the financial success of this year’s festival A $60-million capital campaign to help set the new artistic director up for success when they start is in its early planning stages confirmed a representative from the festival The Stratford Shakespearean Festival Endowment Foundation also boasts an endowment currently valued at $130-million An institutional emphasis on tourism – and digital streaming While the long-term effects of the trade war between the U.S the Stratford Festival is nevertheless encouraging American tourists to pay their theatres a visit “We’re reaching a hand across the border to our friends in the U.S.,” said Gaffney who highlighted the favourable exchange rate for Americans who choose to vacation in Ontario where one American dollar is currently worth $1.41 The festival is in the midst of outreach initiatives in target American markets – Gaffney noted a coming screening in Detroit of the festival’s filmed 2023 production of Nick Green’s Casey and Diana – but the Stratford Festival team is also working hard to appeal to domestic tourism as well as international audiences beyond North America One of the festival’s key marketing tools is its subscription streaming service which offers high-definition recordings of work staged at the festival (including festival hits such as Casey and Diana) to audiences across the globe While most Canadian theatre companies who experimented with streaming during the pandemic have scaled back their digital projects in favour of in-person presentations the Stratford Festival has kept adding to its digital library and hopes to one day offer a recording of every Shakespeare play in its catalogue “Stratfest@Home elevates the festival beyond our typical geographic reach,” said Gaffney “There’s a couple in California who discovered us via Stratfest@Home during the pandemic and now they come in-person for two weeks every season A pipeline for emerging talent – and a mandate to keep supporting it The Stratford Festival currently offers two major theatrical training programs: The Birmingham Conservatory a two-year residency for emerging actors who have completed theatre school an intensive for early- to mid-career directors from across Canada the festival has expanded its educational mandate by agreeing to support University of Windsor students who were blindsided by the abrupt closing of the school’s popular University Players last summer Cimolino called the closing “a major blow to theatre training in Canada” on social media adding that Canada was “made poorer for this loss.” the Stratford Festival stepped in to provide alternate learning arrangements for the affected students working with University of Windsor faculty to design a placement program for 10 students whose credit hours with the University Players had been cancelled but all University of Windsor drama students were invited to apply for the program which over the course of this year has seen students learn about arts administration but it encompasses a year’s worth of educational activity,” said Cimolino “We’re trying to support the students who were caught by that closure.” Cimolino says he hopes to offer similar programs in the future – for Windsor students affected by the closing of the University Players program whose theatre programs may have been affected by nationwide cuts to colleges and universities “We’re trying to do what we can to support the students.” When it comes to the state of the festival Cimolino will leave behind for his successor next year he’s not worried – he feels the festival’s in “great artistic health,” particularly in its new play development initiatives “My job is to make sure we have as healthy vibrant and artistically elite a Stratford Festival as possible,” he continued “We’re working hard to pass something on to the next person that will be incredibly attractive Gaffney noted that this year’s ticket sales are up by about 17 per cent compared with this time last year and that the festival has budgeted more conservatively this season as it continues to regroup “I’m confident that we’re getting on balance for 2025,” she said “and I feel we’re ready to welcome a new artistic director into a situation that has great stability for them.” Aisling Murphy is the theatre reporter for The Globe and Mail she spent four years as the senior editor of Intermission Magazine she also completed consecutive newsroom stints at the Toronto Star and CP24 where she wrote breaking news and entertainment stories Murphy reported extensively on the upcoming Kenneth Law trial earning a team RTDNA nomination for outstanding continuing coverage CP24’s coverage of the 2023 mayoral election in Toronto additionally earned Murphy and her team an RTDNA award for outstanding special events coverage Murphy was also named the runner-up for two Nathan Cohen Awards for work published by Intermission Murphy has written extensively about Canadian theatre and pop culture building on the Taylor Swift beat she helped create while working at the Toronto Star and chronicling theatre across the country Her freelance bylines include The New York Times Even when he lets in a bad goal, Gannon Hunter knows the Chatham Maroons trust him to bounce back. Article contentThe rookie netminder rewarded their confidence with perhaps his best game of the playoffs Sunday. He made 38 saves in a 2-1 win over the Stratford Warriors in Game 7 of their Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League’s Western Conference semifinal in front of a season-high 1,845 at Chatham Memorial Arena. “In the first series and even this series, I had a couple rough games,” said Hunter, 17. “I mean, looking back, the last home game I let in two from the red line. Having the faith that the coaching staff and my team has put into me, I’m just super grateful.” Except for one short-lived start by fellow rookie Sammy DiBlasi, Hunter has been in net for the entire post-season. He’s not only tied for the most wins in the GOJHL playoffs but also has more wins than all other rookie goalies combined. He stopped 30 of 32 shots Friday in a 3-1 Game 6 loss in Stratford. “He’s been phenomenal,” Maroons captain Blain Bacik said. “Even Friday night he made a couple unbelievable saves and it just sucks we couldn’t get the win for him. From the start of the season, we’ve had faith in both of our goalies.” The Maroons will play for the conference title against either the St. Marys Lincolns or London Nationals. Their Game 7 is Tuesday in St. Marys. The Maroons are the highest-scoring team in the GOJHL, but they ousted the defensive-minded Warriors by beating them at their own game. “We can play multiple styles of games, so whatever the next team we play throws at us, we’ll be ready for it,” Hunter said. “We’ve shown throughout both series we can score goals and we can defend, too.” The Maroons expected a low-scoring semifinal, Bacik said. That’s why they’ve worked hard on defensive zone coverage in recent weeks. “Everyone is confident that we can score enough goals to win,” he said. “Once we lock down the D zone, I don’t think there’s really a team that can score as many goals as us while playing solid defence like that.” Ian Lachance opened the scoring in the second period at 7:18 on a power play. Fellow rookie Sean Truby followed at 17:05 for a 2-0 lead. Colin Slattery’s scored for the Warriors 29 seconds into the third period. “We came out and got going and got to our game fast,” Warriors coach Dave Williams said. “I really wish we had got a goal in that first period, the way we played. I think it would have given us some momentum. The series has been a little bit like that. The team that gets that first goal seems to settle in a little bit, the other team chases.” SPECIAL TEAMS: The Maroons killed off a Warriors two-man power play for 1:27 late in the third period. “Unreal,” Hunter said. “Something we preach throughout this whole playoffs is just blocking shots. You look over at Stratford and they have double-digit blocked shots every night. I think the boys came out here today and they put their mind to it. They blocked a lot of pucks.” The Maroons’ power play was 4 for 23 in the series after going 13 for 27 in the first round against the Elmira Sugar Kings. “We wished we could keep that going, but they did a great job of keeping us to only a couple,” Bacik said. “But, then the (penalty-kill) steps up. The special teams are fine if you’ve got one going and maybe one not.” The Warriors’ power play was scoreless in the final four games and 1 for 20 in the series. “We struggled a little bit to get the power play going,” Williams said. “It was probably something that we needed given just how tight scoring was for us. … You’ve got to tip your hat to the other group, too. They’re out there trying to stop you from scoring and I think they did a good job. “I think their team is a better defensive team than some people give them credit for, just because they do score so many goals, but I think they defend incredibly hard as well.” The Maroons sent 30 shots at Warriors goalie Carter McDougall. On Friday, Quinn Kipfer scored the winning goal with 3:40 left in the third period in front of 1,582 at William Allman Memorial Arena. Rhyse Brown added an empty-netter. Hunter Nagge and Bacik traded goals for the 1-1 tie. This website uses cookies to personalize your content (including ads), and allows us to analyze our traffic. Read more about cookies here. By continuing to use our site, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. We apologize, but this video has failed to load.Try refreshing your browser, ortap here to see other videos from our team.Play VideoArticle contentBut the popular Stratford restaurant will look a little different when it reopens May 6 after an electrical fire gutted its Wellington Street bistro in October After nearly 25 years at its original location Bijou will move a few blocks away and into the main level of the Brunswick Street building where Braai House resides upstairs “It’s an amazing feeling,” said Mark Simone which temporarily affected an adjacent restaurant shut down Bijou about four weeks prior to the end of the busy 2024 Stratford Festival season Holiday reservations also went up in smoke and the process of getting the restaurant up and running was often difficult “You can only imagine how your mind goes,” Simone said “There were parts where you feel overwhelmed and say Do we have the wherewithal to get through it?'” The couple weren’t ready to give up on the restaurant they purchased in 2015 especially after the public and private outpouring of support “We’re talking thousands (of people) and requests to get together for a cocktail or coffee or a hug.” One of those who reached out first was Braai House co-owner Anthony Jordaan who offered use of the Braai Bar as a Bijou pop-up Simone remembered that gesture in February when it became clear Bijou’s Wellington Street space wouldn’t be ready to reopen in time for mid-May or the start of June a 14-seat bar and a 44-seat weather-protected patio but it looks like we’ve been able to land on our feet Now the excitement is starting to penetrate Everybody’s got that wonderful synergy going on right now.” It allowed Bijou’s owners to develop ideas intended to grow the brand – like culinary tours in 2026 to Montreal and Argentina where members of the Bijou team will accompany guests to various restaurants and cooking classes while indulging with sommeliers and celebrity chefs “It opened up another path of passion,” Simone said Curated afternoon wine tastings twice a week with single bites tapas and small plates from chef Evan Trower will keep the restaurant busy at a time when it typically closed while jazz and blues musicians will entertain guests on the patio There’s a “newfound enthusiasm and energy” around the restaurant and supportive diners who are bombarding Bijou front-of-house manager Peter Williams with reservation requests you can get yourself overwhelmed because it’s a challenging industry,” Simone said all of us are excited to do what we like doing You don’t realize what you have until it’s gone … and I think we’ll be better for it.” Justin Bieber is mourning the loss of his “papa.” We apologize, but this video has failed to load.Try refreshing your browser, ortap here to see other videos from our team.Play VideoArticle contentBruce Dale — “an amazing man with a heart of gold” — died April 24 at the age of 80 “I love you papa,” Bieber wrote in an Instagram post. “I love you and miss you forever.” Bieber had a close relationship with Dale while growing up in Stratford. The two often attended Junior B games at Allman Arena, which the famous pop star referenced on social media. “Papa, I always took all ur money,” he wrote. “I remember you specifically telling me, ‘Gramma gave u an allowance of 20 dollars for the WEEK!’ “I would always convince you to spend on snacks at the hockey game on Friday nights.” Bieber gave a “shout out” to a trio of referees his grandfather often critiqued from his Allman Arena seat. Dale was a regular at Cullitons and Warriors games, and Bieber would sometimes join him during visits back home. “I can’t wait to see u again soon in heaven,” Bieber wrote. “Until then I know ur watching down (probably) still heckling Beatty or Fagon for missing that cross check call in the corner there.” Bob Beatty, one of those referees, didn’t take it personally. He called Dale “a man of integrity and a strong influence on people he came in contact with” in an online tribute. “I was fortunate enough to be one of them,” he wrote. “I thoroughly enjoyed Bruce’s camaraderie and interaction with me towards the end of my career as an on-ice official in the (Ontario Hockey Association). I fondly remember getting to know him during my many visits to the Allman Arena in the lobby before the game. We shared philosophies on how the game should be officiated and shared many laughs. The ‘boys’ at the rink will certainly miss his opinions on how the games should go.” Dale and his wife Diane often used their family fame for good, whether it was donating some of Bieber’s childhood items to the Stratford Perth Museum’s popular exhibit or selling Bieber’s old shoes, comforter, pillow case and lamp to raise more than $74,000 for Stratford’s House of Blessing. “Bruce was an amazing man with a heart of gold,” Cheryl Gregorashuk wrote. “I will forever remember those great times on our street.” Fans of Bieber who never met his grandfather were also heartbroken by the news. “The countless concerts I attended and the memories I have from growing up watching Never Say Never made it feel like I knew him,” one fan wrote. “Bruce’s presence, his love, and his light were so clearly felt, even from afar. My heart is absolutely broken for you all.” Bieber posted an old photo of himself playfully holding Dale’s head in his hands. “I will miss u,” he wrote. “I will ache. And I’ll sit and let myself remember all of the wonderful times we’ve had.” Perth County-area municipalitiesSix local mayors included of in list of 169 municipalities to get Strong Mayors Powers The region’s six mayors were handed sweeping new powers and responsibilities Wednesday morning when the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing announced plans to expand “strong mayor powers” to 169 municipalities We apologize, but this video has failed to load.Try refreshing your browser, ortap here to see other videos from our team.Play VideoArticle contentComing into effect on May 1 this decision will extend these powers to the mayors of Stratford The powers were notably not given to Perth County’s warden who also serves as deputy mayor of North Perth Initially rolled out to the mayors of Toronto and Ottawa in 2022 these powers – largely aimed at speeding up the home-building process – had previously been expanded to 47 municipalities before this announcement While North Perth Mayor Todd Kasenberg said he should not have to use these new powers to help get housing built in his municipality “I think our council generally knows what’s in the community’s best interest It is possible for any mayor given this authority to use it in the interest of driving housing market improvement,” he said Kasenberg was unaware the province’s was extending strong mayor powers until he received an email around the same time a press release went out Kasenberg did not have an explanation as to why there was no warning She also questioned if she would ever have to use these new powers I don’t know that I’m ever gonna use these powers but I’m grateful (for them) if I ever have to do so Perth South is so small I’m not sure that it will affect us,” she said Orr also noted the only potential large housing development in her community is in Sebringville where the proposed 265-unit subdivision is still undergoing an environmental assessment with open houses set for June and September strong mayor powers provide the local heads of council with several new decision-making privileges including the ability to pass a bylaw that could potentially advance a provincial priority identified in regulation if one-third of council is in agreement While these powers often come with a provincially mandated housing target It is also interesting that Perth County’s warden did not receive these same powers given that upper-tier municipalities actually have responsibility for housing and anything that touches housing “The fact that the county isn’t delegated the strong mayor powers is mildly interesting because of that upper tier level of government’s role in housing The upper tiers are responsible for the social services elements of housing community housing – that’s all upper-tier stuff There is some novelty here that seems to have been carried out with regards to cutting upper-tier county level governments out of the equation,” he said it may also not be startling given that resolutions he has brought forward to county council around housing have not been accepted over the years the ministry’s senior communications manager and press secretary said “municipalities with councils of six members or more are best positioned to make use of strong mayor powers to support shared provincial-municipal priorities.” However the Beacon’s question about why Perth County’s warden did not receive the same powers went unanswered who was appointed mayor last December following the death of Jim Aitcheson said she thinks these strong mayor powers could potentially change the focus of municipal elections potentially people will pay a little more attention to who the mayor is It might bring more interesting dynamics to mayoral elections,” she said housing and development is set to be unveiled this year Stratford has long had a reputation for innovation and its strategic plan will use it to increase infrastructure housing and community in order to thrive into the future But a lot has happened in the past decade. There’s been a worldwide pandemic, U.S. President Donald Trump was elected twice, and a national affordability and housing crises driven by inflationary pressures and other factors has impacted all of Canada.  While not immune to these changes and challenges, Stratford, guided by a mission statement to “thoughtfully develop our city,” is looking to the future and preparing a new vision that will provide a guide for years to come.  That “thoughtful” mission statement comes from the city’s recent 2024-2027 strategic priorities plan, which focuses on four key areas: enhancing infrastructure, building housing stability, working together for greater impact, and intentional change to support the future. Emily Roboson, the city’s corporate initiatives lead who helped work on the plan, said this concept of intentional change is a response to shifting demographics while thinking about who is coming into the city. “We see greater diversity among the residents here. We see some of those demographic changes. So what are the kinds of things that we can undertake in terms of work here at the city that really support that team to make this a place that everyone feels welcome and that we are kind of forward looking?” Robson said.  The 2016 census indicated that roughly six per cent of Stratford’s population was a visible minority. By the 2021 census, that had grown to eight per cent. Along with responding to demographic shift, intentional change includes supporting economic growth and diversification by bringing more employment lands to market, which is a focus of investStratford, the city’s economic development corporation.  “This objective is around how we think about expanding what the economic kind of landscape here is locally,” Robson said.  “We’ve had great strength in manufacturing. Are there other types of manufacturing — adjacent industries — that we could target that would support the diversification of our local economy ? “This is even more important now when we understand some of these threats, particularly around the (possible U.S.) tariffs. How are we creating this really resilient local community or a local economy where we’re closing some of these supply chains and thinking really intentionally about how we kind of have a diverse set of industries to be resilient during these challenges?”  As Robson explained, the strategic priorities are being driven by several planning documents, including the transportation master plan and the city’s official plan, which is currently undergoing a review given the number of changes the city has seen since the last plan was finalized in 2015. “Stratford has experienced significant population and economic growth, attracting new businesses and talent while increasing demand for housing, services and infrastructure,” explained Adam Betteridge, the city’s director of building and planning. “The conversation around housing affordability has also evolved. What affordable housing means in 2025 is significantly different from what it meant in 2015. Affordability is now intrinsically linked to building and maintaining sustainable, complete communities.” While Ontario municipalities are required to update their official plans to ensure they reflect current provincial planning legislation and policy, there is also an opportunity to more accurately address new growth while being  forward thinking, Betteridge added. He noted the 2015 plan’s vision statement employed a very generic “to be the best place to live, work and play.” “This general statement is very common; it’s by no means unique to Stratford. Through the official plan review, a new vision that reflects the uniqueness of Stratford and articulates a more specific direction for the city can be developed,” Betteridge said. That official plan, which will guide the city’s development and policy priorities over the next 25 years, is set to be finalized and released in the coming months. Since 2016, the city’s population has grown from roughly 31,400 residents to more than 33,000 people. While not a significant change, the city does face challenges adapting to growth, Bettridge said. This is particularly evident when it comes to housing those who work here. According to the investStratford, almost half of those who work in Stratford commute from other communities, which is something that CEO Joani Gerber said “keeps her up at night.” “I believe that it’s my core responsibility to make sure that, if you want to work here, you can also live here in a safe and happy way with your family. That’s just a personal belief of mine, and something that this organization has really embraced,” Gerber said. However, Gerber also noted that roughly 20 per cent of those who do commute to Stratford do so because they want to. “They could be coming from St. Marys, Shakespeare, Mitchell so, when we say commuting, we mean they don’t physically live here, but that doesn’t mean that doesn’t mean that they don’t live 10 minutes down the highway,” she said. The local United Way recently reported that one in four Perth-Huron households could not afford a one-bedroom apartment at the 2023 asking price while, according to 2021 figures, 16 per cent of renters in Stratford spent more than 30 per cent of their gross income on housing. The average one-bedroom apartment in Stratford cost $1,492 per month in 2023.  Gerber noted the idea of being able to live, work and play in a safe, innovative, welcoming community is the goal of all municipalities in Ontario. That is really is the “Holy Grail,” she said. Although investStratford is a business-supporting agency that looks towards the future, that support includes more than just lobbying for lower taxes and being a business-friendly city, Gerber said. It also includes building the required housing, along with adequate community resources and services, including education and childcare, that help build a good quality workforce. “When companies are choosing where they’re going to locate . . . a friendly business climate, available land and buildings, all of those things make a big impact, but what matters most for those companies is the quality of life and the quality of place they’re going to locate. They don’t want to have to invest a whole lot of money and then find out this isn’t really the city they thought it was,” she said.  Betteridge agreed with that sentiment, saying if all goes well over the 25 years, the new official plan will help advance Stratford “as a vibrant, sustainable and inclusive community.” “The city would have a diverse range of housing options that are accessible to all residents. Public transit would be even better, and active transportation networks would seamlessly connect all of our neighbourhoods and business areas, making it easier to get around without a car,” he said. That economic growth, he added, would be balanced with environmental responsibility while community facilities, parks and cultural venues would be thriving. However, as Robson noted, the biggest challenges with implementing these strategic priorities is resources, given that the major revenue stream for Stratford, and all municipalities, is property taxes. This year’s tax increase was 5.46 per cent, which followed a 7.9 per cent increase in 2024. “This is a very challenging time for people to make ends meet, and so we have to be so careful about what we’re asking for in terms of property tax,” she said. That said, looking towards the future and the way that Stratford “wins” going forward is by building that necessary infrastructure to meet demand, Robson said. “We need to be in a position where we can welcome new residents, we can accommodate the residents that we have and have a good quality of life and a good experience in our city because, living here, we really want to mean thriving here,” she said. “We’re not talking about exponential growth for growth’s sake. This is really about balancing that need for growth with sustainability for our community.” AUSTIN — Stratford's Bryce Braden didn't have long to celebrate a state championship in discus After notching a personal best throw of 193 feet Braden rushed across the infield to compete in shot put which had already started due to an incoming storm the Elks standout earned his second gold medal of the day with a heave of 57 feet Braden finally got the chance to celebrate his pair of gold medals rebounding from a disappointing performance in 2024 and setting a new Class 2A state meet record Braden closed out a remarkable high school career at Stratford that included state titles in multiple sports on Friday Bouncing backBefore Bryce Braden stepped into the discus ring Madi placed eighth in her first trip to Mike A the Lady Elks' standout watched her older brother set a record in discus surpassing the previous mark set by Post's Zach Courtney in 2022 by more than seven feet "I'm just so thankful that God gave me the ability to compete like I did today and just so thankful for my family and coaches coming out here and supporting me were the only people in the whole stadium who knew I could do that Just to be able to put on display in the biggest stage is so awesome." Braden's two victories in 2025 were redemption from a ninth-place finish in discus last year After scratching in his first two attempts to get a mark required to make the event's finals finishing in last place after winning discus at the state track meet in 2023 Braden not only rebounded with two state titles and state record in his final high school track meet More: 2025 UIL State Track And Field Championships: Results More: See every Amarillo-area qualifier in this week's Texas track & field UIL state meet More: Two Texas Panhandle football players sign with Division I programs on early signing day Now a three-time state champion in track and field Braden added to what was already an impressive résumé "(My time at Stratford) has been great," Braden said. "The standard there is something else that's not like anywhere else. Being around the best coaches in the state, I take it for granted every day. And I really don't think I really understand how it is to not have like, an outstanding discus coach and shot the coach, like coach (Jon) Murphy." After notching a new state record, Braden noted that he may also have the opportunity to compete in discus at Air Force. For now, though, the Elks' senior is preparing for his freshman year on the gridiron in hopes of making the Falcons' travel roster. David Mackey and John Nater shared their visions for Perth-Wellington Four Perth-Wellington federal election candidates faced off at the Stratford Rotary Complex Tuesday night for a debate that encompassed a range of issues We apologize, but this video has failed to load.Try refreshing your browser, ortap here to see other videos from our team.Play VideoArticle contentHosted by the Stratford & District Chamber of Commerce the candidates took questions from chamber general manager Aaron Martin and the audience on these and other issues The candidates – the People’s Party Wayne Baker Liberal David Mackey and Conservative John Nater * – shared their visions for Perth-Wellington as well as their parties’ visions for our country The following is a transcript of their answers to four of those questions Answers have been edited for clarity and length Q: How would your government work with provincial territorial and municipal governments to address housing issues and create mechanisms that support Canadians across the entire housing continuum we need to work with municipalities and work with all levels of government to get more housing built Our party’s proposed a couple of initiatives to get that started we’ll take the GST off of new builds up to $1.3 million we will work with municipalities to cut development charges So for each dollar that the municipality cuts their development charges we will reimburse that to 50 per cent again we need to focus on what we can do to spur building We’ve promised a building bonus to municipalities to pay for the important infrastructure if they increase the housing supply one of the biggest challenges they face is (wastewater) capacity and water capacity We need to invest in fundamentals to ensure that we have what’s in place – the permanent mechanism in place – so we can actually build (capacity) Kruchkywich: The NDP has a comprehensive plan – a $16-billion national housing strategy – that involves a Canadian Homes Transfer Fund and a Communities First Fund (It) is directed funding to municipalities and provinces and it will reward cities that build quickly and legalize more multi-unit homes We want to build up density in our communities We want to speed up permits and approvals so homes can get built faster And we want to make sure that municipalities are capping development charges We want to work with them to start lowering those developmental charges so developers can build homes more inexpensively and faster And we also want to use viable federal land as a government to build 100,000 rental units by 2030  Baker: We’re in a situation right now where there’s a competition between housing and farmland and the temptation to develop the farmland and create the housing to alleviate the pressure is very real I think that we should propose developing marginal land that isn’t suitable for farming whether it be within Perth-Wellington or encourage a migration further north to lands that are maybe less easily developed but we develop the technology to develop them and allow young families to build their own homes on their own land and get away from this high-density nonsense that there’s a lot of social issues with Mackey: Mark Carney has a plan to double the pace of construction to almost 500,000 homes a year That is the most since (the Second World War) now there’s a gap between social housing and market-priced housing we need to have investments by the government The government will act as a developer and build affordable housing at scale and we need to lower the cost of home building Q: Please explain why a government under your party’s leadership is best equipped to promote our economy in the face of economic uncertainty Kruchkywich: We believe in reinvesting in our people We’ve always been a party that has started at the foundation It starts with a retrofit plan that we have that works with the climate But what it will do is not just think about the economy as it will bring the opportunity to train a whole workforce of skilled labour Instead of subsidizing large corporations to come in and take care of that We’ve always gone above and beyond what the rest of the world has done and what we need to do to strengthen our economy right now is to insist that our government step out of the way and let individuals and let businesses and let corporations step up and take the burden on and grow our economy get the government out of the way and encourage individual entrepreneurs We have some problems south of the border; north-south trade is not working right now We need to build an east-west trade corridor The Mark Carney government will have a $5-billion plan to build this trade port We need to invest and build Canadian infrastructure that will help diversify our trade partners create good jobs and drive economic growth Something that’s important to Perth-Wellington is the automotive industry Mark Carney has a plan that protects businesses and the auto industry by investing $2 billion to build a fortified Canadian supply chain from raw materials to finished vehicles Nater: We can’t control what happens south of the border but we can make sure that we have a strong Canadian domestic economy so we need to promote reinvestment in Canada we’re proposing a (Tax-Free Savings Account) top-up of an extra $5,000 annually if it’s reinvested in Canadian business we’re proposing a deferral of capital gains you can defer those capital gains if the profits are reinvested here in Canada and Canadian businesses Let’s promote Canada We need to be our own biggest market we leave between $60 billion and $,200 billion of GDP growth on the table because we are not trading among provinces Q: Can you please explain your party’s belief on carbon tax Why has the carbon tax suddenly been removed by the current government Baker: We are opposed to the carbon tax altogether Kruchkywich’s definition of polluters as any facility that puts carbon into the atmosphere is not a polluter and it’s a required part of our atmosphere for our planet to eat because that’s plant food with the technology and the environment we live in Mackey: The carbon tax was removed because the people of Canada wanted it removed It’s increased affordability for an average Canadian that does not remove the problem of climate change and we need to have effective programs that give incentives in order for people to do the right things and that includes both on the consumer side but also on the large industrial polluters and polluters are the industries that put carbon into the air and we need to make sure that we have a proper transition from the existing old energy infrastructure to a new clean energy infrastructure Nater: We will actually get rid of the carbon tax but that doesn’t stop any future government from changing it We propose to actually eliminate the legislation — reverse the legislation — take the carbon tax off for everyone for good permanently It hurts the senior who’s on a fixed income who has to pay it to heat their home It hurts the farmer who has no option other than to to use the natural gas or propane to dry their corn I had farmers send me their bills this fall with tens of thousands of dollars just in carbon tax with no way to mitigate that That was why carbon tax needed to get rid of it for good permanently because it hurts people from rural communities like ours Kruchkywich: We believe in removing the consumer carbon tax but large industrial polluters believe strongly that it is an effective tool to regulate their emissions We also propose a cap on emissions – something with a bit more teeth than what we had We’re not in favour of expansion of large polluters –– the oil and gas industry Q: What are your thoughts about raising the retirement age Mackey: So it’s a great question in the sense that it’s probably directed not towards Mark Carney and the Liberal Party We have no plans at this point to be doing anything with the retirement age We announced our seniors’ platform that we will enhance and maintain the age of eligibility for old age security guarantee they can supplement and But let’s talk about how we can support seniors more broadly We are proposing to allow an extra $10,000 of tax-free earnings for seniors who choose to work past retirement age We also propose to change rules around RRSPs being converted to RPPs by expanding that by two years We also have to make sure that we are allowing seniors to retire and live in comfort and in decency in the retirement years So let’s make sure that we have an economy that supports that we’re not nickel and diming our seniors each and every day by the constant threats of carbon tax and threats of inflation Kruchkywich: We believe in age 65 and we don’t want to raise it We believe in bringing a national senior strategy to the table to make sure that seniors’ health care is a priority We want to reduce isolation and tackle senior poverty We want to raise the guaranteed income supplement We want to take the profit of long-term health care We want to make sure that we’re building accessible affordable homes for seniors that aligns with our national rent control plan so that everything stays affordable for our seniors And we want to make sure that we are ending pension theft by making sure that seniors’ pensions are at the front of the line if and Too often we see our seniors falling through cracks These are social services that get cut first when big government starts talking about austerity We want to make sure that our seniors are protected and cared for first Baker: I don’t plan on retiring anytime soon and I’m pushing that at that retirement age I think if you’ve worked hard and you have the resources to retire One of the issues that we have in this country right now is inflation and the People’s Party of Canada is proposing a zero per cent inflation which will ensure resources available to you into our old age So I think that retirement age is suitable the way it is * Member of Parliament in the last legislature