After multiple cancelled council meetings and three residents were suspended from city property over the summer – all because of alleged infractions to a respectful workplace policy – the policy is remaining in place, albeit altered.
At the Oct. 28 Stratford city council meeting, council voted to separate Policy H.1.36, otherwise known as the respectful workplace policy, into three separate policies: a public-conduct policy, a code of conduct for elected or appointed officials and a respectful workplace policy for employees.
Dave Bush, the city’s human resources director, said that was due to some confusion caused by the “layering” of the policy. The recommendation made by staff was to provide separate avenues for Stratford residents and staff to address their concerns.
“We’re not looking to weaponize policies, to go on the attack,” Bush went on to say. “Everyone has the right to say their piece. Everyone has the right to debate. We can disagree. We can disagree with a lot of heated emotion, but the premise of all of this is to do it respectfully.”
The revised policy includes a list of inappropriate behaviours, including violence, vandalism, harassment, discrimination, abusive language, intimidation, humiliation, demeaning, frivolous or vexatious requests and the refusal to follow health-and-safety practices.
Deeming a behaviour as inappropriate is also defined in the policy, noting there may be “serious consequences” for the individual should that be the case.
SKELETONS VS HALLOWEEN
running this October. See story on page 9.
One of the last lines of Ullie Kaye’s poem, “Next Door,” reads, “We are only separated by a glimmer of time. An interval. Take comfort. I have only built a house next door.”
Kerry Flood read those words in memory of her late friend, Kassidy Ballantyne-Holmes, on Oct. 27. That evening, family, friends, loved ones and neighbours gathered at the city’s cenotaph in a memorial walk to
remember Ballantyne-Holmes, a Stratford resident who was killed in a shooting earlier that month.
Flood, the organizer for the event, told the gathering crowd of about 50 people the idea for the night was not to grieve alone and to celebrate their loved one’s memory together.
“Eleven days ago, our worlds changed with the senseless act that took Kassidy away from this earthly plane,” Flood said that evening. “Since then, so many emotions started like sadness, overwhelming grief, pure shock
The Skeletons of Vivian Line shoot – but it's Stratford that scores. The fan-favourite Skeletons returned for the display’s 11th year
(CONNOR LUCZKA PHOTO)
CONNOR LUCZKA
Candles and lanterns light up to remember Kassidy Ballantyne-Holmes
and unwavering anger. There is absolutely no reason this should have happened, and that really makes this even harder to process than it already is.”
“I never thought that I would be standing here having to deal with something like this,” Ballantyne-Holmes’ aunt, Michelle Boudreau, said.
On behalf of the Ballantyne family, she shared that the Kassidy they knew and remember was a little girl with beautiful eyes and “the biggest heart.”
“I know we're not going to have answers, and the answers that we get may not be the answers that we want,” Boudreau said. “We are the ones that are left here to have to deal with all that and grieve with that.”
Boudreau added systems are failing residents in this country but it is up to those residents to fix them – being supportive of each other is all that anyone can do.
“Find a way to be kind, love someone, be kind to someone,” Boudreau said. “Just by saying something nice to someone makes their day and makes them feel
that they're appreciated here.”
As dusk fell on the crowd, candle lights twinkled on and the group walked from the stone steps up Lakeside Drive and around Lake Victoria. Participants were encouraged to share stories of Ballantyne-Holmes and remember her, as well as hold candles.
Apart from being a visual symbol of Ballantyne-Holmes’ spirit and lights to guide the participants, they also created a “moody” atmosphere that she would have loved, Flood said.
Before they did, a number of participants lit up small sky lanterns as the crowd watched them float away.
“Let us alchemize our anger into activism,” Flood shared. “Let's stand up for the vulnerable and marginalized people in our community; let it be known that we will not stand for violence against women.”
Ballantyne-Holmes was killed on Oct. 15 from a gunshot wound in what police are calling a homicide. Her death is the second fatal shooting to occur in Stratford in the last three months.
City’s respectful workplace policy is split, but remains in place
“Determining whether particular behaviours are inappropriate behaviour can require a flexible balancing exercise considering all circumstances of a particular case,” the policy reads. “Before classifying a person’s behaviour as inappropriate behaviour, the assigned director and CAO must be satisfied that the incident has been thoroughly reviewed and investigated, including consultations with members of the public, city staff, or council members who reported or were involved in the incidents or previous incidents and that communication with the alleged offender has been adequate.
“Each case will be considered on an individual case-by-case basis as deemed appropriate in the circumstances. The director and CAO may consult with the city solicitor to seek legal advice or refer the incident to an external third party at any time for investigation if deemed necessary.”
Mike Sullivan, one of the three residents who were suspended due to alleged infractions of the policy, doesn’t think the revisions made were enough. In a delegation prior to the revision’s approval, he raised “serious problems” with the route staff were recommending.
conspiracy theories” or initiated with the intent to embarrass or annoy the recipient of the request.
Sullivan has put in numerous Freedom Of Information (FOI) requests over the years, often for information he thinks should be accessible freely. He has concerns that the city requiring FOI requests could entrap him and other concerned citizens.
“The mind boggles,” Sullivan said.
In addition to Sullivan, Jane Marie Mitchell, a resident who received a warning letter from the city, and Sharon Collingwood, a member of Get Concerned Stratford, also delegated on the matter.
Similar to Sullivan, neither of them were supportive of the recommendation and wanted more done to address their concerns.
Additionally, Mitchell made it a point that the legal fees the city incurred enforcing the policy recently should be disclosed to the public before council makes a decision, although none were disclosed during the meeting.
Coun. Cody Sebben, who initially raised the review of the policy when he made a motion to suspend it outright, said the spirit of the review was to make fundamental changes given the issues raised in the summer.
“Nothing in the proposed changes would prevent city staff from banning me or others for similarly exercising their constitutional rights,” Sullivan said. “Nothing in the proposed changes would force the city to reveal the actual complaints or the findings of an appeal process – two serious flaws with the old policy. Nothing in the proposed changes would clarify the process, which currently permits one individual to act as complainant, judge, jury, executioner and appeal judge.
“In addition, though I gave notice of my intent to appeal the decision immediately, there was no action whatsoever on that appeal until a few days before the ban was up. That’s not dealt with in this policy change.”
Sullivan also took umbrage with the policy’s definition of “frivolous or vexatious requests,” which are an example of inappropriate behaviours.
The policy says such requests are “incomprehensible, inflammatory or based on
“We're talking as if this policy, the new policy, is somehow softer in implementation,” Sebben said. “When in fact, the processes are exactly the same. … So, if we don't have a change, we are going to have the same outcome as we had back in July.”
That was a sentiment shared by Coun. Geza Wordofa, who said that citizens “have a right to speak up.”
Coun. Lesley Biehn on the other hand, said the revisions made were substantial enough and the policy was made better by them, and was in support of the revision.
In a recorded vote, only Sebben and Wordofa opposed the staff recommendation. Coun. Taylor Briscoe and Coun. Larry McCabe were absent.
According to Bush’s presentation, the next steps for the policy are to update the website, draft a communications plan to roll it out and to educate staff.
First Downtown Stratford BIA Trick-or-Treat event
Stratford’s trick-or-treaters got a head start and plenty of goodies the weekend before Halloween.
The Downtown Stratford Business Improvement Area (BIA) held their first Trick-Or-Treat event on Oct. 26 from 2-4 p.m. The sunny but windy Saturday afternoon had lots of young families walking around downtown Stratford and popping into a variety of local businesses. The Downtown Stratford BIA and CJCS radio partnered to give away candy at the Destination Stratford office at 47 Downie St. "Everybody seems really positive,” said BIA general manager Jamie Pritchard. “Look at the faces of the kids. They're just having a good time and enjoying it all."
The Downtown Stratford BIA also had a list of about 43 merchants who registered to give away treats, but Pritchard acknowledged there were likely more who participated. Businesses had posters to put in their windows to inform participants there were goodies for trick-or-treaters to collect.
In addition to collecting candy, trick-ortreaters got other items. Those who stopped by the Good Vibrations Rock Shop got to take home a crystal of their choice.
The Trick-or-Treat event was also the same day as the kickoff of the SCARE card contest. The SCARE card could either be picked up at the Downtown Stratford BIA office or Mercer Hall for a chance to win $100 downtown dollars. The annual Pumpkin Parade on Nov. 1 concludes Halloween events in downtown Stratford.
EMILY STEWART Times Correspondent
Sydney, Nicole, Sophia and Peter Gallagher had a super time trick-or-treating in downtown Stratford as Princess Peach, Yoshi and Mario.
Stratford's dogs, like Diesel and Chief, were all ready to trick-or-treat around the city's core.
Sakoya Brown, dressed as Ghostface from the Scream franchise, was one of many trick-or-treaters.
Moksh Patel as The Flash was ready to collect all the treats.
(EMILY STEWART PHOTOS)
Avondale Church Foodshelf helps those in need thanks to hardworking volunteers
There are church groups in Stratford and Perth County that like to make sure area residents can enjoy nutritious food every week.
A caring group of volunteers from Avondale United Church runs the Avondale Foodshelf and are meeting the nutritional needs for those in the area who might have fallen on hard times and need a nutritious meal to feed themselves and their families.
Church parishioners help fill their kitchen shelves with non-perishable food items, and they are able to use their fridges and freezers to full advantage to keep the flow of good food available at all times.
The church volunteers are kept busy preparing soup kits for their clients, and also provide ingredients to those who visit their kitchen along with recipes for different soups each and every week.
This year marks the 15th anniversary of the Foodshelf helping the community of Stratford, from its humble beginnings of one shelf in the Sunday school room at St. John’s United Church in 2009 to a room of their own with shelving, two fridges and two freezers toay.
Volunteer Joanne Ehgoetz says the majority of their funds and food come from the congregation, but community groups have also been amazing.
The Kinsman Club of Stratford recently made a large monetary donation, the Lions Club of Stratford donated a large quantity of needed groceries and the Sebringville Athletic Association donates nonperishable food items collected at
HELP FILL THEIR KITCHEN
their bingos.
When Stratford’s Boar’s Head Restaurant closed for renovations, the church received a quantity of fresh produce to move out of their kitchen before renovations began.
There are so many members of the broader community who donated food and money to help out the Foodshelf.
They are also thankful to Perth County Egg Farmers who provide them with 15-dozen free eggs every month, as well as the Huron County Distribution Centre of Exeter that provides food to any food bank in Huron and Perth Coun-
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ends meet.
The Foodshelf volunteers say they are very focused on providing fresh fruit and vegetables with the recent revelation that scurvy is on the rise in Canada due to the fact that people are not getting enough fresh fruit and vegetables.
A lot of their spending is therefore spent on these items as well as frozen meats and dairy products.
An interesting fact; over half the food banks in Canada are run by church or religious-based organizations according to the Canadian Foodgrains Bank.
ty with milk, fresh vegetables and canned goods free of charge.
As of the end of October, the Food Shlef had served a total of 1,539 people, including 1,030 adults and 509 children.
In comparison to last year at the end of October, they had served 1,197 in total. They have had an approximate 30 per cent increase in demand over last year.
More families, as well as more intergenerational homes, parents, adult children and their children live together to make
The Foodshelf is run by a team of 12 volunteers who work on a schedule for greeting and distribution on Friday afternoons, as well as shopping during the week, ordering from the Local Community Food Centre or from the Distribution Centre in Exeter, pick up from the Local, re-packaging items purchased in bulk such as dish/laundry detergent, toilet paper, flour or sugar. They also put together food kits (soup, casserole, salads) that have all the ingredients and the recipes to make that item.
The Foodshelf is open to anyone in need Friday afternoon from 1-2:30 p.m. at the church. Enter off the parking lot on Huntington Avenue.
CHURCH BAZAAR
The Immaculate Conception Church ladies in Stratford have been working hard preparing for their annual Noel Bazaar Nov. 2 from 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the church hall (50 Well St.). Come take a chance on the Wheel of Fortune and the Penny Table, buy some baking and join the ladies for lunch. Pictured are Immaculate Conception Catholic Women's League past president Sharon Twamley and president Mary Kay
the
STRATFORD
Some of the Avondale Foodshelf kitchen volunteers pictured last week while preparing food at the church include, from left, Anna Muesel, Joanne Ehgoetz, Marilyn Finnigan and Susan Rae.
GARY WEST Times Correspondent
Lobsinger along with some of the items available for sale at
Noel Bazaar.
(GALEN SIMMONS PHOTO)
(GARY WEST PHOTO)
County council approves new Perth County Official Plan
After roughly six years of planning, drafting and consultations with the public and key community stakeholders, Perth County council gave its official seal of approval to the county’s new official plan.
First created in the late 1990s, the county’s official plan is the document that guides the long-term vision for growth and development in a community. The newly updated official plan provides Perth County with a vision and a comprehensive strategy for cultivating new opportunities, building community, ensuring environmental health and making intelligent and informed land-use decisions within the county until 2046. The 2024 update to the official plan provides a new visionary policy document that is meant to be both reflective of provincial policy updates and reflective of current community concerns, priorities and values.
“I just want to say thank you to staff and congratulations on getting the official plan to this point,” county Warden Rhonda Ehgoetz said after county council voted to approve the official plan at the end of a marathon, fourhour council meeting Oct. 17, which included a statutory public meeting that gave county residents their final opportunity to comment on the official plan before it was sent to the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing for final review and approval.
“I know some of you came in the middle of the session. You took the bull by the horns, you looked at it and you’ve got it where we are today. I can’t thank all of you enough; all the staff that are behind the scenes that have helped, everyone, council is very appreciative. As we’ve said many times here today, we’ve been at this for six years and it’s great to finally see it come to an end. … I’m sorry we can’t accommodate everybody; we’ve tried our best. I think we have a great document.”
This multi-year project to update the official plan first began in 2017 and has involved seven phases including several rounds of public outreach, public engagement, open houses, background reports and draft versions of the document. The public meeting and council’s approval of the plan on Oct. 17 signalled the completion of the plan’s sixth and penultimate phase, the final step before the official plan is approved by the province, which could take anywhere between 120 days and two years, according to Moira Davidson, the senior policy planner leading the official-plan project.
“The key elements of the official plan include directing growth and intensification to settlement areas in order to protect our agricultural lands, protecting agricultural resources so agricultural lands and diversification of those resources can continue on into the future, promoting economic growth and development (and) encouraging well-designed built form that is accessible, high quality and considered safe spaces,” Davidson said at the onset of the official-plan public meeting.
“There are the aspects of the official plan that speak to preserving the cultural-heritage values of the county as well as accommodating appropriate services and infrastructure for the longevity of the community and residents. And finally, increasing the variety of housing types and sizes to meet the diverse range and needs of residents and workers that we’re seeing.”
According to county growth projections made using data collected in 2021, the population of Perth County is expected to grow to 62,900 residents and reach 29,700 jobs by 2051. The official plan includes long-range planning policies and has added 407 hectares of land to the county’s serviced settlement areas like Milverton, Shakespeare, Mitchell and Listowel to plan for additional homes and jobs.
While many county residents delegated at the official-plan public meeting, sharing concerns around what
NOVEMBER EVENTS
areas of the county have been slated for residential and economic growth and what areas haven’t, how the new natural-heritage designations on agricultural land will impact farm operations and whether the county did its due diligence in consulting farmers on the policies in the new official plan, council ultimately decided to deal with those concerns on a case-by-case basis as they come up in the future instead of amending the plan now before it goes to the ministry.
Prior to approval, councillors also had a chance to comb through the official plan and point out any amendments or corrections to wording that staff will make before the plan is submitted to the province.
“This is a significant milestone for the planning division and for the county as a whole,” said county CAO Lori Wolfe in a press release. “The updated policies of the new official plan will guide and support important growth and development across the county for years to come.”
Bijou Restaurant in downtown Stratford will remain closed for the foreseeable future after a fire broke out in the restaurant kitchen in the early morning hours Oct. 19, resulting in an estimated $800,000 in damages and the issuance of a building unsafe order by the City of Stratford.
According to Stratford Fire Chief Neil Anderson, the fire department was alerted to the fire around 12:45 a.m. and a crew of eight firefighters were on scene roughly six minutes later, at which point they observed flames and smoke coming from the rearside windows.
“A second alarm was called to bring more firefighters and the tower (aerial) vehicle, but the attack was still an offensive one as the firefighters performed a search for any occupants,” Anderson said. “The fire was originally contained to the kitchen area but there was considerable smoke damage to the entire first floor.
“A fire extension was noted to have moved into the ceiling, causing considerable damage to some of the support structure for the above floors.”
While Anderson said fire investigators believe the cause of the fire to have been electrical, he couldn’t release additional details until he spoke with the insurance investigator. Fire investigators have not deemed the fire suspicious.
No one was in the building at the time of the fire, including in the two upper-floor
apartments.
“The kitchen is completely damaged and there was one area where it broke through the ceiling, resulting in concerning structural damage to the above floor supports. (Stratford) building and planning inspected the structure further (Oct. 23) and issued a Building Unsafe Order as part of their condition assessment,” Anderson said.
“The rest of the building, including above floor apartments, received smoke damage and one area of the roof was cut into for fire extension checks.”
While control of the building has been turned back over to the owners, it is considered unsafe and Anderson said the upper-floor apartment tenants are unable to return to their homes until the building is deemed safe again.
While a representative from Bijou did not respond to a request for comment before press time, restaurant owners Mark and Linda Simone informed their customers about the fire in a post to their Facebook page on Oct. 19.
“We regret to inform you that Bijou Restaurant experienced a significant fire on (Saturday), October 19, 2024, and will remain closed for the foreseeable future,” the post reads. “We are currently assessing the extent of the damage and will provide updates as more information becomes available.
“As a result, we will be suspending all reservations until further notice. Thank you for your understanding and continued support during this difficult time.”
(GALEN SIMMONSPHOTO)
Local Co-Operators celebrates 70th anniversary
EMILY STEWART
Times Correspondent
The Co-Operators Stratford location celebrated its 70th anniversary by reflecting on the legacy of the insurance broker’s first agent, Pat Powell.
An Oct. 18 press release from the Co-Operators outlined the significant community contributions from the local office. Powell transformed a camper van into a mobile office to reach his clients. With many Stratford residents involved in the agricultural industry, Powell realized several clients were focusing on working for a living and couldn’t set time aside to plan ahead.
The mobile office had a propane heater and comfortable seating with “CoOp Insurance Mobile Office” painted on the side. Powell often parked the van in farmers’ fields and at post offices to speak with his clients.
"To reach this milestone is incredible,” said Peter Maranger, a financial planner and mutual fund investment special-
ist with the Co-Operators in Stratford. “Many businesses come and go through the years, but it's certainly been a mainstay here in our community."
Today, the Co-Operators Stratford location offers online, telephone and in-person services.
"Clients can do business with us in the way that they want to do it with us,” Maranger said.
The Co-Operators Stratford location’s business grows year after year and organically through referrals. During the COVID-19 pandemic restrictions, the Co-Operators Stratford location set up an outdoor office and was able to grow the business.
Maranger added that even with the digital age and more companies using AI to run their business, Co-Operators Stratford finds many customers still prefer human interaction when filing an insurance claim.
“When people are having their worst day ever, meaning they are in a motor-vehicle collision or their basement is sud-
denly full of water or they have a fire or something like that – even young people, who would prefer to deal with no human interaction – want to deal with human interaction.”
The Co-Operators Stratford office services more than 4,250 clients to ensure they’re financially secure and protect their homes, loved ones and retirement plans. Maranger gives back to the community by donating to and volunteering with the Local Community Food Centre, St. John Ambulance and House of Blessing.
Maranger said Powell established a legacy of customer-service excellence
that is still valued today.
"Seventy years ago, great customer service worked. It still works in 2024,” he said.
The Stratford Co-Operators office can be found at 204 Huron St.
Nijjar appointed deputy mayor for second two-year term
CONNOR LUCZKA
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
Coun. Harjinder Nijjar was re-appointed deputy mayor for his second term at the Stratford city council meeting on Oct. 28, continuing the role that he first acquired in 2022.
Nijjar narrowly held the seat in a 5-4 vote. He was one of three councillors to put their names forward for the position, beating out Coun. Lesley Biehn and Coun. Jo-Dee Burbach for the role.
In a staff report on the appointment, Biehn wrote that even though she and the mayor don't always see eye to eye, topic to topic, she has built a trusting relationship
with him and is eager for the challenge and growth the opportunity presents.
Burbach wrote she has the leadership skills and experience chairing meetings to serve as deputy mayor, as well as the capacity to represent the city at community events.
Nijjar wrote he has worked hard to represent the community and has been involved in a number of initiatives that helped to improve the city.
“I am proud of the work that we have accomplished together,” Nijjar wrote. “I believe that I have the experience, knowledge and leadership skills necessary to continue serving in this role.”
In Stratford, the deputy mayor position
United Housing Taylor Swift raffle winner was confident she would win
Tickets to the raffle for Taylor Swift floor seats were sold out by the time the draw was ready. That is 5,000 tickets sold raising $50,000 for United Housing in a matter of a few short weeks.
The mission of United Housing is to build strong, healthy communities by developing, creating, constructing and managing affordable housing in Perth-Huron. A recent announcement was for the purchase of a building in Listowel that will provide 10 affordable units in the near future.
The draw was held Oct. 23 at Junction 56 distillery here in Stratford. A crowd assembled in anticipation to find out who would be the winner of the pair of tickets graciously donated by Dr. Erin and Mike Heisz.
“We’re here tonight to reinforce the message around the new organization we’re launching called United Housing. This new organization will help us in the community to meet the needs around affordable housing,” United Way Perth-Huron executive director Ryan Erb. “We know
that we have a housing crisis, we know that people are not able to work and live in the community, they’re also not able to find housing at all. So we want to make sure that people in our community have access to housing. United housing is a solution in the mix to help so many people in our community with just that.”
Without further ado, United Way campaign co-chairs John Wolfe and Kristin Sainsbury were introduced to make the draw.
“We will make one friend and 4,999 enemies tonight,” joked Wolfe.
As pictured, Sainsbury reached into the box, dug deep and ticket number 0600 was drawn. The winner of the grand prize was Monika Dunn of Stratford, having purchased her ticket at Blowes. Rebecca Scott of United Housing made the all-important phone call to the winner and an excited Dunn told Scott that she was so confident that she was going to win that she already planned on being in Toronto for the weekend of the concert.
For more information on United Way Perth-Huron and United Housing, visit, perthhuron.unitedway.ca.
is not directly elected by voters – in fact, it is not required through the Municipal Act at all – and is rather voted by council for two-year terms to act as head of council when the mayor is absent.
Municipalities across the province have different forms of a deputy position and what term they serve for.
Coun. Bonnie Henderson, though thankful for Nijjar’s good work over the last two years, did not vote for him precisely because of why Stratford has a twoyear term, she said.
“We have two others that are running. We have somebody that's already put two years in,” Henderson said. “Nothing against Coun. Nijjar. He's doing a great
job, but I just think as a council it's important that we share the workload.”
Burbach shared Henderson’s sentiment, saying that having the position be one that is shared by councillors can be beneficial in council cohesion, a sentiment she heard from the deputy mayor of Ottawa at a recent Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO) forum she attended.
Nijjar was appointed deputy mayor with a 5-4 vote. Mayor Martin Ritsma cast the tie-breaking vote for Nijjar, joining Coun. Brad Beatty, Coun. Mark Hunter, Nijjar and Coun. Geza Wordofa’s supportive votes.
Coun. Larry McCabe and Coun. Taylor Briscoe were absent.
Ontario Pork Congress holds another successful annual meeting in Stratford
to information for the teams, no matter their location.
Every year in mid-June, volunteers with the Ontario Pork Congress (OPC) bring pork farmers and pork industry people together to talk about management of pigs, barns and equipment at the Stratford Rotary Complex.
The Ontario Pork Congress held its annual meeting in Stratford Oct. 22 and elected their executive and directors who will lead them through the coming year.
This year marked the 51st congress and ended up being another success story according to president Kirk McLean, with thousands of visitors from the pork industry in attendance.
Thanks to a dedicated organizing committee, the OPC continues to be an excellent venue where producers and industry partners can connect, which is the reason this event was started over 50 years ago in Stratford.
He also says they have made great progress reorganizing the OPC from online orders for exhibitors and access
They have a lot of work to get ready for 2025 with approximately 40 per cent of the exhibitors from 2024 already booked.
Their goal remains to keep OPC a fun, social and family event mixed with business and the next generation of pork producers learning what the industry has to offer from genetics to pork on your fork. This is combined with the Hog Jog fundraiser that continues to raise thousands of dollars for local causes.
The 2024 OPC was attended by Rob Flack, the new Ontario minister of agriculture, food and agribusiness.
Flack headed up Master Feeds for decades, which continues to have a large presence and mill in Stratford, off Romeo Street.
At this year’s Pork Congress, he took time to meet with producers and then Ontario Pork chair and Perth County pork producer Tara Terpstra.
The 2025 OPC will again be held in Stratford, June 18 and 19, 2025.
ANNUAL MEETING
RAFFLE WINNER DRAWN
Pictured following the annual meeting of Ontario Pork Congress is the newly elected executive committee. They include, in front row from left, Abel Lopez, David Ross, Henry Groenestege, Joe Dwyer and Victoria Stewart. In back row from left are Matt Aarts, Doug Ahrens, Drew De Bruyn and Kirk McLean.
United Way campaign co-chairs John Wolfe and Kristin Sainsbury addressed the assembled crowd then drew the winning ticket for a pair of Taylor Swift VIP floor tickets.
GARY WEST Times Correspondent
(CONTRIBUTED PHOTO)
(LISA CHESTER PHOTO)
LISA CHESTER
Times Correspondent
Rotarians at work: The Aquabox project saves lives
Times Correspondent
The Rotary Club of Stratford was united in work Oct. 19 building Aquabox kits that will be rapidly deployed to save lives.
The Aquabox kit will provide freshly filtered drinking water in quantities that will last about a year for a family of four. The builds have been happening since 2006, nearly 20 years. In total, they have constructed and supplied about 14,000 boxes. This equates to just over 100,000 individuals supplied with life-saving water.
“The mission is to provide safe drinking water following natural disasters but we’ve been involved in man-made disasters as well,” said Dan Kane, project chair. “We have partnered with Global Medic for the distribution side so the boxes we build today will go back to their warehouse in Toronto but will probably only be there a couple days. These are probably going to the Caribbean for hurricane relief and the last batch went to Brazil. We have been in Nepal, Africa, we’ve been all over the world.”
The impact in regions where they have shipped is extreme. The first thing one needs following a disaster is fresh drinking water. When a hurricane comes through, the water system can be taken offline and through Global Medic, they can be onsite within a couple days. Then the people in peril without safe drinking water can use the kits supplied. While the kits are meant to be a temporary measure, they can last up to a year.
“They will use the filter system for a pe-
riod of maybe a couple months until the existing water supply comes back online, then they move back to that supply. So, it’s meant to be that short-term disaster response.”
The key components are two physical buckets, in the top bucket is two ceramic filters and the dirty water will go into the top bucket. The two filters clean the water and it flows through to the bottom bucket where there is a spigot. They also include hygiene kits including soap, toothpaste and toothbrushes as well as solar lights.
“Our biggest challenge is fundraising. A build costs us roughly $15,000. We have enough for another build but our friends at Global Medic, if we could do a build every month they would take it. The need is there. We will need to fundraise further,” said Kane
There is great opportunity for the community to help by visiting the website to donate. Last year, the Kinsmen Club of Stratford sponsored and assisted in a build, but each citizen can make a difference.
“If someone is looking for Christmas presents and wants to donate $50 on behalf of someone that has everything, then fresh, clean drinking water for those in need is a possibility,” said Kane.
The 504 kits were built onsite at Jutzi Water Technologies, which has generously offered warehouse space to the Rotary Club for the twice-yearly builds for the past four years. For those interested in more information on the Aquabox project or to donate, visit https://rotarystratford. com/SitePage/aquabox.
Skeletons of Vivian
Line
It’s safe to say that after 11 years operating, the Skeletons of Vivian Line are a Stratford staple each spooky season.
For those who don’t know, each year, Melissa McKerlie of 3217 Vivian Line 37 sets up a cast of poseable skeletons in her front yard every day in October – each day coming up with new scenes and scenarios for them.
“The best compliment I ever got was there was a gentleman, he was a chef, and he would drive to Milton every day to go to work,” McKerlie said. “And he stopped one day and he said, ‘You know, yesterday's display was so funny, I laughed all the way to work; … we talked about it in the kitchen all day and everybody's laughing.’ It's that aspect of it. It's just about making people smile, right?”
McKerlie explained the skeletons had a humble start compared to how they are set up now. Since her son was only one year old, he absolutely loved Halloween. When he was about three years old, McKerlie saw a Halloween magazine featuring poseable skeletons.
From there, it took a few years to find suitable skeletons, but one day her son was getting ready to go to school when three of them greeted him at the front door.
PROVIDING CLEAN WATER IN DISASTER ZONES
The Aquabox on display had the front opened to show the ceramic filters in the top bucket that will clean contaminated water following a disaster. Over 40 volunteers came together to build 504 kits ready for deployment.
return for spooktastic 11th year
fan-favourite characters like Pumpkin the Rat, and the scenes they find themselves in vary in complexity.
On the day the Times came to interview McKerlie, for instance, the skeletons continued in the theme of the Olympic Games (which is the theme of this year’s antics) with a soccer showdown on her front lawn, complete with a game, a podium and a burning torch looming over all of them.
And in keeping with Canadian tradition, eagle-eyed attendees could spot a drone hovering over the pitch as well.
The Skeletons’ audience has changed, too. No longer is it just McKerlie’s son or the friends and family she would email photos to, who enjoyed the display. Now, they get visitors coming by every day to see what the next display is.
“We have all these Skeleton fans who are coming from London, Toronto, Ottawa,” McKerlie said. “We have people who follow us worldwide, right? The power of social media.”
ter from an anonymous donor stating that every dollar donated will be matched up to $48,000.
“If we can raise the $48,000 and they match it … 500 kids will get the surgery,” McKerlie said.
She estimated the team has raised $130,000 for the organization to date.
McKerlie was quick to say she would not be able to do all of the work on her own. She is grateful for a team of volunteers that assist every morning, afternoon and in the evening, whether it is the five or six volunteers it takes to set the scene each morning or the volunteers who keep watch throughout the day and accept donations.
“And he called them Trick, Or, Treat,” McKerlie said, noting the rest was history.
The displays have certainly changed in scope over the years. Now, Trick, Or and Treat are joined by others. There is a core cast of 20 skeletons, including some
For the last six years, McKerlie has used the displays to raise money for Operation Smile Canada, a charity focused on providing corrective surgery for children with cleft lips and palates.
McKerlie wanted to raise money for the organization since like Operation Smile Canada, the Skeletons of Vivian Line are about letting people smile.
Just this year, McKerlie received a let-
Over the years, there have also been other neighbours and organizations that have lent a hand. In particular, she was grateful for Tim Lott of Tim’s Tree Care, who assists in setting up lights in the trees, and Akins-Brewer Lumber out of Shakespeare, which has also lent assistance by donating supplies.
“We're so appreciative and grateful to everybody for their time and generosity,” McKerlie said. “It's been really, really incredible how generous people have been.”
The season ends on Nov. 1. McKerlie shared ahead of time that there will be closing scaremonies and a send-off fitting for the skeletons.
That is, until next year.
LISA CHESTER
(LISA CHESTER PHOTO)
CONNOR LUCZKA
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
GIVING SMILES
Melissa McKerlie, who organizes the Skeletons of Vivian Line, poses with one of her cast members. McKerlie uses the displays to raise money for Operation Smile Canada since just like Operation Smile Canada, the Skeletons of Vivian Line are about letting people smile.
(CONNOR LUCZKA PHOTO)
Stratford is getting slightly more infrastructure funding from province this year, but other area regions net slightly less
Annual provincial funding for infrastructure has been announced and local municipalities are by and large getting similar amounts this year compared to last year.
Through the Ontario Community Infrastructure Fund (OCIF), the City of Stratford is receiving just over $3.5 million, up from last year’s $3.1 million and by far the largest amount received in the riding.
Stratford Mayor Martin Ritsma highlighted just how expansive the infrastructure deficit is and how important it is for municipalities to address the deficit year after year.
“One of our greatest challenges is infrastructure, whether it's building new or whether it is repairing ageing infrastructure … it certainly is helpful,” Ritsma said about the funding. “We know in our city that we have infrastructure that (is) between 80 and 100 years old, still in the ground … so, is it enough? You know, I would say it's never enough because of the amount of work that we have to do.
“It's wonderful to partner with the provincial government, but certainly they are well aware.”
Perth-Wellington MPP Matthew Rae announced the local numbers on Oct. 17 in Stratford. In total, municipalities in his riding are receiving $14.2 million for local infrastructure projects. The funding
INFRASTRUCTURE FUNDING
Perth-Wellington MPP Matthew Rae was in Stratford on Oct. 17 to announce $14.2 million in infrastructure funding for municipalities in his riding. Stratford received the largest share, with just over $3.5 million. St. Marys is receiving $539,940.
ciative of this kind of funding because it allows us to plan long term.
“The reality is we're trying to catch up, just like every other municipality in the country. We were aware that the amount that we were going to receive was less, I just don't think we knew how much. So, it's not a big surprise. … We do appreciate this style of funding and we encourage the government to continue with it and to increase it, actually, as we keep up with our infrastructure challenges.”
Strathdee indicated the fund has not been earmarked for any specific project, as did Ritsma.
“We’re exactly the same as St. Marys with that regard,” Rtisma said. “It’ll be a discussion as to what project is best suited or what projects are best suited for the use of these dollars.”
The OCIF funding is part of the province’s $190-billion capital plan to build and expand more homes, highways, hospitals, transit and high-speed internet across the province. Overall, Ontario will allocate $400 million in OCIF next year to help 423 small, rural and northern communities build roads, bridges, water and wastewater infrastructure.
Communities may accumulate funding for up to five years to address larger infrastructure projects, if leadership so desires.
“I know it's something I hear often from our municipal partners on the need for more infrastructure funding,” Rae said. “I think our provincial government has demonstrated that we are listening to that. … There obviously is more work to be done and I know we continue to work with our municipal colleagues to address the infrastructure needs, both at the provincial and municipal levels.”
1. What is the primary purpose of Remembrance Day?
2. On which date is Remembrance Day observed in many countries?
3. What symbol is commonly associated with Remembrance Day?
4. In which year was the first Remembrance Day commemorated?
5. What was the original name of Remembrance Day?
6. Which poem, written by Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae, is often associated with Remembrance Day?
7. What time of day is often marked by a moment of silence on Remembrance Day?
8. Which countries commonly observe Remembrance Day on November 11?
9. What does the "two minutes of silence" represent?
10. Which notable figure famously said, "At the going down of the sun and in the morning, we will remember them"?
amounts are based on a formula that takes into account current infrastructure within the municipality as well as “economic conditions,” according to the province’s website.
“The one thing about the OCIF, as it is commonly referred to as, is that it is able to provide those municipalities with that funding every year, but it gives them the flexibility,” Rae said. “It provides that
flexibility for our municipalities to decide what's the priority in their local community because Stratford is different than Drayton, for example, or St. Marys. … And so, it really provides them that flexibility to make local decisions.”
The Town of St. Marys, meanwhile, is receiving $539,940 compared to last year's $597,536.
“The OCIF is really important to us because it allows a stable funding source for things like roads, bridges, all sorts of infrastructure,” St. Marys Mayor Al Strathdee told the Times. “So, it's a really important program and we are very appre -
The OCIF funding allocated for the Perth-Wellington riding, as provided by the Ministry of Infrastructure, is as follows:
• Wellington County, $2,350,140.
• Mapleton, $1,311,355.
• Minto $ 1,512,130.
• North Perth, $1,025,666.
• Perth County, $597,558.
• Perth East, $353,579.
• Perth South, $447,790.
• St. Marys, $539,940.
• Stratford, $3,582,916.
• Wellington North, $1,429,951.
• West Perth, $1,133,590.
CORRECTION: Two errors were printed on page 27 of the Oct. 18, 2024 edition of the Stratford Times. In the headline for photos of Ken Rielly, immediate past president of Stratford Unit 261 of the Army, Navy and Air Force Veterans in Canada, receiving the American Legion Friendship Award as well as the Life Membership Award for his time and effort volunteering as a member of Stratford Unit 261 from Army, Navy & Air Force Veterans in Canada president Robert (Bob) Cassels, the headline incorrectly indicated the awards were for "Legion service" when the awards were actually for service to The Army, Navy & Air Force Veterans in Canada. The photo description also incorrectly indicated Cassels is president of the Royal Canadian Legion Ontario Command. We regret any confusion these errors may have caused.
CONNOR LUCZKA
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
(CONTRIBUTED PHOTO)
Fire department receives 210 combination smoke and carbon-monoxide detectors through Project Zero
EMILY STEWART Times Correspondent
Enbridge Gas Inc. and local firefighters are working together to ensure residents have the best possible detectors to prevent fire and carbon-monoxide deaths.
Enbridge Gas Inc. and the Stratford Fire Department announced on Oct. 24 they’re collaborating to keep residents safe as they reduce carbon-monoxide and fire-related deaths to zero.
The Stratford Fire Department received 210 combination smoke and carbon-monoxide detectors through Safe Community Project Zero, a Fire Marshal’s Fire Safety Council (FMPFSC) initiative. Safe Community Project Zero will provide more than 14,500 combination alarms to residents of 75 Ontario communities.
Enbridge Gas invested more than $450,000 in Safe Community Project Zero this year. The company also gave fire departments across Ontario over 101,000 fire alarms.
"I think it's wonderful,” Fire Chief Neil Andeson said. “We often go to alarms, houses, that have expired CO or combination ones like this, carbon-monoxide smoke. It helps all our citizens who need something like that this and it's a very, very, generous donation from Enbridge for Project Zero, as they refer to it, and to protect the people from the silent killer, which is carbon monoxide."
Carbon monoxide is an odourless and toxic gas that is a by-product of incomplete combustion of several common fuels.
Anderson said in years past, there were separate carbon monoxide and smoke detectors. The separate alarms can be expensive when replacing. The combination alarms have other benefits.
“They detect both smoke and carbon monoxide, so it's a lot more convenient,” he said. “Easier to replace for people especially those who have a hard time reaching the ceiling or the batteries, and they usually last around
PROJECT ZERO
10 years."
Stratford Mayor Martin Ritsma said that safety of the city’s residents is top priority as he thanked Enbridge for the donation and the fire department for their work.
“It speaks to the importance of safety and that being proactive as opposed to being reactive when an incident
Queer Book of the Month Club
The Adult, by Bronwyn Fischer @ SPL: FIC
Fisch
Arriving at the University of Toronto to begin her undergraduate studies, eighteen-year-old Natalie can’t help but feel that her peers already have everything figured out. Her poetry classmate already knows she wants to be a poet, and her new-found friend from residence already exudes the confidence of someone born and raised in the city. Many hail from the familiar suburbs, or have arrived for their first week of school already equipped with fake IDs. All of this contributes to Natalie feeling much like a fish-out-of-water, having come from a remote northern Ontario town of Temagami.
So imagine Natalie’s surprise when a
confident older woman, Nora, takes up interest in her. The excitement of her freshman year quickly begins to centre around spending time with Nora at her very sophisticated, off-campus condo and imagining the details of her much-more grown-up life. Unsure about how her peers would receive her thrilling new relationship with another woman, Natalie conceals it by fabricating a fake older boyfriend, Paul. Things get dicey as Natalie realizes that Nora’s mystique is not just an effect of wisdom — she is also hiding something.
A charming coming-of-age story of identity and an all-consuming first romance, Bronwyn Fischer’s debut offers an intimate peek into the heart and mind of a young woman on the precipice of adulthood and self discovery. The Adult gorgeously tackles love, deceit, and the adolescent pressure to be someone without yet having the time to become them.
and carbon-monoxide-related deaths.
smoke-carbon-monoxide detec-
occurs, and so thank you,” Ritsma said. “For the fire department, I know you do a lot of proactive work. I know the headlines we get most the time; it's the reactive saying ‘Okay, we had this incident,’ but I think it's important to speak to the proactive work that the men and women in the service do on a regular basis.”
The Stratford Fire Department and Enbridge Gas Inc. are teaming up to prevent fire-
On behalf of Safe Community Project Zero, the fire department received 210 combination
tors.
(EMILY STEWART PHOTO)
Times Past: William H. Trethewey’s early days of the Grand Trunk Railway shops in Stratford, part one
An update on the work of the Stratford Historical Society appeared in the local newspaper in May of 1923. They planned to launch a county-wide appeal to residents to donate “every available picture or document that bears on the history of the city of Stratford and the county of Perth” to be kept safe in the Society’s new rooms at Stratford Public Library. President R.T. Orr was to be the recipient of the “old letters, documents, and photographs of old citizens of the city and county” and promised to “all who so contribute that the best of care will be taken of everything sent in.” These collections were eventually transferred to Stratford-Perth Archives where they continue to be preserved and made available for local history enthusiasts. It was also reported that a number of people had been invited to write down their memories on different subjects. By September of 1925, William H. Trethewey, one of the earliest employees of the Grand Trunk Railway shops on Downie Street in Stratford, had created a 32-page long hand-written manuscript outlining a history of the shops and the people who had worked there. Trethewey was among the GTR staff photographed here in August 1873. Like the donated photographs and records, Trethewey’s manuscript is now preserved at Stratford-Perth Archives. Here is the first section of his article: According to Trout’s “Railways of Canada,” the Grand Trunk Railway was opened from Toronto to Sarnia, or Point Edward, a distance of 170 miles, on the 21st of November 1856.
The Buffalo and Lake Huron Railway was opened from Buffalo to Goderich, a distance of 162 miles, on the 28th day of June 1858. But I would point out that Trout’s work is in error here as to dates when the two roads came into Stratford. As a matter of fact it was not the Grand Trunk, as Trout says, but the Buffalo, Brantford and Goderich, as the Buffalo and Lake Huron was first called, which reached Stratford first. Both roads came to Stratford in 1856, but the Buffalo road got here first, and in consequence, up to the amalgamation, the Buffalo road had the right of way over the Grand Trunk at the Stratford intersections. Brantford was the largest town between Buffalo and Goderich, and it had bonused the Buffalo and Lake Huron to the extent of $100,000; moreover, it was situated within about four and one half miles of the central point between Buffalo and Goderich. It was, therefore, selected as the location of the chief offices of the road and of the round house and the car and locomotive repair shops.
The chief officials of the Buffalo and Lake Huron and all the other employees made a considerable addition to Brantford’s population, while their salaries and wages amounted to a large sum each year. It was something of a distinction, too, to be a place of such importance on the railway.
The Grand Trunk and the Buffalo and Lake Huron continued as separate corpo -
rations for nearly eight years; but negotiations which had been going on for some time, resulted in an agreement by which the Buffalo and Lake Huron was vested [?] in perpetuity to the Grand Trunk. This agreement went into effect in August 1864, when the Buffalo and Lake Huron ceased to be known by that name – it had become merely a section or division of the Grand Trunk.
It was only natural that the people of Brantford should be somewhat anxious about how this amalgamation would affect their town. As the middle point of the Buffalo and Lake Huron Railway, Brantford was the proper place for the general offices and the repair shops; but the case became different when the Buffalo and Goderich, and the Toronto and Sarnia divisions of the Grand Trunk crossed one another at Strat-
Left: GTR manuscript history
ford. Stratford was obviously the point from which to direct the operations of the two divisions.
This fact was evident to some of the people of Brantford. A prominent Brantford merchant, at a public meeting called to discuss railway matters, spoke something like this –
“I was at Stratford the other day, and when the passenger trains came in on the two lines, I was impressed by the busy scene on the Station’s platform occasioned by the transferring of passengers and baggage. We see nothing like it at our station. It occurred to me that one divisional superintendent at Stratford, with an adequate staff, could manage both divisions and it further occurred to me that it is the manifest destiny of Stratford, by virtue of its position to become an important railway centre.”
Acting on the belief that the way to a man’s heart, especially if that man be an Englishman, lies through his stomach, the citizens of Brantford lost no time in entertaining Mr. C.J. Brydges, Managing Director of the Grand Trunk, at a magnificent banquet in the Kirby House. One of the speakers on that occasion, a forerunner of our great humorist, Stephen Leacock –
BETTY JO BELTON
Stratford-Perth Archives
Above: GTR Employees Stratford Shop, Aug. 1873
(CONTRIBUTED PHOTOS)
Local heart-failure program recognized by provincial awards
CONNOR LUCZKA
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
Local residents can rest assured their cardiac concerns are in good hands.
The Huron Perth and Area Ontario Health Team (HPA-OHT)’s heart failure program has been named one of three finalists in the Improved Population Health category of the 2024 Ontario Health System Quality and Innovation Awards.
Although the program did not win the award when the ceremony was held in Toronto in September, to be recognized above other, bigger programs is a feather in the team’s cap, according to Dr. Shanil Narayan.
“Whenever you hear you're one of the best in the province, I think that's reassuring,” Narayan, a Stratford-based physician, said.
Narayan is the physician lead for the heart-failure program. He has been a physician in the Huron-Perth area for about 20 years now, helping people with cardiac-function issues for that time. His leadership role has developed over the last three to four years.
The Ontario Health System Quality and
Innovation Awards celebrate the work being done across the province to address evolving health-care challenges. The Improved Population Health category, which the local heart-failure program was recognized by, honours initiatives that demonstrate measurable success in improving health outcomes for specific communities.
“We've been increasingly hearing good things about what our region has been doing over the last little while,” Narayan said. “We, as of a few years ago, were one of the first few people to be recognized as an outstanding group in heart-function care, so there were pilot projects launched in our area to try and figure out how to better work on cardiac rehabilitation. We were one of a few regions that received extra funding from the ministry to develop networks to look after heart-function care in the last few years.”
Narayan called this award “the cherry on top” of what the team has been hearing from the community and from the wider health-care network. He said the award is something people can look to, but it is representative of the consistent hard work and outstanding care the team puts out.
“I'm super proud of our region to be
high,” Narayan said. “I always tell people that Huron-Perth and area punches above its weight class consistently. And I think one of the things that small communities do better than most is establish and leverage relationships.
“You hear stories about family medicine burnout, and it's true, but there are still people fighting hard every day to do good things. We talk about primary care alternatives and we know that there are some excellent nurse practitioners who work with us. We talk about people who are again struggling because of workload, but consistently when we get to these groups, we have young, enthusiastic people working in our emergency EMS pathways who put their hands up time and time again and say, ‘Hey, can we help?’ We have nurses working in long-term care facilities who consistently say, ‘Hey, what can we do to help this be better?’ … Those day-to-day relationships are consistent stories.”
Narayan said the silent heroes who work and do great things every day are key to the team’s success, as is the population they serve. Having an appreciative patient population that “works wonders” to give feedback that fuels their caregivers is
something Narayan highlighted.
He specifically praised the team’s respiratory therapists and nurse practitioners with cardiac training who have been particularly helpful in sharing their skills and knowledge with patients, building the team’s capacity.
Since 2019, regions of care have been divided into Ontario health teams: regional coalitions of organizations that come together to deliver care and coordinate resources for the population. Within the team, there are physicians, nurses, community support specialists and people from across the breadth of health care.
The team has not formally celebrated yet, having members across the region’s area and members that work in various capacities, but Narayan said there will be a celebration soon.
"We are proud to be recognized for our collaborative and integrated approach," said Joelle Lamport Lewis, director of HPA-OHT, in a media release. "This acknowledgment reflects the hard work and commitment of our health-care professionals and partner organizations who come together to provide the best possible care for our communities."
Times Past: William H. Trethewey’s early
days of the
Grand Trunk Railway shops in Stratford,
said that, of all the railways on the American continent, the Grand Trunk had the best Brydges, a remark which doubtless pleased the guest of the evening.
But Mr. Brydges was not the man to be swerved by any amount of dining and wining and adulation from that line of policy which he saw was in the interest of the Grand Trunk Railway Company, whose loyal servant he was. When, therefore, at this banquet, the toast of the Grand Trunk Company had been duly honored, he responded in a speech of considerable length. He said many nice polite things which drew forth rounds of vociferous applause, and when he sat down, most of the Brantford nabobs at the table felt within themselves the comfortable and pleasing assurance that their town was going to fare well under the new order of things. But Mr. Brydges, like a certain French diplomat, could use language not to express, but to conceal, thought, and so, the next morning, after the exhilaration of the champagne had somewhat subsided, when those Brantford gentlemen began to think over the General Manager’s speech, the truth dawned on them that it was quite non-committal. Its polite and pleasant phrases were for the moment only; they were as evanescent as the baseless fabric of a vision.
Now locomotive repair shops are as necessary to a railway as the locomotives themselves. Those for the western main line of the Grand Trunk were situated in Toronto, and, as we have seen, those for the Buffalo and Goderich line in Brantford.
One often wonders how rumors originate, and sometimes the event proves that the rumor had a solid foundation of truth.
About the year 1869, a rumor began to circulate through the Brantford shops that the Grand Trunk authorities were moving to bring the Toronto and Brantford shops together in one establishment. As time went on, this rumor which at first was as light and airy as a morning mist, began to take definite shape as objects do when the obscurity of night flies before the rising sun.
The Brantford shop folks, and, we may well believe, those in Toronto too, were much disturbed at the prospect of having to leave our houses and our old associations, and the question on everybody’s lips was “Where are the shops to be built?” Stratford was much spoken of; but there was talk of the Grand Trunk asking Toronto for a strip of land on the esplanade with a view to enlarging the shops already there, and this talk introduced an element of uncertainty into the matter.
But Toronto refused to give this land, and some people think it was because of this refusal that the shops were built at Stratford. I do not think so. The esplanade was too crowded a place for such shops as the Grand Trunk required then, and for the larger ones which they would require in the future, and anyway, Toronto was 88 miles east of that central junction point at which every voice in consideration dictated that those shops would be placed.
It is not likely there was ever in the minds of the Grand Trunk authorities a thought of enlarging the Toronto shops. Stratford
was obviously the place, but with the idea of obtaining the best possible terms from Stratford they dangled before its eyes the possibility of Toronto being the chosen site.
Another event in 1870, which showed in what estimation Stratford was held as a center of railway operation, was the removal of district headquarters from Brantford to Stratford, and the subsequent enlargement of the district so as to include the line from Toronto through to Detroit and Jackson, Michigan, and the London branch, as well as the line from Buffalo to Goderich.
This event brought to Stratford our well known and highly respected former citizen,
part one
Major Larmour; also his right hand man, David Morrice, and several clerks, telegraph operators and despatchers, whose names I have not got.
The concessions which the Grand Trunk obtained from Stratford were exemption from taxes for five years, and the closing of Victoria Street from St. David to Downie. These concessions being satisfactory, work on the new shops was begun in the summer of 1870, and by May or June of the next year, they were ready for occupation.
To be continued next time. Please contact Stratford-Perth Archives, 519-271-0531 ext 259 or archives@perthcounty.ca with any questions or comments.
Julie Moore, former trustee, appointed as new AMDSB trustee
STRATFORD TIMES STAFF
stratfordtimes@gmail.com
The local public-school board has a new representative on its board.
At the Oct. 22 Avon Maitland District School Board (AMDSB) board of trustees meeting, Julie Moore was appointed the new Perth East trustee, filling the vacant seat.
“We are pleased to welcome Julie back to the board and we thank those who took the time to apply for the position,” said chair Robert Hunking in a subsequent statement released by the board.
Moore was voted in by the board, beating out 12 candidates. She has previously served in the role, having been elected in 2010, 2014 and 2018.
Moore is a Perth East resident, living on a sixth-generation farm. She has two boys who attended North Easthope Public School. She is a social worker in an executive leadership role at Ontario Health, with subject-matter expertise in mental health and addictions. Moore takes over the position from David Briant. Briant was vacated from his seat due to unmet requirements of
Notice of Transition and Study Commencement
Preliminary Design, Detail Design, and Class Environmental Assessment Study
the Education Act, according to representatives from the school board.
Trustees are required to be physically present at regular meetings of the board. In most of the meeting minutes of the past school year, Briant is listed as absent or attended virtually through Microsoft Teams.
Moore will be officially sworn in at a later board meeting.
Highway 7/8 and Road 111 Intersection Improvements, Township of Perth East, Perth County (GWP 3083-21-00)
THE PROJECT
The Ontario Ministry of Transportation (MTO) has retained Egis (formerly McIntosh Perry) to undertake the Preliminary Design, Detail Design and Class Environmental Assessment (Class EA) Study for the Highway 7/8 and Road 111 intersection improvements, located in the Township of Perth East, at the boundary of Perth East and the City of Stratford, Perth County.
THE PROCESS
This study was initiated as a Group ‘B’ project under the Class Environmental (Class EA) Assessment for Provincial Transportation Facilities (2000) but will be moving forward as a Group ‘B’ project under the Class Environmental Assessment (Class EA) for Provincial Transportation Facilities and Municipal Expressways (2024).
This notice is being issued to inform of study commencement, and to confirm that this project has transitioned to following the 2024 Class EA. Transitioning to the new Class EA process will improve the planning process of projects beyond the preliminary design stage, bringing MTO into alignment with best practices observed in other Class EA frameworks. Transitioning from the requirements of the 2000 Class EA to the 2024 Class EA reflects a commitment to optimizing the assessment process by removing redundancies and expediting project planning to facilitate a more streamlined implementation process. Commitments made during the preliminary design phase will be addressed as the project progresses through the design process. Design and construction information will continue to be published on the project website and opportunities for public consultation will be ongoing through preliminary design.
Please note that the transition to the 2024 Class EA is not anticipated to negatively impact project schedule or construction timelines.
Information on the project, including the process under the 2024 Class EA can be found at www.Highway7and8perthcountyroad.com
At the end of the study, the project team will prepare a Transportation Environmental Study Report (TESR) that describes how the requirements of the Class EA were met; how the project achieves the greatest overall transportation benefit while minimizing overall negative net environmental impacts; other key decisions; consultation with individuals, organizations, and Indigenous communities; and commitments for consultation and environmental protection.
The project team will issue a Notice of Completion at which point there will be a 30-day comment period allowing for an opportunity to provide comments on the TESR. The project team will include comments received, responses to the comments and any supporting materials in a record of consultation.
COMMENTS
If you have any comments or questions about this notice, or have questions about the study, we respectfully request you contact one of the following Project Team members:
Steven Pilgrim, P.Eng. Consultant Project Manager Egis
516 O’Connor Drive, Unit 200 Kingston, ON K7P 1N3 tel: 343-344-2629 or toll-free: 1-888-348-8991
e-mail: Highway7and8@mcintoshperry.com
Wendy Xu, P.Eng.
MTO Project Manager
Ministry of Transportation | West Region 3rd Flr. 659 Exeter Road, London, ON N6E 1L3 tel: 548-588-1937
e-mail: Wendy.Xu@ontario.ca
You are encouraged to visit the project website, www.Highway7and8perthcountyroad.com where project information including study notices, background information, etc. You can also submit comments or questions to the project team on the project website. Information collected will be used in accordance with the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act. With the exception of personal information, all comments become part of the public record. If you have any accessibility requirements in order to participate in this project, please contact one of the Project Team members listed above.
Flag from Parliament Hill to play important role in Stratford Remembrance Day ceremony
GALEN SIMMONS Regional Editor
The simple act of one Stratford resident placing his name on a waiting list nearly 12 and a half years ago has resulted in the Stratford Royal Canadian Legion Branch 8 being able to fly a Canadian flag previously flown on Parliament Hill at this year’s Remembrance Day ceremony.
In 2010, Ron Dodson learned from his son, who was working in Ottawa for the department of defence at the time, that the Government of Canada has a program through which residents of Canada can place their names on a waiting list to receive a Canadian flag that was previously flown on Parliament Hill.
“He told me that the public service in
Ottawa changes the flags on Parliament Hill – three flags; east, west, Centre Block – every week (for the east and west blocks and daily for the Centre Block),” Dodson said. “He thought that was pretty neat, so I said to him, ‘What do they do with the flags that are taken down?’ He told me they give them away to ordinary citizens.”
In August of that year, Dodson opted to place his name on that waiting list, though he was immediately told it could take more than a decade before he would receive a flag. Exactly 12 years, four months and 24 days later, Dodson finally received a Canadian flag measuring four-and-a-half by nine feet that had been flown over either the East or West Block during the week of Remembrance Day in 2022.
“I then offered it to the Legion. I wanted it to be flown in a place that meant something to the community,” Dodson said. “I didn’t want it to sit on my shelf. It was not a collector’s item; I wanted it to be seen because that’s what the Canadian flag should be – seen.”
On Sept. 20 of this year, Dodson had the opportunity to present the flag to three local veterans – one from each of the three branches of the military – during the
Legion’s annual Veterans Dinner on Sept. 20. Those veterans were Tom Soper, a second world war veteran who served with the 4th Battalion of The Royal Canadian Regiment; 99-year-old Clarence McCallum, who served during World War II with the Royal Canadian Navy; and Anne Boyd, a retired captain with the Royal Canadian Air Force.
“We were really pleased because we’re all about veterans and for (the flag) to have flown on Parliament Hill seemed like a plus for us because that’s the whole idea of it,” said Stratford Legion president Frank Mathieson. “We all fight for our freedom and the department of national defence is more or less our umbrella … so we were quite honoured that Ron had given us the opportunity to accept the flag as a tribute to our veterans who gave their lives for our freedom.”
With more than 60 veterans, their caregivers and current members of the military in attendance for the dinner, Mathieson said Dodson’s donation of the flag was very well received.
“It was a thrill,” Dodson said. “I have to say that it finished that circle. The flag was there for those veterans to fight under and then it came back to them in the end as well.”
Ahead of this year’s Remembrance Day ceremony Nov. 11, Mathieson said the flag will be delivered to the City of Stratford and it will be raised on the flagpole at the Stratford Cenotaph on Nov. 8, lowered to half mast briefly during the playing of “Last Post” at the ceremony itself, and finally taken down on Nov. 12 at around noon and carefully stored for future Remembrance Day ceremonies.
“We’ll fly it every year as long as the Legion is still here in Stratford and if in the event we ever give up our charter, which we can’t foresee in the near future, it would be handed to city hall to see that it’s raised every year,” Mathieson said.
While the wait for flags from Parliament Hill was a little over a decade when Dodson put his name on this list in 2010, the Government of Canada’s website now estimates the wait for a flag exceeds 100 years.
Stratford Royal Canadian Legion Branch 8 president Frank Mathieson and Ron Dodson hold a Canadian flag, previously flown on Parliament Hill during Remembrance Day 2022, at the Stratford Cenotaph, where the flag will play a prominent role in this year ’s local Remembrance Day ceremony.
(GALEN SIMMONS PHOTO)
stratfordtimes@gmail.com
Area citizens will once again gather at the cenotaph in Stratford on Remembrance Day, Monday Nov. 11, to mark the day the First World War ended in 1918 and take part in two minutes of silence at 11 a.m. on the 11th day of the 11th month. By remembering, we pay tribute to members of the Canadian Armed Forces and RCMP who served to defend our values and freedoms, as we also honour those who continue to serve our country today.
Prior to the formal ceremony, which begins at 10:30 a.m., wreaths from members of the community will be laid beginning at 10 a.m. Veterans, cadets, first responders and dignitaries will then be paraded from the Stratford Armouries to the cenotaph for the ceremony, led by the Stratford Police Pipes and Drums.
Hamlet Elementary School Choir will perform prior to the beginning of the formal ceremony. Avondale United Church Rev. Marg Smith will do the scripture reading, the Call to Remembrance will be given by Rev. Mark Wolfe from St. Andrew’s Church, and the Honour Roll will be read by RCL Branch 008 Padre Rev. R.L. Read. Comrade Richard Boon will act as master of ceremonies and announce the formal placing of the wreaths.
O’ Canada and The Royal Anthem (God Save The King) will be sung by Loreena McKennitt, former honorary colonel of the Royal Canadian Air Force.
“The Remembrance Day Service at the cenotaph is our privilege and an opportunity to honour the men and women who served Canada and their sovereign so that we may have the freedom of today,” said Frank Mathieson, president of the Royal
Lest We Forget
Canadian Legion Stratford branch, in a press release.
“By remembering, we’re also paying tribute to all uniformed members of the Canadian Armed Forces, not only to those who served in the First and Second World Wars. That includes those who served in subsequent conflicts, for example, in Korea and Afghanistan, and those currently involved in Ukraine. We also acknowledge members engaged in peacekeeping, search-and-rescue operations, humanitarian relief, sovereignty patrol and disaster relief. And we must not forget that our veterans also include those serving in the RCMP, who together with all current members of the Canadian Forces will one day become veterans themselves.”
Following the service, the public can place their own poppies on the steps of the cenotaph in memory of the fallen.
For those unable to attend in person, the ceremony will also be broadcast live beginning at 10:30 a.m. on Rogers TV (Cable 20 and rogerstv.com), on Wightman TV Channel 1 and webcast on Ballinran Entertainment’s YouTube channel.
This year is also the 100th anniversary of the Royal Canadian Airforce.
Nov. 8 is also National Indigenous Veterans Day, which specifically recognizes Indigenous people’s remarkable record of wartime accomplishment in service to Canada.
For the sixth year, the Stratford Perth Museum will be recognizing Remembrance Day through its banner program featuring Stratford and area veterans. They’re displayed along Ontario, Downie and Wellington streets, as well as in Market Square and along Veterans Drive. Each year, Lange Bros. donates their time by installing and taking down the banners.
The Poppy Campaign also continues this year and poppy boxes are placed in over 100 different establishments in the city, including the Legion (804 Ontario St.) and the Army, Navy and Airforce Veterans building (151 Lorne Ave. E.). The campaign heavily relies on donations, rather than sales, and proceeds are used to support veterans, their families and related services. Some of the proceeds, for example, support organizations that train service dogs for use by people with Operational Stress Injury (commonly called PTSD), as well as local hospitals which supply medical items to help sup -
port veterans.
Anyone interested in reviewing the full program can download it at www.falstafffamilycentre.com/remembranceday.
Ribbon-tying ceremony held to celebrate new mural on Downie Street
LISA CHESTER Times Correspondent
A new attraction in downtown Stratford is being celebrated with the completion of the newest mural at 151 Downie St.
The side of the Sutton Realty building provides the perfect canvas for the 24,956 hearts fashioned to showcase some of Stratford’s main attractions. Instead of the traditional ribbon cutting, a ribbon tying in the form of a bow was conducted to symbolize the coming together and the spirit of gathering.
“We’re so excited to announce that our wall mural was selected by My Main Street Community Activator Stream,” said Downtown Stratford Business Improvement Area (BIA) general manager Jamie Pritchard in his opening remarks. “With their support, we are able to see our vision for this huge blank canvas to come to fruition and cannot wait for the community to claim it as their own.”
He went on to thank Sutton Realty for the wall space, Jennifer Birmingham for accommodations, Deluxe paint for supplies and, finally, the artists, Bareket Kezwer and Liz Emirzian. Pritchard added there
SHOWCASING STRATFORD WITH LOVE
A ribbon-tying ceremony was held Oct. 23 to celebrate the new mural located at 151 Downie St. Pictured from left to right are BIA board chair Stephanie Theodoropoulos, BIA beautification co-chair Megan Chisholm, city Coun. Jo-Dee Burbach, BIA membership and animation liaison Kim Griffiths, mural artists Bareket Kezwer and Liz Emirzian, Coun. Larry McCabe, Mayor Martin Ritsma, BIA marketing and social-media manager Sara Bradford, and BIA general manager Jamie Pritchard.
are many others that contributed to this project, too many to name, for which gratitude was offered.
“There are so many activities in our community where people want to collaborate, where they want to work with like organizations, where they want to work with the City of Stratford and so, what an appropriate title for this, instead of cutting it, lets wrap it, let’s bring it all together,” said Mayor Martin
This newest mural is intended to help animate the outlying areas of downtown and to bring people walking more toward the edges of the downtown area. It is wholly funded by grants awarded by My Main Street Community Activator, funded by Fed Dev Ontario and the Canadian Urban Institute.
With a call to artists issued, a huge response allowed the jury pro-
cess to attain artwork that would represent all things wonderful in Stratford. Criteria for the design was established and local artist Emirzian, whose work adorns the artblocks on George Street, as well as Kezwer were selected.
“I had a chat with Jamie (Pritchard) and Kim (Griffiths) about what the BIA was hoping the mural would achieve and they shared some of the different things that are really important in the community. They were wanting this mural to celebrate what makes Stratford special and what people love about the community. The natural beauty here makes it really special and the culture makes it so special so I thought about different elements that could help tell that story and represent Stratford,” said Kezwer.
In her vision, the mural brings together elements representing two large echinacea flowers, both of which are being pollinated, giving a nod to our pollinator gardens and also to the local food system because so much of our food needs pollinators to thrive. Swans are a celebration of the Avon River and the tulips are a nod to a tulip festival and the relationship between
Holland and Stratford. Finally, the skull adorned with a crown is a nod toward the Shakespeare festival and the play, Hamlet.
Her approach to the execution of the mural was highly creative using technology to develop a map of all the elements.
“The process involved first creating each element and then making a collage of those elements, then I used a special program that creates cross-stitch patterns and took the photo collage that I made and created a cross-stitch pattern and used that as the map to create the painting,” said Kezwer.
Each “stitch” of the map was painted on the wall in the form of hearts.
“I really want the work to communicate that there is so much love in the community and in the world and we are able to look at the world through that perspective. I also think the heart really beautifully represents this idea that each individual action is what makes up the larger whole and the larger community, and that each of our actions when we do them with consistency over time creates an impact that’s so much bigger than one, individual moment,” Kezwer said.
Ritsma.
(CONTRIBUTED PHOTO)
STRATFORD SPORTS
Warriors drop three of four; reacquire Hunter Nagge
SPENCER SEYMOUR Times Regional Reporter
Even though the Stratford Hunter Steel Ltd. Warriors are in the midst of their least successful stretch of the season so far, the team did enjoy a big piece of good news in the form of a massive player acquisition.
Rejoining the Warriors is 20-year-old forward Hunter Nagge, who played two full seasons in Stratford from 2021-2023. After a modest rookie season consisting of nine goals and 15 points in 44 games, Nagge exploded for 32 goals and 60 points in 44 games in his second year with the Warriors. Nagge spent all of last season and the beginning of this season with the OJHL’s Collingwood Blues, with whom he won the Centennial Cup earlier this year.
Head coach Dave Williams expressed excitement about adding such a high-end veteran to the top of his forward group.
“Hunter is a great kid who plays a very complete game,” Williams told the Times. “We are super fortunate to have had him for the two years that we did, and we saw lots
STRATFORD
PROTECT THE NET
Friday, November 1 - 7:30pm vs Brantford - Allman Arena
Friday, Sept. 15th 7:30pm vs Listowel Allman Arena
Saturday, November 2 - 7:00pm at Cambridge - Galt Arena Gardens
of growth, not only as a player going from year one to year two but also as a person and as a leader. As good as he was, we're definitely getting him back as an even better player than when he left us. I think he is going to bring some great leadership to the group. He has lots of experience and knows what it takes to win. You never question his work ethic and compete level, so we’re really fortunate to have him back.”
ed by blueliners Aaron Green and Aiden Wilson.
Just under five minutes later, Priddle netted his second of the night to tie the game at two apiece on a powerplay. The Warriors spent large chunks of the final half of the period shorthanded, taking three minor penalties in the final six minutes and 48 seconds.
Saturday, Sept. 16th 7:30pm at Listowel
Friday, November 8 - 7:30pm vs Listowel - Allman Arena
Steve Kerr Memorial Arena
Friday, Sept. 15th 7:30pm vs Listowel Allman Arena
The reacquisition of Nagge came in the middle of the Warriors’ worst stretch of the GOJHL season to date, with the team having lost three of their last four games. In those four games, the Warriors have scored just eight goals, half of which came in the Warriors' 4-3 victory over the Sarnia Legionnaires on Oct. 24.
With merely 29 seconds left in the middle frame, Jimmy Monks scored his third of the season to put the Legionnaires ahead by one heading into the third.
The Warriors tied the game four minutes and 56 seconds into the third when Jack McGurn found the back of the net, assisted by Lewis and Green and breaking the Cambridge, Ont. native’s five-game streak without a point.
Sunday, November 10 - 7:00pm at Chatham - Chatham Memorial Arena
Sponsored by
Saturday, Sept. 16th 7:30pm at Listowel
Steve Kerr Memorial Arena
Friday, November 15 - 7:30pm vs Komoka - Allman Arena
While starting on time has been an issue for the young Warriors early on this year, it was anything but in Sarnia, with Stratford outshooting the Legionnaires 15-5 and taking a 1-0 lead into the first intermission. Cole Lewis opened the scoring with his 10th of the campaign on a powerplay, assisted by the newly returning Nagge and Dracen Campbell. The goal gave Lewis points in five of his last six games and goals in four of his last six. Instead, the problems came in the second period.
Sarnia’s own heavy hitting recent reacquisition, Jaxon Priddle, scored his first of three points in the game just a minute and 53 seconds into the period in the form of his second goal of the year. A little over eight-and-a-half minutes later, Carter Petrie snapped a three-game point drought and retook the one-goal lead for Stratford, assist-
With the game staying tied after 60 minutes, it went into overtime where Quinn Kipfer buried his fifth of the year to win the game. Colin Slattery earned the lone assist.
Williams admitted the trio of penalties in the second period wasn’t helpful, but was happy to see them dig deep and come up with a come-from-behind victory.
“We shot ourselves in the foot by taking three penalties in the second period and playing two long stretches down two men,” Williams said. “We were our own worst enemy at times and we let them turn the tide. We need to do everything we can to help ourselves.
“The silver lining for us was that we were able to stick with it and find a way to win. We’re not going to dominate
Carter McDougall withstands his younger brother Chase crashing the net during the Stratford Hunter Steel Ltd. Warriors game on Oct. 16 against the St. Marys Lincolns.
(McGINNY PHOTOGRAPHY PHOTO)
Warriors drop three of four; reacquire Hunter Nagge
every game and every team we play. There are going to be nights when you have to find different ways to win and thankfully, we were able to find a way to get it tied in the third and then win in overtime.”
The win, although imperfect, was a breath of fresh air for the Warriors after they lost both sets in a home-and-home series against the St. Marys Lincolns, the first half of which came on Oct. 16. Stratford took 1-0 and 2-1 leads during the contest, but the high-powered Lincolns responded roughly a minute later both times.
St. Marys took a 3-2 lead late in the second before Campbell’s first of the year tied the game just 33 seconds into the third period. However, a point shot deflected off Dylan Searles found a way into the back of the Warriors’ net and held up as the eventual game-winner.
“That game was a little scrambling on
both sides of the rink. I don’t know if either team felt like they were at the top of their game that night. Even still, we had an opportunity to win. We were one shot away from winning that game. I thought both teams were feeling each other out a little bit more than either team wanted to from the get-go,” Williams said.
The Warriors then made the trip to St. Marys 48 hours later and despite playing some of their best hockey of the entire season in the final two periods, a 45-save effort by Nico Armellin in the Lincolns’ crease guided St. Marys to a 4-1 win over Stratford. Nolan Galda scored the lone Stratford goal.
According to Williams, the final 40 minutes saw the Warriors imposing their will on the Lincolns.
“We played more to the identity that we would like to play to. We did a really good job of moving our feet and getting on top of them, and that's how we established our
forecheck. We were getting back above pucks and taking away time and space. I thought that led to some really good offensive opportunities for us and showed how we want to play consistently every night.”
On Oct. 25, the Warriors’ momentum from the night before in Sarnia was blunted when the Strathroy Rockets walked into the William Allman Memorial Arena and blanked the Warriors 3-0. The game stayed scoreless until two seconds left in the second period when Brendan Gerber recorded his first as a Rocket since being traded to Strathroy from the Elmira Sugar Kings for Jimmy Sutherland.
In the third, Josh Denes scored his sixth of the year while Nathan Schaap fired his third of the season into an empty net to seal the 3-0 final score.
“I don't think we gave ourselves the opportunity to win the hockey game,” said Williams. “We didn’t get enough good
five-on-five scoring chances. We didn’t do enough to get inside the dots and get pucks to the net from prime scoring areas. I think that's a good lesson for us to be able to continue to learn and then use the data from that game to drive us closer to how we want to play every night.”
Williams reflected on the three losses in four games, believing the rocky stretch offers the team a learning opportunity.
“It’s the first time that we've hit a little bit of a rough patch here with respect to our results. Things had been going really well for us up to this point. Our guys should have a good understanding of what we need to do to play good hockey and I think they know collectively that, when we do play the game the right way, it will work. We saw that for much of the early part of this season. I think the lesson to be learned so far is that we're pretty susceptible to not getting the result we want if we don’t play the right way.”
The 21st annual Innkeepers’ Dinner another great success for the Stratford Perth Museum
GARY WEST Times Correspondent
Hundreds of friends filled the dining room at the Arden Park Hotel on the weekend as the Stratford Perth Museum held its 21st annual Innkeepers’ Dinner.
Kelly McIntosh, general manager of the museum, said “the entire evening had so much magic to it.”
“Where else on this earth would you have award-winning talent like Rod Beattie and Dayna Manning breaking bread with city folk and farm folk in such a beautiful ballroom steeped in history and tradition?” she asked.
The evening, she said, was the “stuff of legacy” of the community that has supported the Stratford Perth Museum for decades.
The manager said it was a wonderful thing to hear from Margaret Wilson and Laura Pogson about the origin of the Innkeeper’s dinner.
Ever since the museum had no money, just will and vision, and so many people contributed to that initial fundraiser from the soup ladies in the kitchen to the dishes on the table, this fundraiser has been steeped in tradition.
She was glad to see that at the dinner the agricultural community, the manufacturing community, the arts community and many others came together to support one important goal in keeping the Stratford Perth Museum a continued success story.
McIntosh said it was a night she will remember for the rest of her life, with the honour to have been given the opportunity to step into former museum general manager John Kastner’s very large shoes, with such a supportive community, to do her thing.
She said she was nervous but can’t imagine it going any better than it did with the community once again generously opening their pocketbooks and the museum having a terrific night.
GREAT SUCCESS
(GARY WEST PHOTOS)
Bottom left: The Stratford Perth Museum Innkeepers’ Dinner program that featured the musical, The Kroehler Girls, during the fun-filled evening with food and entertainment.
Left: Pictured from left are Lorraine Shackleton, Teri Shackleton, Margaret Wilson, Mayor Martin Ritsma and Lenora Hopkins.
GALEN SIMMONS Regional Editor
Having now hosted the annual Dragon Boat Festival for 27 of the past 29 years –the event was cancelled twice during the COVID-19 pandemic – the Rotary Club of Stratford’s largest annual fundraiser pretty much went off without a hitch this year on Sept. 14.
At their regular monthly meeting Oct. 17, club members heard from Gary Wreford, the sponsorship and publicity lead on the Rotary Club’s Dragon Boat Festival organizing committee, as he presented the financial results of this year’s festival.
“We had 39 races and it was amazing because they started right on time and we were on time, I think, all day,” Wreford said. “ … That’s a lot of races and that’s a lot of people. We had 44 teams signed up this year … and remember, a team is 20 people. … We had 89 sponsors that sponsored this event, and obviously we can’t do it without our volunteers, without our sponsors and without our participants.
“But we also had over 300 volunteer hours the day of the event. We had such a great day and thousands of spectators came out to watch us, but what you really want to know; how did we do?”
Before revealing the financial results of the fundraiser event, Wreford said it cost a total of $40,460 to run the event. Despite that cost, he announced to the club that the 27th annual Rotary Dragon Boat Festival
raised $59,192 – the highest profit in the event’s history.
“I looked back and checked. We did about $6,000 more than last year, which is amazing,” Wreford said.
On top of that news, which received applause from everyone in the room at the Stratford Legion – all of whom volunteered at the event – Wreford also announced the Dragon Boat Festival has now raised a total of $1,047,889 over its 29-year history.
“We hit the million,” Wreford said to cheers and applause. “ … You people made it happen. We raised that amount of money and think how much that has multiplied multiple times by the investment in the community by Rotary – the respite house, the hospice and all the other things. … Thank you all for doing an incredible, incredible job.”
Standing up after Wreford finished speaking, Rotary Club of Stratford member and “entertainer” of the Dragon Boat Festival Fritz Steigmeier noted how amazing this achievement is, especially considering during the worst of the pandemic, when the Dragon Boat Festival had to be cancelled, Rotary members considered doing away with the fundraiser altogether.
“It’s the team that puts it all together every year,” added Dragon Boat committee chair Rob Ritz, recognizing each of the committee members one by one. “ … Again, it’s very much appreciated. Thank you.”
DRAGON BOAT SURPASSES $1 MILLION RAISED
Gary Wreford, the Rotary Club of Stratford Dragon Boat Festival organizing committee’s sponsorship and publicity lead, announced at the monthly Rotary meeting Oct. 17 that the annual Dragon Boat Festival has now raised more than $1 million over its 29-year history
(GALEN SIMMONS PHOTO)
L’Arche Stratford rolls out for ninth annual Walk n’ Roll
CONNOR LUCZKA
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
It was a day to raise money but also to connect Stratfordians of all stripes.
L’Arche Stratford hosted its ninth annual Walk ‘n Roll on a brisk morning Oct. 19. Participants were led by London based bagpiper Justyn Reid from the bandshell at Upper Queen’s Park and walked around the parkland.
As Christopher Cantlon, chair of L’Arche’s event fundraising committee, said, it was an opportunity for the larger community in Stratford to come out and meet with the community L’Arche has fostered.
“Core members are here with their assistants and there's the staff and the board,” Cantlon said that morning. “But to get everybody together and have people from outside the community – particularly people who know but aren't in the community – it's great and it's visibility.”
The walk was in support of the Be Be-
long Become capital campaign, which is raising money to build a new community property at 426 Britannia St. The proposed development is a 15,000 squarefoot building designed to fill the gap of housing and services in the community, but comes with a steep $6.5-million price tag to build it mortgage free.
“We’re just over $4 million,” said Stephanie Calma, executive director and community leader, about the campaign’s current progress. “We've had a really successful year last year of fundraising. So, we're pretty excited at this point. Our site permits are in at the city, so we're just waiting on those pieces to come back, and from there we'll be hoping to move to the next phase of construction.”
Calma said their goal is to continue to raise that last $2.5 million, but it's “full steam ahead” to get construction going. Having started the campaign right as the COVID-19 pandemic began, she is grateful the community has picked up and carried the momentum forward since then.
BE BELONG BECOME
This year, organizers hope the Walk n’ Roll and its online portal raises $15,000 for the campaign. Donations for the Walk n’ Roll will be accepted until Nov.
1, but funds to the campaign are accepted year-round. As of publication, the Walk n’ Roll fund has raised $5,120.
Danielle Munro looks to the camera as the ninth annual L’Arche Stratford Walk n’ Roll rolls out from the bandshell at Upper Queen’s Park on Oct. 19.
(CONNOR LUCZKA PHOTO)
Songs of Nick Drake concert to be performed at Copperlight in commemoration of anniversary
It has been 50 years since the death of Nick Drake, the UK born singer-songwriter who was largely unknown in his short lifetime, yet his music endures in a timeless fashion.
For this anniversary, producer and musician Luke Jackson has assembled a stellar group of artists to perform a selection of Drake’s music curated just for the concert, Songs of Nick Drake.
It has been five years since the Songs of Nick Drake was last performed in Toronto; some may recall the performance here in Stratford at then Knox Church (now Copperlight) 12 years ago. That very well-attended evening was the kickoff for the 2012 tour through Ontario and Quebec. The genre is folk and chamber-folk with the music selection drawn from a small catalogue of three albums.
“The show we are doing is a very different show from the one we did five years ago. It’s tricky because Nick’s catalogue is very small; he only made three records and they aren’t very long,” Jackson said. “The third one was only half an hour. So, we do fun things like I’ll take a song we haven’t done before and I’ll ask a friend to write the string section for it. Or we’ll take a song from (the album) Pink Moon which is just vocal and guitar with no or-
chestration, so that gives us room to play. We’ll write arrangements for the band or we’ll write a string arrangement for it.”
Another unique aspect of the concert is in who has been assembled to perform. The lineup features artists from across
the country, and even Scotland, that come together in a common love of the music of Drake.
“A lot of people, when I call them up and say hey, ‘We’re doing Nick Drake, would you like to be a part of it,’ it’s an instant yes. It’s just what are the logistics to how to make it work. It’s just lovely,” said Jackson.
The music resonates with people decades after his death. He wasn’t successful by measure of how many albums he sold because there were only a few thousand sold during his lifetime. There was a resurgence in the 1990s, especially when there was a Volkswagon commercial on television using the song “Pink Moon” and he kind of blew up.
“His music doesn’t belong to the ‘60s. If you listen to the Beatles or Bob Dylan, it belongs in the sixties. If you were there, great, you were a part of it and got to experience it, but if you listen to it now, it’s beautiful music but it’s not of this time. When you listen to Nick’s music like I did in the ‘90s, it’s the music of that time, it’s sort of like, I discovered this guy. You weren’t listening to this music on your parent’s stereo, it wasn’t a childhood memory. So the
time that it belongs to is the time that you discovered it. And it’s good music, his songwriting is beautiful and guitar work is incredible. It has a timelessness that doesn’t just belong in the ‘60s,” said Jackson.
As a self-taught guitarist, Drake’s style of playing is difficult posing challenges to recreate if you are being authentic to what he was doing. There is also interpretation.
For those looking to expand their musical repertoire, modern artists that channel Drake’s spirit or influence include two UK artists that come to Jackson’s mind when considering the genre. One is Katherine Priddy and the other is George Boomsma.
For the evening of Nov. 22, the assembled artists include the house band featuring Cam Giroux (Weeping Tile, By Divine Right), bassist Jason Mercer (Ron Sexsmith, Bourbon Tabernacle Choir, Ani Difranco), and Kurt Swinghammer on guitar.
The string quartet comprises Sybil Chanahan on cello, Johann Lotter on viola, Sahra Featherstone and Alex Cheung on violin.
Three featured performers are flying in to perform: Michelle Willis (David Crosby, Snarky Puppy), Kevin Kane (The Grapes of Wrath), and Suzie Ungerleider (formerly Oh Suzanna). Singer-songwriters Kathryn Rose, Conor Gains, Trish Robb and Stratford’s own Barry James Payne are appearing with flautist Andrea Kovats and Luke Jackson himself rounding out the lineup.
“When I produce the show, there is a set of criteria I apply to how it’s going to be. I always say if we’re doing a song with strings, particularly if it is one of Robert (Kirby’s) arrangement, we do it straight up. I don’t want to mess with that so you will hear those songs verbatim. The other songs, some we do straight up but I like to play with others, but it always has to be respectful. I think to myself if Nick’s sister Gabrielle was in the audience, would she approve? Or, if Nick himself was in the audience, would he approve?” said Jackson.
The concert is Friday Nov. 22 at Copperlight, 142 Ontario St. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. and the show starts at 7:30 p.m. Tickets can be purchased at Tinyurl. com/NickStratford and are $65 each.
LABOUR OF LOVE
Nick Drake was a singer-songwriter who tragically died in 1974 at the age of 26. The 50th anniversary concert planned for Nov. 22 at Copperlight will feature many artists who have come together for this labour of love.
(KEITH MORRIS PHOTO)
Onrush Festival launches surveys ahead of second year operating
CONNOR LUCZKA
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
The organization behind last year’s Onrush Music Festival, the latest festival to debut in the Festival City, wants to hear what the community has to say about venues in Stratford.
Tim Harrison, president of Onrush Entertainment Inc. and founder of the festival, said they want to quantify some anecdotal stories they heard last year.
“The intention is to gather as much data as possible from performing artists in Stratford around the challenges behind rehearsal spaces, behind performance spaces,” Harrison said. “Because much of it is effectively anecdotal or institutional knowledge, and it's really hard to help guide or provide significant feedback to, for example, the city or to local or regional government … so I thought it was a great time for us to start reaching out to those artists, partially because we've been – I like to think – quite successful in the in the first iteration of the Onrush Festival.”
To that effect, two surveys are currently available: one focused on how and where
artists rehearse, workshop, or develop their art within the city, while the other is centred around performance spaces and venues.
These surveys intend to document the needs of musicians, musical groups and performing artists regarding both rehearsal and performance spaces in Stratford –both now and in the future.
Harrison explained the surveys are not just for musicians that might fall under Onrush’s umbrella or are interested in performing in the festival, but any performing-arts groups such as choirs, ensembles, or dance troupes, for example.
That is because Harrison and his team feel the wider community could use formalized data on its spaces, besides just them.
“We felt it was necessary to find the most efficient way to capture some of that knowledge directly,” Harrison is quoted in a recent media release. “We’ve started with these surveys and hope to extend that over time as we find more ways to help drive data-driven solutions to those challenges we identify.”
The results of the surveys will be used
to facilitate discussions with local and regional governments, venue owners and community groups on where challenges are and what opportunities there may be.
Surveys can be found at www.onrushfestival.ca/2024-surveys. Both close Nov.
15.
Harrison said after the success of the first festival, which took place in April of 2023, they have begun planning the second iteration. Further details will be shared once the team is ready, he shared.
BUILDING FOR SALE BY
Digital marketing for small business course offered for free with library card
EMILY STEWART Times Correspondent
NOW LEASING
In honour of Small Business Week from Oct. 21-25, anyone interested in learning about building an online presence as a small-business owner can access a course for free with a library card.
InvestStratford and the Stratford Perth Centre for Business announced the partnership with the Stratford Public Library to offer a business course for free in an Oct. 21 press release. The course, called Get Found Online: Actionable Strategies and Tips for Local Small Businesses, costs $59 but is offered at no cost to patrons with a library card.
Holly Mortimer, business advisor for the Stratford Perth Centre for Business, said the centre works with the library and gets excited about the opportunities for students to learn about running a small business.
"What we thought might be missing is services for all ages and people that are coming in and using their facilities to create business plans or research their businesses,” Mortimer said. “It would kind of go hand-in-hand as an intuitively organic partnership where we can help them create at marketing plan for their digital presence."
Mortimer said she felt inspired by the Stratford Public Library’s discover programs where a library card grants patrons passes providing free access to Wildwood Conservation Area and a behind-thescenes look of the Stratford Festival.
"This just felt natural and exciting for us,” she said.
Mortimer and the rest of the team met with the Stratford Public Library in the spring to introduce the plan. So far, the free course offering received positive feedback both internally and externally. Mortimer’s co-workers said it’s a great idea and someone approached her at an event telling her they otherwise wouldn’t have been able to afford the course without the help of investStratford, the library and the centre for business.
"We wanted to make this cutting-edge, really exciting content accessible to really anybody that lives in our area,” she said. “We're also hoping that other regions get inspired by this and see their libraries as an extension of their services and find a way to offer any of the paid services free through their libraries.”
Anyone interested in taking the course can visit the Stratford Public Library at 19 St. Andrew St. and receive the code to access the course online.
Stratford’s Diane Sims reflects on living – and dying – with MS in new book, Living Beyond the Shadow
GALEN SIMMONS Regional Editor
As someone living in the end stages of Multiple Sclerosis (MS) who has been approved for medical assistance in dying (MAiD), Stratford’s Diane Sims has the power to choose when, where and with whom she will be when she dies.
Before she makes that decision, however, she is living life to the fullest and crossing off those many experiences, accomplishments and goals on her bucket list. Recently and after six months of writing – a truly exhausting daily task for someone with end-stage MS – Sims crossed off one of the biggest and most important items on that list; she finished writing her memoir, Living Beyond the Shadow
“March 1, I started writing and I only have (so much time in the day),” Sims said. “It’s because my bowel situation is getting worse in the mornings and it’s taking longer to get everything done and get dressed. And I have to do my exercises for my arms – that’s getting a lot harder. … (My productive time) is becoming less and less. … So many nights, we have an automatic bed and so I have it sitting up straight for me to type in bed, and I’ve been typing until midnight.”
But Sims, a journalist and writer by trade, knew she was going to tell her story, whatever it took, and by the first week of September, she had submitted her manuscript to her publisher, Bryan Davies of Tagona Press.
While the book itself follows Sims’ MS journey from her first long hospital stay in Toronto at age 14 and her eventual diagno -
LIVING LIFE TO THE FULLEST
Stratford journalist and writer Diane Sims,
sis in 1975 to her more recent decision to take control of her own fate, highlighting many of the health, personal and professional challenges she’s overcome along the way, its message is one of hope and joy and she says there are so many funny and endearing tidbits from her life and her work contained within those 385 pages.
“At some point early on, I said, ‘If I am
going to die, I want it to be on my own terms,’ ” Sims said. “ … When I (found out my colon was dying and I went on my restricted diet) and they told me I had three months to live, that’s when it became really important that I get everything in order. Then I realized, ‘Okay, I lived past those three months,’ but the MS was getting worse and is getting worse and I want to go
out on my own terms.
“Thank God we, in this country, are blessed to have just that last, final medical assistance. When (the doctor) came to the house and I got the final approval, now all I have to do is call and tell him I’m ready.”
Just the knowledge that she won’t have to suffer longer than she wants to has given Sims the drive to continue leaving her mark on this world until that day comes.
In the meantime, she plans on celebrating her book with a series of launch events in places that have meaning in her life and are also featured in the book. Sims has launch events planned at the Manitoulin Expositor office in Little Current on Manitoulin Island – the newspaper for which she worked for many years – as well as in Sault Ste. Marie, where she grew up, and the prestigious Arts & Letters Club in Toronto, a dream come true for Sims in her writing career.
Most importantly for readers of this paper, Sims will host a book launch at Fanfare Books in Stratford from 6-9 p.m. on Nov. 15. The launch will feature a few short readings of Sims’ book by her publisher –Sims’ well-practiced broadcast voice has become monotone as her disease has progressed – appearances by Stratford Mayor Martin Ritsma and Stratford Police Chief Greg Skinner, two people she’s worked closely with on her push to improve accessibility at Stratford’s police station, as well as treats and non-alcoholic mocktails created by a friend for the book launch. All are welcome to attend.
Sims’ book will be available for purchase at all of her book launches at a cost of $29.95.
More fun to come at Pursuit Climbing in November’s Just Show Up event
pumpkin carving for the children. It was a great success, with refreshments and a storyteller, too.
blare this Halloween music all over the place. That’s one thing that’s on my checklist for next time.”
come in. They climb the climbing walls and challenge themselves with that. It’s going to be a lot of fun.”
Wellspring Stratford has officially launched its Just Show Up program, a monthly gathering for children who have a parent, guardian or grandparent affected by cancer.
On Saturday Oct. 19, the Wellspring team set up their first event, which was
“We’re building a great ambience to host these events,” said Todd Goold, registered social worker with Wellspring Stratford.
“I’m really thankful for the Falstaff Centre, that they allow us to come here free of charge to host these amazing events. I would have brought a speaker so I could
The next Just Show Up date is Saturday Nov. 16 at Pursuit Climbing. Rock climbers from ages six to 14 can attend from 9-11 a.m.
“I’m happy and I’m excited for next month at Pursuit Climbing,” said Goold. “I hope we get a lot of kids that want to
For more information or to register, please contact Lisa Stacey at lisa@wellspringstratford.ca or call Wellspring Stratford at 519-271-2232. Just Show Up and all of Wellspring Stratford’s programming is open to residents across Perth, Huron and Oxford counties.
who is living with end-stage MS, is launching her memoir, Living Beyond the Shadow, at Fanfare Books Nov. 15 from 6-9 p.m.
(GALEN SIMMONS PHOTO)
JULIA PAUL Times Correspondent Hailey Jackson carves a bat into her pumpkin with the assistance of the Wellspring Stratford’s Lisa Stacey at the October’s Just Show Up event.
Gail Fricker (far right), a professional storyteller, gets the crowd excited and waving their hands with an interactive story.
(JULIA PAUL PHOTOS)
Online art courses aimed at beginners available in Stratford
Aimed at both beginners wanting to learn and those who have been at it for, art courses through Anna’s Art Studio are beginning soon.
Yuschuk has been teaching arts courses in Stratford for the past three after she moved to Stratford from Toronto.
“I've been teaching classes for a long time,” said Anna Yuschuk, owner of Anna’s Art Studio. “In Toronto, I was teaching in person at the Avenue Road Arts School. … I moved to Stratford in
2019 and in 2020 I was scheduled to start my classes and gallery in Stratford, but unfortunately the pandemic happened. I would say in 2021 I started to teach online.
“ … I enjoy teaching, especially adults. I have a lot of people who retired and want to pick up the paint and practice. I like to share it. Because of the pandemic it was not possible to teach in person, (so) I moved the platform to online – Zoom. It was difficult at first, but now I found my groove. I know how to do the feedback and all technology, and it works really well.”
Come rejoice in Stratford Concert Choir’s SingAlong Messiah
Hallelujah! For Unto Us a Child Is Born, And He Shall Purify!
On Dec. 7 at 7 p.m., the Stratford Concert Choir will perform their second singalong Messiah.
“Last year we did the singalong for the first time and there really hadn't been a singalong in Stratford,” said Sheila Holloway, president of the Stratford Concert Choir. “We wanted to gauge what interest there would be. We had about 245 in the audience. After the event, we had quite a lot of requests, ‘When are you doing it again?’ ”
A sing-along Messiah is a little bit different than a traditional Messiah, wherein a singalong has the audience participating in selected choruses. The choir has selected a number of young people performing some of the solos and arias.
“It's a lot more relaxed than the traditional Messiah,” said Holloway. “There’s dialogue between the conductor and audience. It’s a great way for us to showcase some young talent. We are committed to providing paid opportunities for young and emerging soloists and vocalists and instrumentalists that we source from the city and other places.
Helpful to everyone from retired folks to students living in other countries, these online courses are convenient and well-tailored.
“As I mentioned, there are quite a few retired people that don't have obligations, so they do that,” said Yuschuk. “I have students that followed me for a very long time as well, and they live in other cities or move to other countries but because it's online, they are able to reach out and do the classes at home.
“So, there’s all kinds of people. There’s professionals, there’s some young people who want to improve whatever they may-
be have before. I had some people who went to the art college, but they didn’t paint for a long time and they want to recover the skills and they decided they want to do these classes.”
These six-week art courses are limited to groups of six so Yuschuk can tend to each student in the limited time within each class. Courses fluctuate in price around $300. The Still Life Painting course is $335 and runs Nov. 6 to Dec. 11.
For more information or to register for an art course, visit www.annayuschuk. com/art-lessons.
“It’s a fun event; it’s what I like to call the Messiah in surround sound. You have the choir who are singing and the audience who are in full joyful voice.”
The money raised goes to support the programming of the choir, as well as supporting its young and emerging artist program.
Stratford Concert Choir puts on three concerts a year, all of which are a little different. In March, the theme is Her Song, which is music composed by women. In May, the choir is performing Vivaldi’s Gloria with the assistance of the orchestra. All funds raised from tickets go to support the Stratford Concert Choir’s diverse programs throughout the year. Tickets are available at stratfordconcertchoir.org/performances. Advanced tiered ticketing is available for adults aged 18-25 at $25, 26 and over is $35 and under 18 is free. Tickets are $40 at the door.
Ticketholders will need to bring a Messiah score (Watkins Shaw edition) which can be purchased at the door or ordered online from Long and Mcquade.
“I think for people who have bits and pieces of the Messiah, this is just a great opportunity to come and sing joyfully without a lot of pressure on you other than to have fun and enjoy the evening,” Holloway said.
JULIA PAUL Times Correspondent
JULIA PAUL Times Correspondent
A still painted by Anna Yuschuk while demonstrating how to paint onions for a previous Still Life Painting course.
A still painted by Anna Yuschuk while demonstrating how to paint flowers and a vase for a previous Still Life Painting course.
RAIN GARDENS
The Grades 6/7 classes of Monsieur Mooney and Madame Hickey at Jeanne Sauvé Catholic School were at the Stratford All-Wheels Park last week helping to plant rain gardens as part of the Upper Thames River Conservation Authority's Green Leader Initiative.
(BRUCE WHITAKER PHOTO)
(ANNA YUSCHUK PHOTOS)
Spiderella and the Pantomime Villian Academy a testament to true English pantomime
Perth County Players has decided to produce an English pantomime this year because it has never been done in Stratford.
According to director Chris Leberg, the drive behind the upcoming production of Spiderella and the Pantomime Villain Academy was to do something different, even for the world of pantomime.
“We wanted to do something that was a little different,” said Leberg. “A lot of pantomimes deal with one story, like Cinderella or Sleeping Beauty, Three Little Pigs, Red Riding Hood. But we found this script, Spiderella and the Pantomime Villian Academy, that is a mash-up of a whole lot of fairy tales. This is why you will see Captain Hook and Smee, Wicked Witch of the West, Big Bad Wolf, Aladdin, Tinkerbell, Fairy Godmother. So, there’s this wonderful mashup of characters and storylines on stage. We found the script to be very, very funny. We have an extremely talented cast.”
With two actors from England and Wales, the cast is well-versed in the customary pantomimes from their child-
A LITTLE DIFFERENT
Perth County Players presents Spiderella and the Pantomime Villian Academy beginning Nov. 15. Get tickets at perthcountyplayers.com.
hood. Using the United Kingdom actors as advisors, the production is staying
true to the pantomime traditions. The stage may seem minimal, but it is co -
lourful. From authentic costumes to audience participation, there is so much packed into this production.
“(I’m trying) to be as true to an English pantomime as possible,” said Leberg. “We looked up rules of the pantomime and so we’ve tried to stay as true to all of them as we possibly can, incorporating as much humour and the lessons that are learned in a pantomime. This one leans towards kindness to bullies. How do you deal with a bully? That gets resolved at the end.”
The Perth County Players is proud to offer family-friendly tiered pricing. Student tickets are $15, senior tickets are $20 and adult tickets are $25. Tickets can be purchased online at perthcountyplayers.com. Evening shows start Nov. 15 and 22 at 7:30 p.m. Matinee shows are Nov. 16, 17, 23 and 24 at 2 p.m. All performances are at Stratford Intermediate School.
“It will fill you with joy and laughter,” said Leberg. “Sing along whether you like to sing or not, it doesn’t really matter. It’s just good-time entertainment. It’s meant for kids ages six to 96, it doesn’t matter how old you are. If you just want to get away for an hour and a half and have a good time, then come on down to the school.”
Gwen Lamont embarks on her Fall Launch Book
Series with The View From Coffin Ridge: A Childhood Exhumed
Healing from trauma can come in many forms. One way, as author and social worker Gwen Lamont found out, is to write about it.
The View From Coffin Ridge: A Childhood Exhumed is a nonfiction book about femicide and the intergenerational trauma that can repeat itself if we do not heal. This uniquely written book features the extensive research of Lamont’s exploration into men who kill their intimate partners and places a renewed focus on the topic at hand, gender-based violence.
“My research on men who killed their intimate partners wore out what I had always suspected,” said Lamont during her Stratford launch event. “Femicide is not a crime of passion or a spur-of-themoment violent act. The man who kills his intimate partner has been rehearsing, sometimes for years, his final violent performance. While the murderer is killing, he recites his much-rehearsed soliloquy, reiterating to himself the act he is committing and the reasons for it, the reasons for femicide, rooted in his well-honed negative characterization of the victim crafted over time.
FALL LAUNCH
“In short, by the time of the murder, he has convinced himself she deserves to
die and sometimes the courts agree.”
Launching her book at the Stratford Country Club, Stratford holds a place Lamont’s heart as she lived in Stratford for a time after escaping her abusive husband.
Lamont has been writing for years, but it wasn’t until an early morning in the fields at Coffin Ridge when something sparked a memory, a ghost of a girl who had been buried deep and left behind, that made her want to write this book.
“I had to go back and rescue the young girl from the experiences she had suffered. I learned a lot from her about what had happened to her. Some of that occurred in documents. Some of that occurred by going to the places where some of the most difficult parts of her life occurred. Some of it was just sitting with the pain she must have been in but could never express.
“I learned that it is by facing the past and all of its truth is the only way to live a full and authentic life. I learned that keeping promises and secrets are a burden that will affect our lives if we don't deal with them.”
Visit coffinridge.ca to learn more about the Fall Series Book Launch or to purchase a book.
JULIA PAUL Times Correspondent
JULIA PAUL Times Correspondent
Gwen Lamont speaks fervently about femicide and reads the excerpt, “Survivors Guilt,” from her new book, The View From Coffin Ridge: A Childhood Exhumed
(PERTH COUNTY PLAYERS PHOTO)
(JULIA PAUL PHOTO)
A filmmaker’s film festival coming to Stratford
A new film festival is coming to town thanks to the husband and wife duo of Megan Smith-Harris and Bill Harris. The pair have a long history in the film and television industry and now that they have located to Stratford, are bringing the long planned for passion project to fruition.
The Stratford Film Festival, as it will be known, is being introduced to the community with three free showings of film shorts on November 16th. The free screening will feature 90 minutes of programming and is PG 13.
“I had thought about it even before we moved here. I have always done volunteer work and giving back but thought there was another way to use my talents,” said executive director Megan Smith-Harris.
So after thought and discussion with her husband Bill, and given that she was a documentary film producer, she thought that since she loved the genre and wanted other people to love documentary films too, she started a documentary film series. For a decade the series ran successfully.
“I believe a really important part about any film series or festival is the discussion afterwards. Giving it context, giving people a chance to talk, it’s about community. We can all sit at home and watch endless amount of content on our television, our phone, our IPAD or even our watch but it’s kind of empty and you binge things but you’re not really thinking about them or talking about them. I love the idea of bringing people together to talk about ideas, to disagree, to change their minds, to reinforce what they already believe in,” said Smith-Harris.
When Covid hit, Smith-Harris found she was missing Canada and given that she and her husband had been planning on moving up here they decided to accelerate their plans, ultimately choosing Stratford. Before even moving, probably a year prior, she had been thinking about Stratford and
CULTURALLY VIBRANT
what a wonderful place for a film festival so four years ago she bought the domain names then; stratfordfilmfestival.com, .ca and .org.
“I knew I could run a film festival, I knew I wanted to live here, the city is culturally vibrant, it has people genuinely interested in supporting the arts, it’s educated so people are interested in the exchange of ideas, and I just wanted to do something that I love and am passionate about” said Smith-Harris.
Talk about manifesting dreams. The festival, will begin with the free screenings in November. Then there will be a screening of Holiday shorts over three days in December. March marks the beginning of monthly programming, there will be a screening every second weekend of every month culminating in a four day festival in November 2025.
“I chose to show a program of shorts. It’s a 90 minute program. I knew that I wanted to show people we have depth, we can
have fun, and we can show things from all over the world. That’s why I thought some of my favourite shorts that I’ve shown over the years would be a great way to say hi, this is who we are. You may not always know the film that we are showing but you can expect that it will be a great film with engaging discussion after,” explained Smith-Harris.
For her, there are three fun parts of a festival. First is the programming, next is showing the films to the public and feeling how they are enjoying the film and third, for the filmmaker, showcasing them and their talents, putting the spotlight on them.
“I was just at TIFF researching films and saw 26 films in 7 days and there were some wonderful ones that I want to share with the audience here. I want to share films that you’re not going to normally see otherwise. We’re talking about films that you have to dig a little for,” she said.
She hopes that attendees will be pleasantly surprised by the calibre and rich
variety of content of the short films being screened. There is an animated film about the environment, there’s an Oscar winning film, there is Oscar nominated animation, one about skating in Alaska, a terrific Irish film called Ruby. There is a little bit of everything.
The Stratford Film festival is a registered non-profit seeking charitable status. Upon receipt of charitable status tax receipts can be issued. So therein lies the challenge for fundraising though Destination Stratford has stepped up with a generous grant.
There is also the Stratford Winter Film Festival that happens in February of every year which could prove confusing to film enthusiasts. The two festivals each have their own mission and approach to content.
“I think there is room for all kinds of cultural groups and expressions. We have more than one professional theatre groups in town, we have more than one professional music organisations. I had actually conceived of this years before I even moved here. They are doing a curated festival over one weekend so their format is a little different than ours. Ours is more of a classic film festival where people will be submitting their films for consideration. We have programmers who will be watching all the films, putting them into various programming strands. We have a firm commitment to the talk backs and inviting guests. We will be giving awards, so more like a traditional film festival but adapted to Stratford. We will also be running all year round with continuous programming.”
By not programming in January and February they are giving accommodation to the existing running festivals during that time period.
While the screenings at 1 p.m., 4 p.m. and 7 p.m. November 16 are free, reservations are required. To make a reservation, visit stratfordfilmfestival.com. The screening will be at the City Hall auditorium.
Kiwanis Festival of the Performing Arts simplifies syllabus
The Kiwanis Festival of the Performing Arts (KFPA) has made changes to its syllabus for 2025 that will simplify the process to be recommended for provincials, provide a new performance category and add more flexible rules for school entries.
“We have listened to the feedback that we got and we made some changes to how the festival operates,” said Pat McKinna, KFPA executive director. “The biggest change has to do with the fact that kids that go into our local festival can also go to provincials. People who have been part of the festival for a while might know about it but people that are new wouldn’t know. The biggest change we’ve made to how we operate is to try to make it easier for people to know about the provincials and to qualify if they are interested.”
PERFORMING ARTS
To qualify for provincials, contestants need a minimum mark of 85 in the local festival and they have to play at least one piece they scored 85 on to go to provin-
cials. For KFPA performers, they need to
perform two pieces at provincials, one of which received a minimum score of 85.
There are over 80 categories in the KFPA syllabus, which is always expanding to accommodate new instruments or styles. Celtic music is very popular so the fiddle category has been added this year.
“The biggest change that I’ve made to how you enter our festival, rather than looking to see if there’s a provincial qualifying class to go in, I’ve put the whole provincial syllabus up front, we’ve copied what the provincials used and put it at the very beginning of our syllabus. So, what I want people to know, if you want to be considered to go provincials, please enter these classes because they will tell you exactly what you need to have ready,” said McKinna.
What people might trip up on is virtual and live performances. With the local KFPA festival, there is a choice between live and virtual performances, but with provincials, it is predetermined whether it will be live or virtual.
LISA CHESTER Times Correspondent
LISA CHESTER Times Correspondent
A shot from the short film, A Green Christmas, featuring Al Catlin and Sheila McCarthy, is one of the films featured at the free community screening at City Hall Nov. 16.
You Be The Judge Uriel Petruk Flores who, in 2024, awarded executive director Pat McKinna three of his five gold chocolate coins even though her recorder performance was tragically terrible.
(CONTRIBUTED PHOTO)
(CONTRIBUTED PHOTO)
Teahen Family Charities GALA CONCERT & AUCTION EVENT
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 2024 7 - 10 p.m.
All net proceeds go to Stratford and area’s children for food, wellness support and six annual scholarships.
For tickets, sponsorship, donations, auction items contact Courtney at thecompany@teahen.ca or 519-275-2557 ext. 121
Kiwanis Festival of the Performing Arts simplifies syllabus
“What people need to know is if you have performed live here and go on to provincials, they may need a video. So, one of the things that I am trying to line up is someone recording the live performances so that if the performer goes to provincials, they will have their video,” she said.
Further, all grade levels, from Grade 1 and up, are eligible to register for the festival, however, grades one to five will not perform live at provincials as the kids are not expected to travel. Their provincial entries will be virtual.
While many of the categories in the local syllabus and provincial syllabus align, some do not and registrants may need assistance. For example, the KFPA category, classical strings, does not distinguish between violin, bass, or cello. The provincials categorize as upper strings and lower strings. So, violin would be classified as upper stings. For assistance in registering, simply email info@ kiwanisfestivalstratford.com.
“We introduced a few new things last year, one of them is called ‘You Be the Judge.’ That’s a category that there is no adjudicator; I host it. The people who enter it play then listen to everyone else play. I give them five gold chocolate coins and then when it comes time to give feedback, everyone comments on it and they give them what you think the performance deserved.”
Last year, a young boy played piano and when it came time for McKinna to play her piece, because even the host is included, she played her recorder from which emitted the most horrid noises.
can listen to somebody that didn’t do all that well but you want to be encouraging. Later, I discovered the cleaning material was in my recorder, so it was no wonder it wouldn’t make any sound. I thought it was a wonderful supportive gesture from him,” said McKinna.
The other one that was new last year was ‘Tell us what you play/sing’ and they will make a category for it. There were two categories made last year from this, solo ukulele and, now, a category for drum kit.
“So, if anybody has something else that is not there, put it in ‘Tell us what you play’ and we can create the category. I hope that’s a way to invite the instruments that I might not even know people are playing. There are musicians and instruments of other cultures that I’m not familiar with and I would love to find a place for them in our festival,” said McKinna.
The classical voice category has moved from graded to age-based levels.
“Voice is an instrument that changes as you grow up, so it was decided that voice categories wouldn’t be done by grade, they would be done by age of the person. A little girl that is nine doesn’t have a voice that’s fully developed enough that she should be tackling oratorio or opera the way a fully developed voice should. The provincials decided and we are copying. Instrumental will still be by grade,” she said.
For school choirs, recognition is given to timing and the ability to gather extracurricularly, so as long as they have registered by Feb. 3, 2025, they don’t need to identify the pieces they will be performing until March. There will be test pieces compiled in a list to aid teachers in song selection or they can perform another song of their choosing.
“When I played, my recorder made the weirdest noise like a honk and there was no sound that came out of it and you couldn’t recognize what I was playing. He had this look on his face like that was awful but I can’t be mean so he gave me three of his five coins, which I thought was a wonderful analogy of what an adjudicator has to do. You
Acclaimed composer Christopher Norton will be leading a workshop in composition that will be free and open to all performers registered in KFPA whether they are composers or not. Piano masterclasses with Dr. Jamie Syer has a nominal fee attached of $25 for 30 minutes. Registration-date deadlines are fixed and enforced this year, especially for live performers. There will be a late fee of $50 per day for live registrants after Feb. 3 because of the disruptive impact they have on scheduling. Register by Jan. 13, 2025 for live performance for an early bird discount. Virtual deadline is March 3, 2025. Provincials will be held in Kitchener-Waterloo next year.
Remember that time when Amazon sponsored your church fundraiser?
Remember when Facebook bought a case of Girl Guide cookies to support your daughter?
Remember when Google provided free pizza to your child’s soccer team when they won the championship?
MUSINGS: Out of the forge and into the fire
Times Freelance Columnist
My grandfather, Eldon, was born in 1885 to a single mother. By the age of 14 he was working as a farmhand for relatives and by 24 years of age he had established himself as a blacksmith after apprenticing with his un-
Embracing
Times Freelance Columnist
As the days shorten and the air takes on a chill, November marks the beginning of a season that can feel a bit daunting to most of us. The natural inclination may be to curl up and wish away the cold months. But this can be missing out on some of the most wonderful things that bring us together with family and friends.
Embracing the quieter beauty of late autumn and early winter can offer unique joys and opportunities for rest, reflection, and celebration. It can be a time to reflect, read, evaluate, and just rest
cle in Roseville. As industrialization continued its relentless march, the local smithy shops were less in demand and he finally found himself working in a factory.
One fateful day his shirt sleeve became entangled in a drive belt and he was wrenched to the factory’s ceiling where his arm became wedged in the pulley. The doctor saved his arm but he could no longer move it. Despite his disability, Eldon eventually took assembly line work at a tire manufacturing plant in Kitchener. It’s hard to imagine performing such tasks with only one functional arm but the choices in those days were to work or face abject poverty.
In the 1960’s, while saving for
university, I worked in a manufacturing plant in Elmira. It seemed that safety precautions hadn’t changed much from the 1900’s. As a 16 year old I was assigned to a punch press with no safety features, let alone safety training. With my characteristic daydreaming and lack of manual dexterity, it’s a wonder I’m still in possession of both hands. The tube bending machine was a challenge as well. Stand in the wrong position and you got a piece of metal piping in the gut. One of my jobs was to set up frames for welding. On my first day, with no safety glasses available I learned the hard way not to so much as glance at the welding torch. That night, I woke up with the distinct impression that someone was sandpapering
my eyeballs. Then they told me about “arc eye”. It’s a wonder I still have both eyes. Certainly workplace safety has improved since last century but being struck by, or caught in, moving machinery is still a common form of injury on the job. If you take a walk around some construction sites you may spot roofers not using fall restraints, trenches not shored up and a myriad of other sloppy, cringe-worthy practices.
Speaking of walking around construction sites, while our new condo was being built, I snuck onto the property, nosey person that I am. I was promptly approached by the site superintendent who politely but firmly advised me where I should go (away from the site, that is). Ku-
dos to him! He was doing his job and the work practices on the site continued to reflect his diligence and attention to safety. No, this is not workplace safety month but it shouldn’t need to be. Awareness shouldn’t have to be scheduled on a calendar. It should be present and accounted for on the job every day.
Mark Hertzberger is a former social services supervisor, human resources manager, conflict mediator, and literacy practitioner. He has since freed his mind and now writes poetry and occasional opinionated columns. Mark has lived in Perth County for 27 years, the last 12 of which have been in Stratford where he resides with his wife, novelist Yvonne Hertzberger.
the November chill: How to find comfort and joy in the colder, darker months
after a busy summer of activities, barbeques and much more. Here’s how to approach this season with a warm heart and a resilient spirit.
Find Beauty in the Stillness Nature itself winds down in November. Trees shed their leaves, the fields are bare, and animal life retreats. While it may seem that life is slowing down, this time offers a subtle beauty worth appreciating. Taking a walk in a local park or nature reserve can reveal an entirely new perspective on the landscape. The clear skies often give way to breathtaking sunsets, and the cool air can feel refreshing. Observing the small details—a frost-covered leaf, the quiet of early mornings, or the gentle rustle of dry leaves—can inspire a sense of calm and connection to the changing seasons.
Cultivate Indoor Comfort
As we spend more time indoors, November is the perfect month to turn our living spaces into cozy sanctuaries. Start by creating a warm, inviting atmosphere in your home. Try adding
soft blankets, scented candles, and dim lighting, which can set the stage for relaxation. If you enjoy seasonal scents, opt for candles or essential oils with warm, spicy notes like cinnamon, clove, or pine.
Another great way to celebrate the colder months is to embrace the Danish concept of hygge, which loosely translates to "coziness" but encompasses a deeper sense of contentment and togetherness. Spending quality time with loved ones, sipping a warm drink, or reading by a fire can all be hygge moments. Plan cozy nights in, share meals with friends and family, or settle in with a good book or favorite film. The goal is to create a space and time that fosters warmth, relaxation, and appreciation.
Set New Goals and Reflect
As the year begins to draw to a close, November provides an ideal opportunity for reflection. Consider what you have accomplished in the past year and what you want to achieve in the coming months. Use this time to set meaningful goals or to reconnect
Worship With Us
with intentions that may have fallen by the wayside during busier months.
Writing down your thoughts or keeping a journal can be especially grounding. The act of putting pen to paper and expressing gratitude or simply reflecting on your experiences can help to clarify what matters most to you.
Practice Self-Care
November can be a challenging month for mental health. As daylight diminishes, some people may experience symptoms of Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), a type of depression that arises with reduced exposure to sunlight. To combat this, prioritize self-care. Get outside during daylight hours, especially in the morning, when natural light is brightest. Even a brief walk can lift your spirits and give you a boost of energy.
Reconnect with Loved Ones
The colder months often bring people together, whether for planned holidays or casual gatherings. November is a time to embrace these moments, rekindling relationships with fami-
ly and friends. Even a simple gathering for tea or a game night can strengthen bonds and bring a sense of warmth and joy that lasts well beyond the occasion itself.
Rediscover the Magic of Slow Living
As the weather gets colder, there’s no need to rush. Let yourself embrace a slower pace, appreciating each day as it comes. Use this time to rest, recharge, and prepare for the holiday season ahead. Living more slowly gives you the chance to pay attention to the small pleasures that often go unnoticed—whether it’s the feeling of cozy socks on a cold morning, the smell of baking, or the sound of rain tapping against the window.
November’s darker days don’t have to feel gloomy; rather, they can be a time of restoration and comfort. By embracing the unique experiences of the season, you may find that there’s a certain magic in slowing down, savoring the present, and creating your own warmth amid the chill.
MARK HERTZBERGER
IRENE ROTH
On behalf of the Perth-Waterloo Egg and Pullet Farmers we would like to thank and acknowledge our sponsors. The following businesses and individuals have generously contributed to the Perth Waterloo School Egg Program which provides eggs to many schools across our counties. Over the past year the program has provided more than 65,000 eggs for school lunch’s and snacks. Without their generosity this valuable program would not be possible.
2023-2026
Perth Waterloo School Egg Program Sponsors
Gray Ridge Egg Farms | Westlandyn Farms
Burnbrae Farms | Masterfeeds
McKinley Hatchery | Linton Window And Door
Whaling Poultry Farms | Bayer CropScience
Optimist Club of Ellice
Stonecrest Engineering Inc. | B-W Feed & Supply
Trouw Nutrition Canada | Orr Insurance Brokers
Mark Cook Drainage | Usborne & Hibbert Mutual Fire Insurance
Company | New Life Mills | Mohr Construction | McDonalds
Kindred Credit Union | Optimist Club of Shakespeare
MNP LLP | South Easthope Mutual Insurance Company
Nuhn Industries | Agrotec Constructions | Premier Equipment
Hyde Construction | Tri Sun Farms | Stubbe’s Precast Commercial
JP Uniac Insurance | Perth Federation of Agriculture
Equipment Ontario Inc. | Hoegy’s Farm Supply | Downie Optimist Club
Shakespeare Mills Inc. | Stratford Farm Equipment
Perry Wilhelm Excavating Ltd | Calvin & Debra Strathdee
The Spa Near The Tracks | Janet & Mike Whaling
Hellman Poultry Equipment | Wallenstein Feed and Supply Inc
VBD Grain | Pazzo Company Ltd. | Bulktech Inc.
R Ritz Architect | Famme & Co | Delta Power Equipment
Neeb Haven Farms Ltd | Stoneybrook Elevators
Jeff & Sue Orr | Expressway Motors | Waterloo Crop Services ($500)
Ayr Farmers Mutual ($250)
If you are interested in more information or being a sponsor
Until Soon. Live Well: You don’t know how in control you are
Have you ever been asked what is sometimes deemed a simple, straightforward question by someone and realized the answer is not as simple as the question purports it to be? The reason for that is partially because questions, in their asking, sometimes hold within them all of the attachments and assumptions made by the one asking. Here’s an example: “Do you believe in God?” The question holds within it two very interesting things – an assumption that the person receiving it believes or does not believe in the God that the questioner has in mind – and the question implies that the person receiving it should give a yes or no answer. A more revealing and thoughtful question might be “what does God mean to you?” And so it goes, with many things. The questions we ask are most often based upon the “yes” or “no” answer and based upon what we already think we know.
Questions can sometimes be a gauze that we shyly speak through, and answers – a truth through which we filter what is acceptable or unacceptable to ourselves. In a service industry such as I work in, it is, or should at least be recognized, that the person asking any question would not necessarily be fully informed about even the question they are asking. And so, it behooves those of us in service to the public, to clarify and inform. To not wait to be asked. The foundational word for the public to rest their conviction on is in the word “service” which implies a few things. It should be automatically accepted, without doubt, that the answer to anyone’s question be thorough, honest and provide additional information related to the question asked. In other words, there is a responsibility upon the giver of information. Hence, my column here each month or my
varied posts on FaceBook, whether informational or philosophical, are all written from the seat of that service. That is number one and that is also why I absolutely love the questions – because people have stretched themselves enough to ask them before receiving the answers that confirm or refute what they wondered about. Let not the questions go unasked and let not the answers fall short. To clarify and inform is the very beginning of that service we provide at Rutherford Cremation & Funeral Services, because like you, I will need the service I myself provide one day, and I, quite frankly, want to live and die knowing that I have served well. Getting people informed is at the very beginning of that. And what’s more – I’m okay with doing that in any way that I can. And so: It’s back! Mark your calendars. The second annual “Death & Dying Pop-Up” in downtown Stratford will be held in the Town Crier office space at 125 Downie Street, Stratford – between Fosters Inn and The Little Green Grocery. Stop in at any time. Have a coffee and cookie and get every question you’ve ever had that you thought was too silly, too weird, too big, too small, too obscure – answered.
Thursday, Nov. 7. Open between 10 a.m. & 6 p.m.
Saturday, Nov. 9. Open between 10 a.m. & 5 p.m.
Printed information on these topics and more will be available to take away: a checklist for funeral planning / three kinds of wills in Ontario and which is best / aquamation / probate / body donation / what to do after a funeral / MAiD (medical assistance in dying) / what the options are and what the necessities are in funeral service / what you should update with the cemetery / what the funeral home does for you and what you need to do for yourself / scattering remains and what you should know / end-of-life doulas and their function / two ways you can pre-arrange your wishes and why you should / your finances and how you can make them safer in your estate / practical ways to keep funeral costs down / how to be environmentally friendly when you go Information is empowering. It won’t kill you. See you there. Until soon, live well. Stuart is a celebrant and the manager of Rutherford Cremation & Funeral Services. It is his privilege to serve, dispel myths, and give information concerning his field of compassionate service.
STUART LENDER Times Contributor
Everything is connected. That same idea keeps following me. At the October Climate Conversation on transportation, Mike Mousley, Stratford Transit manager, and Pete McDonnell of Cycle Stratford spoke to us about the advantages of other travel options besides hopping in our cars. That is such a tough call. I see this moment and what I want right now. To connect this moment with something as large as life on our planet is maybe not my first thought, but there was that idea again. Everything is connected. Every ride I take in my own vehicle adds to warming the Earth.
Nathan Bottema shared the Stratford Master Transportation Plan. It’s outstanding; see the overview slide show at climatemomentum.ca (Climate Conversations page). Overwhelmingly, public response to surveys created a pyramid of road priorities with pedestrians at the top, then bicycles, then public transit and then cars and commercial traffic. So, walking is another choice. People in Europe absolutely walk. When my relatives visit and I offer my car for short jaunts to the other side of town, they’re aghast. “We’ll walk,” they say, patiently, to my obvious ignorance. That brings health into the idea because certainly walking (and cycling) are far healthier than driving, besides not polluting. Everything is connected.
Last week, I attended a talk by Robin Wall Kimmerer, the author of Braiding Sweetgrass. She talked about our habit of calling living things “it.” A human with a name deserves protection and care; an “it” doesn’t. Its are there for us to use in any way we choose. Only humans are important. Robin referred to her spider-web version of connection. We are all part of that web, whether we have a name or whether we have been named an it. The organisms in the soil that cannot survive pesticides, the bees that visit the fields and cannot survive,
Web-crawling through the connections
the wildlife that depends on forests and native plants to survive, and we humans also need all of those parts of nature to be healthy. To survive rising temperatures, every system of the natural world, including us, will need to be as strong and healthy as possible because everything is connected.
And because everything is connected, we already have global warming that will affect our planet for some time to come. For that, we need to be prepared. The next Climate Conversation is a must. Dr. Gordon McBean will be speaking, a specialist in reduction of loss from climate events, from floods to storm damage to fires. He will share steps cities and individuals can do in urban forestry and water management, buildings and personal preparedness. What can you do to protect yourself, your community and your loved ones from climate event damage? Learn more at 7 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 28 at the Army Navy Hall on Lorne Avenue in Stratford. Connect with you there!
Updates:
1. Carbon ppm (parts per million) in the atmosphere: 422.14 ppm. Safe level is considered to be 350 ppm, last seen in 1990.
2. Remember, insects and wildlife need your leaves for shelter and for their cocoons
over the winter. Leave the leaves. They’ll thank you by providing free fertilizer and beautiful butterflies!
3. “Keep doing the right thing for the planet, yes, but also keep trying to save what you love specifically –a community, an institution, a wild place, a species that’s in trouble – and take heart in your small successes.” - Jonathan Franzen
Sheila Clarke is a Stratford advocate for the environment, of our community and of our planet. She is a member of CFUW Stratford, Stratford Climate Momentum, and the Perth County Sustainability Hub.
The annual Poppy Campaign raising funds to support veterans commences Friday, October 25 and ends November 11. Your donations are important. All veterans and First Responders are welcome at the branch Tuesday mornings 10:30 to noon for a social visit at the Buddy Check Coffee. William Rothernel is available at the Buddy Check Coffee if assistance is required.
The Stratford Branch 8 Veterans Service Officer William Rothernel, with the support of Veterans Affairs Canada continues to serve the needs of all Canadian Veterans in need of assistance or advice on all servicerelated situations.
our Branch office at 519-271-4540 to speak to Bill.
SHEILA CLARKE
Times Freelance Columnist
COMING EVENTS
Deadline: Tuesday prior at 3 p.m. Contact: stratfordtimes@gmail.com
GARDEN STRATFORD GENERAL MEETING
Monday, November 4, 2024, 7:15 – 9:00 p.m.
Army Navy Hall, 151 Lorne Ave. E., Stratford
Featured Presentation: “Succulents for Indoor and Outdoor Planters”, Westland Greenhouses, Grand Bend
Heated Tile Floors. This unit has walkout to a Cement Patio with Natural Gas Outlet and Back Yard. Rent is $2700 Monthly under a 1 year Lease. Email to walnutst300@gmail.com
The Community Calendar is for non-profit organizations to promote their free admission events at no charge. Event listings can include your event name, date, time and location as well as a phone number, email address or website.
If your event is not free admission or you would like to include more details than stated above, you have the following options:
Coming Events Word Ad in Classified section (50 word max.) - $10 + hst
Coming Events Boxed Word Ad in Classified section (50 word max.) - $15 + hst
Display Ad - Sizes begin at a business card size for $35 + hst
OFFICE DESK , Bullet top table desk, 60 inches long 30 inches wide, Natural Cherry on Cherry veneer solid cherry headers, three metal legs one black two silver colour. Newly finished, some flaws in the veneer. $75.00.
CASH ONLY - St. Marys area Call 519-272-5951 and leave a message.
OFFICE DESK TOP, 60 inches long and 30 inches wide, Medium cherry colour on Maple veneer, solid Maple headers, newly finished. No legs or base supplied, you can obtain legs from Richleau, Amazon, Wayfair. Can be made into a table desk with legs. $50.00.
CASH ONLY - St. Marys area Call 519-272-5951 and leave a message.
36 sq.ft. of dry firewood ($35), 2 tennis racquets, like new circa 1975 & 2 new badminton racquets ($70), 2 baseball gloves (macgregor &cooper) ($15). Ph.519-2732104.
TREES: Shade trees, Fruit trees, Apple, Pears, Peaches, Plums, Sweet and Sour Cherries, Apricot, Nectarines, Blueberry, Haskopp, Black Chokeberry, Grapes etc.
Lots of Spruce, Pine, Cedars for windbreaks and privacy hedges, Sizes 1 to 6+.
Flowering shrubs and much more.
Come check us out Mon-Sat 7:00am - 6:00pm
Martin's Nursery
42661 Orangehill Road
Wroxeter (1 concession north of Wroxeter on Belmore Line)
cards, beanie babies, Funko pops and stamps. Highest prices paid. Free appraisals. Are you downsizing or need an estate clean out? We can help. Call or text Stan anytime 519-868-3814.
Fair value offered for your vinyl records, cassette tapes & hifi components. Please contact Sound Fixation, 519801-5421, 4 George St. W, Stratford.
I WILL PAY CASH FOR ANTIQUES AND COLLECTIBLES – Coca Cola Pepsi any pop company, Brewery items Kuntz, Huether Labatts etc. Old radios and gramophones, Wristwatches and pocket watches, Old fruit jars Beaver Star Bee Hive etc. Any old oil cans and signs Red Indian Supertest etc. Any small furniture.
If you are moving or cleaning out stuff please contact me - 519-570-6920.
How do you put a giraffe into a refrigerator?
Open the refrigerator put in the giraffe and close the door
How do you put an elephant into a refrigerator?
Open the refrigerator, take out the giraffe, put in the elephant and close the door
The Lion King is hosting an animal conference. All the animals attend except one. Which animal does not attend?
The Elephant. The elephant is in the refrigerator
There is a river you must cross. But it is inhabited by crocodiles. How do you manage it?
You swim across. All the crocodiles are attending the Animal Meeting
Why is the Mississippi such an unusual river?
Because it has four eyes and can’t see
What did the computer do at lunchtime Had a byte
What’s big and yellow and comes in the morning to brighten a mother’s day? The school bus
Why was George Washington buried at Mount Vernon?
Because he was dead
SPARKY
Meet Sparky, our Pet of the Week and the perfect addition to your family! This charming black cat may start off a little shy, but once he warms up, he's a playful and affectionate companion who loves to snuggle and brighten up your day. Sparky is sure to enchant your home with his loving personality!
