Ontario will be heading to a cold ballot box this month, after Premier Doug Ford announced a snap election for Feb. 27.
In an op-ed written to the National Post on Jan. 28, the day his government announced the election, Ford said that the threat of American President Donald Trump’s blanket trade tariffs would put 450,000 Ontario jobs on the line.
Although the 25 per cent tariff on all Canadian goods and a 10 per cent tariff on Canadian energy was paused for 30 days the Monday after they were to be enacted, Ford warned that the threat is not going away and that the province needs a stronger mandate to properly fight this trade war, a justification that has been criticized by Ford’s critics.
There are three other party leaders to watch for this election, Bonnie Crombie, leader of the Ontario Liberals, Marit Stiles of the Ontario New Democratic Party (NDP), and Mike Schreiner of the Ontario Green Party.
Locally, the major four parties are represented by Matthew Rae for the PC Party of Ontario (incumbent), Ashley Fox for the Liberals, Jason Davis for the NDP, and Ian Morton for the Greens.
Voting locations have not been released yet. Information will be available after Feb. 14. The local election office is located at the rear of 107 Erie St.
Ontario residents can also vote by mail. Residents may apply on the Elections Ontario website (votebymail.elections.on.ca) and apply by 6 p.m. on Feb. 21. Elections Ontario must receive a completed voting kit by 6 p.m. on Feb. 27 to be counted.
As of publication, only those four candidates have declared for Perth-Wellington, though candidate nominations close on Feb. 13 and a full list will be available on the Elections Ontario website.
To meet your candidates, see our stories on page 10 & 11.
FEBRUARY 7,
FUN IN THE SNOW
Janine and Thomas skid through the
Winterfest on Jan. 25 this year.
While presenting to Stratford city council on who he was, newly appointed integrity commissioner David Boghosian went through a number of exceptions to having a meeting open with the public.
“One thing that could have been in camera, but I'm glad it isn't, is this very meeting where I'm giving you education,” Boghosian said. “This could be done in
camera. A lot of the municipalities … choose to do it in camera, but I think it's good for the public to hear and appreciate the role of the integrity commissioner.” Hearing about what the integrity commissioner does, and perhaps appreciating what the integrity commissioner does, were the reasons for Boghosian’s presentation to council on Jan. 27. He gave a run down of his services and councillors’ responsibilities, under the provincial direction they currently have.
snow down the hill behind the Stratford Festival Theatre. They were one of many families at
(CONNOR LUCZKA PHOTO)
New integrity commissioner gives Stratford a visit
One of the first things Boghosian pointed out to council was the lack of a standardized code of conduct for Ontario municipalities. As he said, Bill 241, the Municipal Accountability Act, is meant to fill that void but no code has been made available as of yet.
Instead, the Municipal Act requires a code of conduct be established as a “common basis” for the ethical behaviour of councillors and board members associated with local government.
There has to be section in codes of conduct for gifts, benefits and hospitality, a section for respectful conduct, a section for the non-disclosure of confidential information, and a section on the use of property.
“In my experience, there's some very bare bones codes of conduct out there. There's some extremely extensive ones, City of Toronto comes to mind,” Boghosian said. “I would say, Stratford, from what I've reviewed, is on the more detailed side of things. There are probably more tenants covered than your typical Ontario code of conduct, which is a good thing in my view.”
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He went on to talk about gifts, and that if the value of a gift or benefit exceeds $100, the member must disclose a statement with the integrity commissioner and the chief administrative officer (CAO). Over five
years as integrity commissioner, Boghosian has only had three disclosure statements.
“Which is surprising to me, so maybe people need to be more conscious of this,” he said.
Going over the 20-page Stratford code of conduct, the complexities of municipal law, and examples of said complexities, Boghosian ended the hour-long educational session with a key take away: he and his office is open for questions, should any councillor need guidance.
Boghosian took over as integrity commissioner from Robert Swayze, after council decided to part ways with him in March of last year. Boghosian’s appointment was not unanimous. Some councillors raised concerns about his track record and opposed his appointment. Just a week prior to that decision, Boghosian was dismissed as the City of Greater Sudbury’s integrity commissioner, due to councillor complaints about unfairness.
Many Stratford councillors in favour of Boghosian pointed out his track record and the substance of the complaints he faced.
Boghosian of Boghosian + Allen LLP has been practicing law for over 30 years and has been an integrity commissioner for the last five years, currently in service to 14 municipalities.
Police looking for suspects in Railway Avenue shooting
STRATFORD TIMES STAFF stratfordtimes@gmail.com
Local police are still on the lookout for two suspects believed to be involved with a shooting last month.
On Jan. 26, shortly before 11 p.m. the Stratford Police Service (SPS) received a report of a disturbance at a residence on Railway Avenue, where a firearm had been discharged.
After the incident occurred, two suspects fled the area in a dark coloured SUV, which was last seen heading northbound on Railway Avenue some time between 10:15 p.m. and 10:30 p.m.
In an update provided by SPS, the vehicle is described as having a loud exhaust. No injuries were sustained as a result of this incident and SPS believe it to be a
targeted incident. They advised that there was no immediate risk to public safety.
The first suspect is described as a white male with a fair complexion, approximately 5’10” tall and a slim build. The second suspect is described as a white female, approximately 5’6”, with long dark hair, wearing a red Columbia jacket.
Anyone with information is asked to call SPS at 519-271-4141.
If you have information and wish to remain anonymous, please contact Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222- TIPS or www. p3tips.com.
Residents in the area of Railway Avenue are asked to check any video surveillance during this timeframe and submit any footage of interest to https://StratfordPolice.ca.evidence.com/axon/communityrequest/public/st25001382
left: The first suspect believed to be involved in a Railway Avenue shooting on Jan. 26 is described as a white male with a fair complexion, approximately 5’10” tall and a slim build.
Above: The second suspect is described as a white female, approximately 5’6”, with long dark hair, wearing a red Columbia
SHERRIE ROULSTON
David Boghosian, the City of Stratford’s newly appointed integrity commissioner, gave a public educational session on his services for city council on Jan. 27.
(CONTRIBUTED PHOTO)
Top
jacket.
Left: After the incident occurred, two suspects fled the area in a dark coloured SUV, which was last seen heading northbound on Railway Avenue some time between 10:15 p.m. and 10:30 p.m.
(CONTRIBUTED PHOTOS)
Zoltan the Adequate promises not to take Arlette Davenport’s arm off in a demonstration.
Danielle O’Rourke carves an ice sculpture, one of many that decorated the streets at Upper Queen’s Park.
(CONNOR LUCZKA PHOTOS)
What’s your response to Trump’s proposed tariffs?
Personally, I can tell you that I’ve had a wonderful time in my life traveling the United States.
During Justin Trudeau’s address to the nation on Feb. 1 (which we have printed in its entirety on page six), the Prime Minister spoke of the “many ways for you to do your part,” from checking the labels at the supermarket and picking Canadian-made products, to electing to explore Canada for your next family vacation.
Ultimately, he asked Canadians to find “your own way to stand up for Canada,” whatever that may be.
What will your response be to Trump’s tariffs? How will you stand up for Canada?
The young sports fan in me loved going to as many NHL arenas, baseball stadiums, and golf courses as I could get to. Later, as a parent, I have such great memories with our family of driving to Florida, enjoying the warm winters and visiting the Disney parks. As an adult who loves travel in general with my wife, I’ve savoured the timeless beauty of Hawaii and revisited the ever-evolving cityscape of Las Vegas. With 39 of the 50 states checked off my bucket list, I always figured I’d see them all eventually.
Well, it won’t be anytime soon that I’ll
Letter to the Editor
The Trump tariffs imposed on Canada on Sunday are an outrage. Never in modern times has an American administration treated its northern friend and neighbour so badly. After continual insults about Canada becoming the 51st state, Trump has given all Canadians the middle finger by gravely threatening our economy and standard-of-living.
This harsh and bizarre behaviour by the American president is having a predictable effect: Canada’s leaders are fighting back — and we Canadians are uniting behind them. It needs to be all hands on deck for the next while as we try to mitigate the worst effects of the U.S. tariffs and take retaliatory actions. This will be an enormous challenge and there is no room for partisan
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be stepping foot in the United States. Today marks Day 494 of my American tourism boycott, which I began in 2023 during the U.S. Republican primary process. This was during a time when despite criminal indictments stacking up against Donald Trump, he remained largely uncontested to run for another term as American president. Large portions of the American public, including friends of mine in Michigan, seemed unbothered with the idea of this low-life returning to power, and this really bothered me because I knew that his return would lead to trouble for Canada.
I know that my absence from the United States doesn’t mean much in the grand
scheme of things, but it is my own small way of standing up for what I believe in. My 2025 could have involved a night in Detroit to see Billy Joel, a golf getaway to Florida, and a wine tour of Napa Valley, but no thanks. I can’t do it.
Our local grocery store posted on the weekend that they’ve ordered Maple Leaf stickers to help inform customers on which items on the shelves are Canadian made. For many of us, our actions at the cash register are the best way for us to collectively have our voice heard.
How will you stand up for Canada? Let me know at stew@granthaven.com and I’d love to post some of the responses in our next issue.
squabbling.
But at this critical time for the country (which we all saw coming), up jumps Doug Ford and calls an early election in Canada’s largest province. He says he needs a strong mandate to take on Trump and his tariffs. Never mind that Ford heads a majority government with well over a year left in its mandate. Never mind that that no other premier is doing this. Never mind that the response to a national crisis is being (and must be) captained by the prime minister and the federal government, not one of many premiers. And never mind that it is the middle of an old-time cold and snowy winter in most of the province (Ford doesn’t care — he lives in relatively snow-free Toronto).
So while all of Canada’s politicians should be keeping their eye on the ball and working together for the country’s future, Ontario’s four main political parties will be needlessly distracted, turning inward and training their sights on one another. We the electorate will have to endure precious weeks of partisan electioneering — wasting time and energy that should be used to develop national, provincial and local strategies to counter the looming tariff shocks. What a cynical ploy on Ford’s part. Ontario deserves better.
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Dan Schneider St. Marys
STEWART GRANT Publisher
It may be freezing temperatures and snow-covered in Stratford, but as many parents know now is the time to start planning for summer vacation.
Luckily this year, one particular event meant to streamline that planning process.
On Jan. 26, Mindful Kids Inc., an organization that is focused on helping kids find calmness and happiness through meditation, hosted its second annual Stratford and Area Summer Camp Info Fair, inviting parents and kids to the Stratford Country Club to learn a little more about what’s on tap this summer break in the region.
Founder Melissa McIntosh said that with teenagers herself, finding summer plans during the year was a hectic rabbit hole on the internet or lineup registration. The idea for this event was to try and take all the stress and anxiety out of figuring out which organization would be best for a family’s summer vacation plans – all in one space.
“I just wanted to create a space where parents and families have a fun event to do in the wintertime, to maybe come out of the cold,” McIntosh said. “They can come for the day and they can plan however
much of the summer they need.”
Seventeen organizations held information booths with interactive activities for kids and documentation for parents to get acquainted with the programs available at the session, from local rock-climbing gym Pursuit Climbing to Playmakers! Theatre School.
McIntosh said that this year was a huge success, due in part to social media and word of mouth.
“The focus for the parents is come plan your summer,” McIntosh said. “From a vendor perspective, we focus on community, collaboration, and connection.”
Additionally, just prior to the fair opening its doors, a job fair was hosted for teenagers and young adults, where they could connect with camp operators and inquire about employment during the summer.
McIntosh thanked the 15 sponsors of the event, saying that without them it wouldn’t have been possible.
For anyone who missed the event, McIntosh said they can visit Mindful Kids’ website, at https://www.mindfulkids.ca/thestratford-area-summer-camp-info-fair, to find a list of the vendors. All of which have websites with further information on what they are offering this summer.
CONNOR LUCZKA
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
BreAnn Booker, Melissa McIntosh, and Katelyn Van Dyk of Mindful Kids Inc. at the organization’s booth for the second annual Stratford and Area Summer Camp Info Fair, where parents and kids can learn more about what’s on tap this summer break in the region.
(CONNOR LUCZKA PHOTO)
Transcript of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s Feb. 1, 2025 address to the nation
(Publisher’s note: the hostile action taken by U.S. President Donald Trump to impose 25 per cent tariffs on Canada will have an impact on all communities within our country, therefore we have allocated space within this week’s newspaper so that you may read the complete English transcript of our Prime Minister’s Feb. 1, 2025 address to the nation where he delivered the Canadian response).
“Good evening. Today, the United States informed us they will be imposing a 25 per cent tariff on Canadian exports to the United States and 10 per cent on Canadian energy, a decision that, should they elect to proceed with, should take effect on Tuesday, Feb. 4.
Tonight, first I want to speak directly to Americans. Our closest friends and neighbors. This is a choice that, yes, will harm Canadians. But beyond that, it will have real consequences for you, the American people.
As I have consistently said, tariffs against Canada will put your jobs at risk, potentially shutting down American auto assembly plants and other manufacturing facilities.
They will raise costs for you, including food at the grocery stores and gas at the pump.
They will impede your access to an affordable supply of vital goods crucial for U.S. security, such as nickel, potash, uranium, steel and aluminum.
They will violate the free trade agreement that the president and I, along with our Mexican partner, negotiated and signed a few years ago. But it doesn’t have to be this way.
As President John F. Kennedy said many years ago, geography has made us neighbours. History has made us friends, economics has made us partners, and necessity has made us allies.
That rang true for many decades prior to President Kennedy’s time in office, and
in the decades since, from the beaches of Normandy to the mountains of the Korean Peninsula, from the fields of Flanders to the streets of Kandahar, we have fought and died alongside you during your darkest hours. During the Iranian hostage crisis. Those 444 days, we worked around the clock from our embassy to get your innocent compatriots home.
During the summer of 2005, when Hurricane Katrina ravaged your great city of New Orleans, or mere weeks ago when we sent water bombers to tackle the wildfires in California. During the day, the world stood still, Sept. 11, 2001, when we provided refuge to stranded passengers and planes. We were always there, standing with you, grieving with you, the American people.
Together, we’ve built the most successful economic, military and security partnership the world has ever seen. A relationship that has been the envy of the world.
Yes, we’ve had our differences in the past, but we’ve always found a way to get past them. As I’ve said before, if President Trump wants to usher in a new golden age for the United States, the better path is to partner with Canada, not to punish us.
Canada has critical minerals, reliable and affordable energy, stable democratic institutions, shared values and the natural resources you need. Canada has the ingredients necessary to build a booming and secure partnership for the North American economy, and we stand at the ready to work together.
Let’s take a moment to talk about our shared border. Our border is already safe and secure, but there’s always, always more work to do. Less than one per cent of fentanyl, less than one per cent of illegal crossings into the United States come from Canada.
But hearing concerns from both Canadians and Americans, including the
American president himself, we’re taking action. We launched a $1.3 billion border plan that is already showing results, because we, too, are devastated by the scourge that is fentanyl, a drug that has torn apart communities and caused so much pain and torment for countless families across Canada, just like in the United States.
A drug that we too want to see wiped from the face of this earth. A drug whose traffickers must be punished. As neighbours, we must work collaboratively to fix this.
Unfortunately, the actions taken today by the White House split us apart instead of bringing us together.
Tonight, I am announcing Canada will be responding to the U.S. trade action with 25 per cent tariffs against $155 billion worth of American goods. This will include immediate tariffs on $30 billion worth of goods as of Tuesday, followed by further tariffs on $125 billion worth of American products in 21 days time to allow Canadian companies and supply chains to seek to find alternatives.
Like the American tariffs, our response will also be far reaching and include everyday items such as American beer, wine and bourbon, fruits and fruit juices, including orange juice, along with vegetables, perfume, clothing and shoes.
It’ll include major consumer products like household appliances, furniture and sports equipment, and materials like lumber and plastics, along with much, much more.
And as part of our response, we are considering with the provinces and territories, several non-tariff measures, including some relating to critical minerals, energy procurement and other partnerships.
We will stand strong for Canada. We will stand strong to ensure our countries continue to be the best neighbors in the
world.
With all that said, I also want to speak directly to Canadians in this moment.
I’m sure many of you are anxious, but I want you to know we are all in this together. The Canadian government, Canadian businesses, Canadian organized labour, Canadian civil society, Canada’s premiers, and tens of millions of Canadians from coast to coast to coast are aligned and united.
This is Team Canada at its best.
And now is also the time to choose Canada.
There are many ways for you to do your part. It might mean checking the labels at the supermarket and picking Canadian-made products. It might mean opting for Canadian rye over Kentucky bourbon, or forgoing Florida orange juice altogether. It might mean changing your summer vacation plans to stay here in Canada and explore the many national and provincial parks, historical sites and tourist destinations that our great country has to offer. It might mean doing all of these things or finding your own way to stand up for Canada. In this moment, we must pull together because we love this country. We pride ourselves on braving the cold during the long winter months. We don’t like to beat our chests, but we’re always out there waving the maple leaf loudly and proudly to celebrate an Olympic gold medal. Canada is home to bountiful resources, breathtaking beauty, and a proud people who’ve come from every corner of the globe to forge a nation with a unique identity worth embracing and celebrating. We don’t pretend to be perfect, but Canada is the best country on earth.
There’s nowhere else that I, in our 41 million strong family, would rather be. And we will get through this challenge just as we’ve done countless times before together.
Thank you.”
“Let’s remain calm, support one another, and be united”: Mayor Martin Ritsma
tourism, small businesses and our citizens?
In response to the trade tariffs the United States imposed on Canada, and subsequently paused for 30 days, Stratford Mayor Martin Ritsma released the following statement on Feb. 3:
"I would like to take a few moments to talk about something that is likely on everyone’s mind right now – the tariffs just imposed on Canada by the United States. For most of us, myself included, the news of these tariffs brought about a mixture of anger, disappointment and, of course, a great deal of anxiety.
How will this affect us in the City of Stratford? What will the impact be on our local economy, our manufacturing sector,
We don’t know exactly, but it is safe to say that this 25 per cent tariff on Canadian goods will be felt here, and for many, it will be painful.
We didn’t ask for this, but we will have to deal with it.
And if the recent pandemic taught us anything, it’s that we are resilient, and we will get through this if we work together.
So I would like to reassure everyone that I, along with all of city council and staff, am committed to supporting you whenever, wherever and however we can.
We have already started having conversations and will continue to reach out to our upper levels of government through
the Premier’s office and the Prime Minister’s office to advocate on behalf of our community, and those most affected by the tariffs.
But let’s focus on what we can control ourselves here in Stratford.
First, buy local. Shop at local stores, buy locally made products, and eat at local restaurants. Let’s continue to support the Stratford and area businesses that make our community such an amazing place.
The tariffs will require some adjustments, and that extends to the city budget currently being considered. City council will continue to look for opportunities to reduce the impact on local ratepayers without negatively affecting the important programs and services we provide.
We also need to remember that the United States is still our biggest and most important trading partner and neighbour. We’ve had disputes with neighbours before, and we’ll get past this one too. Our close cultural and economic connection with the U.S. will continue long after the tariffs have ended.
So let’s continue to have those conversations with our neighbours, our friends and family members across the border.
Most importantly, let’s remain calm, let’s support one another, and let’s be united.
And let’s remember that the resourcefulness, the creativity and the compassion of our community will see us through this challenge. Together."
Stratford General’s new cancer clinic opens for closer-to-home care
CONNOR LUCZKA Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
When Jim Battle was told that Stratford General Hospital will be getting a new cancer clinic a few years ago, he was less than convinced that it would actually happen.
“I’ll believe it when I see it,” Battle put it succinctly. “Flash forward a month back, Francesco (Sabatini) and Ryan (Itterman) gave patient partners Jim Young and myself a preview of this renovation and my overall reaction was jaw-dropping.
“The space was simply amazing, outstanding, incredible,” Battle said. “Now I am a believer … on behalf of all of our patients and their caregivers – past, present and future – kindly, let me congratulate with thanks to those who played a significant role in this job.”
Battle, a patient partner with the Huron Perth Healthcare Alliance (HPHA) for this project, was at the ribbon cutting on Jan. 24 to celebrate the jaw-dropping community achievement, joining many project leaders and local stakeholders as the clinic was officially opened.
The new, spacious clinic is nearly a decade in the making and is a marked upgrade from Stratford General’s current cancer clinic, which was constructed in the 50s. It has more treatment spaces (going from 12 to 17), a new negative pressure room to provide care for high-risk patients, a specialized Peripherally Inserted Central Catheter (PICC) room for the insertion of central lines for long-term IV medication administration, and an interior renovation of over 18,000 square feet –with new mechanical, electrical, and security systems, as well as updated windows
and roofing.
Francesco Sabatini, project manager and facilities manager, said that the whole renovation was done in mind of patient experience. He cited specifically the lighting levels throughout the unit, which are adjustable, the ratio of private and public treatment spaces for those with different emotional needs when receiving treatment, and a less clinical feel to the space by using warmer colour tones.
Along with the new cancer clinic is an attached pharmacy, with both representing a significant step forward in meeting the needs of patients in the nearby community.
As a satellite program of the Verspeeten Family Cancer Centre at London Health Sciences Centre, HPHA’s clinic serves over 3,500 patient visits annually, includ-
ing chemotherapy treatments and supportive care for cancers such as breast, prostate, bowel, and lung, among others.
And now residents in Stratford and area won’t always need to head to London to receive their vital care – something which nearly everyone who spoke about the project touched on.
Stratford Mayor Martin Ritsma said that he was thinking of one name that morning as he came to the hospital: Claire Kelly.
“Claire Kelly was my mother-in-law,” Ritsma shared. “And Claire went through breast cancer but because at that time the services weren't here, had to go to London for surgery and then the chemotherapy. So I think of today … Claire's name and the number of people now that will, in our local area, be able to get the services that they deserve … close to home.”
Perth-Wellington MPP Matthew Rae, whose mother is a two-time cancer survivor, commented on how appreciative he was of the investment to Stratford.
“When I walked in, first thing I noticed was how beautiful it was, how much light there is,” Rae said. “I know people, when they think of hospitals, they unfortunately think of darker areas but it's a wonderful job that the team has done to design such an open and welcoming space for people who obviously are going through a lot if they're coming to this clinic.”
“When you think of a service like chemotherapy, it's so stressful on patients and family members,” Andrew Williams, HPHA president and CEO, said. “Our role in your journey is to provide as compassionate a level of care as we can, to make sure that we're supporting them as best we can. This facility is outstanding. It's close to home for people. The team is wonderful. It really, I think, contributes in a positive way to what is a very challenging and stressful time for people. We take this very, very seriously and are so impressed and excited about the community support we’ve had.
“I think what will really be interesting will be the current patients who are receiving care now in our existing clinic, who will continue their journey here,” Williams went on to say. “Hearing their observations and perspectives about the impact this has on how they feel about the chemo that they're getting. It's all about the patient.”
The Stratford General Hospital Foundation's In Our Hands Capital Campaign has been instrumental in bringing this clinic to fruition, committing $15 million of its $30 million goal to the project.
Quadro Communications matching up to $25,000 for Hospice Hearts Monthly Gifting Challenge
development and stewardship of Rotary Hospice. “It was a very generous commitment.”
Rotary Hospice Stratford Perth and Quadro Communications are hoping more people will sign up to support the hospice during the Hospice Hearts Monthly Gifting challenge.
A Jan. 31 press release announced that for the month of February, Quadro Communications will be matching all new monthly donor contributions and any increases in existing donations to Rotary Hospice Stratford Perth. Quadro will match up to $25,000.
When the Rotary Hospice was being built, Quadro was one of the early supporters around 2018.
“They paid off that pledge commitment,” said Lucie Stuart, director of fund
When the hospice reached the five-year operational milestone, the facility reached out to the earliest supporters. The boards of directors for both the hospice and Quadro were on board with the idea of the dollar matching campaign Stuart suggested.
Maggie Whitcroft, Quadro’s marketing coordinator, said that Quadro is committed to supporting the communities in the region through initiatives like Hospice Hearts Monthly Giving challenge.
“Quadro is a cooperative,” Whitcroft said. “We have a different business model, so we are committed to give back to the communities by using sponsorships or donations, so this was a really good fit for Quadro.”
Rotary Hospice Stratford Perth provides palliative care year-round in a homey setting surrounded by green space. There are 10 beds in the hospice for those with an end-of-life prognosis that is about three months or less.
The hospice receives Ministry of Health funding for half of the annual operating costs and is responsible for fundraising the other half – nearly a million dollars. The hospice provides dignity, comfort, and support for their residents and their loved ones.
"When people come here, we have a care team that take over that caregiving role so that loved ones can be loved ones,” Stuart said. “They can be family members. They can be friends. They can come and go visit and the individual - who we
refer to as a resident, because they call this their home, there is no cost for them to be here."
Monthly donors can pay-what-theywish each month. Stuart said that about $13 a month can help the hospice run their soup program.
“If you're visiting somebody and you just want a bowl of soup or a cookie, you can just go to the kitchen and help yourself,” she said. “Every day it costs us $13. Thirteen dollars a month, if you pay for that, it pays for one batch of soup for the daily batch of soup.”
More information about becoming a monthly donor can be found online by visiting www.rotaryhospice.ca/monthly-giving, or by contacting Stuart by calling 519-508-4900 ext. 720 or emailing lucie@rotaryhospice.ca.
Community stakeholders and project leaders gather at Stratford General Hospital’s new cancer clinic for a ribbon cutting on Jan. 24. The “jaw-dropping” community achievement means that local residents in Stratford and beyond can get vital care close to home.
(CONTRIBUTED PHOTO)
EMILY STEWART Times Correspondent
Perth County council defers Giant Hogweed treatment initiative to 2026
GALEN SIMMONS Regional Editor
A plan to monitor, control the spread of and ultimately eradicate the invasive weed species, Giant Hogweed, in Perth County has been deferred for consideration in 2026 as Perth County staff make adjustments to bring it more in line with available grant funding from the province.
At the Jan. 23 Perth County council meeting, councillors voted in favour of a recommendation made by the county’s agricultural working group at its meeting in December. Though the working group supports the program in theory as an enhancement to the county’s existing forestry and invasive species program, it suggested refinements are needed to the project plan to better align it with the objectives of available grant funding.
“A concern around treating the invasive species called Giant Hogweed was identified as a need, thereby necessitating an expansion to our existing county weed-control program,” said county resilience and stewardship coordinator Hannah Cann. “Giant Hogweed is a hazardous, invasive plant from central Asia which poses a risk to humans and ecological health. Giant Hogweed spreads quickly and easily through watercourses as its epic number of seeds disperse easily through the air and the plant often infests riverbanks and marginal lands.
“Treatment is challenging due to this threat to human health and safety with chemical treatment being the most effective option for eradication. Long-term treatment strategies are often required for this species, like many other invasives, and therefore demands for adequate treatment of this species are above and beyond our existing budgetary constraints for weed control in the county, making access to grant dollars desirable.”
Cann said there was an opportunity in the fall and winter of 2024 to expand the county’s weed-control program to include Giant Hogweed treatment through the Invasive Species Centre’s Invasive Species Action Fund, which offered one-to-one, matching-dollar funding for inva-
sive-species mapping and eradication projects.
A plan for the mapping and eradication of Giant Hogweed was presented to the agricultural working group at its Dec. 10, 2024, meeting for feedback because it would involve work on both public and private land across the county. As the working group recommended the program be adjusted, staff brought a report to county council Jan. 23 with a recommendation to defer the project to 2026.
The plan, as it was presented to the working group, included the following actions:
• Identifying hotspots for Giant Hogweed in the county through public reports and regular surveys conducted by the county weed inspector in known and potential areas of infestation such as riverbanks, parks and roadsides. County staff would also use historical data and reports from partner agencies to identify areas with repeated Giant Hogweed occurrences to develop patterns and predict future hotspots.
• Mapping current infestations using the county’s geographical information systems and evaluate the potential risks to ecological and public health associated with each infestation area. Staff will also be able to prescribe proper treatment methods based on the severity and location of each infestation.
• Chemically treating each infestation by trained, certified professionals who adhere to local and provincial regulations, and environmental guidelines, especially near water bodies. Treatment would likely occur between April and June.
• Monitoring treated areas and retreating if necessary. This plan would also seek to empower landowners and community groups to help monitor, identify and report new instances of Giant Hogweed.
Had this program gone ahead this year, Cann said the county would have looked to spend an additional $25,000 that could have been matched for a total of $50,000 through the Invasive Species Centre’s Invasive Species Action Fund. The deadline for applying for funding through that program in 2025 has now passed.
“We’ve been dealing with this in West Perth for a number of years,” said Walter McKenzie, county councillor and West Perth mayor. “It’s all along the Thames River.
I’m going to say three or four years at least we’ve been dealing with it, and I guess until such time as its control is a little more broader and countywide, what we’re trying to do, I guess, is futile if we’re not going to control it in other areas.
“I don’t know what other municipalities are doing, but I’d assume it must be all along the waterways. Anybody who has had contact with it; it’s not nice.”
According to the staff report to council, Perth County’s weed inspector has been tracking and treating Giant Hogweed since 2007, but there is community knowledge of the plants being in the county for over 40 years. In 2007, the weed inspector petitioned the province to allow Perth County to add Giant Hogweed to the local list of noxious weeds. Following this request, the Province of Ontario added Giant Hogweed to the Schedule of Noxious Weeds under the Weed Control Act of 2009.
Since that time, Perth County has been unofficially tracking hotspots and treating publicly accessible areas with herbicide, as well as supporting and encouraging landowners to watch for infestations and treat them accordingly.
In recent years, the City of Stratford has undertaken work specifically towards Giant Hogweed, contracting the services of the Upper Thames River Conservation Authority (UTRCA) to track and treat infestation locations to reduce risk to humans and environmental health. The local municipalities in Perth County also have treatment contracts with their relevant conservation authorities for the treatment of Japanese Knotweed, Phragmites Australis, Common Buckthorn and others.
While county staff previously reached out to the UTRCA to determine what capacity it has to support the county’s proposed Giant Hogweed plan, deputy warden Dean Trentowsky asked staff to touch base with the other local conservation authorities – the Ausable Bayfield Conservation Authority, Maitland Valley Conservation Authority and Grand River Conservation Authority – to determine what capacity they have to support this program.
A report on this program will likely be brought back to council as part of 2026 budget deliberations in the fall.
Stratford resident arrested for ongoing investigation in Oxford County
A 44-year-old Stratford resident has been arrested for a handful of charges and is believed to be connected to an ongoing investigation in Oxford County.
County OPP executed a warrant at a Downie Street address in Stratford the morning of Jan. 22, after being on scene since the night before.
Const. Randi Crawford, community safety and media relations officer with Oxford OPP, told the Times
that armed police presence was necessary for the arrest based on the information that there was the possibility of a weapon – though Crawford clarified it was not a firearm.
The warrant was executed without incident and as a result the unnamed resident has been charged with Break and Enter into a Dwelling House, Assault With a Weapon, Mischief, Possession of a Weapon for a Dangerous Purpose, and three counts of Fail to Comply with a Release Order.
No injuries were reported.
CONNOR LUCZKA Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
Gather and Grow with the Iris Collective to empower women
Women and girls in Stratford came together for the first event of an organization aiming to bring women in the city and surrounding area together.
The Iris Collective, a grassroots organization aiming to bring women of Stratford and area together, held their first event Gather and Grow at the Local Community Food Center on Feb. 1. Gather and Grow was filled with lots of friendly conversations and applause.
The free event gave a rundown of the organization, how it started and why it’s launching. Gather and Grow also held an activity where tables of women talked about issues that need addressing and possible solutions.
City councillor, communications professional and graphic designer Jo-Dee Burbach and organization psychologist Cranla Warren, who lived in Stratford for 20 years, co-founded the Iris Collective. Both women noticed issues surrounding leadership, politics, economics, and social issues that affect women in Stratford of all ages, regardless of how long they’ve lived in the city.
The core group of the Iris Collective came together in October 2023 and partly
attributed the organization’s name to Iris, the Greek goddess of the rainbow who was a messenger between mortals and gods.
"As a society, we've come to recognize that rainbows are a symbol of hope, equity
Queer Book of the Month
MELANIE KINDRACHUK Stratford Public Library
How Far the Light Reaches: a Life in Ten Sea Creatures / Sabrina Imbler
@SPL 591.779 Imb
Imagine sea creatures from the depths, unusual and unknown, with powerful camouflage skills, a tendency toward survival in harsh conditions, or a beautiful ability to grow in community. And then imagine that these characteristics are compared to the experience of growing up queer and mixed race.
That's what you'll find in this collection of ten essays by Sabrina Imbler. The science content is fascinating, covering creatures from the mundane (like goldfish) to the rare and strange (like salps!). Imbler takes a creature as their theme, and tells a story about that living being, while weaving in their own
and unity. It just so happens as well that in 1925, the Iris was made the official flower of the City of Stratford,” Burbach said.
Both Burbach and Warren were pleased with the turnout of Gather and Grow.
stories about their life. From realizing they were queer by high school, to finding a community, coming out to their Chinese mother, dating widely, or participating in protests and parades, they find connections between the self and the wider world.
Sometimes the connections are a bit of a stretch, with the metaphors becoming tenuous. But as a whole, this is an illuminating read, full of wonder at the strangeness of the world, told in a flowing style. The concept is fresh and engaging, and the personal revelations of how Imbler comes to an understanding of how they show up in the world are earnest and honestly told. This is a memoir through the lens of nature writing; the memoir is the heart of the book. If you are in the mood for a gentle and introspective read from a writer investigating their own life, with a leavening of the tiny, miraculous lives that exist all around us, this is a great pick.
"I think it was amazing. I'm so glad that lots of women in our community were able to come out and connect. It's exactly what we wanted to happen, and it did,” Burbach said.
"And we had no idea how many people to expect,” Warren added. “We had people showing up 40 minutes before the doors officially even opened and it was our pleasure and joy to have girls here as well as part of the Iris Collective launch event.”
During the Q&A session towards the end of the afternoon, a girl inquired about volunteering with the Iris Collective when she and her friends enter high school for the mandatory 40 hours of community service upon graduation requirement.
The Iris Collective aims to host events at least once a quarter, with the next event coming in the spring.
"I think what we hear today from the interaction in the table activities in what they really want and need, that's going to guide our next steps,” Warren said. “We want to make sure we're amplifying the voices and really meeting the need."
More information about the Iris Collective can be found by visiting the Facebook page online, sending an email to iriscollective.stratford@gmail.com or by calling 519-275-7060.
Weekend Quiz
By Jake Grant
1. What is the birthstone for February?
2. What does GDP stand for?
3. Who won album of the year at the 2025 Grammys?
4. What color is the brick road in Wizard of Oz?
5. Who is the Roman god of love, desire and attraction?
6. Did Wiarton Willie see his shadow on groundhog day?
7. Who wrote Pride and Prejudice?
8. What is the name of the largest mountain in Canada?
9. What do you call people born on Feb. 29th?
10. What year was marijuana legalized in Canada?
EMILY STEWART Times Correspondent
"Iris Collective co-founders Cranla Warren and Jo-Dee Burbach were thrilled to see an engaged audience full of women and girls interested in coming together to empower and support each other. The Iris Collective held their Gather and Grow event on Feb. 1.
(EMILY STEWART PHOTO)
Meet your candidates: Matthew Rae of the PC Party
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
Incumbent Matthew Rae of the PC Party of Ontario says that Feb. 27 is a job interview.
“An election is kind of like a job interview for anyone who's running for elected office,” Rae told the Times. “It's been great hearing from people at their doors, to hear some of their challenges or concerns, or some of the ways we were able to help them in the past with provincial issues … for the past almost three years, I've had the distinct honor to represent the good people of Perth-Wellington at Queen's Park as their MPP.”
Rae was first elected in 2022, taking over from fellow PC MPP Randy Pettapiece who re -
(CONTRIBUTED PHOTO)
tired that year. Prior to taking office, he worked for an education non-profit, running STEM programming for high school
students during the summer months. Since being elected, he was served as parliamentary assistant to Minister of Education Steven Lecce and, most recently, parliamentary assistant to the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing Paul Calandra.
Rae’s top priority going into this election is the same as his party’s leader: American President Donald Trump’s still-looming tariff threat. He said that the PC team stands resolute against the threats and will do everything in their power to support Ontarians.
As a riding with strong auto-manufacturing and agriculture sectors, Perth-Wellington stands to be deeply affected should the trade tariffs move forward.
When it comes to health care, Rae said that by 2029 his government is committed to ensure that everyone has access to primary care. The PCs have earmarked $1.8 billion to achieve that goal.
During his term there have been a number of ER closures in rural areas, largely due to staffing.
To make sure that hospitals are fully staffed, Rae said that there has been significant investment in rural hospitals, on average a four per cent increase in base operating funding to address some of the cost pressures they are facing.
As the incumbent, Rae said that he is proud of how he has represented constituents, while acknowledging there is more
work to do. He said that since 2022, over $200 million was invested into infrastructure, health care, and education. Come election day, he said that the residents of Perth-Wellington should cast their vote for him as he will continue to be an advocate for the area at Queen’s Park and that he and the PC team will be a united force to protect Ontario.
“We're in unprecedented times,” Rae said. “We’re going to put forward a plan to demonstrate to the people of Ontario that we will be there to protect our families, our workers and our businesses, and ensure that we outlast the Trump presidency while continuing to build our economy and investing in great local businesses in Ontario.”
Meet your candidates: Jason Davis of the Ontario NDP
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
Housing, food security, and social services, in that order, are Jason Davis’ priorities going into this election.
“We can't really talk about anything else when someone doesn't have a place to sleep at night,” Davis told the Times. “You can't really talk about any of the other things we need to look at when we have people struggling to eat.” Davis is the newly appointed candidate for the Ontario New Democratic Party (NDP). He has been a transport truck technician for the last 12 years in the region, fixing transport trucks and farm equipment. He also owns Stratford Comic Stop, a mostly online store where he gives out free comic books to kids. He is an ad-
(CONTRIBUTED PHOTO)
vocate for housing and is working to build a community land trust in the region.
In his opinion, the current government has neglected its core
responsibilities for GTA issues. Citing the closure of the Ontario Science Centre, the Highway 413 project, and election gimmicks, Davis believes that the government’s priorities are in the wrong place.
“We have wasted so much money on things that we don't rely on in a time when people are struggling to have what they need … One in three households are suffering from food insecurity. I don't want to be talking about a $10 billion highway when we have families that can't feed their children.”
Davis wants to build non-market housing to address the affordability crisis. He argued that prior to 1993 the federal Liberals built 10 per cent of all homes in the country, before stopping the program and giving it to the provinc-
es. After 30 years of Liberal and Conservative rule in Ontario, no public, non-market housing development has been started.
In his opinion, it is completely possible to build affordable housing, its just that there needs to be a government willing to address the issue properly.
Additionally, bolstering the region’s child care capabilities and prioritizing a walk-in clinic are top of mind heading to the election.
Perth-Wellington has sent a PC MPP to Queen’s Park since 2011.
The riding, as it exists today, has never elected an NDP provincially. When asked whether or not he could reasonably flip the riding, Davis said that he’s been asking voters one question as he goes door to door.
“I’ve been asking a lot of farm-
ers that I work with, ‘What have the conservatives done for you in the last seven years that warrants your vote again?’” Davis said. “And they don't have an answer to that question anymore. Some of it used to be based on political bias or identity, but now, when things are tougher than they have been in at least my lifetime, they can't just rely on that bias and ideology anymore.
“I understand what it's like to go to the grocery store with $30 in your pocket and try and figure out how you're going to get food for your kids lunch each day because you just paid rent and you're not getting paid again for another week,” Davis said. “And I think that its about time that we start electing representatives that understand that feeling.”
Stratford librarians win prestigious awards
STRATFORD TIMES STAFF
stratfordtimes@gmail.com
The Stratford Public Library (SPL) continues to have award-winning staff on their roster.
Library technicians Sherri Bennewies and Lorraine Gordon were honoured with the technical services award at the Ontario Library Association (OLA)’s Library Awards Gala, held in conjunction with the OLA Super Conference from Jan. 29 to Feb. 1 in Toronto.
The OLA is a provincial association of public, school, academic, and special libraries – with more than 4,000 members across Ontario. Each year, it honours the best and brightest for the outstanding work they do in operating local libraries.
Awarded to a library technician or
department that has made a substantial contribution to their institution or the library profession, Bennewies and Gordon’s award recognizes those who help with the efficiencies and improved access to materials.
Bennewies and Gordon were recognized for their groundbreaking work in updating outdated Indigenous and LGBTQ+ subject headings in the library catalogue, reflecting contemporary language and promoting inclusivity.
"The library is committed to updating our catalogue to ensure it reflects respectful, culturally appropriate terminology," explained Krista Robinson, CEO of the library, in a media release. "Both initiatives represent our commitment to eliminating harmful stereotypes and fostering positive change
within our library system. It's one of several steps we're taking to enhance representation and create a more inclusive library environment for all patrons.
“We are very proud of the work Sherri and Lorraine have done – the award is very well deserved."
The efforts of Bennewies and Gordon extend beyond Stratford, improving the discoverability of materials across all libraries in Perth County. The subject heading updates are integrated into the Perth County Information Network (PCIN) catalogue, which serves five public libraries: Stratford, St. Marys, North Perth, Perth East, and West Perth.
For more information about SPL's programs, catalogue, and ongoing initiatives, please visit www.splibrary.ca.
Library technicians Sherri Bennewies and Lorraine Gordon were honoured with the Ontario Library Association’s 2025 technical services award. They were recognized for their groundbreaking work in updating outdated Indigenous and LGBTQ+ subject headings in the Stratford Public Library’s catalogue, reflecting contemporary language and promoting inclusivity.
CONNOR LUCZKA
CONNOR LUCZKA
MPP Matthew Rae is Perth-Wellington’s PC Party of Ontario representative.
Jason Davis is Perth-Wellington’s Ontario New Democratic Party representative.
(CONTRIBUTED PHOTO)
Meet your candidates: Ashley Fox of the Liberal Party
CONNOR LUCZKA
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
Ashley Fox, the Ontario Liberal Party’s candidate for Perth-Wellington in this year’s provincial election, says that constituents should cast a vote for her this time around because they need an advocate who understands them.
“I see what's happening frontline with health care,” Fox told the Times. “I see what's happening frontline in housing, as well as our agricultural community that's fighting to keep their land and keep things being affordable for all of us. I see in my community how people are losing stable employment … People should cast their vote for me, because I am the right person that will advocate and make change.”
Fox is a registered practi-
(CONTRIBUTED PHOTO)
Ashley Fox is Perth-Wellington’s Ontario Liberal Party representative.
cal nurse, a wife, and a mother.
Hailing from Palmerston, she is a self-described advocate for health care and change, as well as
a nurse case manager.
As a nurse, health care is number one priority.
“We have 17,000 people in our riding that don't have access to a family doctor, and that doesn't include the people that are going to be losing their doctors in the next six months for retirement or change,” Fox said. “The biggest thing we're going to do at this time, which is a priority for people in this riding and all across Ontario, is guarantee everyone a family doctor in the next four years.”
Fox said her party is focused on modernizing family medicine, with plans in place to support interprofessional teams including nurses and physicians when they make it easier to access health care from home and eliminate
paperwork, making it easier for family doctors to practice.
Affordability, child care, and housing are also top of mind for Fox. The Liberals say they are scrapping developmental charges on middle class housing, saving families an estimated $170,000 on a new home, and eliminating the provincial land transfer tax for first time home buyers.
“One of the things I'm really passionate about, especially in regards to rentals, is really looking at the landlord tenant board dispute,” Fox said. “I know that there's significant wait times currently, so we would be introducing a phased in rent control, but also looking at resolving those disputes with a timeline of two months.”
Fox was the Liberal candidate
in 2022 as well and said she was impressed with the progress made in Perth-Wellington. John Wilkinson was the last Liberal MPP to hold office, from 2007 to 2011. She came third in the race with 16 per cent of the vote, just shy of Jo-Dee Burbach of the New Democratic Party (NDP) with 22 per cent of the vote and Matthew Rae of the PC Party of Ontario with 47 per cent of the vote.
This time around, Fox said constituents are tired of not seeing accountability and transparency.
“There's no shortage of recommendations as to how we can fix our system, and I think that is listening and accountability and transparency with our system,” Fox said. “We have the ability to make those changes. We just need those in power to listen.”
Meet your candidates: Ian Morton of the Green Party
CONNOR LUCZKA
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
After Ian Morton went through “very brutal” cancer treatment at just 50 years old, he vowed to not take his time for granted and to take action on the issues that matter to him – which is why he threw his hat in the ring to stand as the Green Party of Ontario’s candidate for Perth-Wellington in this year’s provincial election.
Morton has been a teacher with the Avon Maitland District School Board for 25 years and has been a member of a number of community organizations, including serving as chair of the City of Stratford’s energy and environment advisory committee.
While politically active for much of his life, Morton first
(CONTRIBUTED PHOTO)
Ian Morton is Perth-Wellington’s Ontario Green Party representative.
got seriously involved in politics in 2022 when he ran for a municipal seat in Stratford.
Having narrowly lost the election, he said it gave him valuable perspective. Talking with
constituents then, he gained a broader idea of the issues top of mind for voters: affordability, housing, and health care.
Specifically, the lack of family doctors in the region is an area that he would like to improve upon, as well as the ER closures that occurred within the riding and other rural areas within the last few years.
He said that the Green Party will be rolling out its platform and policies as the election gears up, and that they will be focused on rural needs – plans to build more housing, curbing rising costs, and protecting farmland, to name a few.
One initiative he said is the first-time homebuyers plan, a plan the Greens would enact that would remove fees and taxes on the purchase of new starter homes that are built within
STRATFORD TIME S
Erie Street Esso
Strickland's Toyota
Fix Auto
Stratford KIA
Expressway Ford
McDonald's - Erie St
Tim Hortons - Erie St
Stratford Mazda
7-Eleven - Erie St
Joe's Diner
The Urban Barber
Erie Convenience
Mr. Sub
Balzacs Coffee
Shoppers Drug Mart - Ontario
New Orleans Pizza
Zehrs
Food Basics
Tim Hortons - C.H. Meier
Festival Marketplace
Stratford Nissan
Stratford Subaru
Peavey Mart
Stratford Honda
Quality Festival Inn
McDonald's - Ontario St.
Papa Johns
Fore Everyone Golf
WalMart
Stratford Motor Products
A&W
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Rutherford Funeral Home
Athens Greek Restaurant
Stratford Legion
Gino's Pizza
Rosso's
Buzz Stop
Union Barber
Mornington Variety
Split Rail
Stratford Rotary Complex
Agriplex
No Frills
Cozyn's
Sebringville Esso
Dave's Diner - Sebringville
Stratford-Perth Museum
urban boundaries, for example.
“We do not want cities and towns to keep sprawling into farmland,” Morton said. “We have some of the best farmland in Perth and Wellington Counties, so we need to make sure that these solutions work together, that we can address protecting farmland and can address housing and can address affordability all at the same time.”
Additionally, Morton thinks that Perth-Wellington’s MPP should do a better job of listening to concerns of people.
“The Ford government, and Matthew Rae has been supporting it, is prioritizing the wrong things for Ontarians,” Morton said. “We don't need a $10 billion highway built. We don't need a luxury spa at Ontario Place … There's example after
example of how the Ford government is not listening to the people of Ontario. They're not prioritizing the people's needs.
“So I think there's a real opportunity for the people of Ontario to send Doug Ford a message, to send Matthew Rae a message in Perth-Wellington, that you want to be listened to, that you have serious concerns and issues that need serious responses and answers.”
Morton also took the time to remind people that now more than ever, voting is vital. Given that the election will be on Feb. 27, perhaps during inclement weather, there are options to vote early or to mail in a ballot.
“Make sure you take up this privilege so that we can have someone in office that's going to listen to us and help us,” Morton said.
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North End Pharmacy
Avondale’s Time for Dimes raises $550 to support Humane Society
EMILY STEWART
Times Correspondent
Avondale United Church’s youth groups demonstrate the impact 10 cents can have when it multiplies.
Members of the Avondale United Church junior and senior youth groups spent time at the Humane Society of Kitchener Waterloo and Stratford Perth on Jan. 3, learning more about the organization. The youth groups raised $550 to care for the animals through their Time for Dimes initiative. Time for Dimes involves collecting $550 worth of dimes, which would stretch out to 100 meters, for charity.
"We were surprised to learn that they don't get any government funding,” said Terri Sparling, youth group leader. “Our 550 bucks was really worth a lot to them,
so they were really happy about it."
Time for Dimes began in 2022 after the youth learned about the mustard seed parable, learning that an impact as small as a mustard seed can add up to make a difference.
"It's one of the parables in the New Testament that Jesus told his disciples," said Elaine Strawbridge, youth group leader.
“So, they would know that no matter what they did, even if they thought that they weren't making much of an impact, a lot of little things add up to a big thing."
Time for Dimes supported many organizations including Shelterlink, United Way Perth Huron, the Connection Centre, and St. Paul’s Anglican Church. The initiative also raised money for relief efforts for Ukraine through Canadian Foodgrains
Bank, which was matched by the Federal Government of Canada.
"It feels like an activity that brings people closer together and everybody in our church kind of comes together. It’s fun. It's really fun and it's a nice feeling,” Owen Brisbois, a youth group member, said.
The Avondale youth groups aim to raise enough dimes to stretch out one kilometre. So far, their fundraising stretches over 400 metres. Donations are often made at the church’s office when awareness is out there, and congregation members also bring in dimes.
"We get handed dimes all over the place,” Strawbridge said. “When I eat out, especially at the Arden Park, the wait staff will give me dimes because they know about it so they will save up their dimes
and I have a good friend who once in a while will hold out his hand and he’s got a fistful of dimes."
Time for Dimes will next raise money for the Emily Murphy Centre. The youth group votes on which organization they will support through Time with Dimes. Any request will be covered.
"We actually got a request to supply maple syrup for the church's pancake breakfast,” said Strawbridge. “They want real maple syrup, so they said, ‘Can we use our dimes and buy some maple syrup?’ There's no limit to the things we can do."
Anyone outside of the congregation can drop off their dimes at the Avondale United Church office on 194 Avondale Ave. from Monday to Friday between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m.
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From frequent coffee dates to new Revel café owners
Revel founder Anne Campion has passed the torch to new owners and longtime customers Stephanie and Colin Schmidt.
The Schmidts took over Revel, a direct trade café on 37 Market Pl, on Feb. 1 after Campion served Stratford for 14-and-a-half years. Speaking to the Stratford Times on Jan. 29, a few days before the changeover, Campion felt like she’s at the right time to pass on her business.
"I've loved everything I've done and it's time to see different visions and different perspectives,” said Campion.
Campion also said that since opening Revel’s doors, she had a vision for her business and how long she wanted to run it for. She grew the café as much as possible, even during the struggles the hospitality industry faced during the height of COVID-19 Pandemic restrictions from 2020 to early 2022.
"Now, it just feels like it's the right time,” Campion said. “It's right for the city, it's right for me, it's right for Steph and Colin as they take over and as they buy the busi-
ness and Revel still gets to be here and I get to come in and be a customer and support them and champion them in their business."
She said the Schmidts were the best fit for new ownership for a variety of reasons.
"They were our customers. They both
love coffee,” Campion said. “They both love what Revel is and what it has meant to the community as a place of diversity and open inclusion and welcoming. They are committed to the journey of coffee and ensuring that farmers are paid appropriately
for their coffee."
After Campion spoke with the Stratford Times, she went back behind the counter so Stephanie Schmidt could sip on a latte during her interview. Schmidt looked forward to running the café with her husband Colin.
“We're just excited to bring our touch to Revel but also try to honour everything that Anne has created here because it's a really special place,” she said.
The Schmidts often have their family coffee dates at Revel and have since their children were young. Stephanie also loves the pastries the chefs create and tried every baked good.
“We always loved the building, the vibe, the feel,” Schmidt said. “You walk in and it's just a special feeling. Also, my husband and I, it has always been a goal to own something together and it kind of just aligned. The stars aligned."
Since the Schmidt’s took over, batch brew drip coffee returned to Revel.
"Everything else is going to be a bit of a slow burn,” Schmidt said. “We do have lots of ideas, but it'll be business as usual."
Soup Surreal simmers its way into their 10th anniversary
Soup is the ultimate comfort food, soothing on a cold day and healing when not feeling well. Chef/owner Derek Denny has been serving up his concoctions at Soup Surreal for ten years on Wellington St., a testament to his popularity in the community.
Denny’s journey began around 20 years ago by starting to make soups for friends and family. His dream was to have a restaurant of his own that only made soup. He started working in restaurants at the tender young age of 14 washing dishes and grew into his chef’s apron with hard work and tenacity.
“When you get your prep list and one is the soup of the day, other chefs would groan about another thing to do but I would think of it as a chance to shine. I always enjoyed having that opportunity and would embrace it,” said Denny.
Once he moved to Stratford, he discovered the Slow Food Market and began selling his soups there and renting the country club kitchen to make batches. From there he got into the Kitchener market until finally, in 2014, he and his partner decided to pull the trigger and find a permanent home.
Soup was his passion, enjoying the flavour building of it and the final product just simply doesn’t get celebrated as much as it should for what it is. He started his appren-
ticeship cooking before moving to the Niagara Falls Culinary Institute and worked in many kitchens. He worked in Germany for three months and came back focused on developing recipes. He went to Australia for seven months working and developing his inspirational recipes. While there, Denny was influenced by the curry and thai foods that were prevalent in the region.
“We embrace seasonal ingredients and do things like fire roasted corn soup or lemon grilled asparagus and butternut squash and apple. When we get into spring and summer we shut down earlier as it’s not as busy. Hot soup is a hard sell in summer. We are so busy from September to May so we embrace the off season,” said Denny.
The community has helped to shape the
menus at Soup Surreal. By operating in the Slow Food Market, vendors are in direct contact with the consumer and can find out the likes, dislikes, and what they are looking for. The employees, of which there are three beside Denny, try to get involved in events that occur throughout the city and make donations where they are needed, for example, the Connections Centre. Again this year, Soup Surreal will partner with Coldest Night of the Year and help to warm the hiking teams with their soup.
“We always love that event. We get all bundled up and serve some hot soup and make everyone smile for a while as they embrace some hot soup. It’s great to see people enjoy it and standing around as a community, putting in their time and en-
joying something that is perfect for that event,” said Denny.
Soups are also available at the Livery Yard in Stratford as well as locations in London, Heidleburg, St Marys and St Jacobs. He feels that the business is strong by sticking to the trends of his clientele, whether they are pursuing a Keto diet or a diabetic diet. Some are needing gluten free, vegan, or dairy free. “More of the trend is to try and do what we are doing really well and make sure that we are doing it in a way that satisfies everyone, not just a small group of people,” said Denny.
Many who have come out to the restaurant have a favourite, and in Stratford, the favourite is the Creamy Chicken Comfort.
“It is almost like a chicken pot pie style soup. After that is a long list, there’s the creamy soups, creamy broccoli cheddar, creamy tomato and roasted garlic, creamy dilly spuddy, and a mix of all other flavours. They usually have three soup options daily along with a chili. One week will be a vegetable chili and the next week is a meat chili. The three soups rotate and they always have a vegan option. Posted daily is the menu on all their socials, Facebook and Instagram.
Soup Surreal is located at 98 Wellington St., Stratford and is open Tuesday to Friday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Soups can be purchased hot, or frozen to enjoy at your leisure.
EMILY STEWART Times Correspondent
(Left to right): Anne Campion, founder of Revel Cafe, and new owner Stephanie Schmidt spoke highly of the direct trade cafe and its legacy.
Soup Surreal celebrates 10 years of selling chef styled homemade soups.
(EMILY STEWART PHOTO)
(DERIK DENNY PHOTO)
LISA CHESTER Times Correspondent
New president and CEO of Atura Power has roots in Stratford and St. Marys
Appointed earlier in January, the new president and CEO of Atura Power, a subsidiary of Ontario Power Generation (OPG) that operates Ontario's largest fleet of combined cycle gas turbine powerplants, has roots in Stratford and St. Marys.
Tom Patterson, who was born in St. Marys and grew up in Stratford, attending school at King Lear Sr. Public School and Stratford Central Secondary School, was appointed president and CEO on Jan. 13 as previous president and CEO Shelley Babin returned to Ontario Power Generation to serve as chief operating officer.
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“It was offered to me,” Patterson said about why he took the job. “What occurred at OPG is the CEO of OPG, Ken Hartwick, retired late last year. That led to Nicolle Butcher becoming CEO, which then led to Shelley Babin, who is my former boss, becoming chief operating officer, which created space for this opportunity. I was given the opportunity by the executive of OPG to take on this position and to run the subsidiary.
“Call it succession planning in action.”
A mechanical engineer, Patterson started his career more than 25 years ago working for TC Energy. After moving to Atura Power, he led the company’s energy markets, electricity growth, finance and corporate-service teams.
“I came over, effectively, from Trans Canada Pipelines, or TC Energy now,” Patterson said. “So, I worked 20 years with them and I developed a wealth of experience in the areas of powerplant engineering, business development, I’ve supported mergers and acquisition, I’ve done commercial operations.
“I brought that to the table when OPG acquired assets from TC Energy back in 2020, and then since that time, I’ve really set up the commercial strategies to operate the business, managed all of the commercial affairs for the business, for the last six months, I’ve taken on the CFO function which includes our finance, IT, corporate services including HR and supply chain, and then I’ve really worked very diligently on managing the relationship with the parent company. … I bring a host of external relationships to the table from my 25 years of experience in the energy sector.”
Ontario Power Generation is owned by the Province of Ontario and is responsible for producing power for ratepayers in Ontario. While Ontario Power Generation is mostly focused on producing hydro-electric and nuclear power, it has also diversified it power-generation capabilities by creating subsidiary companies that generate power in other ways.
As one of those subsidiaries, Atura Power was initially established to operate combined cycle natural-gas turbine powerplants but has since expanded into the clean-fuel sector with the production of
hydrogen, as well as, more recently, the development of battery energy storage and a gas-expansion facility at its Napanee generating station. Currently, the company operates four natural-gas plants in Napanee, downtown Toronto, Halton Hills and in Brighton Beach near Windsor.
As part of his new role, Patterson will oversee an ambitious growth plan that will expand Atura’s gas-generation capacity, and develop low-carbon hydrogen production, energy storage and renewable-generation facilities to help build the bridge to a cleaner-energy future.
“Right now, we’ve got about a billion and half dollars of new investment that is in flight, and these are approved projects … in the areas of battery storage, new natural-gas-generation facilities, as well as green hydrogen,” Patterson said. “We’ll be producing hydrogen at the Niagara Sir Adam Beck facility, which is a hydro facility – the big hydro plant at Niagara Falls owned by OPG. We’re taking, effectively, excess energy from that facility when it’s otherwise not used for power generation … and converting it to hydrogen, which is effectively completely green hydrogen. And then that hydrogen can be used to sort of decarbonize things like the transportation sector and other hard-to-decarbonize sectors as we look to a cleaner future in, say, the 2050 timeframe.
“It’s part of our platform to … effectively green up the energy sector. Those are locked-in investments … and then we have ambition to further attract new business in the areas of capacity as well as energy. Capacity could be batteries, could be more natural gas, and the on the energy side, we’re looking at renewables including wind and solar.”
Patterson’s parents, John and Nancy Patterson, still live in Stratford and he says he still has many friends who live in the Festival City, giving him plenty of reason to visit regularly. Currently, Tom Patterson lives in Toronto with his wife, Dr. Wendy Martin, and their two children, Gregory and Meredith.
GALEN SIMMONS Regional Editor
With roots in both Stratford and St. Marys, Tom Patterson was recently appointed president and CEO of Ontario Power Generation subsidiary Atura Power.
(TOM PATTERSON PHOTO)
STRATFORD SPORTS
Warriors win five in a row as playoff race heats up
Amidst a turbulent battle for positioning ahead of the post-season, the Stratford Hunter Steel Ltd. Warriors have moved closer to clinching a playoff berth and stayed near the top of the Western Conference with a five-game winning streak.
Head coach Dave Williams was very happy with his team’s overall showings during their five-game winning streak, which came despite several players being out of the lineup every night.
“There's always a little bit of a heightened reaction when you're missing guys for various reasons,” Williams told the Times. “I think it just creates a feeling amongst the group where they become aware that everyone has to play a cleaner and more focused game. In the end, we hope that awareness stays whether we have guys missing or not, but I think having guys out definitely does bring that out of players.”
Williams further stated that the team as a whole stepped up to fill the holes left in their lineup.
STRATFORD
“We played the way that we like to play, and we’ve done it consistently through larger periods of time in those five games,” began Williams. “With us being a bit depleted due to injuries and guys being away at the McPherson Tournament, we’ve needed different guys to step up and make positive contributions, and they’ve done that.
“Collectively as a group, everyone had to do a bit more and their details had to be a little bit better, and up and down the lineup, I think guys did that, even our affiliate players. Our goaltending has been really good during this stretch, and it’s been good throughout the season, but I think we’ve really benefitted and drawn even more confidence from our goalies during these five games.”
The five-game unbeaten stretch began on Jan. 22 at the William Allman Memorial Arena when the Warriors picked up a dominant 4-0 shutout over the St. Thomas Stars. Chase Furlong stopped each of the 15 shots sent his way, while Hunter Nagge, Jonas Schmidt, and Colin Slattery each had a goal and an assist. Dax Vader rounded out the quartet of Stratford goal-scorers.
The Warriors then travelled to St. Thomas for a rematch against the Stars on Jan. 24, and despite a less dominant performance, Stratford still came away with the two points, downing the Stars 3-1. Matthew Blake found the back of the net against his former team to open the scoring for the Warriors, with Schmidt and Slattery also scoring for Stratford. Carter McDougall made 28 saves to earn the win in between the pipes.
On Jan. 26, the Warriors visited the Kitchener-Waterloo Siskins and earned a 4-1 victory. Coach Williams noted the win against the Siskins was valuable for the team after a less-than-stellar performance in their first visit to Kitchener-Waterloo before the holiday break.
“We got off to a good start. We were playing fast. We were putting pucks deep in the zone behind their defenders, getting to pucks first, and getting good first touches. We were hunting pucks really well and forcing Sarnia to turn pucks over. I think we lost our way a bit in the second after the situation with Dax, but the first and third periods were really solid.”
Schmidt once again found the back of the net, while Hudson Binder netted a hat-trick and Kaedyn Long picked up a pair of goals. Williams praised the full-game effort by the line Schmidt, Long, and Nagge.
“That line with Jonas (Schmidt), Kaedyn (Long), and Hunter (Nagge) was incredibly dominant the whole night. They were getting to pucks quickly. They managed the puck well. They were getting inside the dots and generating high-quality scoring opportunities. All of that is what we need out of them going forward.”
The Warriors pushed their winning streak to five games one night later thanks to a strong performance by Furlong in goal, who made 27 saves to backstop Stratford to a 3-0 shutout.
Rhyse Brown led the Warriors with a goal and an assist, which also gave the Minesing, Ont. native points in three straight games and earned rave reviews from the bench boss.
“Rhyse (Brown) has been able to really help this group, given his experience over the last two seasons. He is a really consistent player without the puck, and he’s a good example for guys on our team who want to earn more opportunities that a big factor in getting those chances is your ability to be reliable and trustworthy off the puck. It’s good to see Rhyse’s offensive game continue to develop as well and we’re happy he’s gotten rewarded with some points.”
Friday, February 7 - 7:30pm vs Kitchener-Waterloo - Allman Arena
Friday, Sept. 15th 7:30pm vs Listowel Allman Arena
Wednesday, February 12 - 7:00pm at London - Western Fair S.C.
“We played there right before Christmas, and it was a bit of a disappointment for us to lose that last game before the break. I think the whole team knew we didn’t play to the level we were capable of. So, this was a game we wanted to use to right that wrong, and I thought we were really solid. We were really stingy defensively, and our details were well-executed.”
Stratford’s other two goals came from affiliate player Nolan Miller along with Schmidt, the latter of whom made it five straight games with a goal.
Friday, Sept. 15th 7:30pm vs Listowel Allman Arena
Saturday, Sept. 16th 7:30pm at Listowel
Friday, February 14 - 7:30pm vs London - Allman Arena
Steve Kerr Memorial Arena
Schmidt once again turned in a strong offensive effort, scoring two goals in the Warriors’ victory over the Siskins. Heath Bogart and Rhyse Brown also potted goals for Stratford, and McDougall stopped 19 of 20 shots to secure the win.
“Anytime you can get some consistent scoring, whether it’s from single players or a group of players, it helps when you get into situations where the goals are harder to come by,” Williams said. “It gives everyone some confidence knowing there is somebody on the bench with them who can step up and get a goal when we need it, and Jonas (Schmidt) has certainly been giving guys that confidence recently.”
Saturday, February 15 - 7:30pm at Komoka - Komoka Wellness Centre
Sponsored by
Saturday, Sept. 16th 7:30pm at Listowel Steve Kerr Memorial Arena
Monday, February 17 - 4:30pm vs Listowel - Allman Arena
The Warriors put forward another strong performance when they visited the Sarnia Legionnaires on Jan. 30 and were rewarded with a 6-1 victory. Stratford outshot Sarnia 17-4 in the opening period and 16-6 in the third period. McDougall finished the night with 18 saves in the win.
Vader opened the scoring for the Warriors in the first period, but in the second, Vader was involved in an unfortunate accident when he suffered a cut that required him to be taken to the hospital to receive medical attention. Vader also required surgery to repair the damaged nerve and tendons, which was reported to the Times as being successful.
Coach Williams, who also expressed immense gratitude for the swift attention and assistance given to Vader by the officials and Legionnaires’ training staff, noted the Warriors had an excellent start and finish to the game.
When looking at the five-game win streak as a whole, Williams explained the value it could hold, not just in the short term but also further out as the games become more important.
“I think you hope a stretch like this gives the group a shot in the arm in terms of their confidence. I don’t think that was something we desperately needed. I think we recognize that we have played some good hockey this season and have some very clear strengths, so we were a confident group, but I think this stretch reinforces that belief we have in ourselves.
“With the parity in our league, this is the time of the year you want to be feeling confident. The games are only going to get tougher to win. Teams tend to get more focused and play with greater detail and effort at this time of the season as they’re trying to build momentum for the playoffs.”
SPENCER SEYMOUR
Times Regional Reporter
SSC well-represented at Aylmer competition
Pictured, from left, are SSC athletes Gracie Sutherland, Annabelle Stewart, Hailey Graul, and Ellie Stewart. All four skaters won Silver medals at the Jan. 24-26 Aylmer Skating Competition, with Sutherland in Star-Three Group Three, Stewart in Star-Two Group 11, Graul in Star-Two Group Five, and Stewart in Star-Two Group Two. Not pictured was Bella, a Bronze medalist in Star-Two Group 13, as well as Izzy Pritchard, who took the Bronze in Star-Two Group Three.
The Stratford Skating Club (SSC) had 11 skaters take part in the Star One-Four Competition in Aylmer on Jan. 24-26. Pictured from left to right are Tessa Bell, Reese Manzer, and Danika Lingard. Bell, competing in Star-Three Group Seven, and Manzer, in StarThree Group-11, each captured the Bronze medal. Meanwhile, Lingard won the Silver in Star-Three Group Eight. Not pictured was Emmy Ford, who claimed the Silver in Star-One Group One, and Jaida Ford, who earned the Silver in Star-Three Group Six.
(CONTRIBUTED PHOTOS)
Fighting Irish wins three straight games
Heading into the last pair of games in the regular season, the Stratford Fighting Irish have won three consecutive games, including a win over the first-place Alvinston Killer Bees.
After sustaining a 6-2 loss to the Elora Rocks on the road on Jan. 24, the Fighting Irish returned home one night later on Jan. 25 to take on Alvinston and quelled a third-period comeback by the first-place Killer Bees to pick up a 5-4 victory in overtime.
Cameron Stokes and Cole Thiessen got the Fighting Irish ahead 2-0 in the first period, which was extended to a three-goal lead in the second with a goal by Zach Magwood. Less than a minute after Magwood’s goal, Alvinston finally stopped the bleeding to make it 3-1, but in the final minute of the second, Christian Polillo restored Stratford’s three-goal lead.
However, the Killer Bees roared back to life in the final period, scoring three unanswered goals to tie the game at four apiece. In overtime, the Fighting Irish got the game-winner from Graham Brulotte to earn the two points.
Zach Weir earned the win in goal on the back of a 45save performance.
One week later, on Feb. 1, the Fighting Irish’s offence was once again explosive as Stratford defeated the Dunnville Aeros by a score of 9-3. After the Fighting Irish scored three goals in one minute and 40 seconds, including from Magwood, Dylan Buckholz, and Sean O’Brien, Dunnville brought the game back to within one goal. Before the first period was done, Christian Polillo scored the eventual game-winning goal.
Polillo scored his second of the night with the lone goal of the second period. Stratford then got goals from Mitch Casey, Matt Fuller, Warren Gorman, and Ray Robbins en route to a 9-3 win.
The Fighting Irish won their third in a row 24 hours later when they travelled to Tilbury and came away with an 8-3 win over the Bluebirds. Weir once again turned in a strong performance, making 33 stops in between the pipes.
Stratford enjoyed a great all-around effort, getting a
point from all but one member of their lineup. Magwood led the way with a pair of goals, while Sullivan Sparks posted three assists. Stokes and Polillo each recorded a goal and an assist, while O’Brien and Brulotte each had two helpers. Casey, Thiessen, Matt Montgomery, and Noah Sigel each scored single goals.
Zach Weir makes a glove save during the Stratford Fighting Irish’s 5-4 win over the Alvinston Killer Bees on Jan. 25.
(FRED GONDER PHOTO)
Hitchcock swings into Special Olympics Ontario Provincials
Multi-sport athlete Mike Hitchcock will once again represent Stratford and make the city proud as he golfs in the Provincial round of the Special Olympics.
Hitchcock will head to Brantford in mid-July to golf in the 2025 Special Olympics Ontario (SOO) Provincial Summer Games. The tournament will run from July 10 to 13 and will feature 1,200 team members, including 50 golfers. There will also be bocce, soccer, softball, and track and field competitions.
Hitchcock will be representing the South West district and is one of four athletes in his district playing level five golf. His success during the two 18-hole rounds of golf in Brantford last summer for the 2024 qualifiers, including a silver medal, led him to advance to provincials.
Hitchcock is dedicated to golf and just left his practice time with the golf simulator at the Stratford County Club before sitting down for the interview with the Stratford Times. He also plays bowling, floor hockey, and softball and does two sports each season on top of working full-time at No Frills and volunteering for the Stratford Fighting Irish hockey team. Hitchcock was part of the gold medal winning London Blazers floor hockey team for the Special Olympics Canada National Winter Games in 2024.
During the winter, Hitchcock is practicing with the country club’s golf simulator every Wednesday evening, under the instruction of Stratford Country Club associate golf professional Chris Peixoto and will be heading to the Stratford Municipal Golf Course when the 2025 outdoor golf season returns.
Hitchcock is confident about the upcom-
ing provincials because he’s competed in the provincials eight times total, in softball, golf, and floor hockey, as well as soccer. He also said being familiar with the Brantford course will help him “a lot” as he’s been there before and plans to visit some more during golf season.
For now, he’s enjoying golfing with the simulator.
"I could play indoor golf all day,” Hitchcock said.
"He just loves it. He likes getting better and the challenge of the game,” Jane Larkworthy, SOO – Stratford and Area community coordinator and registrar, added.
Accompanying Hitchcock will be his caddy Ross Snider, who became involved with SOO – Stratford and Area through his daughter Leah’s involvement.
All athletes part of SOO – Stratford and Area who attend major games are required to collect pledges to cover the cost of registration. Hitchcock met his goal and is still collecting pledges to offset the cost of the lessons, equipment, and registration. He’s received lots of support from Stratford and his hometown St. Marys.
“He's a great ambassador for the city and for our Special Olympics community,” Larkworthy said. “When he's away, he's a great ambassador for Special Olympics in general. They adopted him to that floor hockey team in London and made him feel like he's just like one of the guys.”
"He's a good man,” Snider added. Donations can be made online by visiting https://soocommunity.crowdchange. ca/92263 or by sending a cheque by mail. Cheques can be made to SOO – Stratford and Area, 356 Ontario St. Suite 282 Stratford, ON N5A 7X6 and must include Hitchcock’s name on the memo line so the funds can be dispersed accordingly.
Mike Hitchcock is a multisport athlete who is passionate about golf. After his practice at the Stratford Country Club's golf simulator, preparing for the Special Olympics Ontario Provincials, he said he'd play indoor golf all day if he could.
(EMILY STEWART PHOTO)
EMILY STEWART Times Correspondent
Stratford Winter Film Festival promises something for everyone
In the dark days of a February winter, the Stratford Winter Film Festival (SWFF) shines a light on gathering as a community to share the experience of film together. Rather than isolating indoors, this family friendly event offers something for everyone from Feb. 14-17.
Now in it’s second year, SWFF has landed a major sponsor in TD Bank, allowing for growth in offering twelve films over four days. Last year it was nine films over three days.
“It has absolutely moved the needle an enormous amount for SWFF. It has allowed us to know that certain things that would be in place and we could concentrate on the highest value that we could give to our patrons when they come,” said co-founder Craig Sangster.
There was also a free community event sponsored by TD where a large group gathered at Stratford City Hall to watch The Sound of Music on the big screen and sing-a-long to the famous songs that accompany the film. The event was in partnership with Stratford Winterfest and was introduced by Mayor Martin Ritsma and TD Branch manager Caroline Kania.
“This was a way for TD to say, not only is their interest just for ticket buyers and SWFF, they also wanted to provide this
nice community event during Winterfest,” said Sangster.
Feedback from last year has been taken into account and the film selections presented this year provide something for everyone, following in the themes of love, family, and “other stuff people will like.”.
“Last year we had a couple that were more avant garde or esoteric, like 32 sounds and End of Time were very esoteric so we’ve stayed away from those kinds and we think that this year they are more approachable and less challenging,” said co-founder Bruce MacInnis.
Films curated to support the themes be-
gan with suggestions from the distributer that were then whittled down. Reviews are checked, availability within the cinematic universe is confirmed. Lastly, the criteria of suitability for the SWFF audience quickly reduced the potential offerings to the current 12. The challenge laid in finding films people will like, have a personality that represents SWFF yet is also accessible to all.
The final offerings for the 2025 festival are five documentaries and seven feature films. The documentaries are Immediate Family, The Eagle Huntress, Anselm, The Lost Leonardo and Julia
“I am looking forward to Immediate Family as everyone of a certain vintage knows the music but doesn’t know the musicians behind it,” said co-founder Leslie Marsh. The documentary follows the session musicians behind the recordings of some of the most famous music of all time.
The feature films are I’m Your Man, What’s Love Got To Do With It, 12 Mighty Orphans, Red Dog, True Blue, The Return, Memory, and The Year Dolly Parton Was My Mom
“I like the Return, it’s a 2024 film released Dec. 6 with star power in Ralph Fiennes. It’s a classic Greek mythology story and I’m looking forward to it,” said MacInnis. “We just want people to have a good time for a weekend and spend a little time and money in Stratford.”
There are four options for passes for SWFF. First is the four day pass priced at $150 giving access to all 12 films to the passholder. Second is a two day pass for Friday/Saturday for six films priced at $80. Third is a two day pass for Sunday/ Monday for six films priced at $80 and finally, a one day pass for $50 for three films. Passes can be purchased online at stratfordwinterfilmfestival.ca.
As a non-profit, SWFF is run primarily by volunteers. Volunteering is a wonderful opportunity to participate in this community event. Inquiries to help can be made by emailing volunteers@stratfordwinterfilmfestival.ca
LISA CHESTER Times Correspondent
Who were these zany zebras that took to the streets of Stratford to raise awareness of SWFF? The three ze’bros’ were none other than the co-founders and directors Craig Sangster, Leslie Marsh and Bruce MacInnis handing out promotional cards to amused shoppers downtown.
(LISA CHESTER PHOTO)
Time is short to score your tickets to the Stratford Concert Choir Wine and Roses Gala
Time is running out to get your tickets to the Stratford Concert Choir (SCC) Wine and Roses Annual Gala Dinner and Auction. The event, which is their major fundraiser of the year, takes place Feb. 15 at the Arden Park Hotel.
For a number of years there was a silent film as the entertainment, but the Gala has evolved while still maintaining the three major elements of the evening which are dinner, entertainment, and an auction. This year, those elements are included and are exciting to Lynda McGregor, SCC gala chair.
“I’m excited for all three parts. The Arden Park has a lovely new menu which we have chosen. The entertainment is back by popular demand which is ‘Our Little Band’. Tim Elliot, the leader, is just a gem. He is a great choir supporter and believer and enjoys the choir. He enjoys being part of our event which is a major fundraiser every year,”
Accompanying on vocals is Beverly Maranger who brings amazing life to the music. Their music is very danceable so
this year there will also be a small dancefloor area. They play music from the 1930s, 40s, and some 50s that has always had toes tapping.
Also new this year is the auction will be live. Historically it was a silent auction, and there will still be some items available as silent auction items, but be prepared for the excitement brought by auctioneer David Jacob.
“There will be a very small silent auction, maybe a dozen small auction items. The live auction is totally new and is a lot of fun. We have some great things. One option is the opportunity to bring Sheila McCarthy and her husband out to lunch. You choose the restaurant in consultation with Sheila and it could be either in Stratford or Toronto. We had this last year and it was an absolutely great item so I am so pleased that Sheila is willing to do this again,” said McGregor.
There is also Sheila Hollaway offering her East Indian chef stylings and hosting a dinner in her house in London. Another offering is a Stratford chef will come to your home and prepare a wonderful dinner for four. All meal requirements are included. Of course, something for the
homeowner that has been very popular in the past is the shop-vac.
“People love it, you see the guys in that corner already plotting their plan to bid on that,” laughed McGregor.
They also have a week in a resort in Collingwood during the week of April 19 in a two bedroom condo. All items of the silent and live auction have generously been donated to the Gala. McGregor has also stepped up and donated. The Blythe Festival has donated four tickets to an upcoming play any time during the season. The people winning these tickets will then be hosted by the McGregors for dinner.
“My experience in past years is that our Blythe tickets are very, very, popular with the people that come to the auction. It is fun, we enjoy doing it. The other part of that package is there will be a senior member of the Blythe company that will come and be part of that dinner,” said McGregor.
There are a number of auction items of the experiential theme. There will also be a fun experience during the evening called a cork grab. People donate bottles of wine, and for $20 attendees can purchase a cork. The cork will have a number
on the bottom of it, then at the end of the evening, you go up to the cork grab table and you get to take the bottle of wine that matches the cork’s number.
“It’s a fun game of chance that always goes very quickly. People always seem to have a $20 bill in their pocket and it’s a great conversation starter. They don’t get to choose their wine, it’s all by chance reaching into a basket for a cork. But they do have a lot of fun with it,”
Funds raised go to support the concert choir, and their mandate. One particular aspect of the concert choir’s mandate that is important is the choir’s commitment to young and emerging artists. What they have been doing under the current artistic director, Stephane Potvin, is having young university students in their senior years come to perform solos with the choir, as with the performance of Messiah. The average is about eight to 10 soloists engaged over the three annual concerts.
Tickets to the SCC Wine and Roses Annual Gala Dinner and Auction are available from choir members, online at Stratfordconcertchoir.org. Tickets are $80 each or a table for 8 is $640.
LISA CHESTER Times Correspondent
Stratford art studio offers creative March break programs for all to enjoy
Stratford Off the Wall brings one day theatre workshops to the community and surrounding areas.
There will be a different workshop on each day through the week of March Break where participants will have the opportunity to learn from industry professionals and create their own projects that resonate within the world of theatre ranging from lighting effects, prop design, special effects makeup and stage management.
“These programs bring the joy of creating something with your hands and those who are interested in theatre will be quite fascinated to learn about lighting, color theory,” said Michele Boniface, co-board chair of Stratford Off the Wall. “I think people will be much more aware of what’s happening on stage by knowing a little bit about what goes on behind the scenes, it’s an appreciation of theater.”
Boniface says that there will be a return of March Break programs in the future and will continue to run further courses
in the summer and during the weekend in fall and winter.
“It's the joy of seeing people succeed, it's really thrilling for us to see students
take our courses and learn their skills here then go on to that field as a career,” said Boniface. “When we see success, it makes what we do worthwhile.
Workshops will run from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. everyday starting from March 10 to the 14 at Stratford’s Off the Wall studio at Factory 163 at 163 King St. E.
Daily workshops will cost $95 per person and a collective $425 for the week.
"You don't have to have a certain level of skill, everything is very encouraging and there are introductory courses offered," said Jeff Marontate. Co-board chair at Stratford Off the Wall. “It's made so people can choose the level that they require, a lot of people want to learn a skill, they want to do something fun, the atmosphere is very sharing and open.”
Marontate said participants will be learning how to do fake bruise and bullet wounds makeup as well as lighting design and stage direction.
For those interested, people can sign up at stratfordoffthewall.com.
The workshops were funded by a grant given by the Forster Family Legacy Fund for Community Giving, Jeff and Keltie Keller Family Fund and Stratford Perth Youth Arts Fund which culminates within the Stratford Perth Community Foundation.
Support businesses that keep your community and its newspaper thriving
ALEX HUNT Times Correspondent
Makeup design will be of the many skills, participants can learn from these daily workshops.
Participants will learn the value of stage management and acquire knowledge for future projects. Food prop design will be a workshop highlight
(CONTRIBUTED PHOTOS)
Orchard Wellness: A sanctuary for mind, body & spirit
ORCHARD Wellness & Treatment Center is nestled in the village of Shakespeare in a beautifully restored 19th Century Victorian home. The space is understated elegance but manages for you to feel right at home. The heavenly scent of essential oils fills the air. The stunning private wellness retreat provides a plethora of services by professional practitioners to address every need.
Thirty years ago, owner Sherry Schneider began her journey as a medical aesthetician, opening The Orchard Valley Spa in 2005. Her vision and mission manifested, in what she described as an “Environment for individual care.” The holistic center was located in the country amidst an orchard. In 2010, Schneider relocated the growing business to its current location. Over time, the spa has surpassed its humble farm setting, quickly transforming into her dream practice. Schneider’s mission will always be tied to serving the community, and offering different modalities that speak to supporting overall wellness of her clients. The COVID-19 pandemic inspired the business name change, and today the former Orchard Valley Spa is known as The ORCHARD Wellness & Treatment Center. The restored vintage home provides a clinical but nurturing setting for mental health services as well as a serene space for spa services.
ORCHARD offers a full menu of services from head to toe. The options are endless.
Fabulous facials by expert skin care therapists who take
the time to carefully analyze skin, helping clients achieve optimal results. Looking to glow?
Their signature HydraGlo facial, includes serums, a soothing mask and collagen infusion for healthy younger looking supple skin. This holistic practitioner loves the LED light therapy the spa offers to deliver immediate results without dreaded downtime. Choose from various facials; refreshing and soothing, addressing breakouts and pigmentation or chemical peels to correct more serious skin concerns.
The wellness center offers specialized clinical treatments using “High Intensity Focused Ultrasound” or HIFU, a non-invasive face lift to tighten and lift skin as well as shrink pores. Results are on-the-spot. HIFU is also used as a body contour, helping shed inches and fat while tightening the skin . Results last up to two years
Need some me-time? Destress with customized therapeutic aroma massages. Catering essential oils to specific needs provides a plethora of physical and emotional benefits ranging from relaxation to easing muscular tension to removing toxins to addressing digestive and urinary issues.
Focus on feet with reflexolo -
gy. This non-invasive treatment applies light pressure to reflex points of the feet or hands. Reflexology is a happy holistic way to treat the whole person rather than symptoms. Reiki is a Japanese technique of ‘laying of the hands,’ aiding in stress reduction and overall healing of the chakras or energy centers of the body. It is thought by releasing blockages, calmness invokes healing helping maintain health.
Are you looking to conceive or undergo fertility treatments? ORCHARD has reproductive support and womb healing sessions working synergistically with restorative services to help balance body, mind and spirit. Using ancient skin tools such as a kansa wand, gua sha stone and the art of cupping, leaves you revitalized
and refreshed.
The team is not done yet. Waxing, manicure and pedicure perfection is on the menu, as well as the perfect cut and colour
The dream team Schneider has put together under one roof is about supporting women in business. She offers guidance and mentorship, collaborating with other small businesses. She offers the opportunity for wom-
en to run their businesses within the center. As a single mother launching her first business as a solo owner, Schneider understood the importance of women balancing work and family. Schneider is delighted to be celebrating her 20th year in business, and proud of the ups and downs, proving the center is what the community needs. Experts working together in one gorgeous space, helping you look and feel fabulous from healthy shiny hair to radiant skin to polished toes. I am looking forward to a full day of bliss. Pampering oneself soothes the soul
The future is looking bright as Schneider has her sight set on the newly renovated Airbnb with most breathtaking view connected to Perth County Tourism. The enchanting escape is perfect for those looking to destress in a spa retreat, take in theatre or simply sight-see in Stratford. ORCHARD is located at 4012 Perth Rd.107 Shakespeare, Ontario. For more information contact at 519-625-1100 or email info@orchardwellness.com. Follow on social for the latest and greatest @orchardwellnesscenter
MERCEDES KAY GOLD
Times Contributor
Web-crawling through the stories
I have a story. A man who studies coyotes (who are caring and family-centred, by the way) went up to an Indigenous woman, an elder, sitting by the shores of Lake Huron.
“Hello,” he said. “How are you?”
She responded, “This is the place the caribou walked.” He was puzzled. Caribou were certainly not in that area now, nor had they been in immediate memory.
I have another story. I have just finished a wonderful course from Western University called Connecting for Climate Change.
The course combines Indigenous and western science (it’s free and can be taken for credit or just for fun). That very week we had learned about an Indigenous way of hunting caribou. Caribou always walk in a line, one behind the other. Indigenous hunters learned to work with this. They would lay a path of stones, one behind the other, and the caribou would follow it to a place where the Indigenous hunters could take some of them for food.
Listening to the stories that have come down through hundreds and thousands of years and braiding them together with what we observe in modern science, tells us about the changes our Earth has seen. The elder who mentioned the caribou on the shores of Lake Huron was repeating a story from her people, a story that had been told and retold for centuries. Modern science using underwater cameras has found perfectly laid stones at the bottom of Lake Huron, stones in a straight line, one behind the other. Indeed, the caribou had walked there –but not underwater! At one time
there was a land bridge across Lake Huron, from North Point, Michigan, to Point Clark, Ontario, and Lake Huron was two bodies of water, not one. Indigenous stories can share changes in the Earth that go beyond what we can observe and measure in the present.
The course also taught me a new way to think about global warming. One of our stories is that carbon pollution caused by oil is filling the atmosphere, not letting the heat from the sun escape. The course taught me more, a story that will have many tellings. For thousands and millions of years, carbon and oxygen have danced together in a balance that has created and nurtured life on Earth. Both are essential to the web of life. The massive amounts of carbon that have been released since fossil fuels began to power the industrial revolution have changed that story.
The molecules of carbon have bonded with the oxygen in our atmosphere, forming a concentrated carbon dioxide presence. We can track the steadily growing presence of carbon dioxide
(see the update below). We can also read about the changing weather patterns, the heat waves, the fires and the floods. But what I learned was gobsmacking.
The carbon dioxide in our atmosphere doesn’t go away with the next spring rain. Much of it stays for hundreds of years – even thousands. It is highly doubtful that carbon capture will be the solution to global warming. There is no magic that will let us continue to produce massive amounts of carbon.
The global warming we are now experiencing started to build hundreds of years ago, as carbon emissions began to climb. We are adding to them in ever-increasing amounts. They will stay in our atmosphere for hundreds and thousands of years. That is what I learned.
There were other stories in the course. Many of them told of plentiful mixed forests, healthy rivers for fishing, and wetlands, home to so many species of animals (our relatives in the web of life). The stories told of respect for the bounty of nature, and of only taking what you need –and of how that changed when
Environmental Heroes: Being the change
Italian and Danish grandmothers) came into existence.
Ǻnde, pronounced ah-nuh, in Danish means “to breathe.” Ǻnde is also the name of a one-of-a-kind Stratford clothing and accessories store where, the moment you enter its calming interior, you feel invited to do just that, slow-down and breathe.
This charming little shop has truly been a labour of love for thirty-something Kiersten. She has combined her life-long passion for fashion with a deep, unwavering commitment to ethical and environmentally sustainable practices, and the evidence is everywhere.
The fashion industry, in its current incarnation, is notoriously wasteful and, at best, indifferent to its negative impact on the environment. It does not at all align with Kiersten’s belief system, which had been instilled in her and her three siblings, almost from the cradle, by devoted parents and dedicated champions of ethical and sustainable living, Anne-Marie and Sergio, who are still actively involved in Stratford’s environment community, with Sergio also being part of Canadian Physicians for the Environment.
Kiersten, therefore, initially chose to focus her career energies elsewhere. But her love of fashion and increasing frustration at not being able to buy items that she could feel good about resulted in her decision to “do something about it.” Thus, Ǻnde (the name being an homage to her
The décor in Ǻnde is simple and uncluttered. The walls are painted a soft white and a lovely sisal rug warms the stone flooring. The artisanal counter and side table were built by her husband, with fashion accessories tastefully displayed there and on the wooden/metal shelves along the open brick wall. And the clothes look especially smart on their gleaming wooden hangers. Naturally dried florals provide a softness to the ambiance, and a plant or two, including the cheerily named fiddle-leaf fig tree, provide greenery.
But, most delightful, are the three-dimensional paper snowflakes decorating the windows, handmade and cleverly designed to be re-folded and re-used in winters to come. Reduce, reuse, recycle – all three ‘R’s’ exemplified in a snowflake!
Ǻnde’s fashion lines range from the quirky to the classic, but all are visually inspired and of the highest quality. They are sourced primarily from Canadian-based companies such as A Bronze Age, Eliza Faulkner, Decade and Fairchild. The talented folks behind these brands are not only exceptional designers, they too are dedicated environmentalists, using only natural and sustainably sourced materials such as cotton, linen and wool. You will find synthetics in her store, but strictly made from recycled plastics that would have, otherwise, ended up in landfill.
Kiersten’s ethos also extends to the store’s delivery system. All packaging is sustainable. Cardboard shipping boxes are re-used until no longer possible, then recycled. Even the ink used for labelling is plant-based. Kiersten is not hyperbolizing, but simply stating a fact when she tells me, “Everything in the store has been carefully thought through.”
Apart from its environmental exploitation, the fashion industry is also infamous for its exploitation of certain strata of its workforce such as garment workers. In contrast, Kiersten and the design and manufacturing companies with which she has aligned herself value “all the hands involved in the process,” and it is important to them that everyone is provided with healthy working conditions and a living wage.
Given the care taken with people and environment alike, it follows that Ǻnde products are a little more expensive and, for community-minded Kiersten, this presented a problem. While she could clearly trace and justify the logic of her pricepoint, it was important to her that clientele who are less well-off also have access to her product lines. So, she created her brilliant Re-new Programme.
Items purchased at her store that, for any reason, are no longer needed, can be returned (for credit!) where they are cleaned, repaired if needed, then restocked at greatly reduced prices. Thus,
people came who believed that nature is owned by those with power and is theirs to use without regard for the web of life, without regard for ensuring that nature and all its resources will be there for us and for our relatives, for generations to come.
The ending of the story is up to us. If we reduce our dependence on oil (which also means plastic, an oil product), generations to come may sit and tell our story – and be grateful.
Updates:
1. Carbon parts per million (ppm) in the atmosphere as of early February, 2025: 422.7 ppm. Safe level, 350 ppm passed in 1990.
“Don't say in the years to come that you would have lived your life differently if only you had heard this story. You've heard it now.” From The Truth About Telling Stories by Thomas King.
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.
shoppers of all income levels can feel wel- come at Ǻnde.
Kiersten believes deeply in the concept of “slow fashion.” She recognizes that the hyper-speed at which cheaply-made items are manufactured and discarded into landfill is a massive contributor to the environmental degradation we are now facing. Slow fashion encourages consumers towards fewer but more mindful purchases of quality products that will endure. She has learned that this can be a difficult mind-shift for some but, clearly, the message is getting through; Ǻnde will be celebrating its third anniversary in June.
Ǻnde is more than a uniquely creative and welcoming clothing and accessories shop. It is a statement: it absolutely is possible to maintain the highest of ethical and environmental standards while running a successful business. Kiersten is steadfast in her principles and in her vision for a brighter and happier world for her and her husband’s two young children. She takes no short-cuts, makes no compromises, offers no excuses. She simply carves her own path and stands quietly and confidently as the change she wished to see. For more information on Ǻnde please visit andethestore.com.
If you know of an individual, company or organization that deserves recognition for their innovative and sustainable environmental practices, please contact me at frogs-a-leaping@tutamail.com.
SHEILA CLARKE Times Freelance Columnist
ANNA KOWALCHUK Times Contributor
The Beauty of the Season of Love
As we enter into the first few days of February, we see a sea of red hearts everywhere we go. It looks so hopeful and inviting. It makes us want to embrace this season with joy and wonder. Why is love so special we may ask? Well, because love is an eternal force, beautifully woven into the fabric of human existence. But there is something even more enchanting about the season of love.
Whether it is Valentine’s Day, a wedding season, or simply a time when the air is abundant with af-
fection, this season has a way of illuminating hearts and brightening even the dullest days. It is a time when love takes center stage, reminding us of its power to inspire, heal, and transform lives.
The season of love is unmistakable. It announces itself through the sights, sounds, and emotions that fill the atmosphere. Shops and markets brim with lovethemed trinkets, and the world seems to hum with a gentle excitement. It is as though the universe conspires to celebrate love in all its forms – romantic, platonic, and self-love alike.
There is an undeniable charm in the way love is expressed during this season. Couples walk hand in hand, exchanging sweet nothings and sharing stolen glances. Friends and families make extra efforts to show their appreciation for one another, while acts of kindness become more abundant.
Even those who may not have a significant other find themselves immersed in the warmth of love, whether through cherished mem-
ories or the love they extend to themselves.
One of the most beautiful aspects of the season of love is the variety of ways it is expressed. Love is a universal language, yet it speaks in countless dialects. Some express their affection through grand gestures – romantic dinners, elaborate surprises, or poetic declarations of love. Others prefer the simplicity of heartfelt words, handwritten letters, or a gentle embrace that speaks volumes.
Love need not be confined to material gifts. It can be found in the little things – the thoughtful text messages, the comforting presence during difficult times, the way a person listens intently, or the spontaneous laughter shared between loved ones. In this season, love transcends tangible expressions and manifests in the emotions that connect souls.
Beyond its beauty, the season of love carries an incredible power to heal. Love has an uncanny ability to mend broken hearts, soothe weary souls, and bring
light to the darkest corners of life. It fosters connection, dissolving loneliness and replacing it with warmth and belonging. A kind word, a reassuring touch, or the simple presence of a loved one can work wonders in restoring hope.
In today’s fast-paced world, where stress and worries often dominate our days, the season of love serves as a gentle reminder to slow down and cherish the meaningful connections we have. It encourages us to express gratitude for those who stand by us and to nurture the relationships that bring joy and fulfillment.
While romantic love is often the focal point of this season, it is important to acknowledge that love exists in many forms.
The love between parents and children, siblings, and lifelong friends are just as profound and worth celebrating. Even self-love, the practice of embracing oneself with kindness and compassion, plays a crucial role in making this season truly beautiful.
Many take this opportunity to engage in acts of generosity,
extending love beyond their immediate circles. Volunteering, donating, or simply offering a helping hand to someone in need embodies the essence of love. It is a season that reminds us that love is not merely a fleeting emotion, but a commitment to kindness, care, and empathy toward others.
Although the season of love may be marked by specific celebrations, its essence should never be confined to a particular time of year. Love is timeless. It is a force that should be nurtured and expressed every day, in every way possible. The beauty of love is that it never diminishes when shared – it multiplies, touching lives and leaving an everlasting impact.
So, as we bask in the warmth of this season, let us carry its spirit forward. Let us love deeply, express freely, and cherish every moment with those who matter most. For in the end, love is not just a season – it is the very heartbeat of life itself.
Happy Valentine’s Day everyone!
UTRCA announces Thames River Phosphorus Reduction program
The Upper Thames River Conservation Authority (UTRCA) recently announced the Thames River Phosphorus Reduction program.
This is a new, four-year program that offers incentives for cover crops, reducing tillage, 4R practices, manure management, as well as cost-share rates for a variety of practices. In their promotion of this program, UTRCA said there are several practices that can reduce losses of phosphorus such as using cover crops, reducing tillage to prevent soil erosion and the loss of soil bound phosphorus.
They also said applying 4R
practices – right source at the right rate, right time and right place – limits excess phosphorus in the soil and confines the risk of losses. Shifting manure applications to and on the fields will also lower soil phosphorus levels. Windbreaks, riparian buffers or vegetated land area and wetlands also help to hold water on the landscape and filter nutrient runoff.
This phosphorus-reduction program encompasses the Upper Thames River watershed, an area of 3,421 square kilometres, mainly rural except for the larger urban centres of London, Stratford and Woodstock. Agriculture is the main component of this area with approximately 3,600 farms, including over 2,000 livestock operations.
The Thames River Phosphorus Reduction program supports farmers and landowners
in implementing agricultural best-management practices that reduce phosphorus runoff, enhancing water quality in the Thames River and Lake Erie while improving soil health and farm productivity.
The UTRCA is now accepting applications for projects completed in 2024 or planned for 2025 that incorporates and is included in the program guidelines. The UTRCA is especially interested in hearing from landowners and farmers in the areas with high phosphorus runoff including in the Gregory Creek area in north Thames Centre, the Reynolds Creek area near Putnam and in North Mitchell.
For more information on the Thames River Phosphorus Reduction program, visit thamesriver.on.ca/landowner-grants-stewardship/phosphorus-reduction-program/.
NANCY ABRA Contributor
The Upper Thames River Conservation Authority (UTRCA) recently announced a new four-year program aimed at reducing phosphorous levels in local waterways by offering incentives to area farmers for employing best-management practices to reduce runoff from their fields and farm operations.
(CONTRIBUTED PHOTO)
IRENE ROTH
Times Freelance Columnist
OH, THE PLACES WE’LL GO: Fox Harb’r growing beyond “great”
One of the perks of my work as a member of the Golf Journalists Association of Canada is I occasionally get to play outstanding golf courses – courses that, if truth be told, are vastly more impressive than my golf game. But I always agree, show up with my clubs and usually allow the course to humiliate me, smiling all the way.
When I was planning our road trip down east last summer, a colleague in Nova Scotia wondered if we would like to play Fox Harb’r and spend a night or two there. I jumped at the chance. Fox Harb’r is one of Canada’s premiere golf courses, built by Tim Hortons founder, the late Ron Joyce, and very recently voted Best Corporate Retreat in Atlantic Canada.
This is obviously much more than a golf course. Fox Harb’r offers luxurious accommodations, spa facilities, two restaurants, a private airstrip and more. We stayed in a beautiful suite with our second-floor balcony overlooking the course and, beyond it, the Northumberland Strait.
The course was in superb shape. Nine holes ran along the ocean and the other nine took us inland for parkland-style play. We enjoyed every minute and, for a change, a
world-class course did not beat me up! I finished very happy with my score and delighted by the dramatic views, especially on the oceanside holes.
What we didn’t realize was that our round was a unique opportunity to play a course that would cease to exist in that form at the end of the 2024 season. And that’s because Fox Harb’r, already an award-winning destination, is upping the ante. What was already great is going beyond that description in virtually every aspect of the resort. It’s all part of the celebration of Fox Harb’r’s 25th anniversary.
Most dramatic are the developments around the golf course. After I received a news release about the changes, I called Kevin Toth, the genial president of Fox Harb’r, to get an update from the source.
Toth, shall we say, is excited. Re -
ally excited. We started by talking about the golf course itself, and that’s when I learned the lovely course we had played would never be played again in that form.
That’s because the hybrid layout of the course – half ocean-side, half parkland – is being converted through the creation of 18 additional holes.
The eventual outcome will be two very distinct courses – the ocean course and the vineyard course. Yes, Fox Harb’r has its own vineyard, producing unique wines.
Kevin told me the ocean course will be a cohesive, authentic, links-style course, appropriate to its seaside location. It has been created by famed course designers Doug Carrick and Tom McBroom. The vineyard course will be a gorgeous, heathland 18, he says.
This involves more than build-
ing 18 more holes, and the existing nine ocean holes are being reconstructed, changing most of the layouts and ensuring that links style is more than just a cliché. That means altering bunkers, fairways, landscaping, greens, the whole shebang.
The plan is to have both new 18s open for play by the spring of 2027. In the meantime, golfers will still be able to play a terrific 18-hole course – in fact, a different one each year as available nines are combined to allow golf fans to enjoy superb 18-hole layouts.
If that sounds confusing, the key is you’ll be able to play Fox Harb’r any time in the next seasons, but avid golfers will want to mark spring 2027 on their calendars because that’s when we will be able to play the 36 holes of two different, amazing courses at the resort.
Fox Harb’r innovations go beyond the fairways and greens. The resort has opened a new state-ofthe-art fitness centre, and Toth told me about the $2-million renovation to the spa and wellness centre, including a new hydrotherapy studio. This is all scheduled to open May 8 of this year. The resort is also adding accommodations, building 18 new town homes.
Fox Harb’r is clearly a destination in its own right. There are a few nearby attractions – the quirky ocean-front town of Tatamagouche is less than half an hour away, as is Jost Winery, one of the finest among Nova Scotia’s excellent wineries. But people come to Fox Harb’r for Fox Harb’r, and the number of staff employed by the resort says all you need to know about the service the resort offers. Toth told me that in 2024, the destination employed 264 staff members. In the long term, he says Fox Harb’r will employ 325 people. The resort is building more accommodations for its staff and also, according to Toth, strongly encouraging senior employees to permanently locate in this part of Nova Scotia. Fox Harb’r is not only committed to serving its guests, it’s also committed to being a responsible corporate citizen in its community.
But most importantly for the dedicated golfer, Fox Harb’r is offering a unique opportunity to play a different course layout each year through 2027. That’s when Fox Harb’r’s vision will fully become a golfer’s dream come to life.
Paul Knowles is an author and travel writer, and President of the Travel Media Association of Canada. To contact Paul about travel, his books, or speaking engagements, email pknowles@golden. net.
PAUL KNOWLES Times Contributor
(PAUL KNOWLES PHOTOS)
Fox Harb'r's ocean-front golf course with the Northumberland Strait as the spectacular backdrop.
Guests at Fox Harb'r can enjoy luxurious accommodations, right beside the golf course.
The course additions and reconstruction will create an even more authentic links golfing experience.
As I See It From America
It has happened. The election that many of us feared has become a reality. Once again, we are placed in a situation that questions our fellow Americans and their beliefs, as well as those that are in some form of power. It is perplexing to say the least. It is already tedious at best and some days it is downright frightening. Consider that we now have a system that is allowing the President
of the United States go unchecked by the legislative branch and to only have any challenges to his haphazard schemes on the judicial level. All that we can do is hope and pray.
As a frequent visitor to Stratford, we do occasionally get into discussions with friends about the political system and how it works in the United States. Democracy is so delicate, as we are finding out during this new administration, and it needs care and attention. What has happened recently is that democracy has been set aside by just enough citizens to start the framework of wealth dominating government. In short, the past election has led us to our first step towards an oligarchy that is being designed to only be effective for the wealthy.
Trump has unleashed Elon Musk, with his Department of Government Efficiency on all of us, obtaining personal and financial information and allowing to decide what expenditures, that have been previously
STRATFORD TIME S
approved by Congress, are now going to be cut and not dispersed to their lawful recipients. There are massive amounts of programs that require the federal government’s funding to exist and provide needed services to our citizens that are now being withheld. Churches, food pantries, schools and childcare all have had an interruption in financial support from the United States government.
If you think for a moment that the richest man in the world is now operating the government and orchestrating what is funded, you get an overwhelming sense of dread. I tend to call him Pseudo President Musk or PPMusk. Even the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) is technically illegal because it has never been funded or approved by Congress. How does a whole department of NEW employees of the federal government get started without approval of the legislative branch (Senate and Con-
gress). Where does this technical fist of fury get its funding. I don’t think anyone knows. Maybe PPMusk is funding it himself.
We are constantly wondering what departments in our government are going to be closed or radically changed. Trumps selection of Cabinet members and advisors as well as department heads is stunningly dumbfounding. Can you imagine that the proposed Secretary of Education is the Co-Chief Executive Officer of the Worldwide Wrestling Federation (WWF) and has a history chuck full of scandals and bad personal and professional decisions. Trump has literally asked her to destroy the very department that helps and assists our most disadvantaged citizens obtain a fair and equal education to the best of their abilities. It also ensures that reading and mathematics are a priority and aids schools that require more support to increase and provide programs for the students with the most need.
Linda McMahon may know her wrestling and she may be a multimillionaire, but she knows nothing about education and the protection of the programs for our students and districts.
I am hoping that all the current issues, including the much unpopular tariff issue, will soon be a thing of the past. Each morning when I wake, I think what else can there be that we, as citizens of the United States and a greater global community, will have to endure. It seems that there are so many things happening that my missives could be endless. I look forward to informing you more about how I see things on this side of the border.
You all live in a wonderful area that I have enthusiastically visited many times a year for theater and to see our friends. It is a pleasure to call Stratford our second home. Recently it seems more of a refuge. Until we meet again, that’s As I See It.
PATRICK D. BURK Times Contributor
CLASSIFIEDS
$ Cash Paid $ for your RECORDS and LPs. Jazz, Blues, Rock, Pop, Folk, Soundtracks, and more. Selectively buying CDs, Cassettes, Turntables, and Stereo Equipment. For more information: DIAMOND DOGS MUSIC 114 Ontario St. Stratford / 226-972-5750
"The people we love become a part of who we are"
The family of Jim Aitcheson would like to express immense gratitude for every kind word and action received by us in the loss of such a loved man. Our final days were surrounding by fiercely dedicated friends and family, thank you.
We will honour his memory with lessons learned, in love, work and friendship.
Lori, Kelly, Tracey and Greg
WANTING TO BUY – All collectibles including sports 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.
Wanted Receptionist. Mature, reliable, people person. Call for more information Franklin E. Hinz 519-273-1633.
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)
STONETOWN TRAVEL IS HIRING!
We are currently looking for an in person travel consultant to join our New Hamburg team. Responsibilities and Qualities would include:
• TICO Certified
• Knowledgeable in planning and booking worldwide leisure travel
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills
• Ability to multitask in a busy office environment
• Strong customer service and organization skills
This is a part time with potential to full time position
Please forward your resume to newhamburg@stonetowntravel.com
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.
WANTED SERVICES
DO YOU WANT TO WRITE A BOOK AND NEED SOME HELP?
Contact me at roncfinch@gmail.com
FYI - I am currently working on my 60th mystery novel. 53 have been in the Joel Franklin mystery series, 4 in the Dr. Shitz series and 3 standalone mysteries. 15 of my books have been published to date.
These mysteries take place in southwestern Ontario from 1926 to the present.
My books are available on Amazon or signed copies are available for purchase directly from me.
Also, if you’re looking for a speaker please contact me. Topics include: writing, ghosts, getting old, motivation and many more topics.
Pick Up Locations
Sobey's
Tim
Video
Stratford
A.N.A.F.
Stratford
Foodland
Stratford
AJ's
Features
United
Stratford
Coffee
Stratford Public Library
The
Dick's
Town Crier
North
What did one lightbulb say to the other on Valentine’s Day? “You light up my life!”
Why do skunks love Valentine’s Day? Because they’re scent-imental!
What did the stamp say to the envelope? “I’m stuck on you!”
What did one volcano say to the other? “I lava you!”
Why shouldn’t you fall in love with a pastry chef? They’ll dessert you!
How did the phone propose to his girlfriend? With a ring!
Why is Valentine’s Day the best day for a flower? Because it’s blooming with love!
What did the calculator say to the pencil? “You can always count on me!”
What do you call two birds in love? Tweethearts!
Why do melons always get married? Because they cantaloupe!
LUCKY
Meet Lucky, a big-brained, big-energy pup who’s 40 pounds (and growing) of pure enthusiasm! This high-speed, treat loving girl is looking for an experienced home that can keep up with her zest for life. Lucky has strong working and guardian breed instincts, so she needs structure, plenty of exercise, and a family that understands high-drive dogs. She’s a pro at making humans laugh but is still working on impulse control (expect some puppy antics). Lucky would love a confident, similarly sized dog friend, but no tiny sidekicks. If you’re looking for a smart, goofy, and highly trainable companion who will keep you on your toes, Lucky is ready to meet you! Apply at kwsphumane.ca today.
