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Clean
A week after 100-kilometre wind gusts ripped through Ontario, the City of Stratford is still cleaning up.
On July 1, right after Canada Day celebrations wrapped up at Market Square, a rainstorm hit much of southwestern Ontario, including Stratford. About an hour before the annual Canada Day parade started, wind exceeding speeds of 100 kilometres an hour caused widespread damage throughout the city.
“Storms with wind speeds at 100-plus kilometres an hour causing tree damage is not a surprise,” Quin Malott, manager of parks, forestry and cemetery with the city, wrote to the Times. “There was property damage to porches, cars and fences and hydro stacks from shear wind and fallen trees and limbs.”
According to Const. Darren Fischer, community resource and media relations officer with the Stratford Police Service, local police were bombarded with calls during the storm. They received over 100 911 calls within half an hour.
“Ultimately, there were only a couple that truly required a police response,” Fischer said. “Most of the calls were notifications that power was out in various areas, trees were down on various properties and hydro lines were down. Two of the more significant calls were regarding a tree that came down onto a
County council rejects integrity commissioner's sanctions for Ehgoetz
SIMMONS Regional Editor
Perth County council has declined to formally reprimand Coun. Rhonda Ehgoetz or suspend her pay after the county's integrity commissioner found she breached multiple provisions of council's code of conduct stemming from a contentious forestry bylaw debate earlier this year.
Instead, following a presentation by integrity commissioner John Mascarin and lead investigator Meghan
Cowan of Aird & Berlis LLP at its July 2 meeting, council voted only to require Ehgoetz to remove the Facebook posts that formed part of the investigation. Council voted against recommendations to formally reprimand Ehgoetz and suspend her remuneration for 20 days.
The investigation arose from three formal code-of-conduct complaints related to Ehgoetz's actions before and after a special county council meeting on Feb. 12, when council debated the future of the county's forestry bylaw. Those complaints focused on an email Ehgoetz sent to
Members of the Barkery float wave during the Canada Day parade on July 1. For more photos of the parade, see our photo spread on page 4. For our coverage of the Barkery's 25th anniversary, see page 7.
(CONNOR LUCZKA PHOTO)
GALEN
CONNOR LUCZKA Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
County council rejects integrity commissioner's sanctions for Ehgoetz
all members of council before the meeting outlining the motion she intended to introduce, as well as subsequent Facebook posts and comments she made to Grant Haven Media that were published in the Stratford Times, among other papers, criticizing Warden Dean Trentowsky and alleging the meeting recording had been "doctored."
“To be absolutely clear, the recommendations are actually the only matters before council for consideration this morning,” Cowan said. “Council is the decision-making body and is entrusted with enforcing its code of conduct. As noted, we have investigated the complaint and have produced a report that details its findings and conclusions. We saw fit to make recommendations in this case.”
In their report, Mascarin and Cowan concluded, on a balance of probabilities, that Ehgoetz contravened multiple sections of the county's code of conduct, including provisions requiring councillors to act in good faith, respect council's decision-making process, refrain from making derogatory comments and exercise sound judgment when communicating publicly. The investigators found no breach of the code's workplace harassment provision.
The report found Ehgoetz's Feb. 11 email, sent to all members of council ahead of the special meeting, amounted to "a deliberate attempt ... to get 'in front' of the debate" by advancing council business outside of a public meeting.
"As an experienced member of council, and indeed as the former warden of the county, the councillor ought to have been very well aware of the procedures expected of members of council," the report states.
Investigators also rejected Ehgoetz's assertion that Trentowsky bullied her during the Feb. 12 meeting after he warned council about the potential implications of her email.
"We do not agree at all with this view," the report states. "In our opinion, the warden was making council aware of an issue that he believed was a concern and, as chair of the meeting, he was entitled to do so."
The report further concluded Trentowsky "remained calm but firm and did not disrespect the councillor," adding Ehgoetz "overreacted in labelling the warden a 'bully.'"
Investigators also found Ehgoetz's public allegations that county staff had "doctored" the council meeting recording were unsupported and should never have been made without first seeking clarification from staff.
"If the councillor had concerns about the recording and posting methods of council meetings, she could have made appropriate inquiries with staff," the report states. "She did not and instead repeated her unfounded assertions without taking steps to attempt to educate herself about the process."
In recommending sanctions, the integrity commissioner noted Ehgoetz's long experience in municipal government, including her previous service as county warden, her refusal to apologize and the fact the Facebook posts remained publicly accessible months after they were made.
The report recommended council formally reprimand Ehgoetz, suspend her remuneration for 20 days – 10 days for sending the email and 10 days for her public comments – and request she immediately remove the Facebook posts.
“The only thing I have to say is I do not agree with the recommendations, and I have nothing more to say,” said Ehgoetz at the July 2 meeting.
Earlier in the meeting, the councillor and Perth East mayor declared a conflict of interest with the agenda item and did not vote on the matter but was given a chance to comment on the integrity commissioner’s recommenda-
tions. The warden, meanwhile, stood down as chair of the meeting, handing proceedings over to past Warden Doug Kellum, while the integrity commissioner’s report was being discussed.
In response to the report, Ehgoetz provided written submissions to the integrity commissioner defending her actions, maintaining throughout the investigation that her email was intended only to point out what she believed was a procedural discrepancy regarding the forestry bylaw and not to influence council's decision. She also reiterated concerns about how the Feb. 12 meeting was handled and argued the integrity commissioner should also have examined the conduct of the warden and county staff, though the report notes those matters were outside the commissioner's jurisdiction because no complaints had been filed against them.
Following discussion, council rejected the recommended reprimand and pay suspension, opting only to direct Ehgoetz to remove the Facebook posts identified in the report.
“Unfortunately, we’re in a position that does not put the county in very good light, I believe,” Coun. Bob Wilhelm said. “I think that probably Coun. Ehgoetz has been through enough and I don’t agree with any of these recommended penalties.
“… I think Rhonda’s been through enough.”
Council's decision brings the integrity commissioner's investigation to a close, though the findings remain part of the public record.
Ehgoetz announced on her personal Facebook page earlier this year that she would not run for re-election as Perth East mayor in the Oct. 26 municipal election, making this term her last as a member of Perth County council unless she seeks re-election again in the future and is once again appointed by Perth East council to serve on county council.
Humane society announces next board of directors
STRATFORD TIMES STAFF
stratfordtimes@gmail.com
The Humane Society of Kitchener Waterloo & Stratford Perth held its annual general meeting on June 23, where it announced the 2026-2027 board of directors.
Mark Fox returns as board chair, for his second threeyear term. Fox is an entrepreneur, technology expert and a founding partner in several national organizations focused on innovative solutions. His companies have earned multiple awards, including “Canada’s Top 100 Best Workplaces.” He holds a BA in applied arts, a diploma in international business and various technical certifications. Outside of work, he is a dedicated foster parent with the humane society, a lifelong learner who enjoys
expanding his skills and a passionate SCUBA diving instructor who has travelled to over 50 countries.
Lisa Hutfloetz, named as a new director, joins the board this year for a three-year term. Hutfloetz has spent over 22 years at Manulife, where she has held several executive roles. She holds a Master of Accounting from the University of Waterloo and is a chartered professional accountant. Outside of work, Lisa enjoys traveling and spending time outdoors. She lives in Waterloo with her husband, two children, and their pets, Cooper the dog and MJ the cat.
Making up the remainder of the board are vice chair Nickola Voegelin, secretary Carleen Carroll, treasurer Rob Grein and directors Amanda Craig, Andrea Roth, Angela Watkins, Jennifer Ly, Kristina Tubbs, Lucinda Wallace and Michael Banham. Along with their passionate commitment and dedication to people and pets, each board member brings extensive knowledge, experience and insightful perspectives to the humane society.
The board extends its sincere thanks to Angela Woods, Aran Matier and Nathan Riedel as they step down from their roles. Their dedication, leadership and contributions have played a meaningful role in advancing the humane society’s mission.
The humane society also celebrated its accomplishments in the past year by releasing its 2025 Annual Report.
Highlights included 2,583 animals rescued, 1,566 animals adopted into forever homes, 10,214 pets helped through the Pet Pantry food program and 5,609 medical procedures performed at the in-house vet clinics in both centres.
“We are pleased to welcome this talented group of individuals to the board and look forward to the diverse perspectives and expertise they bring,” said Thomas Hemming, acting CEO of the humane society. “Together, we are excited to continue strengthening our impact and advancing our mission to support people and pets in our community.”
For full board member bios or more information on the initiatives of the Humane Society of Kitchener Waterloo & Stratford Perth, visit kwsphumane.ca.
Clean up continues after Canada Day windstorm
vehicle on Douro Street while driving. There were no injuries and it was cleaned up quickly by the city and Neumeister Motors. Another was a hydro line that came down as a result of a tree. The hydro line was sparking and caused a small fire to the tree. Stratford Fire attended and was able to help resolve that issue quickly as well.”
Right away, city staff from the parks and forestry department and public works, as well as contractor Lange Brothers Tree Service, had crews on the ground to clean tree debris off roads, sidewalks and driveways, prioritizing clean up on hydro infrastructure to allow Festival Hydro to revitalize power. A second contractor crew worked on dangerous broken tree limbs still suspended in trees.
Malott noted the clean up will continue late into the following week, with heavily damaged trees to be prioritized for removal based on safety concerns. Inspections will continue on other damaged trees for future pruning and removal.
The city noted in a post on its Facebook page, that if there are city trees (trees located on the boulevard between the road and a property line) that need attention, citizens can let staff know by completing the Report an Issue form on its website, found here: https://forms.stratford.ca/Report-an-Issue.
Any damaged tree on private property should be dealt with by a professional tree service.
Any leftover debris not already disposed of can be put outside during the city’s next curbside yard waste pickup, scheduled for July 20-24.
(CONNOR LUCZKA PHOTO)
Onlookers on Cobourg Street marvel at a colossal tree taken down during the Canada Day storm. After winds exceeding speeds of 100 kilometres an hour ripped through Stratford, city crews and contractors still clean up.
Through rain and shine, Stratford steers ahead with Canada Day parade
(CONNOR LUCZKA PHOTOS)
Despite a rainstorm and winds exceeding 100 kilometres an hour, the annual Stratford Canada Day parade surged forward on July 1, over rained out asphalt and debris alike.
Community donates emergency tents for unhoused after Canada Day storm
Geza Wordofa, Stratford city councillor and founder of the Multicultural Association of Perth-Huron (MAPH), was set to join his fellow citizens during the annual Canada Day parade on July 1. As a storm with winds exceeding 100 kilometres an hour hit Stratford, he got word of a homeless gentleman’s tent being damaged, a person he has been communing with for the last little while, and left to see how he could help. He soon found that many, if not all, of the tents used by the city’s unhoused were damaged, leaving them outside with no shelter.
With stores closed for the holiday, Wordofa didn’t have many options, so posted on MAPH’s Facebook page asking for donations.
The community responded immediately. Instead of just one tent being donated, Wordofa and his organization received 25, completely filling the need.
“I’m very proud of (the) people who gave me these tents,” Wordofa said. “I’m just standing again, bowing. I’m bowing to say thank you. We are doing good things.”
Wordofa and MAPH have been working to curb the effects of the rising cost of living and the homelessness epidemic facing Canada and Ontario locally. Along with gathering tents and their advocacy, MAPH also runs a mobile foodbank operating on weekends and assists with individuals trying to rehabilitate and overcome personal challenges.
Wordofa said that he was immensely
proud of the community for their recent donations, adding that a national epidemic like homelessness is a local one that needs to be addressed with a local mindset.
“This is not a government problem. This is not (a) federal problem, is not provincial. This is a community problem,” Wordofa continued. “If we are waiting for emergency government (intervention), maybe (it will) never happen.
“… We have to be working together with local business, with local community. with local church, otherwise it's not fixing (the problem). But for me this is humanity, the people who (are) there, they need help, they need support.”
As always, Wordofa urged local residents to continue to treat its unhoused population with dignity and kindness.
“When I go there, I saw them. They are human. These people (are) born here, some (are) local people, people who I know. People who gave me coffee yesterday, today they are homeless people. These are our problems.”
According to the last report on homelessness published by the social services department at its March committee meeting, as of January of this year, 122 households were experiencing homelessness in Stratford, St. Marys and Perth County. One hundred and three were single adults, eight were youth, 11 were families, 106 were experiencing chronic homelessness, 35 were unsheltered and 14 identified as Indigenous.
The next social services committee meeting is scheduled for July 14.
Police tackle dangerous driving in county
On June 30, shortly after 8 p.m. during a mobile patrol of Line 20 in the Township of Perth South, a uniformed officer from the Stratford Police Service conducted a vehicle stop on a black Mazda 3 that had been observed travelling 141 kilometres an hour in the posted 80-kilometre zone.
As a result of this traffic stop, the 20-year-old female driver from Fergus, Ont. was charged with Stunt Driving under the Highway Traffic Act. The driver’s licence was subsequently suspended for 30 days and the vehicle was impounded for 14 days.
On July 1, shortly after 4 a.m., the same officer observed a blue Ford F150 pickup truck entering the roundabout on Road 119 at Line 20 in the Township of Perth
South in an uncontrolled manner. The vehicle was then observed travelling at 135 kilometres an hour in the posted 80-kilometre zone on Road 119.
A vehicle stop was conducted, and the driver was observed to be under the influence of alcohol. The driver who was identified as a 34-year-old male resident of St. Marys was arrested for impaired driving and transported to Stratford Police Headquarters. Breath tests were provided, which confirmed the driver was impaired by alcohol.
The driver of this incident was charged with Operation While Impaired, Operation While Impaired – Blood Alcohol Concentration and Stunt Driving. The vehicle was impounded for 14 days and the driver received a 90-day suspension of his licence. A court date was set for Aug. 17.
Citizens help prevent two overdoses in one day
On June 30, the Stratford Police Service responded to two separate overdose incidents with their emergency service partners from Perth County Paramedics and the Stratford Fire Department.
The first incident occurred just before 10 a.m. in a stairwell of an apartment complex located in Stratford, when an unconscious male was located by an individual employed to work at the building. The employee provided first aid and administered Narcan to the patient, who was later transported to Stratford General Hospital by paramedics. The patient was later released from the hospital’s care.
The second incident occurred shortly after 2 p.m. at an outdoor space in the city. The patient was discovered by several individuals in the area who provided first aid and administered Narcan. This patient
was also transported to Stratford General Hospital by Perth County Paramedics and was later released from the hospital’s care. Both incidents are suspected to be the result of fentanyl use, which is a highly toxic substance that can cause overdose with only small amounts.
Police would like to thank those individuals who provided first aid to the patients involved in these incidents, and more importantly for calling 911 for assistance.
The Stratford Police Service remains committed to working alongside its emergency service and community partners to reduce the harms associated with substance use through education, prevention and timely emergency response. If you or someone you know is struggling with substance use, support is available. By recognizing the signs of an overdose, carrying Narcan and calling 911 immediately, members of our community can play a critical role in saving lives.
(CONTRIBUTED PHOTO)
Geza Wordofa holds a donated tent next to a damaged one at the homeless encampment behind the Downie Street parking lot. Twenty-five tents were donated by the community after the Canada Day storm damaged many used by Stratford’s unhoused. CONNOR LUCZKA
Stratford author turns mental health journey into children's books on navigating feelings
AMANDA NELSON Times Reporter
Barb Howard, a Stratford resident, was inspired by her own mental health struggles to create a character named Emily. That idea grew into a series of children's books focused on social-emotional learning (SEL). The books help children understand their feelings, build confidence and develop empathy through gentle, relatable stories.
“I was going through a difficult time in my life and one day Emily just popped into my head,” said Howard. “I started drawing her with emotional and quirky little faces, and it snowballed from there and evolved into writing her story.”
“Once I started writing, it became very therapeutic,” she continued. “I would stay up at night writing and laughing my butt off – really, laughing at myself – and that felt really good.”
Before her writing journey, Howard overcame shyness and anxiety, finding solace in a community advocacy group at the Local Community Food Centre. She later joined the organization as a staff member.
“I was support-phobic for years, but eventually I started coming to the Local for meals as a community member, and I just felt really safe here,” said Howard. “Then they started a peer advocacy group, and I joined that. After that, I ended up getting hired on the staff. It all felt quite amazing. The Local really helped me heal.”
From there, Howard wanted to help others learn to understand their feelings, and Emily was born. The stories follow Emily and Emma through everyday moments, unexpected challenges and the
kinds of experiences that shape us. The books are written to feel honest, relatable and a little funny at times because figuring things out and growing up rarely goes perfectly.
“I'm very shy, I have anxiety and OCD, and sometimes I feel like I'm falling apart,” said Howard. “Emily very much put a smile on my face. Since creating Emily, I can laugh at myself, and I think, 'Oh, I'm having an Emily moment,' which has been a way for me to reframe my feelings into something good.”
Her first book, Emotionally Awkward Emily, dives into the hilariously relatable world of young Emily, where overthinking is a full-time hobby and men-
tal health is tackled with a light-hearted touch. The book is for anyone who's ever felt a little awkward, misunderstood, out of place and perfectly normal all at once.
Howard's second book, Emma Feels the Rainbow, is a vibrant journey through Emma's emotions, where every feeling, from joy to sadness, is a colour in her unique rainbow. The heartwarming story teaches children that all emotions belong and that expressing them openly is a path to understanding ourselves.
Another obstacle for Howard was learning how to self-publish her books through Amazon. Guided by ChatGPT, she learned the process and now has all of her books available online and in print
at Formally The Glass Shop, 19 Downie St. in downtown Stratford.
“I really didn't know how to get anything published, and it can be very overwhelming,” said Howard. “Once I started looking into it, I used ChatGPT to self-publish on Amazon, and everything started coming together.”
Howard also has two new books in progress, including one about a character named Adeline who has OCD.
“The book isn't about OCD,” said Howard. “It's about how Adeline navigates the world and how she interprets it. She also works in a bookstore!”
She continues to encourage others to pursue their passions and take small steps toward their goals.
Julie Docker-Johnson, community connections manager at the Local Community Food Centre, is one of Howard's biggest supporters. She said she has watched Howard go from someone who rarely left her home to someone who worked fulltime in the community at the Local, and now an author.
“The work that she has done to get here is amazing,” said Docker-Johnson. “She didn't give up, and she kept going. Out of all of that came these books, which I think are exactly what little kids and parents need. Barb poured her heart into them, which is very difficult to do, especially when she has faced so many challenges. Those challenges didn't stop her. There may have been stalls, but there was never a stop.”
Howard's books are available on Amazon and at Formally The Glass Shop in downtown Stratford. Her titles include Emotionally Awkward Emily, Emma Feels the Rainbow, Emma It's OK to Be Me and Emma's Cozy Comfort Box.
Newly appointed Officer of Order of Canada
Loreena McKennitt: ‘It’s always gratifying to be acknowledged’
Loreena McKennitt is grateful for receiving a new honour recognizing her work in the arts and in community engagement.
The Stratford resident and singer-songwriter was appointed to the Officer of the Order of Canada by Gov. Gen. Louise Arbour on June 30. A press release from Rideau Hall announced that McKennitt would be one of 19 new appointed officers.
"I think it's safe to say pretty honoured and humbled in a way by the promotion,” McKennitt said when asked how she felt of the new honour. “I think most people who have been recipients – they don't do
what they do in order to get these honours. They do what they do to serve people and society, but of course it's always gratifying to be acknowledged."
As an accomplished and well-decorated musician, McKennitt sold 16 million albums around the world and received several awards including an induction into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame in 2025. She established the Falstaff Family Centre, Wise Communities and the Cook-Rees Memorial Fund for Water Search and Safety. McKennitt also served as an honorary colonel for 17 years.
She continues to do advocacy work regarding the effects of technology on children and of AI in society.
"There's various ways to contribute to
the community so for me it's always a reflection on being of service to others,” she said.
Along with the new honour, McKennitt also recently received an invitation to consider presiding citizenship ceremonies.
“I would find that very, very interesting, so we'll see,” she said.
Since becoming an Officer to the Order of Canada, McKennitt said other Stratford residents have expressed their congratulations. She’s grateful and recognizes that there are many more people in the community making a difference.
"There are already many other people in our community that are doing and have done many, many things, and they may not ever be recognized to this degree, but
whose work and involvement is extremely important to the thriving of our community, so I don't feel that I'm alone in doing things,” she said.
In 2004, McKennitt became a member of the Order of Canada. One of the highest honours received in Canada, the distinction recognizes significant contributions and excellence in every sector. She was one of the speakers at the Iris Collectives’ Voices of Distinction event on March 28, along with fellow Order of Canada members Tricia O’Malley, Seana McKenna, Jean Aitcheson and the late Diane Sims. Later this year, McKennitt will be embarking on a cross-Canada tour to celebrate the 32nd anniversary of her album The Mask and The Mirror.
(AMANDA NELSON PHOTO)
Barb Howard holds her children's books at The Local Community Food Centre in Stratford. Howard says creating the stories helped her reframe her own mental health struggles while teaching children about emotions and resilience.
EMILY STEWART Times Correspondent
The Barkery’s 25th Paw-Ty brings in lots of dogs and pet parents alike
There were lots of ways for the Barkery customers and their dogs to celebrate a monumental business anniversary for the homemade dog treat business.
The Barkery held its 25th birthday party on July 4. Happy dogs and their families came down to the event that featured cornhole, spin-the-wheel and treats for humans and dogs alike.
"It feels like a huge accomplishment for a small business and we are proud to be providing the most healthiest treats around,” Heidi Rolleman, owner of the Barkery, said about the anniversary.
Several downtown businesses, including revel, the Livery Yard, Chocolate Barr’s, Taylor’s Delicatessen, Poppin Ket-
tle Corn, Pitter Patter Pet Spa and Black Swan Brewing Co. also had special treats in honour of the occasion. The participating businesses also gave out coupons for the Barkery whenever a celebratory treat was purchased.
"It feels really great to be having a really big community helping us out to celebrate,” said Rolleman.
The Barkery also collected donations for the Humane Society of Kitchener-Waterloo and Stratford Perth and held an adoption event with the organization.
"We definitely need to support them. They have a lot of high bills to cover for dogs that are needing people,” Rolleman said.
The Barkery’s Instagram page (thebarkerystratford) has a list of items to donate to the regional humane society.
By Jake Grant
1. What year did Doug Ford become premier of Ontario?
2. Who plays Rick Grimes in The Walking Dead?
3. What element makes up the majority of Earth's atmosphere?
4. Which animal was the most sought after during the fur trade era?
5. Who says, "Th-th-th-that's all folks!"?
6. What is botany the study of?
7. What prominent facial feature is Hello Kitty missing?
8. Where is the lowest elevation point in California?
9. Michael Stipe was the lead singer of which band?
10. What is the Roman numeral for 10?
EMILY STEWART Times Correspondent
(EMILY STEWART PHOTO)
Heidi Rolleman, owner of the Barkery, celebrated 25 years of her business with lots of activities and giveaways for humans and their pups alike.
(EMILY STEWART PHOTO)
Toffee tried a sample of the beer for dogs carried at the Barkery.
(EMILY STEWART PHOTO) Ollie waiting for his goodie at the Barkery.
(EMILY STEWART PHOTO)
Zola showing off her love of the Barkery, even though she’s not as keen on wearing hats.
The Story Behind the Poem: An Interview with Quinlan, Kingston and Aquila Gibson
MARK HERTZBERGER
Times Correspondent
Imagination is not the exclusive domain of the young by any means, but kids certainly possess the freshness of perception and unfiltered ideas that are at the heart of all creativity. That can perhaps be seen best with the young poets in the Gibson family: Quinlan (age 14), Kingston (9) and Aquila (7). All received honourable mentions in the youth category of this year’s inaugural Every Voice poetry contest and all are excited about the publication of their poems in the subsequent anthology, Roots Through Stone: Poems of Strength and Resilience.
Said Quinlan, “It’s great knowing someone has seen my work and taken their time to push it further.”
Their mother, Joanna, added: “It was surprising as well. These guys have written lots of stories over the years but poetry was a newer trial method for them”. Quinlan’s first “poem” at age five was in the form of song lyrics while Kingston and Aquila’s contest entries, at ages eight and six respectively, were their first poems.
All of their poems reflect nature in some way. Kingston’s poem was inspired by trail hikes and walks in the park. Quinlan and Aquila simply tapped into their streams of consciousness and let their thoughts meander. For example, Aquila was gazing at a vase of flowers when her thoughts drifted to the image of a fish in the ocean; thus “Fin” was born. Quinlan assembles ideas and images, with the title coming at the end of the process. Kingston, on the other hand, starts with a title and builds his poem from there.
How did they become interested in poetry? Kingston answered: “Mom read Jelly Belly to us!” This is a collection of “short, silly” Canadian poems that Joanna’s mom read to her as a child. She enjoyed these and wanted to pass them on to her own children. The National Geographic Book of Animal Poetry was another such influence. All of the kids try to make time for reading every day, with Quinlan making weekly trips to the library. Besides a shared love of reading, they have diverse interests. Quinlan paints in acrylic and watercolour and uses a 3D printer to create. Kingston loves the outdoors and writing, as well as playing basketball, volleyball and soccer.
As for Aquila, this is her first try at poetry but she has been writing and illustrating her own graphic novels for some time now. She prints them out, assembles them and sells them at garage sales. “They’re kind of like magazines”, she said. Her father Collin nodded and laughed: “They’re sitting on
Fin
by Aquila Gibson
Once upon a time, There was a fish, And he was in a school
He was in recess, When a shark saw him, And started chasing
Fish got lost, His fin got caught, He was stuck in coral
But then came a shell, He used it so well, To get himself free at last
Now to find home, He started to roam, At last he was home
Fin (the end)
coffee tables all over Stratford.” Even the late beloved musician Kelly Walker had one on display in his Italian palazzo, the ancient architecture contrasting with the new works by Aquila.
They all derive satisfaction from their poems. Said Quinlan, “When I finish a poem, I can read it all together and feel a sense of accomplishment; I can re-experience all those feelings that are in the poem.” He hopes that readers will immerse themselves in “Deep Thought” and feel “calm and observant.” He also has a healthy attitude about criticism: “Just because one person thinks that a poem is bad, it doesn't mean that you should feel bad about it. Like, it could be awesome for you, and other people just might not prefer it because of their personality.”
Aquila too enjoys reading her creations. She also hopes that the readers of her poem will feel “in the moment” and can imagine what it’s like to be Fin the fish swimming in the ocean.
Kingston feels happy and peaceful while he’s writing “in the zone.” He hopes the reader of “To Build a Home” will at first feel the fear of being alone in the forest, then safety and happiness, with “sunshine on (their faces)” imagining that home built in the woods.
That Aquila, Kingston and Quinlan are able to access their
The world at a different view
By Quinlan Gibson
As I walked alone, astray,
Through the lonely woods I pray,
That I might soon find my way,
Before the night slips through the grasp of day
The old willows weep,
As rain pours down and they all sleep,
A waterfall, small but steep,
From stone to stone the rivers seep,
Beauty, said I as I leap,
Is a key that I will share and keep
As I walk home, I take one more peek,
I’ll come back, for adventure I now seek
creative potential is not by chance. Said their mother: “I still have a love of poetry, writing and reading. We home educate our children and I parent through the lens of teacher in life as well as in academics. We make time to read and free-write every day as part of our ‘school’ time, but it has become part of our family culture. Most mornings we read to the kids or they read to each other. At night, we read chapter book stories. As a family we highly value making space for creative thought as we know it helps us tap into our own emotions.”
As a result, all of these young poets convey a quiet sense of confidence and are philosophical about their contributions to poetry.
Quinlan hopes the message in “Deep Thought” will remind his readers to keep on living and not give up even if things are hard: “Experiencing life and not ending things because that would be so pointless. Something could push through out of the waves, and then become the thing you set your eyes on.”
“Don’t run away or cut your string, See what good to the world you can bring.”
"The Story Behind the Poem" is an ongoing series featuring poets recognized in this year's Every Voice community poetry contest and published in the Roots Through Stone anthology. Both are joint projects of Stratford’s Poet Laureate, the Stratford Public Library and Destination Stratford. Copies of the anthology are available at Fanfare Books in Stratford.
To Build a Home
By Kingston Gibson age 9
Once upon a time, There was an adventurous boy, Who loved to be outside, Even more than toys
He picked flowers for his Mom, Branches for his Dad, To build a house, his own, For he never, ever had
Down by the stream, Seemed a safe place, To make a happy home, With sunbeams on his face
Deep Thought
By Quinlan Gibson
Long strides across sand, gravel, and grass, Sip in air that will forever last
Swim in water cool and clean, In riverbank and stream
Soak in song from bird or beast, Take from them and their story will cease
Patterns wake from tree to tide through, Moon and mist under falcons eye
Thoughts float strangely through your mind, for every living thing there comes a time
Where there will be no more, Of all the things that we adore
Life is short and you can't make it long, But you can hold things loose and Right your wrong
Don't run away or cut your string, See what good to the world you can bring
The Wonder and the Divine
(on the occasions of a meeting of the Stratford Arts and Culture Collective, and Stratford Summer Music opening night)
Sculptor. Actor. Playwright. Dancer. Songwriter. Singer. The Poet Romancer.
Self expression steeps deep: a harvest of wound and flower, blood married to bloom, the nervous razor blade of creation.
Yet, too, is artistic expression what life is, the oxygen of human spirit, proof that every voice contains its own weather, its own constellation of stars and scars, celebrations and songs beating at the doorway of the human soul.
Culture is not an add-on, not the frock trotted out by wardrobe to tart up the window mannequin. It is the nervous system of belonging, the tap root and fevered spine of festivals, concerts, exhibits and theatre, the spirit of flame and lit wick of every story tremulously whispered into the mic for the first time.
In studios, theatres, concert halls and borrowed basements, artisans spool their magic, stitching the bridges that bind otherwise strangers by language, faith, love and sorrow, the pixie dust of interpretation sealing each piece eternally into mind and heart.
Singularly and in unison our artists sew together the socio-political flotsam, weave into whole and breathing cloth culture and caring into the artistic tapestry that is the ultimate fabric of community and connection.
A city with depleted arts is a husk, a desiccation of spirit and disunity, a withering of what humanity is meant to be and the promise we hold for each other.
Photographer. Novelist. Director. Musician. Designer. Cartoonist. Producer. Magician.
When culture flourishes it carries the community with it, connects what divides, fuses the twine of shared identity into the transcendent harmony that is the music of civilization, the wonder and the divine of a oneness that blooms into the eternal choir of the living.
Introducing members of Visiting Hospice Program
GARY WEST Times Correspondent
Many in the area of Stratford and Perth County know the importance of having a residential hospice in the area. Many may not know of the Rotary Hospice Stratford Perth’s Visiting Hospice Program that was established and instituted a number of years ago.
The program focuses on community education and the making of new connections for those in the area who would like to have a volunteer to stay with a loved one who would be able to give an individual caregiver a break.
Visiting Hospice volunteers can offer drives, company at an appointment or support with grocery shopping, and referrals can come from anywhere, including family, neighbours or other friends.
That could mean the caregiver could go to visit with a friend or relative, or even just to have time for oneself, or just to get away for time alone.
All Visiting Hospice members are involved in taking a course to better themselves in being a volunteer and understanding the hospice program. They are individuals, both men and women, who find themselves wanting to make a difference in the lives of those who could use their help.
They are required to take this important course that will allow them to help those in need in ways they are
trained.
The difference between the Visiting Hospice Program and a friendly visiting program is the diagnosis of a life limiting illness, as opposed to just wanting companionship. If someone has a life limiting illness, individuals can qualify for the Visiting Hospice program.
Because there is the word “hospice” in the name, referrals tend to come in late.
Family caregivers should know it is not just for the final weeks or days to provide support, but can be as early as possible for months and longer to be a true support.
Discussion around what it means to have a life limiting diagnosis, means having a terminal diagnosis but not necessarily in a certain time frame.
There is also a new program coming in the fall of 2026 called the Caregiver Connection Program. It will be a 90-minute biweekly gathering for caregivers that are supporting someone with a life limiting illness.
The program hopes to provide peer support, resources and needed connections. It will offer Visiting Hospice volunteers to be with their loved one as a client, while the caregiver attends the program.
More details will be shared in the future.
For more details on the Visiting Hospice Program, contact Chelsey Gilchrist, community hospice outreach coordinator, by calling 519-508-4900 or emailing chelsey@rotaryhospice.ca.
David Stones, Stratford Poet Laureate
(GARY WEST PHOTO)
Volunteer members of the Visiting Hospice Program met last week in the board room of Rotary Hospice Stratford Perth on Greenwood Drive. Pictured here are Katie O’Donovan (the volunteer co-ordinator) in the back, Marion Jackson Tyler, Janet Shaii, Jill Taylor, Donna West, Chelsey Gilchrist (community outreach coordinator), Ginny Barron, Dorothy Scott, Murray Schlotzhauer and Beth Lynes.
Missing are Elizabeth Kuhl, Bessie Wilhelm, Marg Falsetto, Judy Bennett and Manfred Mewes.
Bayers look to continue Erie Drive-In legacy amid its 55th business anniversary
EMILY STEWART Times Correspondent
It’s been more than half a century of a Stratford summer family tradition of grabbing burgers, hot dogs, ice cream and other Erie Drive-In favourites.
The Erie Drive-In is celebrating its 55th business anniversary. Mike and Cathy Bayer, current owners of the Erie DriveIn, have owned the business for the past 11 years and are the fourth owners of the eatery.
"For us, we're just the current stewards of the location. It's been around for so long, so it feels great to be able to be part of the legacy and carry it on,” Mike said.
The Bayers have a strong rapport with their staff, who keep in touch with the owners after their time working in the Erie Drive-In.
"We have a lot of students that start with us in high school and stay all the way through college and university and some we've gone to their weddings, become part of the family so that's always been a great experience with our staff,” Mike said.
Cathy is also ensuring that her employees enjoy serving the customers.
“If the staff's happy and smiling, they take care of the customers that come to the window. They see them smiling and having fun,” she said.
The Erie-Drive in brought in lots of new
and returning customers over several decades, including those who came there as children and are now bringing their own kids and grandkids.
“People come because they came here as kids with their parents or grandparents, so it's really great to see that continued support from the community for the place,”
Mike said.
The Erie Drive-In’s hamburgers, hot dogs and battered mushrooms are popular orders. As far as sweet treats go, the ice cream is a big hit and especially the zebra chocolate-vanilla twist soft serve cone.
Looking to the future, the Bayers hope to continue the Erie Drive-In’s legacy.
“We try to keep it as traditional as possible, so we hope to continue that on and that people continue to be happy with the service and the product that we provide and hopefully for many more years to come,” Mike said.
The Erie Drive-In is open from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. every day on 634 Erie St.
(EEMILY STEWART PHOTO)
Cathy and Mike Bayer are proud to be part of the Erie Drive-In’s 55-year-strong legacy, including serving multiple generations of customers and for their strong professional relationship with their staff.
Stratford production company restores historic sign honouring its Northern Ireland roots
GALEN SIMMONS Regional Editor
A Stratford-based film and television production company has given back to the Northern Ireland community that inspired its name by restoring a historic roadside marker recognizing the village where its founder's family has lived for generations.
Ballinran Entertainment recently funded the restoration of the historic Ballinran townland sign in County Down, Northern Ireland, a symbolic project celebrating the company's more than 30-year connection to the area and its ongoing work developing productions with Irish themes For company founder and president Craig Thompson, the project was deeply personal.
"Ballinran is the village in Ireland where my family comes from," Thompson said. "When I started the company, my grandmother had just passed away. I said, 'I want to think of a name for my company that has some meaning.'”
Thompson spent time in Northern Ireland as a child visiting cousins and other relatives, experiences he said created a lasting connection to the area.
"I had a real deep connection to the area," he said. "So, I said, 'Well, I'm going to call my company Ballinran Productions Limited.' Now it's called Ballinran Entertainment, but it's named after the historic village.”
The sign, located at the intersection marking the original town site, had faded badly over the years.
"I was there a couple of years ago and noticed that the sign had deteriorated," Thompson said. "I said, 'What would it take to get somebody to refurbish the sign?' So, we managed to get it refurbished."
The restoration was completed by local
sign maker Iain Norris of JN Kilkeel and coordinated by Jenna Stevenson, managing director of County Down-based Nova. The restored sign was officially unveiled last week in a ceremony attended by Thompson's cousin, John Keown, and Newry, Mourne and Down District Council Chair Glynn Hanna.
The project had originally been planned to coincide with Ballinran Entertain-
ment's 30th anniversary last year but was delayed while the necessary permissions were obtained.
"It's not a big project, but a symbolic one," Thompson said.
In a statement included with the announcement, Thompson said restoring the sign was a way of honouring both his family and the place that inspired his company.
"Restoring this sign felt like an appropriate way to honour our family heritage and give something back to the community that inspired our company's name," he said. "It is a small project, but one that reflects our appreciation for the people, history and traditions of this area."
While Ballinran Entertainment is proudly Canadian, Thompson said the company continues to maintain strong ties with Ireland and Northern Ireland through a number of documentary and television projects currently in development.
"We've had a close tie to Ballinran," he said. "It's really just honouring our family's heritage and the heritage of our name. We just felt it was a token of our appreciation and where our company kind of got its inspirational start."
According to the release, the restoration also reflects Ballinran Entertainment's ongoing commitment to strengthening cultural ties between Canada and Ireland through projects exploring Irish music, heritage, migration and cultural identity.
(BALLINRAN ENTERTAINMENT PHOTO)
Ballinran Entertainment founder and president Craig Thompson (right) and his daughter at the historic Ballinran Townland sign in Northern Ireland before it was restored.
(BALLINRAN ENTERTAINMENT PHOTO)
Craig Thompson’s cousin, John Keown, Jenna Stevenson, managing director of County Down-based Nova, and Newry, Mourne and Down District Council Chair Glynn Hanna with the refurbished townland sign.
(BALLINRAN ENTERTAINMENT PHOTO)
The refurbished Ballinran Townland sign in Northern Ireland.
Michael Louis Johnson brings pay-what-you-can house concerts to Stratford
AMANDA NELSON Times Reporter
Toronto entertainer Michael Louis Johnson is inviting Stratford residents and visitors into his stunning 1880s Victorian-era Stratford rental for a series of intimate house concerts this summer.
The pay-what-you-can performances blend live music, storytelling and theatrical performance in a relaxed, bringyour-own-food-and-drink setting where attendees can expect to be entertained throughout the evening with live trumpet and piano, as well as enjoy a theatrical element.
The concerts on Thursdays run from July 9 to Aug. 13 at 8 p.m. and are hosted in Johnson's temporary Stratford home while he is here performing in Death of a Salesman.
“If you don't know me, I'm the guy who was playing trumpet and serving drinks to the Loman boys in Death of a Salesman,” said Johnson. “I'm not really from Brooklyn. I've been a Toronto-based entertainer for some four decades.”
Johnson is currently appearing in Death of a Salesman throughout the summer and is also a well-known Toronto-based entertainer with more than four decades of experience, including with the bands Big
Rude Jake, The New Kings and Lemon Bucket Orkestra, which are well known on stages across Ontario.
Alongside working as a bartender at Toronto’s the Communist’s Daughter, Johnson has hosted a Saturday jazz mat-
STRATFORD TIMES
inée there for 23 years. For the upcoming performances, Johnson draws on his background in acting, music and bartending to create an experience centred on hospitality and community.
Attendees can expect an intimate evening of music, storytelling and theatrical performance in a warm, informal atmosphere. Johnson's trademark hospitality will make everyone feel welcome and entertained, including his tradition of toasting with frozen vodka.
"Although it's called a house concert, it's really more theatrical – I have a background in stand-up comedy, so I also draw on that,” he said. “In Toronto, at our family home, we would do a concert every Valentine's Day … they'd come to my house, and eat a meal, and then do two sets of music for them,” he said.
While staying in Stratford for the theatre season, Johnson wanted to connect with the community in an accessible way and decided to host his popular house concerts here.
"I've always tried to recognize the balance between community and commodity … so much of art leans too far into strictly being commodity, whereas I like to really think of how can this be part of building community?” he said.
Renting accommodations in Stratford while maintaining his Toronto home is expensive, so the concerts help offset costs while giving back through the arts. Johnson believes high-quality arts experiences should be accessible to all. He hopes the format welcomes everyone, regardless of income.
"To me, being an artist, it's not like, ‘Hey, here's this product that I'm presenting to you that you're going to consume,’” said Johnson. “It's, for me, part of our service industry … I'm providing this essential service to you that's going to help you connect with your soul through the sharing of human expression."
You can learn more and purchase tickets at michaellouisjohnson.ca/tickets. More dates will be posted soon.
(CONTRIBUTED PHOTO)
Michael Louis Johnson, an actor performing in the Stratford Festival production of Death of a Salesman, brings house concerts to Stratford on Thursdays throughout the summer
(CONTRIBUTED PHOTO)
All veterans and First Responders are welcome at the branch Tuesday mornings 10:30 to noon for a social visit at the Buddy Check Coffee.
The Branch Chaplain can provide Mental and Moral support. For support for Canadian Veterans and those of allied countries at no cost please contact Branch 8 - 519-271-4540 email: StratfordLegion008@gmail.com or the Branch Service Officer Steve Zurbrigg - 519-305-1125 email: SteveZurbrigg@gmail.com to provide assistance and contact to the Provincial Service Officer 804 Ontario St., B-1, Stratford N5A 3K1 stratfordlegion008@gmail.com
STRATFORD
(GARY WEST PHOTO)
Elizabeth Finch is seen recently in the Heritage Ward at Greenwood Court in Stratford, where she is seen and heard every Friday afternoon to an appreciative audience who come to hear her songs from earlier decades.
STRATFORD SPORTS
Stratford Nationals Weekly Recap: Undermanned 18U competes in SMBA Tournament, 15U splits with Waterloo and Ancaster
Both Stratford Nationals teams had a strong week: the 18U team competed in the Stratford Minor Baseball Association 18U Tournament and pushed the top-ranked Waterloo Tigers to the brink, while the 15U team narrowly lost to Waterloo but secured an away win against the Ancaster Angels.
Shorthanded due to injuries and down to 11 men, the Stratford 18U Nationals played their last regular-season Intercounty Baseball Association (ICBA) game before the tournament against the Cambridge Cubs on June 30 at Stratford National Stadium. The Cubs took the lead in the two-run first inning and never relinquished it as the Nationals lost 9-4.
Cooper Yantzi and Finley Newton led the Nationals with two hits, while Logan MacMillan, James Robinson, Alex Everett and Nolan Miller scored for Stratford. Daniel Hovius started for the Nationals and went three and two-thirds innings, allowing three earned runs on seven hits and two walks, but tallied three strikeouts.
At the SMBA 18U Tournament round robin Group A opener on July 3 at National Stadium, the Nationals outlasted the Kingston Thunder 6-4. Stratford scored two in the first inning and four in the third, and held off a late Kingston rally in the fifth and final inning to preserve the win.
Everett led the Nationals with two hits, two runs and two RBIs. Robinson got the start on the mound for the Nationals and put on a gutsy performance, going four and two-thirds innings with seven strikeouts, allowing four runs, three walks and six hits on 111 pitches. Everett secured the victory on a groundout with two runners on in scoring position.
Next up for the Nationals was against the Barrie Baycats 17U on the afternoon of July 4 at National Stadium. Stratford took a 3-1 lead through three innings and added two more in the sixth en route to a 5-2 win. Dawson Davidson led the Nationals with two RBIs and two hits, while Owen Brooks went the distance with eight strikeouts, allowing two runs on five hits and two walks in only 97 pitches.
With the round-robin record at 2-0 with one game to go, the Nationals faced the 2-0 Mitchell Astros in the finale, with a trip to the July 5 semifinals on the line. After a scoreless first two innings, Mitchell opened the scoring in the third and added two runs in the fourth and fifth, giving it a 5-0 lead heading into the bottom of the fifth. Stratford attempted to rally in their half of the fifth, with Reed Bowles’ RBI single and Newton's 2-run RBI single putting the home side within two heading into the sixth. But the Nationals’ effort and tourna-
ment run ended with a 6-3 loss.
Despite finishing with a 2-1 record, the Nationals failed to advance, as they finished behind Group B’s St. Marys, which posted a 3-0 record, for the final spot in the semifinals. Mitchell would go on to beat the London West Tincaps in the semifinals and St. Marys to win the SMBA 18U Tournament.
On July 6, the Nationals returned to ICBA regular season play against the league’s topranked Waterloo Tigers at National Stadium.
Waterloo went ahead 2-0 after the second inning. In the next inning, Stratford got on the board when a Davidson groundout allowed Robinson to score from third base.
With two outs in the same inning, the Nationals took the lead. Miller hit a double, which allowed Yantzi and Everett to score.
The visitors equalized the score in the fourth, took the lead again in the seventh, and scored two more in the next inning, increasing their advantage to 6-3 before the bottom of the eighth. With two outs, the Nationals demonstrated resilience by rallying with three runs from RBIs by Yantzi and Everett, tying the game at six going into the ninth.
In the ninth, the Tigers took the lead for good with two runs off Stratford reliever Bowles, and the Nationals' last-chance rally fell short in the bottom half, resulting in an 8-6 decision.
With the tournament and the Waterloo game in the rear-view mirror, Stratford head coach Mud Grasby commended the Nationals’ hard-fought effort.
“Waterloo is a first-place ball club in our league, and our guys played really well tonight to the potential I know that we have.
We did it three or four times this year, but we just go into lots where we don't want to work, and we don't want to do things,” Grasby said.
“But I know we have a really good ball club and tonight proved it. You know, we're tied six-six going into the top of the ninth against the first-place ball club. Can't be disappointed at all.”
The Nationals will play four games in six days, starting on July 8 at Woodstock against the Wranglers. Both teams will play at Woodstock once again on July 11, Stratford heads to Caledonia to take on the Bears on July 12, and then hosts the Wranglers at
National Stadium on July 13.
The 7-6 Stratford 15U Nationals hosted the league’s top-ranked Waterloo Tigers on July 2 at National Stadium.
Waterloo flexed their offensive grip on the Nationals with 10 runs off Stratford starting pitcher Dexter Powell over one-and-a-half innings. Stratford got on the board with a Carter Cook RBI single and Jackson Goebel’s RBI single, along with Quintin Parr’s run on Waterloo's error, closed the deficit to 10-3 after two complete innings.
Waterloo scored one in their half of the third inning, while Stratford scored three more in their half on a groundout and two Waterloo defensive errors, closing the gap to 11-6. The Tigers pounced on the Nationals for three more runs in the fourth and fifth innings, putting the game out of reach despite a four-run sixth-inning effort by the Nationals in a 14-10 loss.
Landon McCann led the Nationals with three RBIs, while Carter Cook had two RBIs, and Powell and Will Molenhuis each recorded an RBI for the home side.
On July 3, the Nationals travelled to Ancaster for a game against the Angels. Despite an early deficit, Stratford rallied to win 16-11. The middle of their batting order –Cole Morris, Powell and McCann – delivered the key offensive punch, combining for eight hits, six RBIs and seven runs scored. With this split, the Nationals' record rose to 8-7 in the ICBA 15U division, placing sixth.
Their upcoming games are at National Stadium against Ancaster on July 9, Guelph Royals Team 1 on July 10, and the Waterloo Tigers Team 2 in Waterloo on July 13.
(CONTRIBUTED PHOTO)
Stratford’s James Robinson throws the pitch against the Kingston Thunder at the SMBA 18U Tournament on July 3.
(CONTRIBUTED PHOTO)
Stratford’s Owen Brooks throws the pitch against the Barrie 17U Baycats at the SMBA 18U Tournament on July 4.
MICHAEL WILLOUGHBY Times Correspondent
Stratford Strikers Weekly Recap: U16 Girls continues unbeaten run, U16 Boys win streak reaches three
MICHAEL WILLOUGHBY Times Correspondent
Both Stratford U16 Strikers squads continued their winning ways and overcame the heatwave last week on home turf.
The Stratford U16 Strikers Girls kept their unbeaten Southwest District Soccer League regular-season record intact with a 3-0 win over last-place Cambridge United at the VFG Field at the Stratford Festival Hydro Community Park on June 30.
Niamh Appel scored a brace and Rosie Sauder added a goal for the Strikers. With the win, Stratford improved their record to 5-2-0, collecting 17 of the possible 21 points through all seven games. Their next fixture is at RIM Park in Waterloo against Waterloo United on July 7.
On June 30, U16 Strikers Boys continued to produce positive results with a 4-1 win over RED Academy at VFG Field.
Miles Hallman and Hudson Welsh each scored a goal for Stratford, while Logan
Wilson provided the brace in the win. With the win, the Strikers improved to 3-1-3, with 10 points, in sixth place in the Southwest District Soccer League standings. Their next match is on the road against Woolwich Wolfpack at the Lions Park in Elmira on July 7.
U18 Boys Strikers were idle last week. Their next scheduled fixtures are against Blue Mountains United in Thornbury on July 7, an U17/U18 Nothers Youth Cup second-round match versus Rockwood FC in
Marden on July 10 and at RIM Park in Waterloo against Waterloo United.
The story of the July 7 results will be shown in next week’s edition of the Times. U15 Strikers had their July 6 game postponed. Their next scheduled fixture is a home game against the Guelph Jr. Griffins in the second round of the U15 Nothers Youth Cup at Cowan Field on July 10. Stratford resumes regular season play on the road against the Puslinch Predators at Puslinch on July 13.
Stratford Nationals Weekly Recap beat the heat on July 4
(CONTRIBUTED PHOTO)
Logan MacMillan of the Stratford Nationals scores from second base against the Barrie 17U Baycats at the SMBA 18U Tournament on July 4.
(CONTRIBUTED PHOTO)
Stratford Nationals Pitcher Nolan Miller chats with First Baseman Dawson Davidson (31) against the Mitchell Astros at the SMBA 18U Tournament on July 4.
Stratford Minor Girls Softball Association holds Tiffanie Parkins Memorial Tournament
EMILY STEWART
Times Correspondent
The Stratford Minor Girls Softball Association honoured a former player and the past president’s daughter.
The Stratford Minor Girls Softball Association held the annual Tiffanie Parkins Memorial Softball Tournament at Anne Hathaway Park between July 3 and 5. Throughout the weekend, girls softball teams part of the Huron Perth league in various age groups participated. The U11, U13 and U15 leagues had eight teams each.
The tournament honours the memory of Tiffanie who played with the Stratford Flames softball team up until her passing at 17-years-old in 2004 due to epilepsy.
As it has been 22 years since her passing, the minor girls softball association
held a silent auction. Proceeds from sales of snacks, silent auction bids and raffle tickets on July 4, the day of the interview with the Stratford Times, went towards Epilepsy Southwestern Ontario.
"It's to bring awareness to other people so the funds, we can help people who are dealing with it and research,” said Kathy Parkins, past president of Stratford Minor Girls Softball Association and Tiffanie’s mother.
Stratford Flames players and alumni remember Tiffanie and her enthusiasm for the game.
"A lot of them remember Tiffanie. Well, a lot of them are older now but yeah they remember her because she was the one that was on the bench cheering. She had all this team spirit,” Kathy said.
In a follow-up with the Times, Kathy said that $4,299.80 for Southwestern Ontario Epilepsy.
(EMILY STEWART PHOTO)
Murray Parkins, Karen McNeill, Kathy Parkins, Wendy Brickman and Barb Lennon at the Tiffanie Parkins Memorial Softball Tournament on July 4. Proceeds from sales like raffle tickets, silent auction bids and snacks went towards Epilepsy Southwestern Ontario in honour of Murray and Kathy’s daughter Tiffanie, a former Stratford Flames player who passed away from epilepsy.
Your Library Corner: The power of collective joy
BRANDI GILLETT
Stratford Public Library
In a world that can often feel divided, rushed or disconnected, moments of collective joy matter more than ever.
Collective joy is the happiness we experience together. It happens when people gather to create, learn, celebrate and connect. At Stratford Public Library, we see the power of collective joy every day.
People of all ages and backgrounds come through our doors looking for books, information, technology or a welcoming place to spend time. Children attend story times, teens explore new interests, adults connect through learning and creativity and families create memories together. What they often discover is something more: opportunities to share experiences with others and to be part of something larger than themselves.
Sometimes collective joy is loud and energetic. During Noon Kazoo, participants gather to make music together, filling the library with laughter, creativity and fun. At Chess (K)Nights, players of different ages and skill levels come together around the board, sharing friendly competition, conversation and a love of the game.
Collective joy can also grow through creativity. Through BiblioMake: Socratica, Stratford Public Library's open collective of makers, artists, engineers, designers, writers, poets and everything in between, community members gather to
work on projects they care about simply for the love of making. While each person may pursue different interests, there is something special about sharing ideas, encouragement and inspiration with others.
The Library’s Happy Hour events are a celebration of collective joy. Community members gather among the stacks for literary-inspired activities, live music and lively conversation. In the company of one
Shelf Help with SPL: Autocracy, Inc.
Stratford Public Library
Autocracy,
Inc.
: The Dictators Who Want to Run the World
By Anne Applebaum
Non-fiction: 321.9 App
Autocracy, Inc. is a timely work, written by Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and historian Anne Applebaum. She outlines how today's would-be dictators work together to undermine the democratic world, and reveals the playbook they use. These autocracies are underpinned by sophisticated networks composed of kleptocratic financial structures, tech-bro-oligarch surveillance companies and professional propagandists, which all cooperate across multiple regimes to reinforce their tactics and messaging. International condemnation and economic sanctions cannot touch these autocrats, as they actively prop each other up. Applebaum calls for everyone to fight against this new cartel of dictators, emphasizing that the old policies for dealing with such governments and organizations are no longer sufficient to uproot them. This book will be of interest to anyone who has been paying attention to politics over the last few years (or indeed,
the last 30). Find it on the Stratford Public Library’s website here: https://tinyurl.com/rfbneca7.
another, participants experience the sense of connection and belonging that lies at the heart of these gatherings.
This summer, the Great Hobbit Adventure invites participants to step into a story that extends beyond the library and into Stratford itself. Families, friends and fellow adventurers become part of a shared narrative, exchanging discoveries
and creating memories together. A similar spirit can be found at events like the Swiftie Party, where community members gather around music, creativity, friendship and fun.
Even reading, often thought of as a solitary activity, can become a source of collective joy. Through the STAR Reading Challenge, readers of all ages join a community of participants who are exploring new ideas, discovering new stories and celebrating their accomplishments together.
At its best, Stratford Public Library is more than a collection of books or a calendar of events. It is a gathering place where makers, readers and lifelong learners come together to learn, create, celebrate and connect. It is a place where neighbours become friends, ideas become inspiration and individual experiences become shared ones.
Every conversation, every program and every shared experience helps build a stronger, more connected community. That may be one of the most important things a library provides, not just access to information, but opportunities to experience the simple, powerful joy of being together.
To explore Stratford Public Library's programs, events and services, visit https://splibrary.ca/ or stop by in person and discover the collective joy, creativity and connection that make Stratford Public Library such a special place.
(CONTRIBUTED PHOTO)
Participants of the Stratford Public Library’s Chess Club experience collective joy at its St. Andrew Street location, just one of the many avenues patrons can experience collective joy there.
CJ NYSSEN
$69K in cocaine, meth seized in Stratford bust
STRATFORD TIMES STAFF
stratfordtimes@gmail.com
A huge amount of drugs were seized in a recent Stratford bust.
In the spring of 2026, the Stratford Police Service Street Crime Unit (SCU) began an investigation into the trafficking of controlled substances in Stratford.
On June 16, the Stratford Police Service Emergency Response Unit (ERU) executed Controlled Drugs and Substances Act search warrants at a residence on Ontario Street and a residence on Devon Street.
The search warrants yielded the following seizure:
- 689.3 grams of cocaine ($68,930 street value).
- Eight grams of crystal methamphetamine ($480 street value).
- Digital scales.
- Drug packaging.
Further to the drug seizure, several arrests were made and charges laid against four individuals who reside within the city. The subjects of the arrests and charges can be identified as a 31-year-old male, a 24-year-old female, a 26-year-old male and a 49-year-old male.
The 31-year-old male and 24-year-old male were held in custody for bail hearings. The 26-year-old and 49-year-old males were released on undertakings with a court date of July 27.
Fake QR codes on parking meters downtown likely fraudulent
STRATFORD TIMES STAFF
stratfordtimes@gmail.com
The City of Stratford is aware of a potential scam involving illegitimate QR code stickers on some downtown parking meters.
In a post on its Facebook page, the city urged residents and visitors to not scan
the codes with their phones or follow the links they point to, as they may lead to a fraudulent parking app.
Similar parking scams have been reported in communities across Ontario.
Parking staff are currently removing these fraudulent QR code stickers. If you happen to spot one, call the clerk’s office at 519-271-0250, ext. 237.
(GARY WEST PHOTO)
Despite the rainstorms last week, the heavy winter barley crop on this Downie Township farm is ready for harvest. As Augustin Walch (Left) drives the combine, his daughter Louisa drives the grain buggy and her brother Georg trucks the barley to their farm elevator only a few kilometres away. Gloria, one of the daughters, also helps with administrative work.
(CONTRIBUTED PHOTO)
The drugs and paraphernalia seized in a June drug bust which saw $69,000 of product taken off the street and four individuals arrested.
Help SpringWorks name its new giant puppet
STRATFORD TIMES STAFF
stratfordtimes@gmail.com
A new symbol of Stratford's creativity is about to take its first journey, and it needs a name.
SpringWorks~PuppetWorks! is inviting the community to help name its very first Stratford-born giant puppet, the Phoenix Train, before it makes its public debut at World in a Weekend: International Puppet Festival (July 30 to Aug. 3).
Inspired by Stratford's railway heritage and the legendary phoenix, this spectacular puppet celebrates creativity, resilience and reinvention. After the festival, it will continue travelling to parades, festivals
and community celebrations, representing Stratford wherever it goes.
If you have an idea of what to name it, submit your idea online by July 30. Organizers are looking for a name that captures the puppet's spirit while reflecting Stratford's unique identity and the themes of renewal, imagination and community.
After submissions close, SpringWorks~PuppetWorks! will select a shortlist of finalists. The winning name will then be chosen by the community through an Instagram story poll during the festival, with additional voting available in person on opening night.
To submit your idea, visit https://tinyurl.com/5cupbrzt.
Pedestrian struck in hitand-run
STRATFORD TIMES STAFF
stratfordtimes@gmail.com
On June 29, at 8:30 p.m., the Stratford Police Service received a report of a pedestrian who was struck by a vehicle at the intersection of Waterloo Street South at Douro Street in Stratford.
Through the investigation it was reported that a grey Nissan was travelling west bound on Douro Street in the left turn lane when the vehicle struck a pedestrian within the crosswalk.
Minor injuries were sustained, resulting in the pedestrian being transported to Stratford General Hospital.
As a result of the collision, the driver of the grey Nissan was charged with Fail to Yield to Pedestrian under the Highway Traffic Act.
The Stratford Police Service continues to investigate this matter and is asking for anyone who witnessed the collision to contact Const. Erica Babb at 519-2714147, ext. 8133. Crime Stoppers can also be contacted at 1-800-222-TIPS or www. p3tips.com.
Police are specifically looking for the driver of a black vehicle that was observed behind the grey Nissan at the time of the collision and are asking the driver of this vehicle to contact police when available.
Open house for parking study
July 16
STRATFORD TIMES STAFF
stratfordtimes@gmail.com
Parking plays a crucial role in the everyday lives of residents and visitors alike. With the ongoing Grand Trunk redevelopment, the parking demand placed on the downtown parking system will evolve and change. It becomes essential to understand how the downtown parking system will function and adapt.
The City of Stratford has initiated a strategic parking study to identify existing and future parking needs of the downtown area, retaining R.J. Burnside & Associates to lead the study.
These upcoming challenges and opportunities will allow the city to develop a comprehensive and forward-thinking parking strategy that optimizes parking resources and respond as the Grand Trunk redevelopment progresses.
The city also wants to hear from you.
There are two public open houses scheduled to share findings and get feedback directly from residents. The first is scheduled for July 16 from 5-7 p.m. in Market Square.
In addition, the city will be releasing an online survey on Engage Stratford mid-July.
(CONTRIBUTED PHOTO)
All aboard! The first GO Train left the Stratford Station on July 6, with Mayor Martin Ritsma, Perth-Wellington MPP Matthew Rae and Coun. Harjinder Nijjar in attendance. The GO Train will connect Stratford to Toronto with daily trips, seven days a week, all year long.
As our summers keep getting hotter, we need to make AC mandatory in Ontario
For the first time since I moved away from home, I have central air conditioning.
Though I definitely took it for granted as a kid, living without it as a renter for more than a de-
cade has given me a deep appreciation of how drastic a person’s quality of life can improve once they have AC in their home. From high-rise apartment buildings to single-story houses, I’ve lived without AC in nearly every kind of rental. I remember long, sleepless nights covered in sweat with an electric fan on high blowing straight into my face and days when the heat was so oppressive I couldn’t do anything except sit in my living room in nothing but my underwear with an ice pack on my head, trying to move as little as possible (sorry for that mental image).
When I first moved to the Stratford, I rented the cheap -
est apartment I could find – the attic of a three-storey home. As we all know, heat rises and gets trapped in the top level of a home. It got so hot in my attic apartment, there was no amount of fan power, cold showers or open windows that could help me stay cool.
At the time, I didn’t have enough money saved to buy an air conditioner, so I had to beg friends and family members until someone finally gave me one. A year later, that air conditioner ended up leaking, staining the bricks below my window, so, at my landlord’s insistence, I had to go through the same process all over again until my sister, who was moving back home at
the time, agreed to lend me hers. It definitely wasn’t enough to keep the whole attic cool, but at least it was on wheels and I could roll it from room to room as I went about my day. Had it not been for those air conditioners, I’m not sure I could have actually lived in my apartment on some of those hotter days.
With this week’s heat warnings and temperatures rising into the 40s, I can’t help but think back to those days and wonder how I would manage this heat without central air. I am truly no good in the heat. It affects my mood, it affects my relationships, it affects my health and, since I work at home, it affects my work.
As our summers continue
to trend hotter, I think it’s important we remember those lower-income renters who either can’t afford to buy an AC or have window-box and portable air conditioners that simply can’t compete with this heat. I truly believe having a living space that can be kept at a comfortable room temperature should be a human right, not a privilege for those who can afford it. We should make it mandatory in Ontario for landlords to provide AC that can keep their units between 22 and 23 degrees Celsius even when the temperature outside reaches the mid 40s.
It’s not just a comfort thing; it’s a health-and-safety thing.
The Great Outdoors: New exhibit highlights the history and art of decoy making
JEFF HELSDON Times Correspondent
A hand-carved duck decoy is part utility and part art, with a mix of history thrown in on some occasions. The opening of the Davidson Decoy Gallery Collection offers an insight into the world of hand-carved decoys, and gives visitors a chance to see some of Ontario’s finest
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examples of decoy carving. Situated in the Backus Education Centre outside of Port Rowan, the gallery is situated in an area steeped in waterfowling history. Carvers of the area are known by collectors across the continent. The use of decoys to lure waterfowl into range for harvesting dates back to ancient Egypt. In North America, Indigenous peoples used decoys to bring ducks into bow-and-arrow range. Research has found reeds were a common base for Indigenous decoys. Decoy-making advanced in the 1800s, when market hunters carved wooden decoys, examples of which are highly prized by collectors today.
Wooden decoys continued to be used by the average hunter into the mid-20th century, when cheaper plastic displaced them from common use. Some of the Long Point hunt clubs still use wooden decoys to this day. As the use of rougher hunting blocks declined, decoy carving grew as an art form, with the detail of both carving and painting reaching new heights.
The Davidson Decoy Gallery is a modern, well-lit display of decoys not only from the Long Point area but also
from other areas across the entire province. The local display includes examples of decoys from the Reeves family, who are renowned across North America. Divided up into sections based on the carvers’ home areas, it tells the story of waterfowling through more than 100 decoys. It also includes several examples of modern artistic carvers, including world champions such as Pat Godin, Jeffrey Krete and Paul Burdette.
The tale of how the gallery came into being was revealed at an opening ceremony this spring. Backus curator Chloe Anna gave credit to the Long Point Region Conservation Authority – which owns the Backus Conservation Area – general manager Judy Maxwell and former curator Sarah Pointer, but said the real credit goes to Bruce Malcolm and Tom Davidson.
“Without their help, this wouldn’t be a thing,” she said. “They’re super passionate and know so much about waterfowling history.”
The journey to the display began with a phone call from Davidson, a hunter at the Lee Brown Marsh, to the marsh manager, Kim Brown.
GALEN SIMMONS
Regional Editor
Opinions
The Great Outdoors: New exhibit highlights the history and art of decoy making
“It started with a phone call to Kim, and I asked if there was anywhere we could buy or rent a building. He described this place,” Davidson said at the opening.
Brown was surprised at the call.
“I was in shock,” he said. “I’d seen his collection, and it was unbelievable.”
After Davidson drove to see the facility, the wheels were put in motion.
Davidson also met local Bruce Malcolm, who has been collecting decoys for 55 years. In addition to loaning their own decoys for the display, the two sourced decoys from elsewhere.
Malcolm was behind the Canadian Decoy and Outdoor Collectible Association, of which he is a member, bringing their annual show to Backus last fall. Some of the members donated decoys at that time, and the show is coming back on Sept. 19.
Davidson, who lives near Caledon, hunted the Long Point area for 45 years, at Lee Brown Marsh for 35 years, and was a member of the former Bluff’s Hunting Club on Long Point. He has a passion for the area, saying there is nowhere the hunting is better than at Long Point.
“Our objective was to pay tribute to the great carvers of the past and try to entice collectors of the future,” he said of the display.
The gallery is open until Sept. 6 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., Wednesday to Sunday. Extended hours are planned for the fall, from
11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays in September and October, to allow waterfowl hunters in the area to see the display.
As I See It From America: Let us hope this message is spread loud
I hope that you had a wonderful Canada Day! We celebrated down here with the Canadian flag and sending out congratulatory messages to all our friends. We watched some World Cup soccer and marveled that when the masses are presented with competition with all countries, wonderful things can happen. It truly has been a great time hosting it in the Americas and sportsmanship and camaraderie are abounding. Perhaps basic life lessons should also be on display. Play hard, play safe and acknowledge the talents of all the players. Appreciate the
and clear
beauty of international sports. Appreciate each other. It is that simple. Wish it was that simple always in this world.
This past weekend, we celebrated the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence here in the states. It was a difficult time for many to celebrate.
We have been beleaguered with terrible scenes of discontent, worked to a frenzy about reflecting pools and listening to all the nasty dialogue and comments. People like me have been called socialist or communist and the extreme right wing constantly re-writes the facts to make great public servants sound dangerous or un-American. We have yet to even dream of where all of this is going, what is going to happen to our republic and how we are going to bounce back from this devastation.
What used to be the anchor of our democracy, the American free press, is now becoming the tool that is used to attack and dismantle. Whole entire news networks now answer to the rightwing business capitalists. Time honoured programs like 60 Min-
utes are now tainted with owners that succumb to the likes of the Trump administration. Reporters that are talented, fair and seasoned are walking out of the door rather than playing the game of being in the pocket of the current White House resident. This has been very hard to take. It is by far the closest we have come to hearing a “death knell” for our democracy. Our people are truly worried and scared. Our media is in a shambles.
There is the rumour that lists are being created, forced voter registration documents are being forwarded to the justice department and funding for national programs is ceasing or delayed if states don’t tow the line and provide information to the federal government. Court cases going all the way up to the highest court of the land, the Supreme Court, are swinging one way or another and often creating new decisions for issues that have been the law of the land for decades. Right wing justices are deciding it is not great to protect voter’s rights or the rights of minorities. It truly has become a scary time for
many.
The disaster of the 250 National State Fair really undermines what is happening down here. People that want to participate and celebrate our country’s founding feel that it is tarnished by the politicizing of events and not just celebrating what should be a wonderful accomplishment. Financial resources that we set aside for the celebration are missing. There has been a dearth of problems from weather to lack of attendance. Arguments are stated daily as the numbers of participants are discussed and disagreed upon. Cities are being demeaned for having celebrations for the 250th that may or may not be bigger, better or greater attended than the celebration on the national mall. Sponsors for these festivities are being threatened. How difficult is it to just tell the truth? How wonderful would it be if we all could be proud? Don’t expect that anytime soon.
Moreover, our job performance numbers are low, inflation is through the roof and the politics of mean and nasty has become the
norm. Instead of coming together to solve the situations that we are facing, increased division is being touted and blame is passed around by the right-wing as if they have no responsibility. The war with Iran is great! The prices of oil will fall again and costs for basic family needs will soon be the best that they have been in years. This has been their plan all along. It is a flawed plan that has not come to fruition. There is little to no appreciation of the pain that is being felt by most American citizens and many people around the world are looking at us with a sense of amusement. Elect a clown … expect a circus. It is as simple as that. It could not be clearer. Our only hope is that the mid-term elections will prove fruitful for the American public and that a big cease and desist sign will be delivered from the American voters. Trump has the worst approval rating of any president ever! Let us hope that message is spread loud and clear. Please let me know how you feel about this column. Contact me at burk.patrick1956@gmail. com.
PATRICK D. BURK Times Columnist
(JEFF HELSDON PHOTO)
Visitors at the opening of the Davidson Decoy Gallery look at the many display depicting the decoys from different areas of Ontario with rich waterfowling heritage, including Toronto and Hamilton.
Opinions
WEB-CRAWLING WITH MY FRIENDS
SHEILA CLARKE Times Columnist
There we were, sitting in the garden, contemplating green. The gardens, front and back are filled with native plants, so we get a lot of shade, quiet, birds … and insects. Before you go “EWWW,” consider with me. The birds that we so enjoy (enough to make our city a Bird Friendly City under Nature Canada) don’t favour a starvation diet – or one laden with poisons that will quite possibly kill them. They eat insects –caterpillars for their young and many birds are insect-eaters all the time.
Take the new resident of our yard, a Northern Flicker. I was delighted! It’s a memory from
my childhood and a new bird to my yard. Last night I was pretty sure I heard two, so maybe we have a nesting pair. What does a flicker eat? ANTS. It’s a friend to us, and to our gardens. I’m happy to have ants, I know there will be plenty of critters that will eat them and they’re a part of our ecosystem in our gardens. Occasionally ants wander too close to the house. Here’s a non-toxic idea to try! We try to figure out their entry point and put down a barrier of cloves and cayenne. It works. They’ll go elsewhere and be part of the garden – and food for the Flicker! If I sprayed them, the toxins would enter the ecosystem and poison more than the ants. Let me tell you a story. When our native garden was young, I was aghast one day to see some helenium stems (sort of like a yellow daisy on steroids) COVERED with aphids! We all know aphids are enemies. Augh! What do I do now? I’m trying to make my garden pesticide free. There are too many side effects to pesticides, to me and to nature. Soapsuds? Vinegar? High pressure water? Every solution I looked up would
also harm the garden ecosystem. Iron pesticides, for example, claim to be benign, but if you put a large concentration of any foreign substance, chances are it will kill the soil organisms where you spray it – and that doesn’t make for a healthy garden.
What did I do? I went back in the house. Two days later all the aphids were gone. I had built a healthy natural ecosystem with ladybugs, spiders and dragonflies – hungry ladybugs, spiders and dragonflies. The natural balance in a native garden takes care of its own. As the pesticide industry has shifted from warfare to gardens and agriculture, we’ve gone from curiosity and live and let live to insect phobia. If it buzzes, crawls on eight legs and worse, lands on me, kill it!
Michelle Tseng from the University of British Columbia notes that our relationship with insects has been built on fear –they are enemies. We teach our children to recoil from their natural curiosity to anything that might be an insect. Insects are a vital part of our ecosystem and the vast majority of them are helpful. I admit mosquitoes,
ticks and black flies are not my friends. They are a threat to me. If I’m out working amongst trees and plants, I protect myself (I’ve had an encounter with Lyme disease several years ago).
Tick protection has become part of our world as global warming extends their range and their payloads. I always do a checkover when I come out of grass/garden/forest. If I’m really in tick territory, I tuck long pants in socks and change when I get home. Most of the time I welcome insect visitors to our garden. Bees and tiny syrphid flies, wasps, butterflies and miniscule parasitic wasps keep our garden pollinated, and keep the pest insects under control. They ensure that our garden ecosystem is healthy, with food for the life forms above and below the soil, and especially for the birds – like the flicker!
I wrote earlier about the healing element of nature, Shinrin-yoku. Having supper in the garden every evening is soothing after a day of trying to understand the vagaries of this modern world. We turn on Merlin (a free download that will
The beauty of the beast – in their defence
I was busy preparing my comparison of how differently Christopher Plummer was received after his first audition at Stratford in the 1950s than fellow actor Tony van Bridge when I was distracted by a wasp.
No, one of their species had not decided I’d invaded its territory and made me pay for the intrusion. Instead, it came from a voice on CBC Radio’s Sunday Morning that told me I should love them.
This got my attention. Ever since an angry one ruined weeks of my summer a few years ago by transforming my hand into a swollen Hallowe’en appendage I have been down on these devilish cousins of angelic bees. Every time I think of them I try to remove the sting by quoting poet/dramatist John Gay’s witty ditty “The First Wasp”: Of all the plagues that heaven has sent / A wasp is most impertinent – to myself.
So, now someone was telling me I should embrace them! I turned the radio up to hear how the speaker, zoologist Jo Wimpenny, could explain her outlandish claim.
As it turned out, she has a point. In fact she has just published a book, The Beauty of the Beast: Rethinking Nature’s Least Loved Animals, that talks about why wasps and other animals are feared or hated but shouldn’t be, while others are generally loved. And, for her, it all comes down to
prejudice.
But first, about the wasps:
1.Only a small fraction of wasps are viciously territorial (the colonial ones that swarm); most, the solitary wasps, just want to go about their business.
2. Many native wasps are pollinators. Though their bodies aren’t as hairy as those of bees, they still manage to transport pollen.
3. Wasps are also great at pest control, eating the bugs you definitely don’t want in your garden. Wimpenny then turned her attention to wolves. Big, bad wolves. But how are they bad? She delved into the psychology involved and found that why we love some animals and hate others depends on how we would perceive them if they were human. By that token, wolves are cunning, sneaky and kill little defenceless animals -this is their nursery book persona as well --so they are deemed bad. In this anthropomorphic view, they are lumped in with ugly creatures, like vultures, that also
really don’t deserve their scary bad reputation.
In fact, wolves have a beneficial effect on the environment – they provide a check on herbivores, like deer, that might otherwise overrun an area. They don’t kill for sport – it is their role in nature to do what they do and in doing so they support the balance of nature.
Like wolves, vultures are essential. Though we associate them with death – they are the only animals that subsist entirely on carrion (dead animals) – in fact they are nature’s trash collectors. Their constitutions are so strong that their stomachs can destroy pathogens; without them disease would run rampant, with them it doesn’t get a chance.
I haven’t seen a vulture for years. When I did it was probably in the country around Stratford, where turkey vultures live, and yes, it was scary. But Wimpenny knows them better than I. According to her first-hand ex-
tell you what birds are in the vicinity based on their songs), kick back and let the green and the birdsong work their magic –relaxing with our friends, two legged, four legged, six legged – even eight legged. This is their home; we are visitors.
UPDATES:
Carbon parts per million (ppm) in the atmosphere as of July 5: 430.15 ppm.
Warmer air rises faster. This fast-moving air (convection) creates larger storms that drop heavier rain, hail and sometimes spawn flash floods. The storms can also become unpredictable, intensifying rapidly in areas that may not be used to extreme weather (National Centre for Atmospheric Science). The storm on Canada Day caught us all by surprise. I spent an hour picking up branches and leaves from our senior and sheltering beautiful black walnut. Case in point.
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.
perience, vultures are extremely curious and playful, and akin to crows in their cognitive abilities. Even their bald heads have a purpose: they are bald because it makes them easy to keep clean.
In Mongolia, vultures are a natural part of sky burials – the ultimate in a green burial, because no trace is left behind.
Animals we aim to protect, animals we regard as “good,” on the other hand, are not “blameless.” Take the seal. Though generally regarded as harmless, male seals will kidnap baby seals and hold them captive in order to get their mothers to bring them (the male seals) ransom food. The nerve! Sharks are not bad, snakes are not evil and there are over 5,000 species of cockroaches, with only a few of them are found in houses. At a time when threats to biodiversity are rampant, we cannot let prejudices based on misunderstanding add to the threat; we do so at our peril.
And so, back to Chris …
JULIA SCHNEIDER Times Columnist
The Cutter
And, the funny thing was, I was not sure!
once again cuts itself off in snowdrifts.
July 1, 1994 was quite possibly a very normal Canada Day for a majority of Canadians. As most would have been gathering with family for a BBQ, or fresh from watching the downtown parade, I stood in a small room at Pearson airport. You see, that day back in 1994 was the day I immigrated to Canada – a process that took nearly two years to plan and now came down to a final check of my paperwork and my one suitcase of belongings.
When I told my parents I was immigrating to Canada, they were extremely supportive, but a large percentage of friends and colleagues thought I was crazy. They wanted to know what had made me reach this decision.
I had always enjoyed travel, and in working for an airline, travel was a much-valued perk. But it was more than that – I had felt a restlessness with life for a year or two, and my favourite music group at the time, Runrig, sang songs in both Gaelic and English, focusing on those leaving homelands for new lives. These songs connected with me in a strangely powerful way, and I became fascinated to learn more about immigration, with both Canada and Australia finally approving my applications. Obviously, I picked Canada, although, as I joke with friends, every February I can’t help but check the weather in Perth, Australia, and sigh at the summer temperatures there, as Stratford
Runrig’s music often talks of people “going home” to their native Scotland to visit friends and family, and I have been fortunate thanks to a mix of business travel and airline friends, to make almost annual trips back; back “home.”
I arrive in Scotland, excited to be back, and in a way, expecting everything to be as it was when I left in 1994, or even since my last visit. Places change; people change; I have changed. The question is always the same, however, even after more than 30 years of being away – “when are you coming home,” and it is a question never asked by my parents, but by friends.
My parents have passed now, and when I walk into the arrivals
area of Aberdeen Airport, they are no longer there, waiting politely, quietly, under the arrivals display, standing to one side, as they always did, with huge smiles upon their faces, eagerly awaiting to embrace their now-Canadian son. It’s been five years now since they died, but still, I can’t help looking for them under that airport sign as I walk through the terminal.
The trips home are now more meaningful than ever – visiting their grave, and perhaps spending more melancholy times in tea rooms and garden centres, thinking of them and reminding myself of their wonderful lives. The questions from friends do not ease after these years, but home is indeed Canada now.
I am always mindful of the Runrig song “The Cutter,” talking as
it does about a Scottish Highland native who immigrated to Canada, but religiously returned home to the Western Isles of Scotland annually to cut peat (used as a fuel still) for his mother. In many ways, this song gave me my final “shove” to immigrate, reminding me, as it still does, of the importance of ties that bind. One verse in particular sums up my feelings, and I suspect those of other immigrants, trying to balance their old and new lives, landing back in their native country: “The plane comes down from the morning sky, and you touch the land where the fire won’t die.”
And, I like the fact that the fire won’t die.
Thanks to Runrig for always encouraging my adventures in this great land. Happy birthday Canada.
Worship With Us
PAUL MITCHELL Guest Columnist
(CONNOR LUCZKA PHOTO)
A swan takes to the water minutes after a rainstorm fell over the region on Canada Day.
OH, THE PLACES WE’LL GO: An undiscovered treasure: Richmond’s Olympics Museum
The first exhibit you encounter makes the point immediately. It’s a display of 20 different and unique Olympic torches, including examples from the 1976 Montreal Summer Olympics, the 1988 Winter Games hosted by Calgary and the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics.
The information panel reads: “The Olympic flame is a symbol of peace, friendship, tolerance and hope. The Olympic Torch Relay reminds us that we are part of something bigger – a global community.” It immediately occurred to me this was a message much forgotten in our current, fractured world and reminders like this one, at the Richmond Olympic Experience Museum, are even more important today.
I was in Richmond, B.C., for the 2026 Travel Media Association of Canada (TMAC) conference. I arrived in the city flat out ignorant about the place. I knew from looking at a map that Richmond was south of Vancouver, but close enough that the Vancouver airport is actually in Richmond.
Media members of TMAC get the option of doing a “pre-tour” –spending a few days being guided around the conference’s host city, for example. So, for four days, I
learned a great deal about Richmond.
And one of the most striking experiences was our visit to the Olympic Oval, home to the Olympic Experience Museum and much more. Visitors are welcome to come to the Oval, to tour, to visit the museum, or, for a modest price, to use the outstanding athletic facilities now housed in the place. The “Oval Drop-in” pass, which allows you to use everything for the day, is $23. Adult admission to the museum is $16, less for kids and seniors.
Those facilities are certainly impressive. In 2010, the building housed the Oval, home to Olympic speed skating competitions as well as spectator facilities, media centres, VIP areas and all the features that come with a worldclass venue. But the Oval was designed to serve the community for decades to come and it does so in amazing fashion. There are
ice rinks, basketball courts, table tennis facilities, state-of-the-art gyms, a terrifying rock-climbing wall and more.
The place is pretty special. It features the largest cantilevered wooden roof in Canada. More significantly, 2010 marked the first time Indigenous groups –the Coastal Salish – had been involved in planning and participating in the official opening of an Olympic facility.
The Oval continues to be a key training facility for national teams including Canada’s Women’s National Volleyball Team. It also boasts a world-class training area for para-athletes.
I will admit that for this relatively non-athletic writer, the athletic facilities offered only a certain level of interest. But the Olympic museum experience was amazing.
Gregory Huzor showed us around the museum. He’s the enthusiastic manager of the Rich-
mond Olympic Experience.
He told us the Richmond museum is one of 36 official Olympics museums, located in 25 countries on five continents. Headquarters of the Olympic Museums Network is the museum in Lausanne, Switzerland. The Richmond museum is the only one in Canada.
The Oval is also designated as an “Olympics Legacy Site,” which allows the facility to proudly display the much-protected Olympic rings symbol and other Olympic-branded material.
The museum itself offers visitors a whole menu of hands-on activities, and I was surprised how immediately available they were because the place was not busy. In fact, I think I could categorize the Richmond Olympic Experience as a hidden gem, one just waiting to be discovered by visitors who will be thrilled by their find.
There are fascinating exhibits in the museum, highlighting
both Canadian involvement in the Olympics and the global vision of the games. Visitors can enjoy an array of virtual experiences – careening down a bobsled run, experiencing ski jumping, kayaking through rapids, or walking a balance beam – conveniently located about 20 centimetres off the floor level, so even an unbalanced guy like me could give it a try without risking injury.
This is very much an interactive facility. In addition to the virtual experiences, visitors can hoist an Olympic torch, don replica Olympic medals and even dress in Olympic hockey jerseys.
The entire Oval facility was designed to be of ongoing use to the community, and to welcome visitors from around the world. And more than that – Huzor told us, should the opportunity arise, the Oval could be transformed back into a competition site for a future Olympics!
The multi-purpose facility is a testimony to the vision of Richmond’s leaders. The Oval was originally supposed to be located at Simon Fraser University, but Richmond made an offer that could not be refused – the Oval eventually cost $178 million, and Richmond guaranteed to fund all costs over the $60 million mark.
Huzor echoes the comments of many Richmond residents who, 16 years later, think the $118-million investment has paid dividends far beyond the original price.
Visitors will find the people who planned this Olympic venue deserve a gold medal for foresight.
Paul Knowles is an author and travel writer, and past-president of the Travel Media Association of Canada. To contact Paul about travel, his books, or speaking engagements, email pknowles@golden.net.
The display of Olympic torches greets visitors to the Richmond Olympic Experience, one of 36 Olympic museums around the world.
The Olympic Oval, home of speed-skating competitions during the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics. The virtual bobsled ride.
PAUL KNOWLES Times Columnist
(PAUL KNOWLES PHOTOS)
Incantations 41. Long-legged, wading bird
Music term 55. Small opening in a surface 56. Musical term meaning “very”
58. Soviet Socialist Republic
59. Treats with powder
60. Email subject line feature
61. A British lawyer 64. Expression of laughter
65. Farmer’s calendar
67. Seeds used as food
69. Eurasian shrubs
70. Periods of inactivity
CLUES DOWN 1. Hard things to kick
2. Collective of countries
3. Letter of Hebrew alphabet
4. One-time Alabama running back Eddie
5. One’s sense of self-esteem
6. Of the teeth
7. Treat with care
8. Type of whale
9. Curved structure
10. Emits coherent radiation
11. One of the Gospels (abbr.)
12. Smallest interval in western music
13. Netherlands seat of government
15. Gives to charitably
18. Lout
21. Pastas
24. Release from restrictions
26. Female sibling
27. Title of respect
30. Silver coins
32. Region in India
35. Partner to cheese
37. Dark or dusky
38. Pacific Northwest tree
39. Exaggerate
42. Toddler
43. Touch lightly
46. Fundamentals
47. Jeopardies
49. Curved structures
50. Isolated, flat-topped hills
52. Forming the bottom layer
54. Reciprocal of sine
55. Genus of Old World birds
57. New York college
59. Cloak
62. Kawhi Leonard’s team (abbr.)
63. Vietnamese offensive
66. “The Great Lakes State”
68. “__, myself and I”
Pet of the week
CHAUNCY
Chauncy is a handsome 7-year-old dog looking for a family to call his own. This loyal boy loves being with his people, whether he's out for a walk, relaxing on the couch, or simply tagging along through the day. Friendly, affectionate, and devoted, Chauncy thrives on companionship and would love a home with another dog and a yard to enjoy.
Chauncy does have some ongoing medical needs, and his adopters will receive guidance and support from our team. If you're looking for a faithful companion who will be your biggest fan, Chauncy could be the perfect match.
Chauncy is
SPONSORED BY:
Adult Learning Programs of Perth, Upstairs at the St. Marys Public Library (700 Church Street North, St. Marys, ON)
Phone: 519-284-4408 | Cell: 226-374-8231
alearning@town.stmarys.on.ca | www.adultlearningperth.ca
Facebook: @AdultLearningProgramsofPerth
COMING EVENTS
STRATFORD SCRABBLE CLUB
Anne Hathawy Residence 480 Downie St., Stratford
Meets every Wednesday evening at 7 p.m. for 3 games. Check our website for further details stratfordscrabble.ca
STRATFORD ASTRONOMY GROUP MEETINGS
St. Michael Catholic Secondary School, 240 Oakdale Avenue, Stratford
Rear parking lot off Matilda. Room # l104 - 1st
Tuesday of each month from September to June. 7-9 p.m.
We are night sky enthusiasts. Everyone is welcome to attend. See our website at https://stratfordastronomy.com/ or call 519-275-4472 for more information
FOOD TRUCKS
Monday, July 6; 4:30-7:30 p.m.
Grace United Church Tavistock 116 Woodstock St. S. Tavistock
Deadline: Tuesday prior at 3 p.m. Contact: stratfordtimes@gmail.com
116 Woodstock St. S. Tavistock
SWAT, Pablas Street of India, Beavertails Donations to Grace United Church
FOOD TRUCKS
Monday, July 27; 4:30-7:30 p.m.
Grace United Church Tavistock
Siggi's, El Milagro, Ish n Chips Donations to Tavistock Health Clinic (no trucks on August 3, 2026)
FOOD TRUCKS
Monday, August 10; 4:30-7:30 p.m.
Grace United Church Tavistock Born2Eat, Fo'Cheezy, Beavertails Donations to Grace United Church
STRATFORD LEGION YARD & BAKE SALE
Saturday, August 15; 8 a.m. - 12 p.m. Legion 804 Ontario St.
FOOD TRUCKS
Monday, August 24; 4:30-7:30 p.m.
Grace United Church Tavistock
Berlin 95, Ish n Chips, El Milagro Donations to Camp Bimini
FOOD TRUCKS
Monday, August 31; 4:30-7:30 p.m.
Grace United Church Tavistock
Born2Eat, Los Rolling Tacos, Fo'Cheezy Donations to Tavistock Agricultural Society
FRIDAY NIGHT EUCHRES
Friday, September 11; 6 p.m.
Legion 804 Ontario St.
Sign up your team of 2 for $20 by calling the Legion at 519-271-4540, Dave at 519-703-6544 or Anne at 519301-0914. Doors open at 6 p.m., games start at 6:30 p.m.
shrubs. Reg Hours 7 a.m.- 6 p.m. Mon-Sat at Martins Nursery c/o Emanuel Martin. 42661 Orangehill Rd., Wroxeter, ON
The Community Calendar is for non-profit organizations to promote their free admission events at no charge. Event listings can include your event name, date, time and location as well as a phone number, email address or website.
If your event is not free admission or you would like to include more details than stated above, you have the following options:
Coming Events Word Ad in Classified section (50 word max.) - $10 + hst
Coming Events Boxed Word Ad in Classified section (50 word max.) - $15 + hst
Display Ad - Sizes begin at a classified business card size for $35 + hst
Fair value offered for your vinyl records, cassette tapes & hifi components. Please contact Sound Fixation, 519801-5421, 4 George St. W, Stratford. prices paid. Free appraisals.Are you downsizing or need an estate clean out? We can help. We are at the Pinery Market at Grand Bend every Sunday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Call or text Stan anytime 519-868-3814.
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.
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