LOCAL HEADLINES

After another record-setting fundraising year for the United Way Perth-Huron, the community came out for a night of celebration – specifically marking a total of $4.8 million for the United Way and its partner organization United Housing.

Jennifer Paquette’s poem “shelter” is about a childhood lived and played in a setting not unknown to many in southwestern Ontario: the lake.

Foster’s Dinner Concert series concludes with the highly anticipated appearance of Lynne Hanson in concert beginning at 8 p.m. Thursday, April 23. The series has been wildly successful in connecting Canadian singer/songwriters with appreciative audiences eager for the music and stories told.

Perth County council has directed staff to revise several key components of a proposed update to its forest conservation bylaw following months of public consultation and ongoing feedback from the agricultural community and other stakeholders.

After headlining Rock the Muse last fall, the Out Brief Candles are hosting a CD release party and concert for their debut album.

The Canadian Dairy XPO (CDX)’s annual Calves for a Cause auction raised more than $484,000 during this year’s live sale April 1 in the Cow Coliseum at the Stratford Agriplex. Thousands attended to show their support and submit bids on this year’s lineup.

The 2025-2026 season for the Huron-Perth U16 AAA Lakers came to an end following a commendable showing at the OHL Cup in Toronto.

In this GOHL Western Conference Semifinal series, everyone expected a close contest after the first three games, but no one could foresee the final outcome or how it would develop.

This year’s Stratford Minor Sports Council (SMSC) Banquet will be one to remember. Phil Pritchard, curator of the Hockey Hall of Fame, will be the guest of honour and emcee of the evening – and he’ll be bringing a few trophies for those in attendance.

The Canadian Dairy XPO was held in Stratford from April 1-3, drawing a record 18,000 attendees. The show, considered Canada’s largest dairy showcase, featured more than 350 exhibiting companies from around the world, bringing innovation, education, genetics and hospitality to Canadian dairy producers.

Dancers from OnStage Dance Studio have returned from the Dance Attack competition held in Cobourg March 27-29. The Cobourg Community Centre was transformed into a proper dance stage complete with lights just for the occasion.

The Provocation Ideas Festival (PIF) is asking what Stratford’s Avon River could become in the years ahead with its newest initiative.

Young artists in Huron and Perth counties will once again have a chance to showcase their artwork in Stratford Mayor Martin Ritsma’s barn.

A couple from Shakespeare and a long-remembered Mitchell area dairy farmer and writer are this year’s inductees to the Stratford-Perth Museum’s Agricultural Wall of Fame.

Duke Ellington has been such a huge influence on local musician Tim Elliott that he has spearheaded two events to appreciate the talented bandleader and composer. In advance of the July 13 concert of Stratford Swings Ellington with the Brian Barlow Big Band, Elliott is hosting a birthday celebration for Ellington where special guests like Brian Barlow will share their memories and perspectives of him.

The Stratford Film Festival, as part of the 2026 return of Doors Open Stratford, is screening the Canadian documentary You Are Here – A Come From Away Story on April 18 at the Stratford City Hall auditorium. The film tells the extraordinary story of some 7,000 “plane people” who landed in Gander, Nfld. after North American airspace was closed following the attacks of 9/11. Both screenings, at 5 and 7 p.m. will feature a post-screening discussion with the filmmaker Mose Mossan

Perth County council has awarded a contract worth just over $760,000 for the replacement of a culvert on Perth Road 107 south of Shakespeare, a project that will require a full 19-day road closure later this year but is expected to come in well under budget.

Perth County council is continuing its discussion on how best to address the growing threat posed by invasive plant species, including whether funding set aside for giant hogweed eradication could support a broader, coordinated approach across the county.

Luck has run out for the Stratford U18 AA Humphrey Fleet Service Aces as they lost Game 3 of the OWHA-Southern Tier-II Championship semi-final to the Oakville Hornets on March 27.

It was a heartfelt afternoon filled with sharing life stories, laughs and tears.