LOCAL HEADLINES

Stratford-based poet Michael Smith lives with his cerebral palsy in a remarkably accepting and optimistic way, expressing gratitude for all those who love and care for him. These include many aunts, uncles, cousins and friends, including his aunt Sue Mavity and friend Lesley Walker-Fitzpatrick. His poetry reflects that optimism.

The 2026 soccer season has reached its twilight, but there will still be plenty of matches for the Stratford Strikers.

It was another exciting year at the Stratford Summer Leagues. Held at the Stratford Rotary Complex and the Agriplex, the summer-long sports competitions included hockey and, for the first time this year, basketball, with hockey run by Nick McCabe and basketball by Dirk Sybersma.

Christian Reformed Church (CRC) of Stratford is celebrating 75 years of service and local impact this November, and they’re inviting the community to look back.

Stratford’s Small-Town Strip Club will be opening for a big-name Canadian rock band.

For playwright and performer Rachel Cairns, the idea for Hypothetical Baby began with a deeply personal experience and a question she thought would have a relatively straightforward answer.

Wellspring Stratford is proudly celebrating its 20th anniversary and the growth in community support in membership over time.

At the Stratford Rotary Complex, the Stratford Hunter Steel Warriors began their preparations for the 2026-2027 GOHL season during the weekend of Aug. 22 and 23, followed by their first preseason game versus the league’s newest team – the Woodstock Navy Vets on Aug. 24.

Braden Keating and Henry Flanagan of Stratford both qualified for the 2027 International Junior Optimists Championship, to be held in Miami, Fla., next year, after strong finishes at the Midwestern Ontario Junior Optimists District tournament in St. Marys Aug. 11.

Artisans and pop culture enthusiasts of all kinds gathered at the Best Western Arden Park hotel for Stratford Comicon on Aug. 22.

Complete with stylishly elegant costumes and a set that brings audiences into the heart of the daily lives of the Singaporean elite during the COVID-19 pandemic, playwright and director Jovanni Sy presents his modern take on restoration comedy with his production of The Tao of the World for the Stratford Festival’s 2026 season.

Stratford Lakeside Active Adults Association (SLAAA) is once again hosting its active living fair and open house this fall on Sept. 12 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. upstairs at the Agriplex Community Hall, located at 357 McCarthy Rd. W. in Stratford.

On one unassuming Tuesday morning, Stratford Festival swing performer Zachary Williams was sleeping on a bus coming back into town from Toronto for a performance of Guys and Dolls. When he woke up, the bus wasn’t in Stratford – it was broken down on the side of the highway.

On Aug. 6, the Stratford Hunter Steel Warriors and the Greater Ontario Hockey League (GOHL) released their official 2026-2027 season schedule.

On Aug. 4, the Stratford U16 Boys Strikers looked to get back on the winning track in their first home match since June 30 as they hosted Oriental SC at Cowan Field, losing 2-1. Dominic McGurgin scored the lone goal for Stratford.

This weekend, the two top-tier Stratford Nationals teams played in tournaments: the 15U team competed for a place in the Ontario Baseball Association (OBA) ‘A’ tournament, while the 18U team participated in the Inter County Baseball Association (ICBA) playoffs. Both events used an OBA-mandated double-elimination format.

Sloane Bell of St. Pauls enjoyed a week of high-level volleyball development and competition, attending the Ontario Volleyball Association’s (OVA) Team Ontario Regional Program (TORP) week-long development camp and the Ontario Summer Games.

Perth County council is considering several administrative changes to its Stewardship Program for 2027, directing staff to return with additional recommendations aimed at making the grant program more equitable and ensuring more of the funding goes toward planting trees rather than labour costs.

After much investigation – and much debate – the City of Stratford is moving forward in acquiring the former Scotiabank data centre on Lorne Avenue as the next headquarters for the Stratford Police Service.

Work continues towards a corporate restructuring of Festival Hydro, the City of Stratford’s local distribution company (LDC).