LOCAL HEADLINES

The Stratford Shakespearean Gardens are a common site for tourists, though its history goes back nearly 90 years, back when Stratford wasn’t a tourism mecca but a rail town in the middle of southwestern Ontario.

For the Stratford Bentley's Irish head coach and owner, Marco Alexander, the team have one goal in mind for the season ahead. 

In team practice preparing for game week, Stratford Warriors veterans Jonas Schmidt and Quinn Kipfer said the team is having excellent practices and believes they are turning the corner as they prepare for Listowel and Chatham.  

For 25 years, Stratford Summer Music (SSM) has been a cornerstone of the local arts scene – and this fall the organization is keeping that tradition alive with a season of concerts that connect the community through music.

For former Stratford District Secondary School (SDSS) students Peer Wahlquist and Emelia Auster, writing, directing and producing their film, When The Party’s Over, with help from their friends and family was the perfect send-off to high school as they embarked on their post-secondary lives.

Tap dancing sensation Pierce MacNeil, who is currently training with Stratford Dance Co, has joined Team Canada Dance/International Dance Organization (IDO) to compete at the World Tap Championships in Prague, Czechia. The competition takes place Oct. 22-26.

After Aunt Harriet’s first run at the Stratford Perth Museum, the audience applauded and were eager to share their positive feedback and questions about the film installation.

Stratford local Megan Smith-Harris has returned from California triumphant in her win of Best Feature Screenplay for her script titled The Ghost of You at the Burbank International Film Festival (BIFF). The award was presented during a star-studded ceremony following a tribute and hour-long presentation honouring filmmaker Quentin Tarantino.

Having just been announced as the Stratford Festival’s next artistic director, Jonathan Church is looking forward to immersing himself fully in the festival and getting to know its artists and audiences before he officially takes over the role from Antoni Cimolino in November 2026.

After community members voiced concern over the return of an Indigenous-themed logo on one of their 50th anniversary jerseys, the Stratford Warriors will retire the design, according to an email obtained by the Times.

An afternoon of imagination led kids and adults alike to the Grand Trunk site for the Trophy X Dream Weavers event this past weekend.

Fresh Idea Collective and Inspired by Fitness, two local women-owned businesses, are collaborating to offer women a chance to connect and network through light-hearted movement.

With rental prices continuing to skyrocket, Paige Noel, a 20-year-old St. Marys-native, was doubtful she would be able to stay in or near the town she grew up in.

The Multicultural Association of Perth Huron (MAPH) recently announced it has begun collecting sleeping bags, blankets and financial donations to help keep unhoused residents of Stratford and St. Marys warm over the winter in lieu of a permanent homeless shelter.

Is Stratford’s heart one of its iconic features, the Avon River, city hall, the Festival Theatre, the Grand Trunk site or the library? Is it its heritage or its future; a way of thinking?

After owning Features of Stratford for 28 years, Chris Haynes is ready for a new chapter in catering.

More than 500 participants and 100 kids took part in the 2025 Stratford 5K Run/Walk in support of the Local Community Food Centre this year, surpassing the committee’s goal and raising an impressive $56,700.

Young artists can create pieces to showcase what Huron and Perth counties look like without hate and discrimination.

Stratford’s community are welcome to join the Walk ’n Roll event to support Be Belong Become capital campaign and supporting the construction of a new 15,000-square-foot community hub at 426 Brittania St.

After nearly a month of picketing in front of Conestoga College, local members of the Ontario Public Service Employees Union (OPSEU) have started to line up at Perth-Wellington MPP Matthew Rae’s Stratford office.