LOCAL HEADLINES

Alex Boersen knows just how much pressure young men are facing, having seen much of it firsthand. As he shared with the Times, those experiences are just one of the reasons he decided to get into social work.

The Stratford Humphrey Fleet Service U18 AA Aces finished their regular season with a pair of wins at the Stratford Rotary Complex and head to the OWHA-Southern playoffs.

The Black History Project Series: Phase II, part of the permanent exhibit We’ve Been Here, will launch Feb. 21 at the Stratford Perth Museum.

Despite the challenges that have faced the sector this past year, Stratford Mayor Martin Ritsma says there has never been a better time for manufacturing in the city.

On Feb. 13, the Stratford Irish began their NPHL Metropolitan League playoff campaign on the road against their familiar adversary from last year’s WOSHL Championship, the Strathroy Jets, in a best-of-seven first-round series.

The team of 112 dancers from On Stage Dance Studio performed their Team Showcase to an appreciative audience at Centennial Hall in London on Sunday, Feb. 15. It was a big day for the dancers, family and friends as the performances are akin to a dress rehearsal for the upcoming competition season.

The idea of Canada can mean many different things. For David Stones, especially now, part of it is about expression.

At the Grammy Awards on Feb. 1, 2026, Justin Gray from Toronto became the first Canadian to be nominated and win for Best Immersive Album. An album is considered immersive when it utilizes a format like Dolby Atmos to create a 360-degree surround sound experience. The album is also available as a feature length film which was directed and filmed by Stratford cinematographer Michael Fisher.

With just days to go before Stratford’s Coldest Night of the Year (CNOY) walk returns to Lower Queens Park on Feb. 28, organizers say the community’s compassion is once again turning into action in support of some of the city’s most vulnerable residents.

With the London Jr. Knights securing first place in the U16 AAA ALLIANCE rankings, the Huron-Perth U16 AAA Lakers looked to finish the final week of the regular season on the right note as they hosted the Windsor Jr. Spitfires and the Brantford 99ers at the Stratford Rotary Complex.

During Family Day weekend, the Stratford Hunter Steel Warriors faced the Sarnia Legionnaires at the William Allman Memorial Arena, followed by road games against the Elmira Sugar Kings and the rival Listowel Cyclones.

Stop Violence Against Women (Stop VAW) is hosting a series of community information sessions across Perth County. The next session will take place in Stratford at the end of April.

The Downtown Stratford Business Improvement Area (BIA) is hoping to bring some warm cheer to shoppers this February with the return of the Ten Bucks Back program.

With the U18 regular season coming to a close, Stratford U18 AA Warriors head coach Riley Mathieson says it is crucial to finish the season on a high note and to reflect on the team's growth throughout the year.

The third annual Stratford Winter Film Festival (SWFF) has come to a successful conclusion from their weeklong run at the Stratford City Hall auditorium. The weekend of the main event began with a packed reception serving cocktails and nibbles catered by Mercer Hall in advance of the opening night screening of the film Blue Moon.

The Spring Master Zone Round, held on Feb. 1, delivered an exciting day of competition and standout performances, with local athletes earning top honours and a spot at provincials.

Stratford production company Ballinran Entertainment and its partners announced last week that David Letterman and his production company, Worldwide Pants, have signed on as executive producers for an upcoming documentary, Say Hello to Our Good Friend Paul Shaffer.

Stratford architect Robert Ritz is urging city council to rethink demolition for the Grand Trunk Railway (GTR) site, arguing that rehabilitating the existing structure could provide Stratford with much-needed civic space at a significantly lower cost to taxpayers.

The Canadian Federation of University Women Stratford (CFUW) will host its International Women’s Day breakfast on March 7 at 8:30 a.m. at the Arden Park Hotel.

Late last week, members of the Stratford Royal Canadian Legion Branch 8 met with Stratford General Hospital Foundation executive director Cheryl Hunt to present a $7,000 cheque toward the purchase of a cancer care treatment centre bed.