LOCAL HEADLINES

At the Ontario Agri-Food Discovery Centre’s 2026 annual general meeting March 26, board chair Steve Dolson introduced the team from Moriyama Teshima Architects, which developed concept designs for the future 10-acre site in Listowel.

If those living in and around Shakespeare notice a group of boys who attend Sprucedale Public School all with the same haircut, you are seeing the results of those classmates wanting to support seven-year-old (soon to be eight) Carter Kuchma in his battle with cancer.

The sold-out 2026 Business LeadHERship Summit will take place Monday, April 27, at the St. Marys Golf and Country Club.

The Stratford Film Festival (SFF) welcomes spring with the April screening of the bilingual Quebecois film Peak Everything, the latest film by acclaimed filmmaker Anne Émond. The screening takes place April 11 at 4 and 7 p.m. at the Stratford City Hall auditorium.

As Melissa Walker told the Times, her poem “Sestina for a Canada Coming of Age” was born from the harsh political climate of today but hopes it speaks to the sunnier days of tomorrow as well.

Now in its’ fourth year, the Stratford Artist Takeover call for artists is now open until April 30 for artwork from local artists that will be, if accepted, displayed at Matilda Gallery and Art Bar. This is a great opportunity for emerging and established artists alike to have their pieces on display in the gallery located within steps of the Avon Theatre.

After the success of last year’s home care symposium, local advocate Paul Brown is back with another – and this time he is promising a larger panel of experts to match the community’s larger interest.

Actors with the Stratford Festival are no strangers to stepping into the shoes of beloved roles previously played by beloved actors. However, in what may be a first for the festival, this year at least one actor is preparing to step into a beloved character’s rubber feet.

A Stratford-produced documentary that brought an overlooked chapter of Canadian history to both local and international audiences is now receiving national recognition.

A group of protestors of all ages addressed a variety of concerns marching around Stratford City Hall on a snowy Saturday morning.

While staff and the board of directors for the Upper Thames River Conservation Authority (UTRCA) don’t anticipate cuts to service levels or relative funding for the area, they do expect a significant cost born from the plan to consolidate the province’s 36 conservation areas (CAs) into regional authorities.

For two nights last weekend, the church pews at Shakespeare’s Presbyterian Church were filled to capacity – not because the church’s much loved minister Rev. Rob Congram was preaching, but because of an Easter Play called The Table – Bread, Wine and Betrayal.

Construction at the Hawthorne apartment buildings, located across from the Stratford Rotary Complex on McCarthy Road, reached a new milestone this week as project partners, trades and community leaders gathered on site for a panel-raising event.

A celebration is underway as Mercer Kitchen and Beer Hall commemorates 10 years of the current concept under Windsor Hospitality Group. In honour of this milestone, Mercer will be bringing back old menu favourites and specials after 9 p.m. pricing from April 1-3.

This week, the Huron-Perth U16 AAA Lakers prepared for their trip to the OHL Cup in Toronto.

The Stratford District Secondary School (SDSS) Girls Curling team achieved their goal by winning the school’s first-ever team medal in Curling at the OFSAA Girls Curling Provincial Championship in Thunder Bay on March 28.

Ron Finch’s newest book, Money Matters More brings about a world consumed by greed, ruthlessness and bad decisions; a nail biting mystery that makes the reader question every character.

The Western Conference Quarterfinals went the distance, but the Stratford Hunter Steel Warriors prevailed in a 6-3 win over the London Nationals in Game 7 on March 25, setting up the rematch from last year’s semifinal series with the Chatham Maroons.

The Stratford Country Club will come alive when Off The Wall hosts its spring fundraiser party this year, titled “Here Comes the Sun” a Celebration of Spring. This highly anticipated event takes place April 17 at 7 p.m.

Members of the Stratford and District Saddle Club held their first organizational meeting of the year at the John Thomson Tack Shop on Vivian Line, near Stratford.