LOCAL HEADLINES

Leading up to games against the Strathroy Jets and the Alvinston Killer Bees, two of the Stratford Irish’s rivals, owner and head coach Marco Alexander shared his thoughts with the Times for the two games ahead.

The Stratford Film Festival will screen the film Stealing the Sky Saturday, Nov. 8 at 4 p.m. The Q-and-A following features actor/director Megan Follows and actor/screenplay writer Marie Dame. This highly anticipated event is an excellent opportunity to further explore the intertwined story in the film and the process of filmmaking.

The Stratford-Perth Archives is inviting the public to attend an upcoming speaker session with author and historian Eric Edwards, who will discuss how to use service records to learn more about First World War veterans.

The 2026 draft budget for the City of Stratford projects a 3.09 per cent tax increase – though that figure will likely change as deliberations get underway.

Stratford residents may have noticed a lot of activity at the bottom of John Street recently. Garden Stratford, officially known as the Stratford and District Horticultural Society (SDHS), is rejuvenating the Catharine East Memorial Garden. They are planting native trees, shrubs and perennials to attract birds and other pollinators to an urban forest where they will find food and protection.

When the country went through the COVID-19 pandemic, many shows and organized events in the area had to shutdown and adapt – like the Ontario Pork Congress (OPC), which just had its annual meeting in Stratford on Oct. 20.

The new Stratford Film Festival (SFF) is prepared to welcome filmgoers to their inaugural annual festival Nov. 6-9 after presenting over 30 screenings during the last year. The four-day festival will feature full-length feature films, documentaries and shorts.

As October comes to a close, so does the inaugural Every Voice poetry contest – but it’s not too late to enter.

The Downtown Stratford Business Improvement Area (BIA) is encouraging residents to purchase Downtown Dollars this season to help promote and support local shopping in the city’s core.

The German company Cleanfix is expanding its North American location in Stratford, with construction expected to begin this November. The new 10,000-square-foot addition will increase production of reversible cooling fans – self-cleaning fan systems used in industrial and heavy-duty machinery across North America.

After a unanimous decision at a special Stratford city council meeting on Oct. 20, the Stratford Connection Centre will be home to a “warming centre” for the city’s unsheltered this winter.

The Stratford Public Library is celebrating Ontario Public Libraries Week, which started Oct. 19, with interactive activities for patrons until Oct. 25.

If readers have ever been able to enjoy the Stratford Perth Museum Innkeepers Dinner in the past, then they know what a night it has become over the years.

Many Stratford residents have wondered why the Festival City does not have a memorial veterans crosswalk, a custom-painted crosswalk honouring the lives and dedication of this country’s veterans, but it was Linda Scammell and Jodi Nakluski who decided to do something about it.

Sir Alec Guiness may be well-known around the world as the generational actor that helmed such great films as The Bridge on the River Kwai, Lawrence of Arabia and Star Wars, but he is also a key figure in Stratford’s history – and recently that local legacy has been entrenched.

In August, the Kuchma family of Shakespeare had a diagnosis of their 7-year-old son Carter that parents hope they never have to hear and endure.

On Oct. 18, the Stratford Irish travelled to Tilbury for a match against the Bluebirds as they looked to extend their undefeated start to the National Premier Hockey League (NPHL) season.

More than half of Canadians feel financial anxiety, with some having sleep issues and family conflict because of it, according to the United Way Centeraide’s Financial Anxiety Survey results.

As the Warriors prepared for another game week, the trio of Rhyse Brown, Coen Galbraith and Dax Vader discussed what the team needed to do against the LaSalle Vipers and St. Thomas Stars.

When I walked into the Studio Theatre to review Spontaneous Theatre and the Stratford Festival’s Goblin: Oedipus on opening night Oct. 17, I expected to watch a hilarious sendup of the famous Greek tragedy by the goblins, Wug, Kragva and Moog, similar to that of Goblin: Macbeth in 2023.