LOCAL HEADLINES

The beloved holiday tradition of the performance of Messiah will be extra special this year as the Stratford Concert Choir (SCC) and the Stratford Symphony Orchestra (SSO) collaborate to bring the grand experience to audiences. There will be two performances, Dec. 13 at 7:30 p.m. and Dec. 14 at 3 p.m.

Kinna Sohna, the boutique space at 55 York St., is celebrating 25 years of traditional craftsmanship and ethical fashion with 15 per cent off most items from Dec. 4-7.

Our Stōr(y) will host a creative event showcasing Stratford’s identity through the eyes of many this December. 

Hot off the road promoting her new album, Callie McCullough is coming to Revival House for the conclusion of her tour, with up-and-coming singer/songwriter sensation Nora Joy opening. The concert takes place on Saturday, Nov. 29 at 8 p.m. These two Stratford powerhouses will bring their own brand of music together for a night of new and familiar songs.

As of 2027, after next year’s municipal elections in all four of the county’s lower-tier municipalities usher in new councils, members of Perth County council will begin seeing an increase to their base pay.

When given the opportunity to undergo a highly experimental procedure with a 100 per cent guarantee of conception after trying every other method, how far will one couple go to start a family and what lessons about parenthood and their relationship will they learn along the way?

Kinna Sohna, the boutique space at 55 York St. in Stratford, is celebrating 25 years of traditional craftsmanship and ethical fashion with 15 per cent off most items from Dec. 4-7.

In a game that lived up to its potential, the Stratford Irish came back to defeat their archrival, the Strathroy Jets, 5-4 in overtime on Nov. 14.

Stratford Festival actress Barbara Fulton took to the stage at the Stratford Perth Museum on Nov. 15 to read Linda Webster’s “To Flush or Not to Flush,” a story chronicling her mother’s act of private protest when the City of Stratford changed its water-usage fee sometime in 1992, charging property owners a flat rate.

Student filmmakers and former Stratford District Secondary School (SDSS) students Peer Wahlquist and Emelia Auster had their moment in the limelight recently after the film they made with their friends and fellow BearCast film club members in Grade 12 took Best Narrative at two youth film festivals.

The cost of housing and a lack of affordable options for residents of Perth-Huron across the income spectrum are primary drivers for the recently announced increase to the area’s living wage, which rose from $23.05 per hour in 2024 to $24.60 this year.

Avondale United Church’s annual Carolfest will get visitors ready for the holidays with lots of performances, including getting the audience to sing along.

Earlier this month, award-winning Canadian singer/songwriter Loreena McKennitt was one of the honoured guests at two back-to-back events in London, England recognizing the transformational power of words and stories, with reminders of their potential to elevate the human condition and bridge cultures.

Perth County Players are set to stage Stratford’s second ever pantomime production, Robin Hood and the Babes in the Wood, and organizers are promising it to be a family-fun show residents won’t want to miss.

Five years after opening its doors at 804 Ontario St., Little Leaf Cannabis Co. Inc. has grown into more than a retail store. For co-founders Paul Thompson and Leanne McPhie, it’s a place where education, compassion and conversation meet – a community hub where cannabis is reframed not as a taboo, but as a tool for wellness and connection.

Christmas magic is in the air as Stratford actor Monique Lund is set to join co-hosts David Rogers and Sheila McCarthy, along with a stellar lineup of performers, to take the stage at the Festival Theatre for the third annual A Stratford Christmas show.

Paris Jewellers has been robbed for the fifth time in recent years, according to the Stratford Police Service.

Harper Rae Asch found out that she was going to play the iconic redheaded orphan Annie in the Stratford Festival’s 2025 production of Annie in September 2024. Now, over a year since that revelation, she is still kicking her heels across the Festival Theatre stage.

The beloved Christmas Trail by Destination Stratford returns for the holiday season.

Kerry Ramsay, founder of Fresh Idea Collective, hopes her new book will carry on the mandate of uplifting others through coming together as a community.