LOCAL HEADLINES

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.

Stratford is continuing to be a destination for beer lovers. End of Times Bar and Beer Shop, which opened on Oct. 8, offers rare Ontario brews not available in other retailers.

The Stratford Hunter Steel Warriors played their first cross-conference games of the season against the Hamilton Kilty B's on Oct. 3 and the Fort Erie Meteors on Oct. 4.

The Stratford Concert Choir’s new artistic director, Alexander Cann, has programmed an auspicious season of concerts sure to delight the audience. The 2025/26 season features four concerts that collaborate with other arts communities for a fullness that enhances the experience.

Halloween comes alive at the Stratford Perth Museum when it hosts a mask-making workshop inspired by the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain.

A taste of Mexico is coming to Stratford this month as Gallery Stratford hosts Delectable Encounters: Art, Food and the Day of the Dead, an illustrated talk and culinary experience celebrating one of Mexico’s most cherished traditions.

Patsy-Anne Day, Indigenous educator, storyteller and member of the Oneida Nation and Turtle Clan, led a Sunrise Ceremony, giving thanks and offerings to the Creator and Mother Earth on Sept. 30 during the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation at the Falstaff Family Centre.

Speed cameras may be coming to Stratford – though recent provincial posturing suggests the project will end before it even starts.