LOCAL HEADLINES

Are they alive or dead; on Earth or in Hell? Why can’t they remember anything from one day to the next? Who is Godot and why are they waiting for him?

Like their 18U contemporaries, the Stratford 15U Nationals hit a bump, dropping two games on the road to the Waterloo Tigers and at Stratford National Stadium to the Guelph Royals last week.

After their Graham Bunting Classic win, there was no rest for the Stratford U15 Strikers Girls as they resumed their Southwest District Soccer League regular season play, as they travelled to Kitchener for their matchup with the FFTW Academy on June 8.

What can I write about a production I’ve seen and reviewed before?

Just six months ago, Tobi Lawrance was living in a tent in London, unsure of what the future might hold.

After I watched Leanna Brodie and Jovanni Sy’s Salesman in China a few seasons ago at the Stratford Festival, that notion that the universally understood message in playwright Arthur Miller’s most renowned work isn’t necessarily about the pressures of capitalism but about a strained relationship between father and son has stayed with me ever since.

After welcoming their sons four years ago, twins Erin Ryan and Hayley Chenard found themselves overwhelmed by the endless stream of sleep-training advice available online.

Perth County council has approved the purchase of four new ambulances and associated patient-handling equipment as part of the county's ongoing effort to keep its frontline paramedic fleet up to date and in compliance with provincial standards.

Thirty-four graduating high-school students from across Perth County are receiving a helping hand as they prepare for the next chapter of their education.

Stratford’s dogs participated in contests, tried Pilates and cooled off in the rainbow sprinkler and wading pool in Market Square for the unofficial start to summer.

Going into the 2026 Graham Bunting Classic, the Stratford Strikers want to win the gold medal after falling short last season, competing in U15. So far this season, the U16 squad won a silver medal at First On The Turf in Guelph last month.

On June 7, the Stratford U18 Strikers secured their third consecutive victory as Graham Bunting Classic Tournament champions, following their U15 title in 2024 and U16 title in 2025.

Jonah Lariviere, Abby Van Bakel, Thomas Mott and Dominic Peterson headlined the St. Michael Catholic Secondary School’s contingent of athletes who competed at the OFSAA Track and Field Championship June 4-6 in St. Catharines.

Huron Perth Public Health (HPPH) has released its 2025 annual report, highlighting programs and services delivered throughout the year to prevent disease, protect health and promote well-being across Huron and Perth.

A new emergency medical dispatch system coming to Perth County later this year will help ensure ambulances and other emergency resources are sent to the patients who need them most while reducing unnecessary emergency responses.

The core motto of the world-famous reality show Survivor is “Outwit, Outplay, Outlast.”

Over the weekend of June 6-7, the Stratford U15 Girls Strikers participated in the annual weekend-long Graham Bunting Classic. Stratford was placed in Pool A with Kitchener TFC, Ilderton Ignite and St. Columban. All their round robin games took place at Stratford’s Festival Hydro Community Centre.

It’s hard to imagine a more fertile ground for stories and poetry than Alex Oeming’s childhood. He and his twin sister grew up in rural Alberta on a private zoo run by his father, a zoologist. Not just a petting zoo or hobby farm but a collection of well over a thousand species, many exotic.

As an avid Tolkien fan, when I first heard the Stratford Festival would be mounting a production of The Hobbit on the Avon Theatre stage, no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t picture how the production team would bring the vast expanses of Middle-earth and its dwarves, elves, goblins and hobbits to life in such a confined space.

Car Free Friday, run by the Downtown Stratford Business Improvement Area (BIA), returned to Market Square on June 5 to promote active transportation like walking and cycling as well as taking public transit rather than driving.