As Perth-Wellington MPP Matthew Rae said, pound-for-pound, the Stratford Festival punches above its weight – which is why the Province of Ontario has awarded $250,000 to the local theatre company in one-time funding.

John Kastner, the former general manager of the Stratford Perth Museum, called the decision the ad hoc Grand Trunk renewal (GTR) committee made at its June 16 meeting an important one for the Festival City.

Bill 5, the Protect Ontario by Unleashing our Economy Act, passed its third reading and received royal assent at the Ontario legislature this month. Although much of the discourse surrounding it has been focused on communities in northern Ontario, some in Stratford believe that it has far reaching consequences – and that Stratford citizens should be concerned.