Stratford, Ontario Explained

Stratford
Official Name:City of Stratford
Other Name:City of lights
Settlement Type:City (single-tier)
Image Blank Emblem:Logo of Stratford, Ontario.svg
Blank Emblem Type:Logo
Blank Emblem Size:130px
Nickname:Festival City
Motto:Industria et Ars ("Industry and Art")
Pushpin Map:CAN ON Perth#Canada Southern Ontario#Canada Ontario#Canada
Coordinates:43.3708°N -80.9819°W
Subdivision Type:Country
Subdivision Name:Canada
Subdivision Type1:Province
Subdivision Type2:County
Subdivision Name1:Ontario
Subdivision Name2:Perth
Established Title:Settled
Established Date:1832
Established Title2:Incorporated
Established Date2:1886 (city)
Named For:Stratford-upon-Avon, England
Leader Title:Mayor
Leader Name:Martin Ritsma
Leader Title1:Council
Leader Name1:Stratford City Council
Area Land Km2:30.02
Elevation M:345
Population Total:33232
Population As Of:2021
Population Density Km2:1107
Postal Code Type:Forward sortation area
Postal Code:N4Z, N5A
Area Code:519, 226, and 548
Leader Title2:MPs
Leader Name2:John Nater (C)
Leader Title3:MPPs
Leader Name3:Matthew Rae (PC)
Timezone:EST
Utc Offset:−5
Timezone Dst:EDT
Utc Offset Dst:−4
Established Title1:Incorporated
Established Date1:1858 (town)

Stratford is a city on the Avon River within Perth County in southwestern Ontario, Canada, with a 2021[1] population of 33,232 in a land area of 30.02km2.[2] Stratford is the seat of Perth County, which was settled by English, Irish, Scottish and German immigrants, in almost equal numbers, starting in the 1820s but primarily in the 1830s and 1840s. Most became farmers; even today, the area around Stratford is known for mixed farming, dairying and hog production.[3]

The area was settled by Europeans in 1832, and the town and river were named after Stratford-upon-Avon, England. Stratford was incorporated as a town in 1859 and as a city in 1886.[4] The first mayor was John Corry Wilson Daly. The swan has become a symbol of the city. Each year, twenty-four white swans are released into the Avon River. The town is noted for the Stratford Festival, which performs Shakespearean plays and other genres from May to October.

History

In 1832, the development of an area called "Little Thames" as the market centre for the eastern Huron Tract began. By 1834 a tavern, sawmill and grist mill had opened, and by 1835 a post office, called Stratford, was operating. The Smith's Canadian Gazetteer of 1846 describes Stratford as follows: "Stratford contains about 200 inhabitants. Post Office, post three times a-week. Professions and Trades.—Two physicians and surgeons, one grist and saw mill, one tannery, three stores, one brewery, one distillery, one ashery, two taverns, two blacksmiths, one saddler, two wheelwrights, three shoemakers, twotailors.[5] Settlement was slow until the early 1850s when the railway arrived.[6]

Furniture manufacturing and railway locomotive repairs were the most important parts of the local economy by the twentieth century. In 1933 a general strike, started by the furniture workers and led by the Communist Workers' Unity League, marked the last time the army was deployed to break a strike in Canada. The Grand Trunk Railway (later CNR) locomotive repair shops were the major employer for many years, employing 40% of the population.[7] [8]

Timeline

Geography

Climate

Stratford has a humid continental climate type (Köppen: Dfb). The highest temperature ever recorded in Stratford was 38.9C in July 1936. The coldest temperature ever recorded was -35C in January 1882. Stratford has warm summers that are lengthy by Canadian standards with cool nights and long, cold, and snowy winters. Precipitation is very high year round.

Demographics

In the 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, Stratford had a population of living in of its total private dwellings, a change of from its 2016 population of . With a land area of 30.02km2, it had a population density of in 2021.[17]

Population by mother tongue
Group2016 Census2011 Census2006 Census2001 Census1996 Census
Population% of totalPopulation % of total Population % of Total Population % of Total Population % of Total
English 28,37091.828,085 92 27,485 91.6 26,585 91.2 26,085 91.5
French 200.6225 0.7 200 0.7 210 0.7 125 0.4
English and French 45.135 0.1 20 0.1 40 0.1 45 0.1
All other 2,3007.42,170 7.1 2,320 7.7 2,345 8 2,290 8
Total 30,91510030,515 100 30,025 100 29,185 100 28,550 100
Mobility over previous five years
Group2011 Census2006 Census2001 Census1996 Census
Population % of total Population % of Total Population % of Total Population % of Total
At the same address 17,110 60.3 15,205 55.3 14,530 54.6
In the same municipality6,88524.311,42041.67,78029.2
In the same province3,70013.03,68013.8
From another province3951.48503.14301.6
From another country2901.02050.8
Total aged 5 or over 28,380 100.0 27,475 100.0 26,625 100.0

Economy

The city is in a successful agricultural area and has some auto parts manufacturing, but tourism is still the most significant aspect. According to an estimate by the Conference Board of Canada, it generates $140 million in economic activity, $65 million in taxes and 3,000 direct and indirect jobs. For the past few years however, the town has been working to attract more technical industries with former Mayor Dan Mathieson spearheading the effort. The Royal Bank of Canada opened a $300 million data centre here, Starwood Hotels is experimenting with a new type of call centre, and the University of Waterloo has opened a satellite campus with about 500 students specializing in digital media and information technology, and as the home of the technology forum Canada 3.0 and various technology companies.

Arts and culture

Stratford Festival

See main article: Stratford Festival. The Stratford Shakespeare Festival began in 1953 when, on July 13, actor Alec Guinness spoke the first lines of the first play produced by the festival.[18] [19]

The performances during the first four seasons took place in a concrete amphitheatre covered by giant canvas tent on the banks of the River Avon. The first of many years of Stratford Shakespeare Festival production history started with a six-week season, opening on 13 July 1953, with Richard III and then All's Well That Ends Well both starring Alec Guinness. The 1954 season ran for nine weeks and included Sophocles' Oedipus Rex and two Shakespeare plays, Measure for Measure and The Taming of the Shrew. Young actors during the first four seasons included several who went on to great success in subsequent years, Douglas Campbell, Timothy Findley, Don Harron, William Hutt and Douglas Rain.[20] The new Festival Theatre was dedicated on 30 June 1957, with seating for over 1,800 people; none are more than 65 feet from the thrust stage. Over the years, additional theatrical venues were added: the Avon Theatre, the Tom Patterson Theatre (originally Shakespeare 3 Company) and the Studio Theatre.[20] The annual festival now draws hundreds of thousands of theatre goers and tourists to the area each year. Acclaimed actors including Alec Guinness, Christopher Plummer, Dame Maggie Smith, William Hutt, Martha Henry and William Shatner have performed at the festival. The Canadian novelist and playwright Timothy Findley performed in the first season, and had an ongoing relationship with the festival, eventually moving to Stratford in 1997.

From 1956 to 1961 and 1971 to 1976, the Stratford Festival also staged the separate Stratford Film Festival, which was credited as one of the first North American film festivals ever to schedule international films.[21] That festival collapsed after the 1976 launch of the Festival of Festivals, now known as the Toronto International Film Festival, impacted both the Stratford Film Festival's funding and its audience.[22]

Music

The Stratford Summer Music Festival has been held for seven seasons and features indoor and outdoor performances by international, classical, and world music artists as well as young Canadian performers around downtown Stratford.[23]

The Stratford Concert Band, a local wind ensemble, was founded as the Grand Trunk Railway Employees Band, and renamed the Canadian National Railway Employees' Band in 1907.[24] The band performs free outdoor concerts at the Kiwanis Pavilion Bandshell in Upper Queen's Park throughout the summer.[25]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Focus on Geography Series, 2021 Census of Population - Stratford, City . 2023-05-26 . Statistics Canada. 13 July 2022 .
  2. Web site: 2022-02-09 . Profile table, Census Profile, 2021 Census of Population - Stratford, City (CY) [Census subdivision], Ontario ]. 2023-05-26 . Statistics Canada.
  3. Web site: About Perth County . 2016 . Perth County . 6 March 2017 . https://web.archive.org/web/20170225155418/http://www.perthcounty.ca/about_perth_county . 2017-02-25 . dead .
  4. Web site: Know Your City - History. City Life . City of Stratford . 17 November 2012. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20121124062202/http://www.city.stratford.on.ca/site_ourcitylife/know_your_city_history.asp. 24 November 2012.
  5. Book: Smith, Wm. H. . 1846 . SMITH'S CANADIAN GAZETTEER - STATISTICAL AND GENERAL INFORMATION RESPECTING ALL PARTS OF THE UPPER PROVINCE, OR CANADA WEST. Toronto . H. & W. ROWSELL . 183.
  6. Web site: Founding of Stratford . Cook . Wayne . 2015 . Historical Plaques . Wayne Cook . 5 March 2017 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20170325235427/http://waynecook.com/aperth.html . 25 March 2017 .
  7. Web site: A Community and a Workplace . 2012 . Visit Stratford . Stratford Tourism . 6 March 2017 . The Grand Trunk Railway shops in Stratford, later part of the Canadian National Railways, were for most of their existence the largest employer in Stratford.
  8. Web site: Historical Plaques of Perth County . Cook . Wayne . 2015 . Wayne Cook . 5 March 2017 . Expansion of the community was accelerated after 1871 when railway repair yards were located here and in 1885 with a population of 9,000 Stratford was incorporated as a city. . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20170325235427/http://waynecook.com/aperth.html . 25 March 2017 .
  9. Web site: Perth County Court House . County of Perth . 6 March 2017 . https://web.archive.org/web/20120430222445/http://www.perthcounty.ca/fileBin/library/general/pdfs/County%20Information.pdf . 2012-04-30 . dead .
  10. Web site: Stratford City Hall . 2016 . Historic Place . Government of Canada . 6 March 2017 . Stratford City Hall reflects the development of town halls during the late-19th century, as the administrative functions of municipal government increased and cities sought to express their civic pride and ambition in impressive, large-scale buildings. Its Picturesque design, incorporating details from a variety of styles, reflects the architectural eclecticism of the late 1890s. Designed by Toronto architect George W. King, with the assistance of local architect J.W. Siddall, the building was intended to exploit its irregular site, presenting interesting façades from all angles. Its monumental scale, prominent tower and use of red brick distinguish it as a civic building..
  11. Web site: Historical Plaques of Perth County . Cook . Wayne . 2013 . Wayne Cook . 7 March 2017 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20170325235427/http://waynecook.com/aperth.html . 25 March 2017 .
  12. Web site: The National Trust's 2014 Top Ten Most Endangered Places List . 2014 . National Trust Canada . 6 March 2017 . The Grand Trunk Railway Site Heritage Committee (a subcommittee of the Stratford Perth Heritage Foundation) is moving ahead with a recommendation to designate parts of the building under the Ontario Heritage Act. . https://web.archive.org/web/20170307050039/https://www.nationaltrustcanada.ca/sites/www.heritagecanada.org/files/HCNT-Top-Ten-2014.pdf . 2017-03-07 . dead .
  13. Web site: The Swans of Stratford . 2007 . Visit Stratford . Stratford Tourism . 6 March 2017 . Several of the swans on the river today are descendants of Queen Elizabeth II's royal herd. In 1967, Her Majesty gave six pairs of Mute swans to Ottawa in honour of Canada's Centennial anniversary. Subsequently, one of the pairs was then given to Stratford. . dead . 7 March 2017 . https://web.archive.org/web/20170307123446/https://www.visitstratford.ca/uploads/brochure2007c.pdf.
  14. Web site: Stratford's Furniture Industry . 2011 . The Caversham House . Caversham House Bed and Breakfast . 6 March 2017 . In the first half of the twentieth century, Stratford was home to Canada's largest furniture industry. It employed about a quarter of the city's workforce, the second largest industry after the railway which employed about a half.
  15. Web site: Armoury: Stratford, Ontario, Canada . Canada's Historic Places . Parks Canada . April 23, 2019.
  16. Web site: Former Canadian National Railways (VIA Rail) Station . 1993 . Historic Places . Parks Canada . 6 March 2017 . a good example of pre-World War I design trends in its use of large windows between thin piers, its textural treatment of materials and its vestiges of historical revivalism. The station retains key elements of its site including the station garden, the adjacent Station Park, the rail yards; the round house, nearby repair shops and urban structures..
  17. Web site: Population and dwelling counts: Canada, provinces and territories, census divisions and census subdivisions (municipalities), Ontario . . February 9, 2022 . March 27, 2022.
  18. J. Alan B. Somerset. 1991. The Stratford Festival Story, 1st edition. Greenwood Press.
  19. [Tom Patterson (theatre producer)|Tom Patterson]
  20. Web site: Our Timeline . 2012 . Stratford Festival . March 6, 2017.
  21. J. A. B. Somerset and James Lindroth, The Stratford Festival Story: A Catalogue-index to the Stratford, Ontario, Festival, 1953-1990. Greenwood Press, 1991. .
  22. "Stratford closes film festival". The Globe and Mail, June 7, 1976.
  23. Web site: Miller. John. Stratford Summer Music.
  24. Web site: History of the Band. Stratford Concert Band. 17 November 2012. https://web.archive.org/web/20160303225248/http://www.stratfordconcertband.com/history.htm. 2016-03-03. dead.
  25. Web site: Home . stratfordperthpride.com.
  26. https://stratfordpride.com/
  27. Web site: 24 Hours In Stratford . Smith . Carrie . 22 June 2016 . Her Magazine . 6 March 2017 . https://web.archive.org/web/20170307050518/http://hermagazine.ca/24-hours-stratford/ . 2017-03-07 . dead .
  28. Web site: 10 Ways to Feast Around Ontario's Perth County This Fall . Harris . Waheeda . 18 October 2016 . Eat Drink Travel . Jester Media Corp . 6 March 2017 . Perth County has become ground zero for up and coming food and drink companies of southwestern Ontario. In Stratford and St. Mary's, living in a small town doesn't mean you have to give up on fab tastes or finding locally-grown or produced treats from morning until evening. For newbies or regulars, check out these places in Stratford and St. Mary's to expand your taste knowledge of southwestern Ontario's Perth County.
  29. Web site: Nat Geo Travel Staff's Favorite Canada Places . https://web.archive.org/web/20160925164510/http://www.nationalgeographic.com/travel/canada/staff-favorite-canada-places/ . dead . September 25, 2016 . Alipio . Amy . National Geographic Traveler . 7 November 2013 . National Geographic . 6 March 2017 . Finding favorite places to visit in Canada wasn't hard for our National Geographic Travel editors. Here are some of their picks for don't-miss spots..
  30. News: Littler . William . 23 July 2016 . Stratford's other festival brought music back to theatre town . Toronto Star . Toronto . 6 March 2017.
  31. News: Buchanan . Vinnie . 3 February 2017. Stratford is worth a winter visit . Waterloo Region Record . Kitchener, Ontario . 6 March 2017.
  32. Web site: STRATFORD . 2017 . Ontario Travel . Government of Ontario . 6 March 2017 . Canada's premier arts town delights all year round. Enjoy romantic getaways strolling Victorian streets and bucolic parkland. Embark on culinary trails, browse unique shops and enjoy musical concerts, heritage and art exhibits..
  33. Web site: Justin's Stratford . Stratford Tourism . 18 September 2020.
  34. Web site: How A Small-Town Canadian Museum Became A Shrine To Justin Bieber . Fishburn . Alison . 11 February 2020 . TheOutline.com . 18 September 2020.
  35. Web site: Former Cullitons and Their Achievements. OHA Stratford Cullitons. 17 November 2012.
  36. News: Stratford, Ont., to host Hockey Day In Canada. CBC. 2009-11-19 . 2009-06-02.
  37. News: Flavelle . Dana . 30 July 2016 . Is Stratford the next Waterloo? . Toronto Star . Toronto . 6 March 2017.
  38. Web site: About . 2017 . Stratford Police Service . March 7, 2017.
  39. Web site: 2016-2018 Business Plan of the Stratford Police Services Board . 29. April 23, 2019.
  40. Web site: City of Stratford. Getting Around - Methods of Getting To. City Life. The Corporation of the City of Stratford. 17 November 2012. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20121025201234/http://www.city.stratford.on.ca/site_ourcitylife/getting_around_methods_of_getting_to.asp. 25 October 2012.
  41. Web site: 24-25 Toronto-London-Sarnia. Via Rail. 2 August 2015.
  42. News: Sutton. Tori. Greyhound axes routes through Stratford, St. Marys. https://web.archive.org/web/20131114090834/http://www.southwesternontario.ca/news/greyhound-axes-routes-through-stratford-st-marys/. dead. 14 November 2013. 17 November 2012. southwesternontario.ca. 27 April 2011.
  43. Web site: Pickup Locations in Southern Ontario. Robin Hood Tours & Maxey Travel. 17 November 2012. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20131014194202/http://www.cherreybuslines.com/main4.cfm?ID=C936B52B-E33D-1774-CAAC9C7B971A4250. 14 October 2013.
  44. Web site: Transit Overview. City of Stratford. 17 November 2012. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20121025043035/http://www.stratfordcommunity.ca/transit/overview/#schedule. 25 October 2012.
  45. Web site: Kenny. Casey. New transit terminal in Stratford set to open. 2020-12-16. My Stratford Now. 28 December 2018 . en-US.
  46. Web site: 2020-07-05. On demand transit service hits the streets of Stratford. 2020-12-16. Kitchener. en.
  47. Web site: 2020-11-10. Transit. 2020-12-16. www.stratford.ca. en.
  48. Web site: Canada 3.0 Forum to Shape the Country's Digital Future, by Michael Strickland. 4 May 2009. uwaterloo.ca. https://web.archive.org/web/20140424231104/http://lists.uwaterloo.ca/pipermail/uw-news-release/2009-May/000929.html. 24 April 2014. dead. dmy-all.
  49. Web site: Making the future in Stratford. https://web.archive.org/web/20140424192401/http://www.uwimprint.ca/article/2000-making-the-future-in-stratford. dead. 24 April 2014. Day-Hamilton, Tobi. 1 September 2012. uwimprint.ca.
  50. Web site: About Us - Our Timeline. November 2012. University of Waterloo. 17 November 2012.
  51. Web site: Waterloo Stratford Campus. November 2012 . University of Waterloo. 6 March 2013.
  52. News: Postmedia to close community newspapers across southern Ontario . November 27, 2017. CBC News London. April 23, 2019.
  53. Web site: Famous Canadian Physicians. Library and Archives Canada. 17 November 2012.
  54. [Agnes Macphail]
  55. Web site: About Stratford Sister Cities . April 23, 2019.
  56. Web site: SUMMER CONCERTS | StratfordConcertBand |url=https://www.stratfordconcertband.com/summer-concerts |access-date=21 May 2024}}

    Pride and the 2SLGBTQIA+ Community

    Stratford is home to year-round 2SLGBTQIA+ programming and events.

    Since 2018, Stratford has been home to pride festivities during the month of June (for Pride Month). Planned and implemented by Stratford-Perth Pride, pride month in Stratford typically includes a pride parade, drag show, family-friendly pride in the park event, and flag raisings. In November 2021, Stratford-Perth Pride launched its first annual Trans Pride Week - a week of celebrations honouring the trans and nonbinary community.[25]

    Stratford is also home to the Stratford Pride Community Centre (SPCC). The SPCC is a physical space located in downtown Stratford for the 2SLGBTQIA+ community to visit during drop-in hours and attend social events.[26] The SPCC also hosts Stratford's Winter Pride event which takes place in February of each year.

    Since 2021, Stratford District Secondary School (SDSS) and Stratford Intermediate School (SIS) has been putting their yearly budget toward including 2SLGBTQIA+ community to help those students feel included.

    Attractions

    Numerous visitors arrive in Stratford each week during the May to October Festival season.[27] [28] National Geographic Traveler considers the theatres to be "nirvana" and also praises other aspects of the town. "During the festival—which stages everything from Shakespeare to Sondheim to new Canadian plays—you can stay in theater-themed B&Bs, hang out with actors post-show at local bars, go on backstage tours, and attend dozens of other events with other theater-mad folk. Stratford itself is the type of walkable wholesome town Rodgers and Hammerstein might write a musical about."[29]

    In addition to the festival, several annual events attract visitors. Stratford Summer Music, in its 17th year, runs for about a month. In 2016, the event, run by the town, offered 85 concerts, a third of them free or "pay what you can". The 2016 budget was $800,000 with funding provided by agencies such as the Ontario Cultural Attractions Fund.[30] Smaller event are held in other months, including winter and the Swan Weekend in April, to attract off-season visitors.[31] [32] Fans of Stratford-born musician Justin Bieber frequently visit the town, and Stratford Tourism has produced a "Bieber-iffic Map" showing sites associated with his life in Stratford.[33] In 2018, the Stratford Perth Museum opened "Steps to Stardom," an exhibit documenting Bieber's early career in Stratford.[34] Some town locals are known to refer to Stratford as "the big S", drawing in fans year after year.

    Sports

    Stratford is home of the OHA Midwestern Junior B hockey team, the Stratford Warriors. The Warriors have produced notable NHL players such as Ed Olczyk, Craig Hartsburg, Garth Snow, Rob Blake, Chris Pronger, Nelson Emerson, Tim Taylor, Greg de Vries, Jeff Halpern, Rem Murray and Boyd Devereaux and won several Sutherland Cup championships.[35] Stratford hosted Tim Hortons Hockey Day in Canada on January 30, 2010.[36] Stratford used to also have an Intercounty Baseball League Team called the Stratford Nationals, and a soccer team in the Kitchener and District Soccer League. House League sports are also available in the Stratford area. There is the Stratford Rotary Hockey League, Hoops For Fun Basketball, Stratford Minor Baseball, the Stratford Soccer House League and the Stratford Dragon Boat Club. It's the home of the Stratford Sabrecats, and Stratford is also home to the Black Swans rugby club.The Chess Federation of Canada has its administrative office in Stratford.

    Government

    The city is governed by an elected city council, with a mayor and ten councilors, elected every four years. Sub-committees of council make recommendations to the standing committees of council that are then forwarded to city council for a final decision. The current mayor is Martin Ritsma.[37]

    Police

    The city is served by the Stratford Police Service. The police board consists of two members of city council, a citizen appointed by council, and two citizens appointed by the Lieutenant Governor of Ontario.[38] Stratford's first constable was hired in 1854. As of 2018, the Police Service has 56 sworn members and 22 civilians.[39]

    Other areas of Perth County receive services from the Ontario Provincial Police, Perth County Detachment in Sebringville with satellite offices in Listowel and Mitchell.

    Infrastructure

    Transportation

    Historically, the city was a railway junction. Today, the Canadian National Railway, and the Goderich-Exeter Railway provide freight links, and Via Rail Canada is the passenger carrier.[40] VIA's rail service in Stratford is based from the Stratford railway station, and is situated on the Toronto–Sarnia segment of the Québec City-Windsor Corridor; Via serves Stratford with four trains daily (two eastbound to Toronto Union Station, one westbound to Sarnia via London, and one westbound terminating at London). Also GO Transit provides service from Toronto to London as a pilot project.[41] Whilst not on the 400-series highway, it is at the junctions of Highways 7 (Ontario St.), 8 (Huron St.), and former 19 (Now Perth Road 119, Mornington St.) and is connected to Highway 401 by expressways from Kitchener. Greyhound Canada provided daily service between London and Kitchener but the route was cancelled as of July 2011.[42] The owners of Cherrey Bus Lines, Robin Hood Tours provides chartered bus service from Stratford to locations as far as Kincardine and Wingham.[43] Within the city, Stratford Transit provides the local bus service, running every half-hour six days a week.[44] The Stratford Municipal Airport (CYSA) is located just north of the city provides general aviation only with the closest full service airports in Waterloo (Region of Waterloo International Airport) and London (London International Airport).

    Public transportation

    All bus routes in Stratford begin and end at the transit terminal located on Downie Street close to the downtown core. The terminal is home to eight bus bays and public washrooms.[45] There are six regular routes that run for six days a week, Monday through Saturday, from 08:00 to 22:00. There is an additional industrial route that serves the Wright Business Park in the south end and industrial zones in the east end. There is bus service on Sundays however, there are no set routes. Instead, the city uses a transit on demand model where riders book a pickup and drop-off location by either calling, using an app, or accessing the city's website.[46] There are special school routes in the morning and afternoon intended for students at the two local high schools and intermediate school. With four lines in the am and pm, these routes serve over 400,000 students a year.[47] There is no service on public holidays.

    Education

    Public education in Stratford is provided by the Avon Maitland District School Board and Huron-Perth Catholic District School Board with both boards offering education in English, as well as French immersion up to grade eight (with the public Avon Maitland board also offering both languages through high school). The city has two secondary schools: Stratford District Secondary School, and St. Michael's Catholic Secondary School.

    Stratford is also home to the Stratford Chef School, a prestigious culinary school and the focus of the Food Network Canada series Chef School.

    University of Waterloo Stratford School

    Founded in June 2009,[48] the University of Waterloo Stratford School of Interaction Design and Business is part of the faculty of arts, established to provide programs that focus on digital media, digital technologies, content creation and user experience.[49] September 2010 marked the official opening of the Stratford campus.[50]

    This location offers undergraduate, graduate and advanced education programs and research opportunities as well as opportunities for research and commercialization.[51]

    Stratford District Secondary School

    The building was founded in 1963 under the name Stratford Northwestern. The name was changed in 2020 along with Stratford Intermediate School (formerly known as Stratford Central).

    St. Michael Catholic School

    Founded in 1990, St. Michael is the only Catholic high school in Stratford but is one of five Catholic schools in Stratford.

    Media

    Newspapers

    Magazines

    • "Stratford Living Quarterly Magazine" www.stratfordliving.ca
    • "Stratford Living Seasons"

    Radio

    Notable people

    Actors

    Musicians

    Sports

    Other

    Sister cities

    Stratford is a member of the Stratford Sister Cities program which was created to promote friendship and cultural exchange between participating countries. Participation is restricted to places called "Stratford" that have a Shakespeare Theatre or Festival. A reunion is held every second year by a different member.[55]

    The five principal sister cities of Stratford, Ontario, are:

    External links

    ]

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This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Stratford, Ontario".

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