Stratford, Ontario
Encyclopedia
Stratford is a city on the Avon River
in Perth County
in southwestern
Ontario
, Canada
with a population of 32,000.
When the area was first settled by Europeans in 1832, the townsite and the river were named after Stratford-upon-Avon
, England. It is the seat
of Perth County
. Stratford was incorporated as a town
in 1859 and as a city
in 1886. The first mayor was John Corry Wilson Daly
and the current mayor is Dan Mathieson. The swan
has become a symbol of the city. Each year twenty-four white swans and two black swans are released into the Avon River. The town is famous for being the home of the Stratford Shakespeare Festival.
. Furniture manufacturing became an important part of the local economy by the twentieth century. A 1933 strike by furniture workers in Stratford, led by the Communist
Workers' Unity League
, marks the last time the army was deployed to break a strike in Canada.
The city's economy took a major turn when the Stratford Shakespeare Festival started in 1953. The annual festival now brings hundreds of thousands of theatre goers and tourists to the area. Celebrities such as Alec Guinness
, Christopher Plummer
, Peter Ustinov
, Dame Maggie Smith
, and William Shatner
have performed at the festival. The world-renowned festival takes place in four theatres throughout the city: the Festival Theatre, the Avon Theatre, Tom Patterson Theatre and the Studio Theatre.
provide freight links and Via Rail Canada is the passenger carrier. While not on the Ontario freeway system
, it is at the junctions of Highways 7
, 8
, and former 19
(Now Perth Road 119) and is connected to Highway 401
by expressways from Kitchener
. Greyhound Canada provides daily service between London
and Kitchener. Cherrey Bus Lines provides bus service from Stratford to Wingham
. Within the city, Stratford Transit
provides the local bus service. The Stratford Municipal Airport
(CNM4) is located just north of the city.
Midwestern Junior B hockey team, the Stratford Cullitons
. The Cullitons 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. Bob Zimmer also known as "The Hockey God" is the president of Stratford Minor Hockey. The legend known as Zim has been known to scout as low as Novice MD for Major Midget Players Another hockey organization within the city is the Stratford Minor Hockey Association, which includes houseleague and travel teams for younger players. These teams include the Stratford Warriors for boys, and the Stratford Aces for girls. 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, and the Stratford Soccer House League.
Stratford also hosted Tim Hortons Hockey Day in Canada on January 30, 2010.
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 in venues around downtown Stratford.
The Stratford Concert Band, a local wind ensemble, traces its history back to the CN Rail Employees Band formed in 1907 by James Malone. 2007 marked their 100th anniversary performing in Stratford and they celebrated with a gala concert and reception in May. The band performs a free outdoor concert in Upper Queen's Park every Wednesday evening in the summer months.
Notable musicians with a local connection include Justin Bieber
, Loreena McKennitt
(who now makes Stratford her home), Dayna Manning
, Graham Van Pelt of Miracle Fortress
, Darren Dumas of The Salads
, Richard Manuel
of The Band
, John Till
, who backed Janis Joplin
, and Ken Kalmusky
, who played with Ian & Sylvia's Great Speckled Bird. During their early careers, Manuel, Till and Kalmusky were members of the Stratford group, The Revols
, and later became members of Ronnie Hawkins'
backing group, The Hawks. Ken Kalmusky
's son David Kalmusky
, is a Juno awarded, multiple gold selling, Grammy nominated producer, mixer and musician. Several international operatic singers reside in Stratford such as Baritone, James Westman
, and Tenor, Roger Honeywell.
Stratford had a population of 30,461 people in 2006 (though the population sign reads 32,000), which was a increase of 2.3% from the 2001 census count. The median household income in 2005 for Stratford was $54,128, which is below the Ontario provincial average of $60,455.
which is a Canadian manufacturer of bathroom fixtures and subsidiary of American Standard Brands
.
both part of the Avon Maitland District School Board
, and
Stratford is also home to the Stratford Chef School
.
’s proposed Waterloo Stratford Campus
is a forward-looking research, education and convergence centre that will drive the next generation of digital media applications and content models. The campus will draw leading researchers, businesses and entrepreneurs to create, examine and commercialize opportunities in the digital media field in a global economy. It is envisioned to quickly become a centre piece for collaboration, learning and sharing through conferences and workshops.
The Stratford Institute is a think-tank, integrator and training institute devoted to collaboration between digital media, international commerce and culture. The resulting changes to digital media thinking, art, tools, processes or services will have significant, positive impact on the economy, society and individuals at home and around the globe.
The Waterloo Stratford Campus
showcases a collaboration of academic, government and private sector support. The universities of Waterloo and Western Ontario will collaborate on teaching, research and professional efforts on the Waterloo's soon-to-be-established Stratford campus. The two institutions signed a memorandum of understanding in Stratford to investigate shared academic initiatives. The University of Western Ontario
has expertise across the institution in various aspects of digital media, information technologies and critical media studies.
In June 2009, the University of Waterloo Stratford Campus
and the Canadian Digital Media Network (CDMN) hosted the Canada 3.0
forum in Stratford to map Canada’s digital future and create opportunities for new business and jobs. In May 2010, the second Canada 3.0 was held in Stratford again.
Many celebrities have lived in Stratford including the singers Justin Bieber
, Loreena McKennitt
, Richard Manuel
, classical singer James Westman
, actor Shawn Roberts
, singer/actor Nathan McLeod, and entertainer Hayden Bulbrook. Canadian news anchors Lloyd Robertson
and Tony Parsons
both got their start in broadcasting at local radio station CJCS, Robertson in 1952 and Parsons in 1957. CBC
news anchor Peter Mansbridge
and his wife Cynthia Dale
currently live in Stratford, as does actor Colm Feore
.
Stratford is often credited as the home of hockey star Howie Morenz
, who was actually from nearby Mitchell
. The northern block of Nile Street, between Lakeside Drive and Water Street (on which the Allman Arena
is situated) was renamed to Morenz Drive in his honour. William D. Connor
, Lieutenant Governor
of Wisconsin
from 1907–1909, grandfather of former Congressman and Secretary of Defense Melvin R. Laird
, and great-grandfather of Jessica Laird Doyle, wife of Governor James Doyle
of Wisconsin
, was born near Stratford on a farm.
Thomas Edison briefly worked as a telegraph operator for the Grand Trunk Railway
at Stratford's railway station. John Davis Barnett
was an Assistant Mechanical Superintendent of the Grand Trunk Railroad and Mechanical Superintendent of the Midland Railroad
and librarian; later in life becoming a collector donating to the University of Western Ontario
. The assistant architect
of the United States Capitol
, Michael G. Turnbull
, was born in Stratford and lived there until the age of eleven, when his family emigrated to the United States.
Dr. Norman Bethune made Stratford his temporary home in the early part of 1917. He worked as a physician at the home/office on Albert Street that was occupied by Dr. Lorne Robertson in the 1930s (now demolished). The two cast iron dogs from this residence now stand guard outside the entrance to Queen's Park at the north end of Parkview Drive. His sister Janet and her husband Thomas Stiles were host to Norman and his new wife Frances in 1924, when they stayed at Janet's home (at 335 Cobourg Street) for several months.
The four principal sister cities of Stratford, Ontario are:
Avon River (Ontario)
The Avon River is a river in Perth County, Ontario, Canada. The river was named after the River Avon in England when the town of Stratford was founded on its banks in 1832. The Avon River rises northeast of Stratford and flows southwest, entering the North Thames River near St. Marys...
in Perth County
Perth County, Ontario
Perth County is a census division of the Canadian province of Ontario. The county seat is Stratford and is located in Southwestern Ontario, west of Toronto. It encompasses , 90% of which is classified as prime agricultural land...
in southwestern
Southwestern Ontario
Southwestern Ontario is a subregion of Southern Ontario in the Canadian province of Ontario, centred on the city of London. It extends north to south from the Bruce Peninsula on Lake Huron to the Lake Erie shoreline, and east to south-west roughly from Guelph to Windsor. The region had a population...
Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
with a population of 32,000.
When the area was first settled by Europeans in 1832, the townsite and the river were named after Stratford-upon-Avon
Stratford-upon-Avon
Stratford-upon-Avon is a market town and civil parish in south Warwickshire, England. It lies on the River Avon, south east of Birmingham and south west of Warwick. It is the largest and most populous town of the District of Stratford-on-Avon, which uses the term "on" to indicate that it covers...
, England. It is the seat
County seat
A county seat is an administrative center, or seat of government, for a county or civil parish. The term is primarily used in the United States....
of Perth County
Perth County, Ontario
Perth County is a census division of the Canadian province of Ontario. The county seat is Stratford and is located in Southwestern Ontario, west of Toronto. It encompasses , 90% of which is classified as prime agricultural land...
. Stratford was incorporated as a town
Town
A town is a human settlement larger than a village but smaller than a city. The size a settlement must be in order to be called a "town" varies considerably in different parts of the world, so that, for example, many American "small towns" seem to British people to be no more than villages, while...
in 1859 and as a city
City
A city is a relatively large and permanent settlement. Although there is no agreement on how a city is distinguished from a town within general English language meanings, many cities have a particular administrative, legal, or historical status based on local law.For example, in the U.S...
in 1886. The first mayor was John Corry Wilson Daly
John Corry Wilson Daly
Lieutenant-Colonel John Corry Wilson Daly was politician, businessperson, militia officer, and the first Mayor of Stratford, Ontario....
and the current mayor is Dan Mathieson. The swan
Swan
Swans, genus Cygnus, are birds of the family Anatidae, which also includes geese and ducks. Swans are grouped with the closely related geese in the subfamily Anserinae where they form the tribe Cygnini. Sometimes, they are considered a distinct subfamily, Cygninae...
has become a symbol of the city. Each year twenty-four white swans and two black swans are released into the Avon River. The town is famous for being the home of the Stratford Shakespeare Festival.
History
The town was originally a railway junctionStratford, Ontario railway station
Stratford station in Stratford, Ontario, Canada is served by several Via Rail trains daily running between Sarnia and Toronto. The station, though outside the immediate downtown area, remains relatively central, and is staffed, offering ticket sales, washrooms, and wheelchair access to the station...
. Furniture manufacturing became an important part of the local economy by the twentieth century. A 1933 strike by furniture workers in Stratford, led by the Communist
Communist Party of Canada
The Communist Party of Canada is a communist political party in Canada. Although is it currently a minor or small political party without representation in the Federal Parliament or in provincial legislatures, historically the Party has elected representatives in Federal Parliament, Ontario...
Workers' Unity League
Workers' Unity League
The Workers' Unity League was created in 1929 as a labour central operated by the Communist Party of Canada on the instructions of the Communist International....
, marks the last time the army was deployed to break a strike in Canada.
The city's economy took a major turn when the Stratford Shakespeare Festival started in 1953. The annual festival now brings hundreds of thousands of theatre goers and tourists to the area. Celebrities such as Alec Guinness
Alec Guinness
Sir Alec Guinness, CH, CBE was an English actor. He was featured in several of the Ealing Comedies, including Kind Hearts and Coronets in which he played eight different characters. He later won the Academy Award for Best Actor for his role as Colonel Nicholson in The Bridge on the River Kwai...
, Christopher Plummer
Christopher Plummer
Arthur Christopher Orne Plummer, CC is a Canadian theatre, film and television actor. He made his film debut in 1957's Stage Struck, and notable early film performances include Night of the Generals, The Return of the Pink Panther and The Man Who Would Be King.In a career that spans over five...
, Peter Ustinov
Peter Ustinov
Peter Alexander Ustinov CBE was an English actor, writer and dramatist. He was also renowned as a filmmaker, theatre and opera director, stage designer, author, screenwriter, comedian, humourist, newspaper and magazine columnist, radio broadcaster and television presenter...
, Dame Maggie Smith
Maggie Smith
Dame Margaret Natalie Smith, DBE , better known as Maggie Smith, is an English film, stage, and television actress who made her stage debut in 1952 and is still performing after 59 years...
, and William Shatner
William Shatner
William Alan Shatner is a Canadian actor, musician, recording artist, and author. He gained worldwide fame and became a cultural icon for his portrayal of James T...
have performed at the festival. The world-renowned festival takes place in four theatres throughout the city: the Festival Theatre, the Avon Theatre, Tom Patterson Theatre and the Studio Theatre.
Timeline
- 1828 - Settlement begins.
- 1832 - Thomas Mercer Jones, an agent of the Canada CompanyCanada CompanyThe Canada Company was a large private chartered British land development company, incorporated by an act of British parliament on July 27, 1825, to aid the colonization of Upper Canada. Canada Company assisted emigrants by providing good ships, low fares, implements and tools,and inexpensive land....
, names the village "Stratford" and renames the portion of the Thames River running through it "The Avon River." - 1849 - The Perth County News is Stratford's first weekly newspaper.
- 1853 - Perth County is created, with Stratford as its county seat.
- 1854 - Stratford is incorporated as a villageVillageA village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet with the population ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand , Though often located in rural areas, the term urban village is also applied to certain urban neighbourhoods, such as the West Village in Manhattan, New...
. - 1859 - Stratford is incorporated as a townTownA town is a human settlement larger than a village but smaller than a city. The size a settlement must be in order to be called a "town" varies considerably in different parts of the world, so that, for example, many American "small towns" seem to British people to be no more than villages, while...
. - 1864 - The 17-year-old American telegraph operator Thomas EdisonThomas EdisonThomas Alva Edison was an American inventor and businessman. He developed many devices that greatly influenced life around the world, including the phonograph, the motion picture camera, and a long-lasting, practical electric light bulb. In addition, he created the world’s first industrial...
had briefly lived at 19 Grange Street. - 1885 - Stratford is incorporated as a cityCityA city is a relatively large and permanent settlement. Although there is no agreement on how a city is distinguished from a town within general English language meanings, many cities have a particular administrative, legal, or historical status based on local law.For example, in the U.S...
with a population of 9000. - 1918 - A gift from a Michigan CNR employee, swanSwanSwans, genus Cygnus, are birds of the family Anatidae, which also includes geese and ducks. Swans are grouped with the closely related geese in the subfamily Anserinae where they form the tribe Cygnini. Sometimes, they are considered a distinct subfamily, Cygninae...
s come to live in Stratford. - 1933 - The army is called in to attempt to end a general strike and try to systematically remove communist leaders, but fails, the last time the military is used to quell a strike in Canada.
- 1936 - The Shakespearean Gardens are created.
- 1953 - The Stratford Shakespearean Festival Theatre is opened by a Stratford journalist, Tom Patterson.
- 1957 - The Festival moves into its first permanent structure.
- 1964 - The CNR shops close.
- 1976 - The Stratford City Hall is designated a National Historic Site of Canada
- 1992 - Stratford Armoury is a recognized Federal Heritage building 1986 on the Register of the Government of Canada Heritage Buildings.
- 1997 - Nations in Bloom crowns Stratford the "Prettiest City in the World."
- 2003 - The Stratford Festival of Canada celebrated its 50th season, welcoming 672,924 patrons to 18 plays. This was a record number of playgoers during the 50 seasons. The Avon Theatre realized a complete renewal and The Studio Theatre, a fourth theatre space seating 250 people, was added.
- 2009 - Canada 3.0Canada 3.0The initial Canada 3.0 forum was held in Stratford, Ontario, Canada on June 8–9, 2009. Over 1500 attendees gathered in Stratford to begin discussions on making Canada a world leader in the digital economy. Canada 3.0 brought together industry leaders, researchers and students to discuss digital...
brings 1500 people to Stratford.
Transportation
Historically, the city was a railway junction. Today, Canadian National Railways, and the Goderich-Exeter RailwayGoderich-Exeter Railway
The Goderich–Exeter Railway is a short line freight railway that operates around of track in Southern Ontario. Created in 1992, it was the first short line railway in Canada to be purchased from a class I railway, in this case Canadian National Railway . It took over operation of further CN...
provide freight links and Via Rail Canada is the passenger carrier. While not on the Ontario freeway system
400-series highways (Ontario)
The 400-series highways are a network of controlled-access highways throughout the southern portion of the Canadian province of Ontario, forming a special subset of the provincial highway system. They are analogous to the Interstate Highway System in the United States or the British Motorway...
, it is at the junctions of Highways 7
Highway 7 (Ontario)
King's Highway 7, commonly referred to as Highway 7 and historically as the Northern Highway, is a provincially maintained highway in the Canadian province of Ontario...
, 8
Highway 8 (Ontario)
Provincial Highway 8 is a provincially maintained highway in the Canadian province of Ontario. Its total length is 138.5 km, though it was once much longer, running farther east from Hamilton to Niagara Falls, before the Queen Elizabeth Way replaced its role.- History :Highway 8 is one of the...
, and former 19
Highway 19 (Ontario)
King's Highway 19, commonly referred to as Highway 19, is a provincially maintained highway in the Canadian province of Ontario. Highway 19 currently runs from Tillsonburg north to a point near Ingersoll. The total length of Highway 19 is presently , which is very similar to its original length in...
(Now Perth Road 119) and is connected to Highway 401
Highway 401 (Ontario)
King's Highway 401, also known by its official name as the Macdonald–Cartier Freeway and colloquially as the four-oh-one, is a 400-Series Highway in the Canadian province of Ontario stretching from Windsor to the Quebec border...
by expressways from Kitchener
Kitchener, Ontario
The City of Kitchener is a city in Southern Ontario, Canada. It was the Town of Berlin from 1854 until 1912 and the City of Berlin from 1912 until 1916. The city had a population of 204,668 in the Canada 2006 Census...
. Greyhound Canada provides daily service between London
London, Ontario
London is a city in Southwestern Ontario, Canada, situated along the Quebec City – Windsor Corridor. The city has a population of 352,395, and the metropolitan area has a population of 457,720, according to the 2006 Canadian census; the metro population in 2009 was estimated at 489,274. The city...
and Kitchener. Cherrey Bus Lines provides bus service from Stratford to Wingham
Wingham, Ontario
Wingham is a community located in the municipality of North Huron, Ontario, Canada, which is located in Huron County...
. Within the city, Stratford Transit
Stratford Transit
Stratford Transit provides the local bus service in Stratford, a city in southwestern Ontario, Canada. The system is owned and operated by the city as part of the Community Services Department.-Services:...
provides the local bus service. The Stratford Municipal Airport
Stratford Municipal Airport
Stratford Municipal Airport, , is located northeast of the city of Stratford, Ontario, Canada.The airport is classified as an airport of entry by NAV CANADA and is staffed by the Canada Border Services Agency...
(CNM4) is located just north of the city.
Sports and recreation
Stratford is home of the OHAOntario Hockey Association
The Ontario Hockey Association is the governing body for the majority of Junior and Senior level ice hockey teams in the Province of Ontario. The OHA is sanctioned by the Ontario Hockey Federation along with the Northern Ontario Hockey Association. Other Ontario sanctioning bodies along with the...
Midwestern Junior B hockey team, the Stratford Cullitons
Stratford Cullitons
The Stratford Cullitons are a Canadian junior ice hockey team based in Stratford, Ontario, Canada. They play in the Mid-Western division of the Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League...
. The Cullitons have produced notable NHL players such as Ed Olczyk
Ed Olczyk
Edward Walter "Eddie" Olczyk is an American former head coach for the National Hockey League Pittsburgh Penguins and former center for Toronto Maple Leafs, Winnipeg Jets, New York Rangers, Los Angeles Kings, Chicago Blackhawks and Pittsburgh Penguins...
, Craig Hartsburg
Craig Hartsburg
Craig William Hartsburg is a retired Canadian professional hockey player and associate coach in the National Hockey League for the Calgary Flames. He also coached in the Ontario Hockey League. He has previously been an NHL head coach with the Chicago Blackhawks, the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim and...
, Garth Snow
Garth Snow
Garth E. Snow is an American retired professional ice hockey goaltender and is currently the general manager for the New York Islanders of the National Hockey League.-Playing career:...
, Rob Blake
Rob Blake
Robert Bowlby Blake is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey player. He was originally drafted by the Los Angeles Kings in 1988, appearing in the 1993 Stanley Cup Finals, winning the James Norris Memorial Trophy and serving as team captain for five seasons in his initial 11 season-stint with...
, Chris Pronger
Chris Pronger
Christopher Robert Pronger is a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman and captain for the Philadelphia Flyers of the National Hockey League . Originally selected 2nd overall by the Hartford Whalers in the 1993 NHL Entry Draft, Pronger has played for Hartford, the St...
, Nelson Emerson
Nelson Emerson
Nelson Donald Emerson is a Canadian former ice hockey right winger.-Playing career:Emerson grew up playing minor hockey in his hometown of Waterford, Ontario with the Waterford Wildcats of the OMHA...
, Tim Taylor , Greg de Vries
Greg de Vries
Greg de Vries is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player. He played over 800 games with six teams in the National Hockey League...
, Jeff Halpern
Jeff Halpern
Jeffrey C. Halpern is an American professional ice hockey player who is currently playing for the Washington Capitals.-Playing career:...
, Rem Murray
Rem Murray
Raymond Joseph "Rem" Murray is a professional ice hockey left winger who plays for Pustertal-Val Pusteria Wolves in the Serie A.- Draft :...
and Boyd Devereaux
Boyd Devereaux
Boyd Fletcher Devereaux is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey player, most recently played for HC Lugano of the Swiss National League A. He now resides in Kitchener, Ontario with his wife and 2 kids.-Playing career:...
and won several Sutherland Cup
Sutherland Cup
The Sutherland Cup is the ice hockey Ontario Junior "B" Provincial Championship trophy. The Sutherland Cup is now the championship trophy of the Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League. Until 2007, the Cup served as an interleague provincial championship...
championships. Bob Zimmer also known as "The Hockey God" is the president of Stratford Minor Hockey. The legend known as Zim has been known to scout as low as Novice MD for Major Midget Players Another hockey organization within the city is the Stratford Minor Hockey Association, which includes houseleague and travel teams for younger players. These teams include the Stratford Warriors for boys, and the Stratford Aces for girls. Stratford used to also have an Intercounty Baseball League
Intercounty Baseball League
The Intercounty Baseball League is a semi-professional baseball organization located in the Canadian province of Ontario. The league was formed in 1919....
Team called the Stratford Nationals
Stratford Nationals
The Stratford Nationals were an independent, minor league baseball team of the, semi-pro, Intercounty Baseball League based in Stratford, Ontario. They played their home games at National Stadium....
, 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, and the Stratford Soccer House League.
Stratford also hosted Tim Hortons Hockey Day in Canada on January 30, 2010.
Music
The Stratford Summer Music FestivalStratford Summer Music Festival
Stratford Summer Music is an annual multi-week music festival set in outdoor and indoor venues in Stratford, Ontario, Canada. Led by Artistic Producer John A. Miller, the festival hosts performances by Canadian and international artists over a three to five week period in July and August...
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 in venues around downtown Stratford.
The Stratford Concert Band, a local wind ensemble, traces its history back to the CN Rail Employees Band formed in 1907 by James Malone. 2007 marked their 100th anniversary performing in Stratford and they celebrated with a gala concert and reception in May. The band performs a free outdoor concert in Upper Queen's Park every Wednesday evening in the summer months.
Notable musicians with a local connection include Justin Bieber
Justin Bieber
Justin Drew Bieber is a Canadian pop/R&B singer, songwriter and actor. Bieber was discovered in 2008 by Scooter Braun, who came across Bieber's videos on YouTube and later became his manager...
, Loreena McKennitt
Loreena McKennitt
Loreena Isabel Irene McKennitt, CM, OM, is a Canadian singer, composer, harpist, accordionist and pianist who writes, records and performs world music with Celtic and Middle Eastern themes. McKennitt is known for her refined, clear soprano vocals...
(who now makes Stratford her home), Dayna Manning
Dayna Manning
Dayna Manning is a Canadian folk and pop singer-songwriter. Manning has released three albums since her debut in 1997.-Biography:Born in Stratford, Ontario, Canada, to David Manning, a music teacher, and Darlene Manning...
, Graham Van Pelt of Miracle Fortress
Miracle Fortress
Miracle Fortress is a Canadian indie rock band based in Montreal. The band is primarily a project of songwriter Graham Van Pelt. Van Pelt also a member of Think About Life.-Band history:...
, Darren Dumas of The Salads
The Salads
The Salads are a punk rock band from Ontario, Canada, with strong reggae tendencies. They are currently signed to their own label, Maui Wowie Records, after having been signed to Kindling Music, a sub-division of Warner Music Canada.- History :...
, Richard Manuel
Richard Manuel
Richard George Manuel was a Canadian composer, singer, and multi-instrumentalist, best known for his contributions to and membership in The Band....
of The Band
The Band
The Band was an acclaimed and influential roots rock group. The original group consisted of Rick Danko , Garth Hudson , Richard Manuel , and Robbie Robertson , and Levon Helm...
, John Till
John Till
John Till is a Canadian musician. Born in Stratford, Ontario, Till played in local bands until the early 1960s when he was picked to play in Ronnie Hawkins band The Hawks, to replace previous members who had left to tour with Bob Dylan...
, who backed Janis Joplin
Janis Joplin
Janis Lyn Joplin was an American singer, songwriter, painter, dancer and music arranger. She rose to prominence in the late 1960s as the lead singer of Big Brother and the Holding Company and later as a solo artist with her backing groups, The Kozmic Blues Band and The Full Tilt Boogie Band...
, and Ken Kalmusky
Ken Kalmusky
Ken Kalmusky was a Canadian musician born in Stratford, Ontario, Canada, to saxophonist Walter "JoJo" Kalmusky and Mary Kalmusky.-Early career:...
, who played with Ian & Sylvia's Great Speckled Bird. During their early careers, Manuel, Till and Kalmusky were members of the Stratford group, The Revols
The Revols
The Revols were a Canadian band from Stratford, Ontario, Canada, formed in 1957, with Richard Manuel on piano and vocals, John Till on guitar, Ken Kalmusky on bass, Doug Rhodes on vocals and Jim Winkler on Drums...
, and later became members of Ronnie Hawkins'
Ronnie Hawkins
Ronald "Ronnie" Hawkins is a Juno Award-winning rockabilly musician whose career has spanned more than half a century. Though his career began in Arkansas, USA, where he'd been born and raised, it was in Ontario, Canada where he found success and settled for most of his life...
backing group, The Hawks. Ken Kalmusky
Ken Kalmusky
Ken Kalmusky was a Canadian musician born in Stratford, Ontario, Canada, to saxophonist Walter "JoJo" Kalmusky and Mary Kalmusky.-Early career:...
's son David Kalmusky
David Kalmusky
David Kalmusky is a record producer / mixer / guitarist, who's body of work is multiple Gold selling, Juno Awarded & Grammy nominated.-Lineage:...
, is a Juno awarded, multiple gold selling, Grammy nominated producer, mixer and musician. Several international operatic singers reside in Stratford such as Baritone, James Westman
James Westman
James Westman is a Canadian baritone known for his interpretation of the Verdi, Puccini and bel canto operatic repertoire, and particularly his signature role of Germont in La traviata, which he has sung in over 140 performances, with opera companies such as San Francisco Opera, Pittsburgh Opera,...
, and Tenor, Roger Honeywell.
Demographics
| Census | Population |
|---|---|
| 1841 | 200 |
| 1871 | 4,313 |
| 1881 | 8,239 |
| 1891 | 9,500 |
| 1901 | 9,959 |
| 1911 | 12,946 |
| 1921 | 16,094 |
| 1931 | 17,742 |
| 1941 | 16,923 |
| 1951 | 18,785 |
| 1961 | 20,467 |
| 1971 | 24,508 |
| 1981 | 26,262 |
| 1991 | 27,666 |
| 2001 | 29,676 |
| 2006 | 30,461 |
Stratford had a population of 30,461 people in 2006 (though the population sign reads 32,000), which was a increase of 2.3% from the 2001 census count. The median household income in 2005 for Stratford was $54,128, which is below the Ontario provincial average of $60,455.
Newspapers
- The Beacon HeraldThe Beacon HeraldThe Beacon Herald is a daily newspaper published in Stratford, Ontario, Canada. The paper serves the area of Perth County, Ontario....
, - The Stratford City Gazette
- SNAP Perth
Economy
The annual Shakespeare festival is a large contributor to the Stratford economy. Stratford is home to the headquarters of Crane Plumbing CorporationCrane Plumbing Corporation
Crane Plumbing Corporation is a Canadian manufacturer of bathroom fixtures, founded in Winnipeg, Manitoba in 1906, and later moved to Montreal, Quebec...
which is a Canadian manufacturer of bathroom fixtures and subsidiary of American Standard Brands
American Standard Brands
American Standard Brands is a closely held manufacturer of plumbing fixtures, sold under the American Standard, Crane, Fiat, Sanymetal, Showerite and Eljer brand names, based in Piscataway Township, New Jersey, United States. It is principally owned by Sun Capital Partners with Bain Capital...
.
Education
The city's three secondary schools are:- Stratford Central Secondary SchoolStratford Central Secondary SchoolStratford Central Secondary School is a Public High School in Stratford, Ontario. It is one of three main high schools in Stratford. Central is known primarily for its academics, arts and athletics programmes.-Central Athletics Association:...
, - Stratford Northwestern Secondary SchoolStratford Northwestern Secondary SchoolStratford Northwestern Secondary School is a Public High School andMiddle school in Stratford, Ontario, Canada.It is one of three high schools in the Stratford area, and of two Middle schools....
,
both part of the Avon Maitland District School Board
Avon Maitland District School Board
The Avon Maitland District School Board administers public school education in Huron and Perth Counties, including the town of Stratford, in southern Ontario.Its Secondary schools are:*Central Huron Secondary School*F.E...
, and
- St. Michael's Catholic Secondary School, which is part of the Huron Perth Catholic District School Board. It is Stratford's only school for special education.
Stratford is also home to the Stratford Chef School
Chef School
Chef School is a reality television series which airs on Food Network Canada. It is a 26-part docu-soap that follows the experiences of 12 students at the Stratford Chef School, one of Canada's most prestigious culinary schools....
.
University of Waterloo Stratford Campus
The University of WaterlooUniversity of Waterloo
The University of Waterloo is a comprehensive public university in the city of Waterloo, Ontario, Canada. The school was founded in 1957 by Drs. Gerry Hagey and Ira G. Needles, and has since grown to an institution of more than 30,000 students, faculty, and staff...
’s proposed Waterloo Stratford Campus
University of Waterloo Stratford Campus
The Waterloo Stratford Campus is a satellite campus of the University of Waterloo in the City of Stratford, Ontario, Canada. It is part of the Faculty of Arts...
is a forward-looking research, education and convergence centre that will drive the next generation of digital media applications and content models. The campus will draw leading researchers, businesses and entrepreneurs to create, examine and commercialize opportunities in the digital media field in a global economy. It is envisioned to quickly become a centre piece for collaboration, learning and sharing through conferences and workshops.
The Stratford Institute is a think-tank, integrator and training institute devoted to collaboration between digital media, international commerce and culture. The resulting changes to digital media thinking, art, tools, processes or services will have significant, positive impact on the economy, society and individuals at home and around the globe.
The Waterloo Stratford Campus
University of Waterloo Stratford Campus
The Waterloo Stratford Campus is a satellite campus of the University of Waterloo in the City of Stratford, Ontario, Canada. It is part of the Faculty of Arts...
showcases a collaboration of academic, government and private sector support. The universities of Waterloo and Western Ontario will collaborate on teaching, research and professional efforts on the Waterloo's soon-to-be-established Stratford campus. The two institutions signed a memorandum of understanding in Stratford to investigate shared academic initiatives. The University of Western Ontario
University of Western Ontario
The University of Western Ontario is a public research university located in London, Ontario, Canada. The university's main campus covers of land, with the Thames River cutting through the eastern portion of the main campus. Western administers its programs through 12 different faculties and...
has expertise across the institution in various aspects of digital media, information technologies and critical media studies.
In June 2009, the University of Waterloo Stratford Campus
University of Waterloo Stratford Campus
The Waterloo Stratford Campus is a satellite campus of the University of Waterloo in the City of Stratford, Ontario, Canada. It is part of the Faculty of Arts...
and the Canadian Digital Media Network (CDMN) hosted the Canada 3.0
Canada 3.0
The initial Canada 3.0 forum was held in Stratford, Ontario, Canada on June 8–9, 2009. Over 1500 attendees gathered in Stratford to begin discussions on making Canada a world leader in the digital economy. Canada 3.0 brought together industry leaders, researchers and students to discuss digital...
forum in Stratford to map Canada’s digital future and create opportunities for new business and jobs. In May 2010, the second Canada 3.0 was held in Stratford again.
Notable past and present residents
Justin Bieber
Justin Drew Bieber is a Canadian pop/R&B singer, songwriter and actor. Bieber was discovered in 2008 by Scooter Braun, who came across Bieber's videos on YouTube and later became his manager...
, Loreena McKennitt
Loreena McKennitt
Loreena Isabel Irene McKennitt, CM, OM, is a Canadian singer, composer, harpist, accordionist and pianist who writes, records and performs world music with Celtic and Middle Eastern themes. McKennitt is known for her refined, clear soprano vocals...
, Richard Manuel
Richard Manuel
Richard George Manuel was a Canadian composer, singer, and multi-instrumentalist, best known for his contributions to and membership in The Band....
, classical singer James Westman
James Westman
James Westman is a Canadian baritone known for his interpretation of the Verdi, Puccini and bel canto operatic repertoire, and particularly his signature role of Germont in La traviata, which he has sung in over 140 performances, with opera companies such as San Francisco Opera, Pittsburgh Opera,...
, actor Shawn Roberts
Shawn Roberts
-Life and career:Roberts was born in Stratford, Ontario on April 2, 1984. He started with playing the wolf in a school play of "Little Red Riding Hood" award-winning screenwriter Robert Forsythe and his friend's father helped him get a role in Emily of New Moon...
, singer/actor Nathan McLeod, and entertainer Hayden Bulbrook. Canadian news anchors Lloyd Robertson
Lloyd Robertson
Lloyd Robertson, OC is the currently the co-host of CTV's weekly magazine series, W5. Robertson previously served as the chief anchor and senior editor of CTV's national evening newscast, CTV News with Lloyd Robertson, until September, 2011, when he retired from the CTV National News...
and Tony Parsons
Tony Parsons (Canadian journalist)
Tony Parsons is a longtime Canadian broadcaster whose career has spanned more than 50 years, and he has anchored the second most-watched local evening TV newscast in North America, the News Hour on CHAN-TV in Vancouver, British Columbia...
both got their start in broadcasting at local radio station CJCS, Robertson in 1952 and Parsons in 1957. CBC
Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, commonly known as CBC and officially as CBC/Radio-Canada, is a Canadian crown corporation that serves as the national public radio and television broadcaster...
news anchor Peter Mansbridge
Peter Mansbridge
Peter Mansbridge, OC , a Canadian broadcaster and news anchor, is the CBC News Chief Correspondent and anchor of The National, CBC Television's flagship nightly newscast. Mansbridge has received many awards and accolades for his journalistic work including an honorary doctorate from Mount Allison...
and his wife Cynthia Dale
Cynthia Dale
Cynthia Dale is a Canadian television actress and stage performer. With a long and accomplished history as a dramatic actor, she is best known for her role as lawyer Olivia Novak in the 1987-94 television drama Street Legal....
currently live in Stratford, as does actor Colm Feore
Colm Feore
Colm Feore is an American-born Canadian stage, film and television actor.-Early life:Feore was born in Boston, Massachusetts to Irish parents who lived in Ireland for several years during Feore's early life. The family subsequently moved to Windsor, Ontario, where Feore grew up.After graduating...
.
Stratford is often credited as the home of hockey star Howie Morenz
Howie Morenz
Howard William Morenz was a Canadian professional ice hockey player. He played centre for three National Hockey League teams: the Montreal Canadiens , the Chicago Black Hawks, and the New York Rangers...
, who was actually from nearby Mitchell
Mitchell, Ontario
Mitchell is a community in Perth County, Ontario, Canada. Mitchell is located at the intersection of Highways 8 and 23, 20 km west of Stratford, and 60 km north of London, in the municipality of West Perth.-History:...
. The northern block of Nile Street, between Lakeside Drive and Water Street (on which the Allman Arena
William Allman Memorial Arena
The William Allman Memorial Arena, originally Stratford Arena, is an ice hockey arena in Stratford, Ontario. It was built in 1924. It was used by the Stratford Kroehlers of the Ontario Hockey League up until 1951, and is currently home to the Stratford Cullitons.The arena is widely considered one...
is situated) was renamed to Morenz Drive in his honour. William D. Connor
William D. Connor
William Duncan Connor was Lieutenant Governor of Wisconsin from 1907 - 1909. He was a Republican....
, Lieutenant Governor
Lieutenant governor
A lieutenant governor or lieutenant-governor is a high officer of state, whose precise role and rank vary by jurisdiction, but is often the deputy or lieutenant to or ranking under a governor — a "second-in-command"...
of Wisconsin
Wisconsin
Wisconsin is a U.S. state located in the north-central United States and is part of the Midwest. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast, and Lake Superior to the north. Wisconsin's capital is...
from 1907–1909, grandfather of former Congressman and Secretary of Defense Melvin R. Laird
Melvin R. Laird
Melvin Robert Laird is an American politician and writer. Laird was a Republican congressman who also served as Richard Nixon's Secretary of Defense from 1969 to 1973. Laird urged Nixon to maintain a policy of withdrawing US soldiers from Vietnam...
, and great-grandfather of Jessica Laird Doyle, wife of Governor James Doyle
James Doyle
James Doyle may refer to:*Jim Doyle , former governor of Wisconsin*James Edward Doyle , United States federal judge in Wisconsin*James Edwin Doyle , nickname "Ned", advertising entrepreneur...
of Wisconsin
Wisconsin
Wisconsin is a U.S. state located in the north-central United States and is part of the Midwest. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast, and Lake Superior to the north. Wisconsin's capital is...
, was born near Stratford on a farm.
Thomas Edison briefly worked as a telegraph operator for the Grand Trunk Railway
Grand Trunk Railway
The Grand Trunk Railway was a railway system which operated in the Canadian provinces of Quebec and Ontario, as well as the American states of Connecticut, Maine, Michigan, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Vermont. The railway was operated from headquarters in Montreal, Quebec; however, corporate...
at Stratford's railway station. John Davis Barnett
John Davis Barnett
John Davis Barnett was an early Canadian curator-librarian. Barnett collectedthe materials to create one of the significant early personal Ontario libraries and was a vocal...
was an Assistant Mechanical Superintendent of the Grand Trunk Railroad and Mechanical Superintendent of the Midland Railroad
Midland Railroad
The following railroads have been named Midland Railroad:*Florida Midland Railroad *Florida Midland Railroad *Midland Railroad *Midland Railroad *New Jersey Midland Railway...
and librarian; later in life becoming a collector donating to the University of Western Ontario
University of Western Ontario
The University of Western Ontario is a public research university located in London, Ontario, Canada. The university's main campus covers of land, with the Thames River cutting through the eastern portion of the main campus. Western administers its programs through 12 different faculties and...
. The assistant architect
Architect of the Capitol
The Architect of the Capitol is the federal agency responsible for the maintenance, operation, development, and preservation of the United States Capitol Complex, and also the head of that agency. The Architect of the Capitol is in the legislative branch and is responsible to the United States...
of the United States Capitol
United States Capitol
The United States Capitol is the meeting place of the United States Congress, the legislature of the federal government of the United States. Located in Washington, D.C., it sits atop Capitol Hill at the eastern end of the National Mall...
, Michael G. Turnbull
Michael G. Turnbull
Michael G. Turnbull, FAIA is an American architect who has spent much of his career in the public sector as a custodian of major public buildings, notably the U.S. Capitol in Washington, DC as the Assistant to the Architect of the Capitol and as the Director of Design and Construction at the Art...
, was born in Stratford and lived there until the age of eleven, when his family emigrated to the United States.
Dr. Norman Bethune made Stratford his temporary home in the early part of 1917. He worked as a physician at the home/office on Albert Street that was occupied by Dr. Lorne Robertson in the 1930s (now demolished). The two cast iron dogs from this residence now stand guard outside the entrance to Queen's Park at the north end of Parkview Drive. His sister Janet and her husband Thomas Stiles were host to Norman and his new wife Frances in 1924, when they stayed at Janet's home (at 335 Cobourg Street) for several months.
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.The four principal sister cities of Stratford, Ontario are:
- Stratford upon Avon, England, United KingdomUnited KingdomThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
- Stratford, LondonStratford, LondonStratford is a place in the London Borough of Newham, England. It is located east northeast of Charing Cross and is one of the major centres identified in the London Plan. It was historically an agrarian settlement in the ancient parish of West Ham, which transformed into an industrial suburb...
, England, United KingdomUnited KingdomThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages... - StratfordStratford, New ZealandStratford is the only town in the central Taranaki district of Stratford District, New Zealand. It lies beneath the eastern slopes of Mount Taranaki/Egmont, approximately half-way between New Plymouth and Hawera, near the geographic centre of the Taranaki region. The town has a population of...
, New ZealandNew ZealandNew Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga... - Stratford, ConnecticutStratford, ConnecticutStratford is a town in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States, located on Long Island Sound at the mouth of the Housatonic River. It was founded by Puritans in 1639....
, United States