The Beacon Herald
Ontario Ombudsman critical of city in 2024 banning of resident
More than two years after the city banned three residents from all cityowned buildings and barred them from communicating with staff for three months, Ontario's ombudsman criticized the city's actions that led to the ban, along with the respectful...
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Air quality warning issued as wildfire smoke smothers Stratford
Environment and Climate Change Canada issued an orange level air quality warning for the region on Wednesday as wildfire smoke from Northwestern Ontario smothered Stratford and area and turned skies an apocalyptic shade of yellow. Conditions, which...
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Frustrated residents protest Stratford's housing crisis
Chants of “this is what community looks like” and “unhoused rights are human rights" rang out from a small group of protesters who demonstrated outside of city hall before Monday evening's council meeting. The event was led by local housing advocate...
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QUARRY CLEANUP
Thetown of St. Marys' west quarry has reopened following the completion of the West Quarry Cleanup Project. The project focused on improving site safety, addressing invasive species and reducing long-term liabilities from when the site was an active...
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`She was the sweetest person ever'
Jessica Rudat-klassen was always trying to help others. Whether it was in her job as an educational assistant at Anne Hathaway public school, where she worked with special needs children, or as the board president of a local preschool, Rudat-klassen...
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A BERRY GOOD SEASON
From left: Louisa Walch, Liz Ropp and Susan Nilsson-buxton show off some of the strawberries remaining at Walch Family Strawberries. After a cool spring, warmer temperatures gave berry pickers plenty of work in the fields just outside Stratford. The...
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FALCONS SOAR IN STRATFORD
Shakespeare Falcons U13 pitcher Alyssia Mostard watches her pitch head to the plate as catcher Sam Hovius reaches for it during the team's semifinal game against Stratford at the Tiffanie Parkins Memorial Softball Tournament on Sunday at Anne Hathaway...
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London country music legend Tommy Hunter dies at 89
Londoner Tommy Hunter, known as “Canada's Country Gentleman,” died Thursday at 89. Born in London on March 20, 1937, Hunter's country music career spanned from the 1950s to the 2010s. He became known worldwide for The Tommy Hunter Show, which ran from...
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CELEBRATING CANADA
Wearing a Canadian flag T-shirt, Perth-wellington MP John Nater waves to onlookers along Lakeside Drive during Wednesday's Canada Day parade.
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O CANADA
Ojibway artist and flautist Jeffery “Red” George performed as part of Stratford's Canada celebrations in Market Square on Wednesday afternoon.
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Huron Perth public health issues precaution during heat wave
With torrid temperatures expected to last through the rest of the week, Huron Perth public health officials are urging residents to take appropriate precautions against potential heat-related illnesses while Environment and Climate Change Canada has...
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THE CLASS OF 2026
In a ritual that stretches back more than a century, the graduating class from Stratford District secondary school celebrated the end of their high school journeys by tossing their mortarboards in the air at the conclusion of Thursday night's ceremony...
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GARDEN PARTY
Karon Bales and Charles Beall are showing off their English garden on the Stratford and District Horticultural Society's garden tour July 5. Please see page for a story.
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PLAY DAY
Avon public school Grade 1 student Ethan Campbell races to a bean bag during a relay game, which was one of several stations set up for Play Day on Tuesday. School is officially out for summer with classes having wrapped up on Thursday.
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HALL OF FAME
One of the biggest cheers during the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame inductions on Saturday afternoon in St. Marys came when Devon White thanked the Toronto Blue Jays for a trade that fast tracked the franchise almost 36 years ago. After parts of six...
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A FAIR FOWL
A wild duck stands in the sunshine Friday on the shore of the Avon River.the river is home to an estimated 200 to 300 mallard ducks, many of whom prefer the more placid waters of Lake Victoria.
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THE ART OF SHARING
Indigenous artist Christin Dennis is set to teach people about the role that art plays in Indigenous culture at three upcoming Stratford workshops. For more, please turn to
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SOMETIMES YOU FEEL LIKE A NUT
A lucky Stratford squirrel who found a nut in the grass manages to find a way to efficiently carry the future meal.
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FIRST STAGE
Phase 2 of the Huron Street reconstruction continued into its second week on Monday. The first part of this stage, which spans from Huntingdon Avenue to the Roadhouse Drain, just east of Matilda Street, should be completed by the fall, with the second...
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JUST `PLANE' FUN
Sophia Lipton, left, and Luna Newman, Grade 8 students at Stratford Intermediate school get a tour of the cockpit of a Diamond DA 42 conducted by Chloe Wu of the Diamond Flight Centre during the recent Girls in Aviation Day at the London International...
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CUPE continues its call for health-care funding in Stratford
While the group was small, the message was clear: Ontario's government needs to provide more funding to hospitals. Just more than a dozen CUPE members gathered outside of Perth-wellington MPP Matthew Rae's Stratford office on Thursday to protest what...
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Students stepping up for hospice hike
Local students are stepping up in support of Rotary Hospice Stratford Perth ahead of its 12th annual Hike for Hospice on Sunday. After becoming the first school to participate last year, Anne Hathaway public school will once again join the event this...
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IN `PLANE' SIGHT
Doug Harks checks out a Fleet Cornell Second World War training plane on Sunday during the Fly-in, Drive-in breakfast at the Stratford airport to raise money for the Stratford General Hospital Foundation. Harks flew a similar plane from Wroxeter to...
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A `FETCHING' ENSEMBLE
The Downtown Stratford BIA held its third annual Dog Days of Summer on Thursday afternoon, with local pooches competing in several fun events. Frank, a two-year-old dachshund, pictured here with owner Dezia Kirkham, took home the title of best-dressed...
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Stratford-perth Pride celebrations off to `encouraging' start
Every time AJ Ashley turned around last Sunday, he kept seeing more people filling Upper Queen's Park for Stratford-perth Pride's festival to kick off a month of celebrations. Ashley, the organization's director, marvelled as more than 1,000 people...
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QUITE THE OAR-DEAL
As the warm weather continued on Tuesday, several people were out spending some time on Lake Victoria.
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Bijou at the Church brings Stratford restaurant history under one roof
The clock was ticking on Bijou's future. Months after leaving its location below the Braai House last fall, general manager Mark Simone and managing director Michael Lutzmann were scouring Stratford looking for a “proper” long-term home -- a place for...
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Stratford Festival raises Pride flag to kick off `wonderful celebration'
Josue Laboucane still remembers walking up to the Stratford Festival theatre in 2018, not long after a Pride flag was raised for the first time. It was a gift from the Festival's Queer Straight Alliance, of which Laboucane was a member, and it...
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RUCK STARS
Players from Laurier and Stratford District secondary school ruck during the second half of Thursday's WOSSAA girls' triple-a rugby championships at SERC. Laurier won 32-9. For a story, please turn to page
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ON THE RED CARPET
It's not opening night at the Stratford Festival without a champagne shower, and Ali Powell was in the middle of the spray zone on Monday evening before The Tempest officially kicked off the 2026 season. For more photos, please turn to page
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Youth Citizens police academy provides early exposure to policing life
An eight-week youth program focused on different elements of policing is completing its second session in Mitchell, with a third eyed for next spring as long as there's interest, its organizer, Perth County OPP Const. Marg Geurts, says. But judging by...
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Erie Drive-in taps into nostalgia after 55 years in Stratford
There are elements of the Erie Drive-in restaurant that look the same, or close, to when the Stratford summer staple opened 55 years ago. The floors haven't changed, though they're expected to be replaced this year. The countertop just inside of the...
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NOTE WORTHY
Singer-songwriter Julia Paul, who goes by the stage name Jules, performs her rendition of Fleetwood Mac's Landslide during the Stratford qualification round of the Karaoke World Championship on Wednesday evening at Chuck's Roadhouse.
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ART IN THE PARK
Heather Chilvers of Whimsy Bags took part in Art in the Park on Wednesday morning. Artist like Chilvers will be selling their work along Lakeside Drive on Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays until Sept, 30.
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Student swap helps shift stigma around thrifting
What's old is new again. More importantly, the items at Stratford District secondary school's student swap end up in a closet instead of a landfill. Dozens of students packed the school's cafeteria on Friday afternoon for an event dedicated to...
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SHUTTER-BIRDS
Debbie and Ed Watterson of Guelph enjoy some bird watching on Stratford's Lake Victoria on Friday afternoon.
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CRASH COURSE
Stratford Police Service Const. Aaron Mounfield talks with Stratford District secondary school students, including Urvi Sharma, about the dangers of impaired driving while standing in front of a car heavily damaged from an impaired-related crash. It...
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SPLASHING DOWN
Stratford District secondary school's Jake Taylor landed at the bottom of the steeplechase pit during the open boys' event to kick off the Huron-perth track and field championships on Tuesday in Clinton. The event wrapped up Wednesday, with dozens of...
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COFFEE WITH A COP
Const. Darren Fischer, the community resource and media relations officer for the Stratford Police Service, chatted with residents Monday morning during the Coffee with a Cop event in Market Square.
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Keystone Alley restaurant back on the menu in downtown Stratford
Anthony Jordaan never imagined reopening Keystone Alley. The popular Brunswick Street restaurant was a pandemic casualty in 2020, four years after Jordaan and partner Kim Hurley purchased it. Much has changed since then, but the original concept...
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Small cereal drive turns into large donation for Stratford-area food banks
What started as an almost offhand comment turned into a large donation of cash and cereal for food banks across Perth County. Last December, Bruce and Maragret Whitmore were attending a Christmas celebration at a local golf course clubhouse with their...
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MILLER CUP
Stratford District secondary school senior boys' rugby player Caleb Martin passes the ball during a Miller Cup rugby match on Tuesday in Stratford.
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Stratford embraces Asian Heritage Month
While the planning for the Stratford area's first-ever celebration of Asian Heritage Month began several months ago, the result is turning out to be a lot bigger than organizers initially imagined. On Friday, Stratford-area residents who hail from...
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SITTING DUCKS
A couple of mallard ducks spend part of their Friday afternoon basking in the sunshine on the bank of the Avon River.
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Multicultural association looks to bring Cuban refugees to Perth-huron
While conditions continue to deteriorate in Cuba during the country's acute energy crisis, the Multicultural Association of Perth Huron is working to bring some refugees from the Caribbean island nation to the region. “I mean, the situation is not...
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NET RESULT
St. Marys Lincolns forward Blake Elzinga is sent into Cambridge goalie Aidan Hill during the first period of Monday's Sutherland Cup game at the Pyramid Recreation Centre. Cambridge won 4-2 and hosted Game 3 on Wednesday.
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WALL OF FAMER Former Beacon sports editor John Kastner ends his speech after being inducted into the Stratford Sports Wall of Fame as a builder during Saturday's banquet at the Army Navy & Air Force Veterans Hall.
Stratford's Sports Wall of Fame added six new inductees on Saturday. “This is the ultimate honour for me,” John Kastner said while being honoured as a builder. The former journalist spent 33 years at the Beacon Herald, where he championed local...
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New doc salutes Stratford Festival artistic director's legacy
As he heads into his final season as the Stratford Festival's artistic director, the rare chance to look back on his life and career was both awkward and flattering for Antoni Cimolino. Cimolino, who has spent four decades at the Festival in various...
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Grease is the word for St. Mike's drama students
Despite Grease's status as one of Broadway's most iconic musicals, the students mounting the upcoming production at St. Michael Catholic secondary school aren't intimidated. In fact, it's these same students who pushed for the opportunity to bring...
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Stratfordites voice support for alternative Grand Trunk plan
What was supposed to be a chance for residents to offer suggestions on what the city should do with the Grand Trunk site turned into a substantial show of support by speakers for an alternative plan developed by a local architect. While a few...
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SPRING CLEANING
Ryan Yang, left, and Rebekah Nelson from the 19th Royal Canadian Air Cadet Squadron in Stratford hold bags of garbage Saturday morning during The Boathouse's Avon River clean-up. Around 115 people, including 20 from the local squadron, pitched in to...
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GO Transit service is returning to Stratford
About two-and-a-half years after a previous pilot service was discontinued, GO Transit trains will be making a return trip to Stratford. Ontario's minister of transportation, Prabmeet Sarkaria, announced Friday morning that one daily round trip will...
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BUILDING EXPERIENCE
Madi Blazek, a Grade 7 student from Listowel's St. Mary Catholic school, gets experience at the brick and stone masonry station during Thursday's Huron-perth Catholic District School Board Skilled Trades Pathways Experience. The two-day event at...
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Margaret Smart reflects on her time leading The Local
Although she's moving on from her role as executive director of The Local Community Food Centre, Margaret Smart still has nothing but love for the agency she's helped guide for the past three years. “Even though I am leaving, my love for this place is...
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SERIES CLINCHER
The Chatham Maroons' demise was as sudden as it was shocking. Little more than a week ago, they were on a 16-game winning streak and looked like the class of the Greater Ontario Hockey League's Western Conference. Four straight losses later and their...
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SOME BUNNY TO LOVE
Some Stratford residents, including those living at this John Street home, have gone all out to celebrate Easter, which is Sunday.
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STRATFORD ARTIST TEAMS WITH BLUE JAYS TO DECORATE ROGERS CENTRE SPACE
The Blue Jays made their pitch, and Carlie Pearce hit a home run. In this case, a different insidethe-park variety. The Stratford artist received an email in January from someone on behalf of the major league club asking if she would provide...
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Stratford residents join Fight Ford protests held across province
Several dozen residents gathered outside city hall Saturday morning for what was billed as the “Fight Ford” protest. The Stratford group joined dozens of other rallies organized across the province, including protests in Kitchener, Ottawa, St....
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History to be display at Stratford's revived Doors Open weekend
Greg Orr might be the fifth generation of his family to work in their insurance business, but he realizes there's much more to it than just following in his forebears' footsteps. It's also about preserving a history that started long before him, he...
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SCOURING THE AREA
Stratford police urged residents to avoid the area of Devon Street and C.H. Meier Boulevard during an active investigation early Thursday afternoon. Several officers, one using a drone with thermal imaging, were searching the area after receiving an...
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GOING UP
Workers installed the first wall panel Wednesday on one of the three new apartment buildings being built at 600 Orr St . Once complete, the site will include 275 apartment units.
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A LITTLE HELP
Lucy Nahrgang gives Millie Dawdry some help during a game of cherry bomb on Sunday at the Rotary Complex. Dozens of young girls hit the ice for the sixth annual Try Aces Day, an event for U7, U9 and U11 players getting into girls hockey.
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Stratford manufacturer gets federal funding boost
A Stratford manufacturer that employs nearly 200 people got some good news this week -- a federal funding boost that will help the company become more competitive. On Thursday afternoon, Peter Fragiskatos, the London Centre MP who serves as...
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Syrup producers adjust to ever-changing temperatures
As the up-and-down temperatures continue well into March, a local maple syrup producer says the conditions have so far led to a very good season. “The forecast looks like we are set to have a fantastic year because there's lots of frost at night. . ....
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EARLY BIRD
A robin, perhaps confused by Tuesday's snow and cold, perches itself on a branch in Stratford. Spring is set to arrive on Friday, though winter isn't expected to fully relinquish its grip until April – at some point.
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MARCH BREAK SKATE
Stratford's Ava Tiegs relied on a little help to get around the Rotary Complex ice during Monday's free March break skate. Free skates are scheduled through Friday at the Complex from 1 p.m. to 2:50 p.m.
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LATE-WINTER BLAST
Joanne Mclaren used part of the lunch hour on Friday to shovel the sidewalk and steps in front of Dunphy Burdett Lawyers LLP on Albert Street in Stratford. After temperatures hit the high teens earlier this week, winter returned with a fresh blanket of...
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Sports training complex in doubt as city signs letter of intent
The hope of one resident to turn the city's former Scotiabank property into a new training facility for both Rugby Canada and Soccer Canada is on hold for now. Alan Kasperski, a spokesperson for the National Field Sports Training Centre group, was...
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HOW TO HELP VICTIMS OF ABUSE: OPTIMISM PLACE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
With every Stratford-area municipality having officially declared intimate partner violence as an epidemic, the executive director of the Optimism Place Women's shelter is reminding residents that domestic violence can occur in a range of...
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Defence official intrigued by trio's anti-drone system
A senior official at the Department of National Defence says he wants to learn more about the anti-drone system three men charged in a London gun and explosives investigation are working on after their legal problems are resolved. But developing...
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ON GUARD
Crossing guard Dave Veer helps pedestrians cross West Gore Street near Shakespeare public school on Friday afternoon. Veer will mark one year on the job next month.
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