Stratford, Ontario

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Stratford (2001 population 29,676) is a city on the Avon River in Perth County, in southwestern Ontario, Canada. Both the city and the river were named when it was first settled in 1832 after Stratford-upon-Avon, England, of Shakespearean fame. It is the seat of Perth County.

Stratford was incorporated as a town in 1859 and as a city in 1886.

Originally a furniture manufacturing city and railway junction, tourism became a large part of the local economy when the Stratford Shakespearean Festival started in 1953. The annual festival now brings hundreds of thousands of Shakespeare buffs to the area. The festival has had stars such as Alec Guinness, Christopher Plummer and William Shatner perform on its stage. The world renowned festival is played in four theatres throughout the city; the Festival Theatre, Avon Theatre, Tom Patterson Theatre and the Studio Theatre.

1 City Facts
2 Music In Stratford
3 Time Line
4 Stratford Information

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City Facts

Several celebrities hail from Stratford, such as NHL Hockey Player Tim Taylor, and the theatre has been known to host the performing acts of several well known actors. The theatre has also jumpstarted the careers of several of today's best known actors and actresses worldwide.
Stratford is home of the OHA Junior B hockey team the Stratford Cullitons. The Cullitons have been an extremely successful team and have produced NHL superstars such as Chris Pronger and Rob Blake. Stratford also has an Intercounty Baseball League Team called the Stratford Nationals.
The current mayor of Stratford is Dan Matheson.
The first mayor of Stratford was John Corry Wilson Daly.
The swan has become a main symbol of the city, with 24 white swans and two black swans released into the Avon River every spring by their honorary keeper, Mr. Robert J. Miller.
Thomas Alva Edison briefly worked as a telegraph operator for the Grand Trunk Railway at Stratford's railway station.
Famed Canadian news anchor Lloyd Robertson got his start in broadcasting at the local radio station (CJCS) in 1952.
Current residents include CBC newsanchor Peter Mansbridge and wife Cynthia Dale, as well as Hollywood and theatre actor Colm Feore and his family.
There are three local newspapers; The Beacon Herald, The Stratford City Gazette, and Inside Stratford-Perth.
Stratford's three secondary schools are Stratford Central SS, Stratford Northwestern SS home of renowned Screaming Advacado Cafe and cuisine program, and St. Michael's Catholic SS.

Racial make-up (based on single responses)

White (people): 27,745 or 96.2%
Asian: 295 or 1.0%
Black (people): 195 or 0.6%
Aboriginal: 185 or 0.6%
Mixed Race: 155 or 0.5%

Image:Bnlomf1.jpg

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Music In Stratford

In September 2005, Stratford hosted the Ovation Music Festival, organized by local resident Chris Parson. Local musicans opened for several big name Canadian groups including Sum 41, Simple Plan, Our Lady Peace and Barenaked Ladies. Plans are presently underway for the 2006 festival. Standing Ovation Productions has also organized the winter concerts at the Stratford Festival since 1997, which have in the past year (2005) included Gordon Lightfoot, Blue Rodeo, Ronnie Hawkins and Colin James.

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Time Line

1828 - Settlement begins.
1832 - Thomas Mercer Jones, an agent of the Canada Company, 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 village.Image:Stratford15.jpg
1859 - Stratford is incorporated as a town.
1885 - Stratford is incorporated as a city with a population of 9000.
1918 - A gift from a Michigan CNR employee, swans come to live in Stratford.
1933 - The army is called in to end a general strike.
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.
1997 - Nations in Bloom crowns Stratford the "Prettiest City in the World."
2001 - 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.

	North: North Perth
West: Perth South	Stratford	East: Perth East
	South: Perth South

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Stratford Information

City of Stratford Ontario Canada - Information About Stratford Ontario Canada - Theatres in Stratford Ontario Canada

Image:Flag of Ontario.svg	Ontario
Counties	Bruce - Dufferin - Elgin - Essex - Frontenac - Grey - Haliburton - Hastings - Huron - Lambton - Lanark - Leeds and Grenville - Lennox and Addington - Middlesex - Northumberland - Perth - Peterborough - Prescott and Russell - Renfrew - Simcoe - Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry - Wellington
Districts	Algoma - Cochrane - Kenora - Manitoulin - Nipissing - Parry Sound - Rainy River - Sudbury - Thunder Bay - Timiskaming
Regional municipalities	Durham - Halton - Muskoka - Niagara - Oxford - Peel - Waterloo - York
Single-tier municipalities	Brant - Brantford - Chatham-Kent - Greater Sudbury - Haldimand - Hamilton - Kawartha Lakes - Norfolk - Ottawa - Prince Edward - Toronto
Separated municipalities	Barrie - Belleville - Brantford - Brockville - Gananoque - Guelph - Kingston - London - Orillia - Pembroke - Peterborough - Prescott - Quinte West - Smiths Falls - St. Marys - St. Thomas - Stratford - Windsor