Stratford, Ontario

Categories: Cities in Ontario

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 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.

City Facts

• 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.
• 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.

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

  Ontario street in the Summertime in Stratford
• 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.

Demographics

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%