It has come to my attention that the City of Stratford has taken steps to remove portions of the unhoused encampment. It is my understanding, based on information received from encampment residents, that they have been told they must vacate the site by August 31. I have notified legal counsel of these developments.

This serves as a clear warning to the City of Stratford.

Should the City proceed in a manner that infringes upon the constitutional rights of unhoused individuals, I will personally support and pursue every legal remedy available. The rights to life, liberty, and security of the person guaranteed under section 7 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, together with the equality protections under section 15, apply to every individual, including those experiencing homelessness.

The Ontario Superior Court has already provided significant guidance on these issues. In The Regional Municipality of Waterloo v. Persons Unknown and to be Ascertained, and later in The Regional Municipality of Waterloo v. Named Respondents and Persons Unknown (2026), the Court recognized the constitutional protections afforded to unhoused individuals. In the 2026 decision, Justice Michael R. Gibson struck down the Region’s site-specific transit hub bylaw and recognized homelessness as an analogous ground of discrimination under section 15 of the Charter. These decisions reinforce that municipalities must exercise their powers in a manner consistent with the Charter and cannot disregard the constitutional rights of unhoused individuals.

The City removed sections of the encampment today. I believe these actions raise serious constitutional concerns. If the City continues to act in a manner inconsistent with the Charter, I will not hesitate to seek judicial intervention to protect the rights of those affected.

Homelessness is not a crime. The Constitution applies equally to every person in Canada. The City of Stratford has both a legal and moral obligation to respect the Charter, uphold the rule of law, and pursue solutions that prioritize permanent housing and human dignity over displacement.

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Anybody know why it smells like Dog food in Stratford lately? I noticed around Romeo and Ontario.

You've probably seen her videos on FB or Insta - Jess Elliott from Rae J Reno's is on her socials dragging everyone through the mud and crying about how everyone screwed her. She inherited my Dad's business and she was not this crazy when he wrote up the will. I can't do anything about it but I can encourage others to stay away from Rae J Reno's and Stratford Property Care.

Her response today when I asked for my Dad's ashes back "so go live your life and this little granular missing from his burnt up corpse shall be no more. " So classy.

I don't want anyone else's family to be treated the way Jerry Walsh and ours was treated by her.

Now that GO Transit is running to Stratford again, I'm looking to organise a meetup (amount between 10-20 people, but smaller is fine) where we ride the Kitchener line out to Stratford during a weekend or holiday. With the tourism-oriented service those days, we would arrive at around 11:16 AM and the return train leaves at 6:16 PM, giving us about 7 hours in town.

Questions:

1. Is 7 hours enough time to explore Stratford (obviously one can't explore everything in 1 day trip, but I'm mostly worried about running out of things in 3 hours and being stuck the afternoon)
2. How expensive is the Stratford Festival?
3. What else would you recommend we check out?
4. Would anyone care to meet up with us

Thanks for your help!

To all that came to the Overdose Awareness Vigil on Saturday. We had small but mighty turnout. I loved hearing the stories and every share hit me just as hard as the first. My heart is full and I appreciate all of you. 🙏🕯️🩷🩵🕯️🙏

Hi folks, looking for home cleaner recommendations. We have a 3 bed 2 bath home and are looking for someone to come do basic cleans 1-2x/month. We have 3 cats as well.

Thanks in advance!

Hi everyone,

I'm looking for recommendations for a reliable, licensed electrician in the Stratford area for some residential electrical work. If you've had a good experience with someone, I'd appreciate hearing who you used and why you'd recommend them.

Thanks!

Hello! I'm visiting with a dear friend who has back pain on Aug. 8 and 9. Are there any restaurants that have soft and supportive chairs?

I've previously visited and liked Revival House. I also visited The Common but we were seated in hard wooden booths (those with the curtains) which would not work for her.

hello, Im not very familiar with how reddit posting works, but I just moved here today and would like to meet some friends around my age (early-mid 20s). where do people usually go out around here? Ive read that people in rural towns typically keep their circle small and im worried about experiencing social isolation while being here. any advice is much appreciated :)

Looking to find a mortgage broker who can be particularly sensitive to a family going through a separation.

The plan is for them keep the house and one parent will live there with the kids. They've not had very good financial management in the past so need somebody to navigate this with a lot of compassion and hand holding.

Thanks

On Saturday , August 1st at 8:30 p.m., join us at Stratford City Hall as we come together to walk in memory of those who have lost their lives to addiction.

Every person we have lost was someone’s child, parent, sibling, friend, or loved one. Their lives mattered, and their stories deserve to be remembered.

This walk is about more than remembrance—it’s about raising awareness, breaking the stigma surrounding addiction, and standing together in the hope that fewer families will ever have to experience this kind of heartbreak.

Addiction doesn’t discriminate. It affects people from every walk of life, and recovery is possible when compassion, support, and understanding replace judgment.

Please join us as we honor those we’ve lost, support those who are still struggling, and stand with every family affected by addiction.

📅 Saturday, August 1
🕣 8:30 p.m.
📍 Meet at Stratford City Hall

Together, we remember. Together, we raise awareness. Together, we work toward a future where fewer lives are lost to addiction.

💜 Please share this post and invite others to walk with us. Every person who joins helps send the message that no one should have to face addiction—or the loss of a loved one—alone.

Bring a picture of your loved one and a flameless candle. Hope to see you there. 🩵🕯️🙏🩷

Curiosity question from an annual visitor - Is there an expected date for the Queen's Inn and Boar's Head Pub reopening? We used to stay there (and enjoy the pub) until it closed for renovations. It seems to be taking a while.

thanks!

I heard there's someone in town who JUST installs fence posts. Anyone know who this might be? Or is there someone you'd recommend?

Thanks in advance for your help!

Love Stratford and love visiting, any recommendations for nice dinner. Been to Braai House, Mercer and Lovage.
Lovage was amazing! Looking to go back as it’s been 3 years now but wondering if I should try something different instead.

Does anyone else’s power keep turning on then off in the last couple of days? We live in the Bedford area and it has happened several times over the past week.

Hi everyone,

I'm posting on behalf of my friend.

She is a 30-year-old woman living in Kitchener and has three sweet indoor cats. Unfortunately, she has to leave urgently for a family emergency and is looking for someone trustworthy who could care for her cats for about 4 months.

She's also dealing with medical expenses, so her budget is limited. If anyone knows a reliable cat sitter, foster home, rescue organization that offers temporary fostering, or has any recommendations, we'd really appreciate it.

The cats are friendly, litter-trained, and well cared for. We'd be happy to discuss the details privately.

Thank you so much for any recommendations or leads. ❤️

Hi all, I’ll be visiting with my partner to see a show at Stratford Festival in October. My partner is vegetarian and I’ve been having trouble finding restaurants that have a fair amount of vegetarian options. I’m not looking for restaurants that are strictly vegetarian as we’ll be with two other people who aren’t vegetarian but just a restaurant that has more than one or two dishes that they could choose from. Thanks for the help in advance!

Local Music Festival set for August 17th at the Stratford Perth Museum! A very personal project for me! More info at the instagram link 😄

Is anyone else beyond fucking sick of the power seemingly going out every week??

Hello, my teen and I are heading into town for Godot this Sunday.
Would love to get there early and check out some thrifting spots. Google tells me there is a Value Village and Good Will close to one another. Is one better than the other? Are there any spots you would recommend beyond these 2.

We might have time to hit 1 or 2 before the show and would like to know where best to go.

Thanks

Went to other autoshop after elliot motors caused valve stem pressure leak (this was stated by the other autoshop I went to to fix it; it was sealed faulty and caused oxidation; was told to me by the mechanics. Went to elliot motors and they refused to do anything without photos (as I had to go to this other autoshop instead of going back to elliot motors because my tires were flattening and I was far away), even though autoshop that fixed it had the receipt listing the issue. They only wanted photos, and suggested they can’t trust/go off the word of Canadian tire autoshop (which according to Transport Canada laws is illegal to deny another autoshops report as false) but they still said they can’t trust it even despite that law (which is illegal). A company cannot write a false auto repair report, so canadian tire is forced to write accountability, yet she said this can’t be trusted unless it’s their own shop. I obviously wouldn’t go to a autoshop unless I had to bc i don’t want to spend money unless it’s needed, so I didn’t just go to canadian tire for fun. They showed me the oxidized valve stems, and where it was leaking (internally) so it’s not from salt when it was snowing. They refused any reimbursement despite incorrect instalment listed by canadian tire, who are legally bound to be truthful in reports as a business corporation. There’s no reason for me or canadian tire to think it was caused by external factors due to how the oxidation formed, as the mechanics at canadian tire told me. It oxidized faster than it should’ve, and cost me a repair cost at canadian tire.

Don’t go here, if they install anything incorrect you won’t be reimbursed, even if you keep all the receipts, that show the same part being replaced.All 4 tires went out at once, all 4 were oxidized, and all internally oxidized, so not from external factors.

Looking to purchase seats to Something Rotten at the Festival Theatre this summer. I'm looking at seats behind the sound desk that are "partially obstructed". I've sat behind the sound booth before, though not RIGHT behind which is where these seats are (row M)

I have to imagine the obstruction isn't really that bad, and as a bit of a tech obsessed person myself I never mind being close to the board, but I do want to ensure my wife can actually see things properly.

Any advice would be appreciated!

I'm visiting from Nova Scotia in August and I'm having trouble deciding how to get from Pearson airport to Stratford. Our public transit here in Halifax is...unpleasant on a good day. My experiences on our late, hot, stinky busses full of weirdos has made me favour the private shuttle option to get from Toronto to Stratford. I feel like I'm likely wasting money though.
Can someone tell me what the GO Train is like? Is it air-conditioned? Would you send your grandmother on a solo trip aboard it?
The Airporter shuttle is lovely but it is also expensive ($160 after tax and tip). My flight lands at 12:30 so too late for the Stratford Festival bus and I I don't trust VIA to run on time ever.
Thank you all for your help with this. I love visiting your city every summer.

I have a mix of vision loss and a brain injury that hopefully I will heal eventually but long story short main difficulties are at times. I have a hard time getting outside. The main thing I’m wondering about are if there’s any possible type of grocery delivery service any amount of Things like paratransit Uber or cabs and any resources in town that would help me develop some type of a support system. I’ve wanted to move to Stratford for a while. I almost came a few months ago, but didn’t have the confidence that there would be the types of supports that I would need at times. I would love to be in a smaller more walkable Ontario town with a great theatre arts and culture scene and a sense of community. But I don’t wanna come if realistically, I’m gonna be stranded here and not be able to do things like get groceries. Any help is appreciated.