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The secret campaigns shaping local democracy
We are very thankful to the National Observer, which is doing phenomenal work in supporting volunteer journalism across the country. They provide free tools for research, making it easier for us to understand the work of our city council in the context of what other...
Arguments to watch for at Thursday’s meeting on the Grand Trunk
Councillors have been struggling with the Grand Trunk problem for years, and the issue has become more contentious since the demolition of the historic Avon Crest Hospital. Two plans are emerging, and we’ll learn more about the City’s approach on Thursday at 10:00 am...
More on the Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) project
Two weeks ago we wrote our Mayor and councillors to learn more about the Cordelia BESS battery storage project, which received official support from the City in December. The eight questions in that letter dealt with safety, protocol, proper financial controls, and...
Open Letter to Council on new battery project
See transcript of the December 8 meeting here Dear Mayor Ritsma and Councillors, I am writing you about the December 8 meeting of Council, in which a letter of support was approved for a battery storage system at 465 Wright Boulevard, composed of up to 50...
Forum on Democracy and the Environment: project for the 2026 election
Get Concerned Stratford has made the decision to hold an all-candidates meeting for the 2026 municipal election, and we are counting on you to help us write the discussion questions.This is a time when things are changing...
Grand Trunk: the building holds the solution
Architect to offer “Christmas Present” to City HallStratford’s Grand Trunk site is hard to miss. It’s an 18-acre property in the downtown core, once the home of the Grand Trunk Railway Locomotive Repair Shops. It is a source of pride, featuring largely in the City’s...
Opinion: Let’s do the math on affordable/attainable housing
The problem with affordable housing is that nobody seems to know what it is. I’m not saying the City hasn’t been working on housing. Look at the Attainable Housing Project Summary Report, published in May of 2023. That took some time to be acted on, but it led to the...
OPINION: Councillor Wordofa’s proposal for a homeless shelter
Link to meeting video & minutes Sometimes I complain about Council, but last week they really earned their salary: the meeting lasted nearly five hours. So much talking. Sitting in the audience, it was pretty easy to imagine being in a homeless shelter entrance,...
GUEST POST: Sebringville’s probelm is Stratford’s problem too.
In 2012, a development proposal for a patch of farmland on Sebringville’s edge wasquietly shelved. The project faced a wall of provincial safeguards: a firm EnvironmentalAssessment process, strict groundwater protection rules, and a public system that,...
Loreena McKennitt on Stratford’s new CAO
With the retirement of Joan Thompson, the City of Stratford is looking for a new CAO. This is not just another boring administrative detail, but an extremely important step for us, as Loreena McKennitt made clear in a recent presentation to Council. The CAO...