Like any region that has a deep history, these local legends do more than just entertain: they also provide insight into everyday life during bygone times, and can even help you understand the character of the people who live in Stratford, Ontario, today. When the...
For the gardener in all of us, any exploration of Stratford, Ontario, in the warmer months has to include the town’s world-class gardens. Topping the list (though it’s a challenge to pick a favourite) is the Shakespearean Gardens, which has more than 60 varieties of...
If you’re a fan of buying locally produced food, then Stratford is your 100-mile-diet dream. A trip in the fall means the 100-miler will have plenty of options: Orchard fruits of various types, Niagara wines, loads of locally crafted beers and just about every type of...
If you’re like me, you’re probably a fan of pub grub. In Stratford, Ontario, you can get plenty of that along the Bacon and Ale Trail. Since Stratford has a rich brewing history and Perth County is Ontario’s largest pork producer, the Bacon and Ale Trail will let you...
I have to admit, although I’m a dedicated fitness enthusiast, another passion that I have to counterbalance is my love of food. Our recent summer holiday offered the perfect blend of exercise and indulging in the farm and seafood culture of Prince Edward Island. My...
My partner and I sold our 150-year-old stone house in Galt, Ontario, in August 2016. We sold it on Facebook, actually, but that’s another story. Since then, we’ve zigzagged back and forth from Prince Edward County to Northumberland to Point Pelee to Long Point,...
Summer. Six letters, two syllables, four consonants and two vowels. Though its ambiguous and smooth phonetic exclamation is short (much like itself), the two-month sabbatical from the harsh realities of adolescence and adulthood isn’t lost among a single soul on...
Known as much for her famous family as for her musical hits, Martha Wainwright is back with her sixth studio album. Born in New York City to folk legends Kate McGarrigle and Loudon Wainwright III, Wainwright is sister to Rufus Wainwright and half-sister to Lucy...
A collection of songs inspired by love, life and death, Jenn Grant’s Compostela is a heartfelt tribute to her mother, Spain and her lakeside home. Three-time Juno nominee Grant took home the award for Solo Recording of the Year at the 2016 East Coast Music Awards for...
For the past twenty years Sally Miller has worked in, researched and taught about alternative food in Canada and the U.S. Mostly recently she's spent her days interviewing farmers across Ontario. The news isn't good. As she writes in her new book Belongings: The Fight...
Ramon Humeres is no stranger to puzzles or adventures. The 60-year-old Toronto dentist has been tackling thorny enigmas for years. And, his favourite photo is of him skydiving. Humeres discovered the six sets of journal pages for The Strange Copper Cylinders of...
For the past 25 years, Tree Canada has been raising money and awareness of the importance of trees, not just for nature, but for the quality of human lives as well. “We are constantly trying to educate communities on the importance of urban forests,” says Richard...
Neighbours may hate them, teenagers may love them and landowners may find that they can’t do without them, but regardless of where you stand on the spectrum, there’s no denying that all-terrain vehicles have become part of the fabric of rural life. In many parts of...
Steampunk is a shapeshifter. A sub-genre of science fiction, it can wrap itself around any genre form of fandom you can name. Steampunk Batman? No problem. Steampunk Harry Potter? Yep. Steampunk Pride and Prejudice? Done that. Steampunk imagines a world where...
In 1912 the eccentric (and fictional) Canadian inventor, Thaddeus Barnes set out on a unique journey across Canada. His mission? To hide six copper cylinders containing pieces of a brass key. The fully assembled key would unlock Barnes’ safe, a safe full of his...