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About Stratford go
90 miles (120 car minutes) west of Toronto, lies Stratford, largest city in Perth County, located right in the middle of Ontario’s prime food producing area. Is this Camelot? We came to enjoy:
– culture and entertainment
– renowned food production and world class dining
– beautiful and unique scenery
– active outdoor adventures and recreation
– rich history
– stimulating people interaction
Weekend visit or extended vacation – much to savor here. Plays, charming hamlets, countryside, hand crafted furniture, antiques, local produce, arts and crafts – some of the choices. Taste farm raised game meats, crawl pubs, feed swans, paddle a canoe or kayak on Avon River, cycle or walk all over town, hike trails to birdwatch. Tour historic Stratford – finely conserved 19th century homes, churches, commercial and civic buildings. On a self guided tour of Stratford’s Avondale Cemetery visit the graves of early settlers. Factoid: Young Thomas Edison lived in Stratford while working as a night signal operator for the Grand Trunk Railway.
Stratford Shakespeare Festival go
Perhaps the most prominent Canadian arts event, this annual (April-November) live theater festival is renowned worldwide. Theater pilgrims from outside Canada, especially British and American, flock to the “wooden O” upon the hill as to sacred ground. Festival success has dramatically changed Stratford into a city valuing arts and tourism. Many of the finest restaurants are open only during theatre season.
Shows are performed in four permanent theaters: Festival, Avon, Tom Patterson, Studio. Shakespeare represents 1/3 of the programs, the rest, classical and contemporary works and musicals. Theatergoers, actors, and playwrights come to Stratford to see great Canadian, British and American actors playing roles here.
History: The Festival exists because Tom Patterson, a Stratford-native journalist, wanted to economically invigorate the town when it faced a disastrous loss of jobs with the closing of the Grand Trunk Railroad. On October 31, 1952 the festival began, dedicating itself to Shakespeare works since the town shares the name of his birthplace. First Artistic Director was British actor/director Tyrone Guthrie. On July 13, 1953, the first performance was held in a giant canvas tent on the Avon River banks. Actor Alec Guinness spoke the 1st lines of the 1st play: “Now is the winter of our discontent / Made glorious summer by this son of York.” The season lasted 6 weeks, with 2 plays: Richard III and All’s Well That Ends Well. The second year the playbill expanded to 3 shows including the 1st non-Shakespeare play, Oedipus Rex. The Festival Theatre built on a ridge above the Avon River opened 1957. It was designed to resemble a tent, in memory of those early performances.
Food, farms, cuisine
Perth County, in south-western Ontario, does not touch any of the Great Lakes. It is rural farm country with many hamlets. Stratford is the largest city. The culinary traditions of this area – nose to tail, slow food, farm to table, seed to plate, pitchfork to table fork, 100 mile rule – exist because local farmers grow great food and local chefs are trained to create healthy beautiful dishes from the freshest local ingredients. A pre-historic lake bed, the soil is rich in calcium, sand and organics. Perth farmers protect and enhance the fertility of the land with their farming practices. There is pride among the farmers we meet. There is also concern and strong interest in maintaining land for farming and in helping young farmers acquire land to farm. Game meats and pork are produced in the area. The renowned Stratford Chef School, with it’s innovative educational design, trains chefs who make gastronomic magic around the world and go on to achieve international reputations.
Bayfield and Goderich
Settled 1826, these lovely lake-side towns, located on Lake Huron shores, 40 miles (1 1/2 hours driving leisurely) from Stratford, are low-key picturesque vacation spots with scenic, tree shaded streets, accessible beaches – charming and relaxing. Queen Victoria once commented that Goderich was “The prettiest town in Canada” – although no reigning monarch has ever visited Goderich. Here you can walk on a lakeside boardwalk, visit the Goal built 1841, see a history museum like none other, dine at a pub or gourmet restaurant, see a glorious lake sunset, watch commercial ship traffic moving grain and salt from Goderich Port, stroll unique town squares, walk the surrounding Carolinian forest.
