History and Heritage: Explore Stratford From Another Time
Explore Stratford on a self-guided heritage walk. There are multiple walks to choose from, stop by Destination Stratford at 47 Downie Street in downtown Stratford to pick up one of the brochures. At most stops, you can use a smartphone to scan a featured QR code in your guide. When accessed, these codes offer a brief additional audio commentary for the stop. It’s THAT simple.
Tours now available as Self-Guided Audio Tours!
Share your Stratford Stories!
Your stories add to the fabric of the Stratford Experience. We invite you to share them. Share them with us, and share them with the world using the hashtag, #StratfordStories.
#StratfordStories: Thomas Edison Early Innovations in St. Marys, Ontario
Forty six Ontario Street is where a teenage Thomas Edison lived when he worked in the Grand Trunk Railway station in Stratford and the Junction Station in St. Marys.
As a night telegraph operator, Edison was to send a special signal on the hour to ensure he was alert. Testing a new invention, Edison rigged his “6 call” to run like clockwork, signaling every hour so he could read or catch a few “Z’s”.
He was fired when he slept through an incoming message to warn the engineers of two trains that they were on a collision course, narrowly averting disaster.
#StratfordStories: Alec Guinness Brings the Force to Stratford, Ontario
The Force was with him. Much to his chagrin, the role of Obi-Wan Kenobi from the Star Wars Trilogy, is undoubtedly one of Alec Guinness’ most famous.
Trained in classical theatre, Guinness moved to Stratford Ontario to join his friend Tyrone Guthrie at the Stratford Festival Theatre in 1953. Guinness was in the Festival’s first performance as Richard III on July 13, 1953.
#StratfordStories: Wayne Gretzky scored his first minor hockey goal in Stratford
Stratford’s William Allman arena is the site of Wayne Gretzky’s first minor hockey goal in 1968. The real question is who was the goalie? The Arena is one of the last remaining examples of the Ice Palaces built in North America during the 1920s and ’30s.
The Stratford Adventure
Directed by Morten Parker in 1954, this short film depicts how a small Canadian city, bearing the name of Stratford, created its own renowned Shakespearean theatre. The film talks about how the idea sparked, how a famous British director and international talent were recruited, and how the Stratford Shakespearean Festival finally became a triumphant reality.
For more background information on this film, please visit the NFB.ca blog: http://bit.ly/GXz1E.
