TINY HOMES
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WARRIORS LOSS
STRATFORD VOLUME 5 • ISSUE 36
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16 FREE
APRIL 24, 2026
A Passion for People
Maria Walsh 519-272-3229
walshremax@gmail.com
Judah Bootsma 519-272-4378
Judah.remax@gmail.com
SHERRIE ROULSTON
Real Estate Broker email: sherrieroulston@royallepage.ca Direct: 519-272-3578
Go Train pulls back in to Stratford GALEN SIMMONS Regional Editor
After more than two years without GO Train service, Stratford will once again be connected directly to Toronto by rail beginning July 6, this time with what provincial and local officials say will be a permanent, year-round expansion of service. The announcement was made April 17 at the Stratford train station, where Mayor Martin Ritsma and members of Stratford city council were joined by Perth-Wellington MPP Matthew Rae, Ontario Transportation Minister Prabmeet Sarkaria and Metrolinx president and CEO Michael Lindsay. According to the province, the expanded service will include one daily round trip between Stratford and Toronto on the Kitchener GO line. Standing at the station with a big smile on his face Friday morning, Ritsma called the announcement the result of years of advocacy and collaboration among the city, Metrolinx, VIA Rail, CN Rail and the province. “These things don’t happen without great conversation, great delegations and great collaboration,” Ritsma said. “I think about the impact of what we’re doing here today … for individuals that work here in Stratford and then commute to Toronto, to the GTA. I think about the students that come to Stratford for education and go beyond Stratford for education. I think about our tourists.” On weekdays, the service is intended primarily for commuters and students, with a morning train from CONTINUED TO PAGE 3
(GALEN SIMMONS PHOTO)
For the first time since 2023, a GO Train was back at the Stratford train station April 17, signalling its permanent return with daily round-trip service to and from Stratford beginning July 6.
Councillors push back on Ritz’s GTR plans CONNOR LUCZKA Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
As City of Stratford staff, consultants and council have worked to get closer to a vision of what a revitalized Grand Trunk could look like, local architect Robert Ritz has developed his own, garnering a huge amount of support from the public. Though his plan has been shared with staff and council, and could perhaps mesh with what they propose, it was not publicly discussed by council – until this week that is. On April 20, council held a special meeting to hear from the public on the proposed path forward, which includes formalizing partnerships with the YMCA of Three Rivers and the Stratford Public Library, plan for
a $15 million city contribution to a shared community hub including the Y and library and begin developing the facility design, operating and ownership model. A total of 12 members of the public shared their thoughts either through written correspondence or delegating, including Ritz. “It’s not just about deciding the future of the GTR site, but for many of us here, it’s primarily to determine the fate of the building itself,” Ritz said during his presentation. “I believe that most people in this room share the same perspective as the ad hoc committee did. We want to preserve as much of the building as possible, and I feel the same way about it. “… I think it would be a lost opportunity,” Ritz emoCONTINUED TO PAGE 2