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STRATFORD VOLUME 5 • ISSUE 3
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AUGUST 29, 2025
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With the GTR committee coming to a close, here’s where the keystone project stands today CONNOR LUCZKA Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
The ad hoc Grand Trunk renewal (GTR) committee, the citizen-led body which has advised Stratford city council on matters pertaining to its keystone revitalization project of the former locomotive shop grounds, will be disbanding next month. Throughout its two-year mandate, the committee has helped shape what will become of the 18-acre site, although when exactly its vision can be realized is still up in the air. “Together, we’ve built a vision that honours diverse community voices and sets out a practical, yet ambitious roadmap,” Mayor Martin Ritsma shared in a letter directed to the committee at its Aug. 25 meeting. “It’s not easy to steward a project of this scale, but we’ve struck a balance – laying the foundation for a neighbourhood that will rejuvenate this site and become a defining part of Stratford’s next chapter.” Over two years, the GTR committee has formulated the vision and guiding principles for the project, updated the timeline and provided clarity on questions and misconceptions about the site, and has held regular discussions between its members and guest speakers. CONTINUED TO PAGE 6
(AMANDA MODARAGAMAGE PHOTO) Stratford Festival cricketer Evan Mercer sits with his teammates as they take in the words of the annual Stratford-Shaw game's opening ceremony. For more on the Aug. 25 match, read our story on page 15.
Lake Victoria to steadily fill for 28th Dragon Boat Festival CONNOR LUCZKA Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
Over the next few days, Stratford residents will notice a sharp increase in Lake Victoria’s water-levels – just in time for the city’s 28th Rotary Dragon Boat Festival on Sept. 13. That wasn’t an accident. Robert Ritz, chair of the organizing committee, has been hard at work since
the lake began to drain late July in order to make sure the waterfront is ready for the festival. As he told the Times, however, it hasn’t been just him. “My focus right now is getting water in the river,” Ritz said. “I’m also working with other businesses to do ‘in-kind’ for us, so it’s a real community effort to make it happen by the teams who have the ability to do it.” CONTINUED TO PAGE 2
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