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SURVIVOR'S MARATHON PAGE
STRATFORD VOLUME 5 • ISSUE 24
20 FREE
JANUARY 30, 2026
Andrew Darling
A Passion for People
Mortgage Agent Level 1, Lic #M25000482
SHERRIE ROULSTON
Real Estate Broker email: sherrieroulston@royallepage.ca Direct: 519-272-3578
“Get 25+ years in the mortgage industry working for you.” Cell: 226.376.1641 Email: Andrew.Darling@mortgagegroup.com Web: www.andrewd.tmgbroker.com
Police looking to boost mall safety in 2026 AMANDA NELSON Times Reporter
At the recent Police Service Board meeting, safety at the local mall was a top concern. Due to heightened theft and criminal activity at the Stratford Mall, Stratford police have met with mall representatives to discuss how they can help reduce the issue and improve safety for residents. Chief Greg Skinner said he met with representatives from the Stratford Mall to discuss ongoing crime and theft, specifically at Paris Jewellers, as well as security and criminal activity that has occurred in the mall over the past 18 months. Skinner said his discussion focused on several aspects of safety and increasing police presence, which he said will deter criminals and improve safety. One strategy is to increase patrols by having police presence on site more often. Skinner said this is one approach that has already begun and has so far helped reduce ongoing theft and robberies. “We have increased the presence of officers parked in the parking lots with a cruiser or walking through the mall,” he said. “We have been doing that since the last couple of robberies, and they are very grateful for the work that has been done by the members of our police force in increasing their visibility as a preventative piece.” Another option discussed to increase safety, Skinner said, was the potential for a police kiosk in the mall to promote safety and reduce risk. He noted that severCONTINUED TO PAGE 3
(CONTRIBUTED PHOTO)
Organizers MJ Thomson, Barb Cottle, Jamie Cottle, Alison Robinson, Gerry Bell and Kelan Herr pose behind Susan Graham and Jeremy Hunt at this year’s Winterfest celebration on Jan. 24. Not pictured are organizers Kate Ahrens, Lance Gibson, Tammy Stoddart and Cameron Ohlman.
Winterfest 2026 continues to be a web for community
CONNOR LUCZKA
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
The forecast for Saturday, Jan. 24 called for a low of -22º Celsius, one of the coldest days of January. That didn’t stop this year’s Stratford Winterfest. “We do it because we love our community,” organizer MJ Thomson told the Times. “We do it for two reasons. One, we all really get along well and we work well as a team. And secondly, we love our community and we think that we make a difference in the winter. I think we
make an incredible difference in how people perceive the long winter and having it at the end of January, when it's well past the Christmas buzz, and we're still six weeks out from feeling any kind of warmth, especially this year, I think we make a big difference.” Originally started in the late ‘90s, Winterfest has been a Stratford staple for nearly 30 years. Over that time, the show has morphed and changed, and Thomson (who is celebrating 18 years as a volunteer) said the most interesting changes have been the people. As families have come CONTINUED TO PAGE 2