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CREATORS OF CLASSIC CITY PAGE
STRATFORD VOLUME 5 • ISSUE 39
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MAY 15, 2026
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Saying goodbye to Diane Sims GALEN SIMMONS Regional Editor
My friend, Diane Sims, was the unwavering author of her own life, and she wouldn’t let anyone – not family, not doctors, not her illness – tell her how her story would come to an end. On Friday, May 8, Diane ended her story the way she wanted. Her body had been failing for longer than I’d known her, the result of living with end-stage Multiple Sclerosis (MS), and she made the decision to end her suffering by proceeding with Medical Assistance in Dying (MAiD) – a mercy of our modern health-care system she had long advocated for, earning her the Order of Canada, and one that allowed her to live and die on her own terms. Three days prior to Diane’s death, she and her husband, Dennis Young, invited me to visit with Diane and interview her one last time. Diane was many things – an author, an advocate, a loyal friend and a force to reckon with – but she was a journalist at her core, and that’s probably why we got along so well. I was nervous going to see Diane. I had only experienced one other deathbed conversation with my dad, and I wasn’t sure what state she’d be in when I saw her. Would she even have enough energy to talk in any depth? It was shortly after 4 p.m. when I walked into Diane’s bedroom at home. She was in bed with Dennis, they were watching some detective show on Netflix they both enjoyed, and the window was wide open, ushering in a refreshing chill. Diane said she appreciated the fresh air. Diane turned off the show and Dennis nodded a quick greeting before rolling over and closing his eyes. Before long, he was snoring softly, an oddly calming backdrop as Diane and I talked. CONTINUED TO PAGE 2
(CONNOR LUCZKA PHOTO)
In typical Canadian fashion, Stratford resident Samm Simon holds a Tim Hortons coffee as he runs through Milverton. Simon is running from the Fesitval City to Tobermory, a total of 251 kilometres, in support of the cancer programs at the London Health Sciences Centre, Stratford General Hospital and Wellspring Stratford. As of press time, he has raised $22,000, split equally with the organizations.
City files legal challenge against province
CONNOR LUCZKA
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
After numerous Stratford city councillors spoke out against the Province of Ontario’s strong mayor powers, council has followed through and filed a legal challenge against them. Following council directive from its May 27, 2025 meeting, the City of Stratford and its solicitor have filed an application through the court, arguing the legislation “raises constitutional considerations, including
that the strong mayor legislation is inconsistent with Section 3 of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms and the unwritten constitutional principles of the rule of law and democracy resulting in the removal of effective representation on city council,” according to a media release from the city. Specifically, the city’s application seeks to have the strong mayor legislation be declared as having no force and effect. It argues the legislation undermines the ability for elected officials to have an equal voice CONTINUED TO PAGE 4