30 YRS OF HAT MAKING
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STRATFORD VOLUME 5 • ISSUE 38
19 FREE
MAY 8, 2026
CELEBRATING 20 YEARS! ANNIVERSARY
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New crosswalk coming downtown AMANDA NELSON Times Reporter
A new pedestrian crossover is coming to Downie Street to improve walkability in the downtown core. Tom Edge, who lost his sight in 2022, has been pushing for a lighted crosswalk in the downtown core for the past three years. With construction now underway outside the Avon Theatre, that change is finally becoming a reality. The City of Stratford confirmed that the work will result in a Type B, Level 2 pedestrian crossover (PXO), which includes a rapid-flashing beacon mounted above the crossover sign. The city aims to have the project substantially completed by the end of next week to minimize disruption to theatre operations. The tender for the project was approved on April 13. The crossover itself was identified for consideration in both the 2021 Downtown Traffic Study and the 2023 Transportation Master Plan. “Stratford is a vibrant, walkable city, and there is no better place to experience that than downtown in the summer,” said Taylor Crinklaw, director of infrastructure services with the city. “To support an active community, council has proactively funded studies and invested in infrastructure improvements that strengthen accessibility and pedestrian safety. This project is one of many identified in the city’s 10-year infrastructure planning forecast.” For Edge, the need for a safe crossing on Downie Street has been both practical and urgent. He said navigating the street without traffic signals or accessible crossing features has long been a challenge. Currently, the nearest safe crossing requires walking to Huron Street – a detour, he said, that can CONTINUED TO PAGE 4
(VICTOR EMMANUEL GUTIERREZ PHOTO)
Grade 12 St. Mike’s student Vincent Macissac, representing the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), stands in the auditorium of Stratford City Hall during the tri-school Model UN summit on April 30.
Stratford students tackle global conflict at Model UN
AMANDA NELSON Times Reporter
Students from all three Stratford high schools, Nancy Campbell Academy, St. Michael Catholic Secondary School and Stratford District Secondary School (SDSS), once again met at the Stratford City Hall auditorium for the second annual Regional Model United Nations (MUN). This educational simulation of a real United Nations aims to teach students essential skills in diplomacy, public speaking, negotiation and research by simulating UN committees. MUN also aims to help senior students understand
global affairs, international relations and complex world problems, while fostering critical thinking, teamwork and leadership skills necessary for future careers. More than that, Mark Boersen, organizer and teacher at St. Michael Catholic Secondary School, says the program also aims to connect local students and foster a sense of friendship throughout the city. “Our MUN is really the only venue that allows for all three Stratford high schools to come together and to work together in a diplomatic fashion to try and work through an issue,” he said. “More importantly, I suppose that there is an aspiration that our local MUN builds a stronger community. CONTINUED TO PAGE 5