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VE Day Cream Tea with Louise & Family
Louise Marten and her sister, Patricia Morris, changed my life. Bold statement. True, though. More on those two in a minute. I’m named after a Second World War pilot. J. Grant Fleming, my father’s...
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Dinner with Maxine Ruvinsky
From a Distance: My Dinner with Maxine Ruvinsky Once upon a time — before time — Maxine Ruvinsky attended a performance by Stratford’s musical legend, Loreena McKennitt. It was held in Max’s hometown,...
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Monkey’s Paw Weekend with Trish Thornton (Ep. 3 of 3)
Today, two numbers leap off the page. Mary and Kirk Thornton attended the Stratford Theatre Festival for more than 60 consecutive years, dating all the way back to the year the fledgling festival was...
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Victoria Day Hockey Weekend with Trish Thornton (Ep. 2 of 3)
Varna. Ever heard of it? Me, neither. Not until I drove past it awhile back. It’s a blink-and-miss ‘burgh, 45 minutes west of Stratford. … Trish Thornton’s great, great aunt, Eleanor, knew Varna. Her...
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Whisky and Wakeboard Weekend with Trish Thornton (Ep. 1 of 3)
Trish sips cheap whisky while gazing out across her lake. She listens for cowbirds and loons while her cats lounge, soaking up the afternoon sun. It’s “May 2-4” weekend. She’s feeling loose, but some...
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Loreena McKennitt and Dr. Marlene Janzen Le Ber, on women and leadership...
Loreena McKennitt is a legend. The Celtic and world music singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist has turned out 16 studio and live records, toured the globe and earned a staggering collection of...
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Interview with Jasmine Clark
Ms Clark is the executor director of Optimism Place, the women’s shelter in Stratford, Ontario. I caught up with her recently to ask her how things are going during the Covid-19 crisis. “Right now...
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Interview with the mayor of Stratford. (Part 2 of 2)
Stratford faces a rough road ahead. Its world-famous theatre festival is closed. No one is coming to town to eat in the fine restaurants and spend money in the quaint shops. The streets are empty....
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Interview with the mayor of Stratford. (Part 1 of 2)
In late 2019, a mysterious illness began to infect people in the sprawling city of Wuhan, in the province of Hubei (China). It spread fast. Authorities locked down the city and other parts of the...
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Life in Wiikwemkoong: Ashlee Manitowabi zooms in
Things are quiet these days in Wiikwemkoong Unceded Territory. Ashlee Manitowabi is keeping busy while there’s no place to go. Ashlee’s community is located on Manitoulin Island, 325 km north of...
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