Stratford: an unlikely economic diversification story
How $125 turned a railroad town into a theatre mecca
If you grew up in Ontario, odds are you’ve heard of Stratford. When I thought of Stratford, I thought of a quaint little town that’s periodically overrun by school field trips and a gaggle of theatre devotees. Frankly, even as a regular theatre-goer, it seemed like a boring place to spend a weekend. I was wrong.
Stratford is an old railway town roughly halfway between Kitchener and London, about forty kilometers north of the 401. A town of thirty thousand surrounded by farmland isn’t the first place you’d expect to find a theatre festival. Let alone one that draws big name actors.
Nothing about Stratford’s geography or demographics made it an obvious site for an arts hub. It started off as a quixotic economic diversification ploy.
Tom Patterson was a journalist and local resident. He was no artiste, but he wanted to do something big to help his town, which recently lost 2000 jobs when a steam locomotive repair plant closed in 1951. That was devastating for a town of 18,000.
A Shakespeare Festival probably seemed like a strange idea for a railway town in decline. And it wasn’t exactly in Tom’s wheelhouse. But he managed to persuade city council to shell out $125 to get the ball rolling. It’s the kind of small bet that cities and towns make all the time. Usually, the results are modest. Not this time.
The Stratford Festival has been running for over 70 years. There are four permanent venues, and roughly a thousand employees. The Government of Canada estimates that the festival generates $140 million annually. In short, the bet paid off.
Of course, it’s not news that Stratford has a big theatre festival. What’s interesting is that it’s actually a fun place to visit - not just for school kids and retirees, but for couples looking for a low-stakes but enjoyable weekend getaway.
The first thing that struck me is that Stratford is much more walkable than I imagined. You can get the train in from Toronto, and walk comfortably from the station to Downtown Stratford.
The surprising thing about Downtown Stratford is that it exists at all. Again, this is a small town that isn’t part of a larger metro area. Generally, you don’t expect a town of this size to have a walkable, contiguous core.
You can easily spend a weekend roaming around Stratford, taking in a show or two. All four venues are walkable from Downtown, albeit Festival Theatre is a little bit further out (20 minutes from the Parlour Inn, where we stayed).
The real shocker is the dining scene. The city punches well above it’s weight. Lovage, in particular, stood out. It’s a cute little wine bar on Wellington Street. It’s not just good: it’s luxurious (have a look at their Instagram account). They could open up on Queen West and they’d be a hit. There was a time not so long ago when there was a wide gap between restaurants in large and small towns. That gap is shrinking.
Whether it’s fine dining, coffee, or cocktails, there are legitimately great options. Edison’s Cafe does a great iced americano, and Revel has good cold brew. If cocktails are your thing, look no further than the Relic Lobby Bar.
The great thing is, it’s all close together. There’s no rushing around, Ubering from place to place. You can wake up at your hotel, walk to a café, explore the Shakespeare Gardens, have a cocktail, catch a show, and have a nice dinner without ever walking more than twenty minutes. That’s my kind of vacation!
Of course, not every town can just decide to become a theatre mecca. And not every economic diversification strategy works out. Small, quirky bets might pay off, though. Not every city needs a stadium or a convention center to make it. Sometimes all it takes is $125 and a dream.1
Technically, you need about $1400 and a dream, in 2023 dollars.