The Stratford Slice

As the Stratford Symphony launches its 18th season with its first in-person concert series since 2019, Craig chats with Bill Rowson, the SSO’s music director and principal conductor about the orchestra and how it’s attracting attention well beyond Stratford.

Former Toronto Star journalist John Goddard is fascinated by small town history.  In his latest book, he takes us back in time to the 1890s and the tragic tale of murder in Listowel - a crime that shocked Canada and led to Stratford’s first hanging.

When Bruce Whitaker cashed out of the world of tech and international finance, he had no definite plan but knew he wanted to raise his family in a small town.  His path to Stratford has since led to award-winning heritage restorations, a skateboard park and a vision for the future of his community.

When Ken Gene was growing up in Stratford he was one of the few “Chinese” kids in town.  For him, life revolved around his family’s restaurant where he worked after school - a business which he took over after a career in Toronto. He talks about his motivation for founding Stratford’s popular Rotary Dragon Boat Festival, the history of the Chinese community here and the gradual demise of small-town Chinese restaurants.

Dr. Sean Blaine became something of a YouTube sensation during the pandemic - offering timely commentary and widely viewed advice on how to navigate the shifting landscape of COVID-19.  Dr. Blaine discusses the current crisis facing health care in Ontario and in particular how it’s impacting smaller communities. He also shares his love for progressive rock and how it helped him through the most intense and stressful period in his career.

Retired Stratford Firefighter Kevin Aitcheson shares the story of his brush with fame as an outfielder with Major League Baseball’s Toronto Blue Jays.  He talks about what it was like playing several seasons with the Blue Jays organization with their minor league affiliates and how that experience prepared him for the teamwork on the front line as a first responder.

Craig Thompson, host of The Stratford Slice, turns the microphone on himself as he reflects upon his career as a writer, director and producer in the Canadian and international film and television production industry. With the assistance of collaborator Rick Whelan, Craig shares stories of his early days in his hometown of Stratford and his subsequent career as a journalist and foreign correspondent covering important events such as the conflict in Northern Ireland and the end of the Cold War. He discusses with Rick his 40+ year career working with some of the world’s best-known personalities and how he adapted his skills as a storyteller to documentary filmmaking

Internationally renowned and Stratford-based visual artist Maxine Noel is celebrated for her representations of the Indigenous woman as the embodiment of Mother Earth. She has used her art to unveil the untold stories of abused women and to promote history, culture, reconciliation and environmental stewardship. An advocate for emerging artists, she was a leading force behind the National Aboriginal Achievement Foundation—now known as Indspire—and its awards program. A mentor and a volunteer, she continues to use art to bridge the gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people across Canada.

Rick Whelan is an award-winning playwright, journalist and screenwriter. He began his professional life as an actor, appearing as Charlie Brown in the U.S. national company of You’re A Good Man, Charlie Brown and lured to Canada by his wife Cathy, who played Lucy in the touring production. He has worked with such luminaries as Maggie Smith, Brian Bedford, Jean Stapleton and Walter Pidgeon and spent four seasons as a member of the acting company at the Stratford Festival. His plays have been produced in theatres all across the U.S. and Canada, including at Stratford, the Barter Theatre (Virginia), the Actors’ Theatre of Louisville and Ottawa’s National Arts Centre. Rick sits down with Craig to discuss his career and his observations of the changes taking place in the land of his birth.

It’s hard to boil down the life of Lesley Walker Fitzpatrick into a few short sentences, but suffice to say it’s been eclectic. She’s the original Energizer Bunny - an actress, scholar, magician, photographer, filmmaker, amanuensis, model, dancer, and guardian and soulmate to her disabled brother, the acclaimed poet John C. Walker.   Lesley joins Craig to discuss her passion for preserving Stratford’s unique character and local heritage

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