A Q&A with one of the creators of the new Streets of Stratford website

Each week, we share a story about one of the Streets of Stratford contributed by Paul Wilker and Gord Conroy. We were curious about why and how this site was created.

Beacon: Tell me Paul, what was the origin of the new Streets of Stratford site?

Wilker: When COVID broke out in March 2021, I was looking for a hobby to pass the time. I came across my mother’s musty old scrapbooks that had a series of 180 articles about the naming of the streets of Stratford. They were written by Stanford Dingman of the Stratford Beacon Herald in the 1980s. So, I decided to preserve the stories by scanning them and creating a website. I had no idea it would grow to be a monster.

Beacon: How were you able to obtain so much material ?

Wilker: Over almost three years, we found stories about people and places who were linked to the streets on various websites and from pictures and stories contributed by more than 70 residents.

The Stratford-Perth Archives provided an invaluable resource for stories and vintage photos while Dean Robinson, a local author and historian whose books tell many stories of Stratford and area, contributed material from his books and helped with editing. Vince........

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