Canada Day in Market Square
Here is the line-up for events in Market Square, beginning at 11am; be sure to take part in this outstanding celebration:

• 11:00   Beard Contest at Front of City Hall
• 11:30    Ali Matthews on Legacy Stage 
• 11:30    Event opens, Vendors and Children's Activities 
• 12:00    Official Opening & Welcome on Main Stage
• 12:05    Singing of "Oh Canada"
• 12:10    Featured special Event
• 12:15    Stratford Festival performers
• 12:40    Greetings from Mayor Dan Mathieson & Ribbon Cutting Ceremony opening new Market Square.  Legacy Project unveiling
•  1:05    Emma Rouse, Stratford Star Winner
•  1:20    Bronze Star Presentations
•  1:50    The Mod-Era Reunion Band
•  2:10    Free Cupcakes!
•  2:15    Kolton Stewart featuring Silver Lining
•  3:00    DAN STACEY & BLACK SWANS with guests JUDY'S SCHOOL OF DANCE
•   4:00    Event Farewell

Stratford Market Square Committee will be proudly represented in the Ribbon Cutting Ceremony at 12:40pm with Mayor Dan Mathieson bringing greetings.  We anticipate that the Square will be packed so bring a fold-up chair or two, some lunch and spend the afternoon.  ​

We once again appreciate this Market Square update  from Nancy Roulston, Manager of Engineering, Infrastructure & Development Services with the City of Stratford.

This Week
The latest update – the fencing should come down today or Wednesday and the square will be open for pedestrians and parking.  The pay - by - license machines are installed and operational – one at each end of the square.  The legacy art project will remain covered until unveiling on Canada Day.  The water feature is finished, but still needs to be programed and will not be turned on until that is all worked out.  The electric car charging station is not operational yet, but we will let everyone know when it is ready.  As for more flowers – there will be hanging baskets on the light poles in the centre, and I believe there are two more planters available, we just have to work out suitable locations where they will not be in conflict with all of the uses that will be occupying the open spaces.

CANADA DAY IN MARKET SQUARE

Here is a link to the afternoon agenda for Canada Day festivities in Market Square.  After the morning activities along Lakeside Drive, the focus turns to the Square; there will clowns, faced orating, musicians and bands (Dan Stacey, Kolton Stuart and others) on a huge stage in the Square.  Also look for Judy's School of Dance, the annual Bronze Star Awards, food stations and more.  

The official ribbon-cutting ceremony opening the new Market Square begins at 12:45pm and includes the unveiling of the Sesquicentennial Legacy Project.
http://www.stratfordcanada.ca/en/visitus/canada-day-afternoon-celebrations.asp 

Key Dates  
Construction Complete (Latest)June 23, 2017
Canada Day in Market SquareJuly 1, 2017 

Take a look at the new sidewalk, in progress along south side of Market Square.  Photos courtesy of CC/BIA

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                Stratford City Councillor Danielle Ingram Reports on Market Square

Market Square Construction Update, April 19, 2017:
Last Week - Ro-Buck Contracting worked on completing the removals of surfaces around City Hall, the edging for the tree pits, and building up the base for the rear of City Hall to prepare the main market square area for concrete and pavers. The street lights on Market Place were also repaired. Access to City Hall was moved over to the Wellington Street side and is well marked with signage. The City water department is finishing up their first stage of work on the south end of Wellington, and this week the street will be opened up once more to one-way traffic.
This Week - The water department has a bit of additional work planned on Wellington for this week but there will be no disruption to the roads. There will also be work on the water feature installation.
MARKET PLACE SIDEWALK DISRUPTION
A reminder that the Market Place sidewalk will be shut down starting Monday, April 17th for one week, opening again on Monday, April 24th. On Monday, the existing sidewalk will be removed and backfilled with gravel, starting first at the Pizza Pizza end and moving west. On Tuesday and Wednesday, contractors will layout the curb location and install the concrete curb. On Thursday and Friday (and Saturday if necessary) the concrete and pavers will go in.

Key Dates  
City Centre BIA Annual General Meeting  
6:30 p.m.Tuesday, March 28
Anticipated Construction Completion May 12, 2016
Construction Complete (Latest) June 23, 2017

The Big Dig
Things are really moving along in Market Square and the big dig is underway.

City officials met  recently with the City Centre BIA and the dig contractor, Ro-Buck Contracting, to map out what is happening in the Square over the next few months. BIA members reported that they really appreciated the information-sharing and hope that this level of collaboration continues.

Here's what we know:

• Removal of above ground features in the Square will start on December 12 and fencing will start to go up.
• Sidewalks in front of businesses and immediately behind City Hall will stay, but the hard surface where cars used to park will start coming up.
• Watermain work will begin in January. We're guessing that its twisted and ancient system of pipes down there!
• This work will be followed by a lull until March when attention will shift to the sides and front of City Hall.
• With spring weather, work really begins in earnest and the overall concept for Market Square will begin to take shape with paving, outdoor furniture, lighting, trees etc.
• Contractors will work between 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on weekdays. Any weekend work will have to be approved by the City and contractors will need to comply with city noise by-laws.
• The Contractor cannot close any street without permission from the Engineering Department.  The contractor has applied for, and been granted, a road closure for Market Square from now until June 23. 
• Both the city and contractor will be responsible for easy-to-see signage and notice boards that will help the public navigate the Square during construction. Access to local businesses and the back of City Hall will be maintained as a priority.
• A monthly update meeting for local business owners and residents of the Market Square will be arranged at City Hall.
• Garbage and recycling collection (and drop off) within the Square will be maintained by the Contractor. 
• There will be implications for hydro, water and sewage during the projects, so the contractor will inform businesses and residents in the Square when, and if, there will be outages. The assumption is that they will all be brief.
• The contractor will work closely with the GSP design group to ensure that what gets built aligns with the master design.
• To the best of their abilities, the City will maintain access to the back of some Market Place businesses via Waldie's Lane, to allow for business and delivery access. 
• Bus transit services will continue to operate from a temporary location on George Street.

Rogers Hometown Hockey
Market Square was the site of a huge hockey-themed party this past weekend. The Rogers Hometown Hockey cavalcade arrived in the Square and demonstrated that it can be a great public event space, even in the cold and snow. Activities on the main stage in Market Square drew huge crowds over the weekend and programming included guest appearances by hockey commentators Ron MacLean and Tara Slone, along with a roster of hockey greats such as Lanny McDonald and Shayne Corson. Everywhere you looked, there was a kid in a hockey jersey! The Beacon Herald reports that over three million viewers got to see our beautiful town via the Rogers Hometown Hockey broadcasts.

Surviving the Big Dig
Apparently, Stratford is not the only community with big dig headaches. Rob Russell, President of the City Centre BIA, reports that in November, the Ontario Business Improvement Area Association hosted a training seminar that focused solely on how to survive a big dig. Not surprisingly, quite a number of other municipalities have planned and lived through a downtown revitalization project. And they had lots of good advice for businesses in Stratford. Communication and information-sharing topped the list of "must haves". The City Centre BIA in Stratford is having fun with the social media hashtag #WeDigDTstratford as they communicate with their customers and each other over the coming months.

Key Dates
December 12          Construction begins in Market Square

January                     Regular meetings of the contractor and City project leads begin                                 

January 10              A Residents and business owner meeting scheduled 3-5 p.m. inside City Hall.                          

Latest News on The Dig
The City of Stratford posted this information about temporary arrangements for the transit terminal during the construction period in Market Square:
Temporary Transit Terminal Starting December 8, 2016 to April 2017

Please be advised that due to Rogers Hometown Hockey (December 8,9,10,11) and the Market Square Revitalization project commencing December 12, 2016 the Bus Terminal will no longer be located behind City Hall. The temporary Bus Terminal will be moved to George Street beside the Avon Theatre (between Downie and Waterloo). The buses will line up in single file on George Street. Keep in mind that buses will not arrive in any specific order every time or have a specific parking spot on each arrival. Please use the route display sign on the sides of the bus in order that you board the correct bus.

George Street was selected in order that buses could attempt to maintain and continue the 30 minute service. Delays/lateness will occur from time to time due to numerous factors and circumstances not in Transit’s control. Please understand that Staff will be doing their best to get you to your destination as promptly as possible during the next several months and we appreciate your understanding during this transition.
Questions regarding should be directed to the Transit office at 519-271-0250, Ext. 264 during business hours.

• The new design for Market Square allows the City to maintain 32 parking spots in Market Square along the Market Place, on the south side of the Square.
• Four of these spots will be designated disabled.
• The City has designated another 50 parking spots at the Cooper Site where shoppers and workers can park for free all day.  These spaces will be constructed in the spring of 2017.
• City staff are looking at options to communicate about parking availability in the Erie Street Lot and the Kalbfleisch Lot during the construction period and beyond.
• Read about the City’s parking action plan at this link. http://www.stratfordcanada.ca/en/livehere/resources/Parking/ACTION-PLAN---October-2016.pdf
• The action plan will be implemented in phases.  First steps will be brought to the Infrastructure, Transportation and Safety Subcommittee on 21 December.
• Financing for Market Square has been allocated as follows:

Market Square Financing 
Water Reserves$191,000
Parking Reserves$100,000
Canada 150 Grant$250,000
Working Capital  Reserve$216,000
Walmart Donation$1,113,000
2017 Infrastructure Levy$250,000
Fundraising$100,000
2017 Budget$330,000
Total Construction Costs$2,550,000

Key Dates
December 1           First meeting of City Staff, the City Centre BIA and Ro-Buck Contracting

December 7           Rogers Hometown Hockey kick-off 
Book your lunch at the Stratford Country Club at 11:45am, hosted by the Stratford District Chamber of Commerce.  Guest speaker is Jay Feaster of Hockey Development for the Tampa Bay Lightnings   Call the Chamber for tickets and wear your favourite jersey!  Visit https://www.stratfordcanada.ca/en/playhere/rogers-hometown-hockey-stratford.asp#seven for the full schedule of events. 

December 10-11      Rogers Hometown Hockey in the Square.
 #HometownHockey
 This free festival will feature family-friendly programming and activities in Market Square all weekend long. Celebrate Canada's game by picking up a virtual autograph inside the Rogers Tent, meet your favourite NHL Alumni in the Scotiabank Community Locker Room, and cheer for your local minor hockey teams in the Cheer Like Never Before contest. And wear your team jersey!

-December 7 - 9   Rogers Hometown Hockey Skills Clinics - from 4pm to 6 p.m; on  December 10 at 1:30 to 4pm and December 11 11:30am to 1:00pm

-December 11- Rogers Hometown Hockey Activities from 12 noon to         10 p.m. with a live broadcast from Market Square with Ron MacLean at 6 p.m.

Every night, there’s lots of hockey happening at the William Allman arena as well.

Throughout this Hockey Palooza weekend there will be:
FREE Stratford Transit Service
FREE Parking at the Cooper Lot
FREE Shuttle from the Cooper Lot to Market Square

 
December 12            Construction begins in Market Square

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Nov. 21, 2016
                 Winning Sesquicentennial art project for Stratford Market Square!
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​Construction for Market Square redevelopment got the green light this week at City Council. Ro-Buck Contracting of London has been awarded the contract to begin the big dig that will transform Market Square in 2017. The goal is to complete all of the work around City Hall (front and back) in time for Canada Day. In addition to beautifying the space, the contractor has work to do on the water mains and electrical services under the Market Square platform.  More work on the pedestrian bump outs and pedestrian crossings will wait until after Canada Day so there is no disruption of civic celebrations. At the last Council meeting, City Councillors indicated how much they appreciate the importance of these pedestrian –related improvements, in terms of the function and appeal of Market Square.

Ro-buck Contracting out of London was selected after a careful tender process.  After pre-qualifying four firms to bid on the construction work, City staff issued Tender T16-13 which closed on 12 October 2016.  Three bids were received and were substantially higher than expected.  The additional expense appeared to be the result of a short construction timeline that extended through the winter, limited product sourcing, and an expanded project scope that now meant this revitalization project would be completed in one construction phase.  This included added provisional items such as pedestrian cross walks and traffic bump-outs, and revitalization at the front of City Hall.

Consequently, City staff worked with its consultant to revise the drawings and specifications and expand supply choice while maintaining the same quality and design.  The revised construction tender was then re-issued to the pre-qualified firms with the same look and feel as proposed.  The bids received were substantially lower, and staff presented them to Council.  On 14 November, Council awarded the contract with the proviso that some funding would have to come from the 2017 budget and from some public fundraising.
 
City staff and representatives of the City Centre Business Improvement Area (BIA) will begin meeting the week of 1 December to sort out the details, including the work schedule. Businesses understandably want to know how the work will proceed and its implications for access to their storefronts.  Work will begin the week of 12 December, however, storefronts will remain fully accessible throughout the December holiday season.  Market Square will also be used for the Rogers Hometown Hockey event (December 8 to11), prior to construction.  Finally, City staff tell us they will be bringing parking efficiencies and transit solutions to Council soon.
 
Here’s the link to the story filed by The Beacon Herald’s Mike Beitz after the Council meeting last week. http://www.stratfordbeaconherald.com/2016/11/15/stratfords-market-square-contract-awarded-work-to-begin-in-january
We’ll bring you more information as it becomes available.

Businesses on the Square
The businesses on Market Square are probably breathing a sigh of relief that access to their shops will be wide open through the Christmas season. And that means we all need to do a big chunk of our shopping in downtown Stratford. Watch the City Centre website for more info about special events for holiday shoppers. . http://www.stratfordcitycentre.ca/

Stratford Sesquicentennial Committee
Council also made a decision about Stratford’s 2017 Sesquicentennial Public Art Project. Councillors selected a proposed art project from Megan Schaff  (from the local architectural firm Marklevitz Architects Inc.) and collaborator, Matthew Hartney, who is a restaurant design instructor working to complete his studies in architecture (top of posting).  This project involves a series of panels that will be placed around a tree on the Downie Street side of Market Square. The panels will feature etched images of historic scenes from Stratford’s past. You can bet there will be a train in there.  The schedule for this installation has not been finalized yet.

New Business on Market Square
Here’s a shout out to two new businesses on Market Square. Visit them soon!
Meet your Maker
62 Wellingston Street
Meet Your Maker has been local artist Leigh Cooney’s dream for a while. The shop on Wellington is a boutique focusing on handmade, small-batch, artisanal goods, with a tiny 300 square foot gallery at the back which showcases subversive, contemporary, unusual "Neo-Folk" inspired art on the fringe. https://www.facebook.com/meetyourmakergallery
 
Bard’s Steakhouse and The Hub
27 Market Place
Congrats to Kevin Larson and his team. The Hub has been open this season, but now the Steakhouse has been launched. Great food and a great view of Market Square!
http://www.27marketplace.com/ 

Outdoor Christmas Market
November 20th, 10am to 4pm
George Street, between Waterloo St. and Downie St.
Don't miss the second annual Victorian inspired open air market where 35 local artisans showcase their wares, sure to put you into the spirit of Christmas.  Santa oversees activities for children in the Avon Theatre.  Oh yes, musicians from our very own Stratford Symphony Orchestra will provide the sweet sounds of the season! 

How to Get Involved
Talk to us and follow us on social media.  And let us know if you want to be on our distribution list.
Website:      www.stratfordmarketsquare.ca
E-mail:        stratfordmarketsquare15@gmail.com
                  www.facebook.com/StratfordMarketSquare
                  @StratfordMktSq #MyMarketSquare
 
The City of Stratford posts information about Market Square at https://www.stratfordcanada.ca/en/insidecityhall/Market-Square.asp

Mark your calendars for Stratford's version September 30th to October 2nd.  Again this year, the Stratford Market Square will be hosting three activities at our booth at the Sunday Slow Food Market, 10am to 2pm -  Tour The Square, Colour The Square and Taste The Square.  Visit our page at www.onculturedays.ca 

Over the last five to six years, local author Marianne Brandis has been documenting some of Market Square’s rich history. We’d like to suggest that you re-visit some of the terrific historic information that she has gathered, preparing more than a dozen articles that were published in the Stratford Gazette. For example, in this June, 2012 piece http://tinyurl.com/jld2dx7 she wrote about the pedestrianizing of Broadway, in New York City.  Marianne quotes Janette Sadik-Khan, New York's Commissioner of Transportation for 6 years and who was responsible for that and other developments, saying, “Whenever we create a public space … people just materialize out of thin air in minutes.”  Marianne also writes about similar developments in Ottawa, Oshawa, and Cambridge, Ontario, along with the positive effect of slowed traffic on business.  Spoiler Alert - the architectural firm chosen for Stratford's Market Square is NOT Plant Architect Inc. but GSP Design Group.

A Wonderful Summer in Stratford
Summer days have flown by and in a few short weeks, the City of Stratford will undertake a huge infrastructure upgrade as the first step towards a revitalized Market Square.  And you, loyal supporter of this project, have played an important role in helping our committee support and keep the pressure on our civic leaders to do the right thing.

Market Square Design Shaping Up
The blog on our Market Square website and the occasional newsletter are our primary communication tools as we work to inform you of the planning and working stages that design firm GSP Group has undertaken. Some of our committee members have attended Council meetings in July and August if Market Square was an agenda item.   The City of Stratford has prequalified four firms to bid on the Market Square construction tender.  The tender will be issued to those firms next week and is expected to close in late September.  The successful bidder will be presented to Council for their approval in October 2016.  The list of prequalified firms can be viewed on the City’s website (RFPQ16-11) http://www.stratfordcanada.ca/en/insidecityhall/bidopportunities.asp?_mid_=2707  

​The Fall Agenda
Our Committee joins Stratford residents for some major announcements from Council and the City about Market Square as we step into September. Outstanding issues include:
-Reconfiguration of parking and public transit near Market Square
-The awarding of a construction contract.
-Announcements about the start date for construction.
 
An Interactive Market Square or A Place to Visit
While our Committee will focus intensely on development announcements and activities through September and October, we are also looking to the future when Market Square will be a lively, engaging public space for the use of Stratford residents and our visitors. With this in mind, we plan to consult both RTO4 (Ontario’s Regional Tourism Organization Four , one of 13 regional tourism offices in Ontario, part of a provincial initiative to grow the tourism economy across the province) and the Stratford Tourism Alliance (STA) about potential partnerships and programming options.  A review of these web links tells us that there is plenty to talk about as both organizations are busy putting Stratford on the map http://rto4.ca/about-us/whats-new http://rto4.ca/stratford-destination-think
 
You may have noticed on social media sites an initiative 360 Stratford, virtual tours visible via Google and linked to relevant websites (e.g., City Hall, Perth Museum, the Stratford Festival).  We are told that RT04 will produce a segment on Market Square after the construction is completed in the spring.

Businesses on the Square
The City Centre/BIA committee is planning to assist businesses around Market Square that will be affected during the infrastructure upgrade to advertise their "back door" or other access plans by means of clever ads and social media messaging. 
 
We trust that you will continue to patronize your favourite Market Square shops, cafés and restaurants to support these wonderful merchants.

Have Your Say on Intercommunity Passenger Travel
Market Square will be a draw, but how do we get people here? The provincial government is consulting on a new regulatory regime to ensure safe and sustainable intercommunity passenger travel services.  Make your views known at:
http://www.intercommunitybuson.ca/

Getting Ready for Canada’s 150th Birthday
The City of Stratford and the Stratford Sesquicentennial Committee is seeking an artist and/or designer to design, develop and install a public art project as an integral part of the redevelopment of Market Square. The project that will be incorporated into the design of the redeveloped Market Square. The public art project design may incorporate digital media at the discretion of the artist.

The City has posted an RFP for artists to undertake the Sesquicentennial Public Art Project for Market Square.  The RFP will close on 28 September.  The RFP can be viewed on the City’s website (RFP16-13): http://www.stratfordcanada.ca/en/insidecityhall/bidopportunities.asp?_mid_=2707

This project will be designed and installed in full consultation with the City of Stratford and GSP Group. The artwork must be completed and installed in time for Canada Day celebrations on July 1, 2017.  

Did you know that Market Square and much of the surrounding area have been designated as a Heritage Conservation District by the Ontario government?  Is Stratford taking advantage of some of the programs and grants that go along with this designation? Read more at http://www.mtc.gov.on.ca/en/heritage/heritage_conserving_districts.shtml
The province provides a ton of great resources and reading on this topic at http://www.mtc.gov.on.ca/en/heritage/tools.shtml
And we’d like to put this book on our bedside table --  City Squares: Eighteen Writers on the Spirit and Significance of Squares Around the World (Harper, 2016)
 
Have a listen as Catie Marron, chairman of the board of directors of New York’s Friends of the High Line and the editor of the above-forementioned book andspeaks with  journalist/  MacArthur fellow Alma Guillermoprieto, journalist, MacArthur fellow, and author of Dancing with Cuba and Samba, talk about Mexico City's  Zocalo and the role of city squares in cities around the world. http://www.wnyc.org/story/worlds-great-gathering-spots/.
 
Check out the #CitySquares hashtag too.

Long-time Market Square advocate, Marcia Matsui, came across this great read recently:

The Craving for Public Squares by Michael Kimmelman | The New York Review of Books
It's not a surprise that a new public square can make "an immediate difference in reducing crime, boosting local commerce, and improving street life", but it is a revelation that in a refugee camp a public square can lead to Palestinian women being able to socialize in public, even do weaving there and ultimately to sell that weaving in the square--a radical and new social change.
http://www.nybooks.com/articles/2016/04/07/craving-for-public-squares/

Over the last five to six years, local author Marianne Brandis has been documenting some of Market Square’s rich history. We’d like to suggest that you re-visit some of the terrific historical information that she has gathered, which can also be found on our website at www.stratfordmarketsquare.ca. For example, in November 2011, she wrote about the RE/MAX Building at 88 Wellington Street:

Here’s the link:
http://www.ourperth.ca/opinion-story/6025038-88-wellington-street-a-slice-of-stratford-history/
 
Check out the recent exterior facelift of RE/MAX, smart investment in a downtown property. 

​What's New?
 Things are really moving ahead. Here’s what’s been happening:
•    The Market Square Open House was held on Wednesday June 1, 2016, in the City Hall Auditorium:
•     Approximately 60 people attended, in addition to five members of Council, five staff members, and three consultants from GSP;
•     17 people asked questions at the meeting;
•     7 people provided written feedback at the meeting;
•     The Market Square Committee made a submission before the feedback deadline of June 5, 2016. Our Committee suggested that the City hold off on the idea of a skating rink, extend the decorative pavers all the way to the south sidewalks and improve the curb bump outs that will help pedestrian movement and safety. We also asked the City to fast track at least a few of the planned media towers so the Sesquicentennial Committee’s digital media project could be installed in time for celebrations in July 2017.
•     We know of a number of other citizens who provided online feedback before the public input closed.
•     The Market Square page on the City’s website has been updated to include the open house presentation and feedback information: 
https://www.stratfordcanada.ca/en/insidecityhall/Market-Square.asp
•     A direct link to the presentation made by staff and GSP is available here:https://www.stratfordcanada.ca/en/insidecityhall/resources/MarketSquare/Market-Square-Conceptual-Design---Open-House--1-June-2016.pdf
•     On June 13, a revised conceptual design for Market Square and costing for Phase 1 was considered by Council, sitting as the Finance and Labour Relations Sub-Committee of Council. In short, that meeting produced the following decisions:
•    The City will not proceed with the proposed outdoor rink due to costs (nearly $500,000 ($215,000 for preliminary underground work in Phase 1, and $250,000 or more to complete it in Phase 2), and due to commentary from the public that a skating rink is not a desirable feature at this time. 
•    Savings from the rink feature will be applied to extended paving treatment to the south side of the Square and pedestrian bump outs that improve mobility and safety, and custom benches and furniture for the site.
•    City Staff and GSP met with a representative of the Sesquicentennial Committee to determine what is needed for the public art/digital legacy project.  Staff and GSP are discussing the potential for one digital media tower; it is not clear if this will be sufficient to accommodate the proposed digital art project. Further discussion will take place at the June 20th meeting of City Staff and GSP. 
•    Both an alternate parking plan and options for a new transit hub remain unresolved, though City Staff promised results of the parking study in two weeks on June 27.
•    Councillors also discussed the need for resources to plan, program and manage public functions in the Square.
 
Key Dates
 
June    (TBD) A meeting is being scheduled with the University of Waterloo Stratford to discuss the impact of the potential relocation of the bus terminal to St. Patrick Street.

June 27    Results of the City’s parking study will be ready.
 
July-August    Detailed GSP design is finalized and prepared for tender.

September-October    Contract awarded and construction begins.

From time to time, About the Square will share the views of local residents and business owners about the future of Market Square. 

Cindy Hubert opened Agora Gallery (http://agoragallery.ca/) at 17 Market Place, just two years ago, and we are sure glad she did. Bringing extensive experience from the fine art world in both the U.K. and Canada, Cindy has created her own celebration of beauty and art in a corner of Market Square. She is a consistent presence in Stratford’s art scene (some may remember her from Gallery 96 at the Normal School) and Market Square is on her agenda as a business owner, a member of both the City Centre BIA and the Market Square Committee, and as a member of the City’s Sesquicentennial Committee. The Local View interviewed the owner/curator against a backdrop of the spectacular costume paintings of Chris Klein who was head of scenic art at the Stratford Festival for eight seasons.
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Interview with Cindy Hubert
The Local View (TLV) 
How did you end up running a business facing Stratford’s Market Square?
 
Cindy Hubert (CH)
I always saw the potential of Market Square and had the idea, and the name for the gallery in mind – it means market or meeting place in Greek – long before I found the perfect space.  Since arriving in Stratford in 2002, I had wanted to establish a commercial art gallery dedicated to the work of local artists, given the incredible amount of artistic talent in this small community.
 
TLV
How have things changed since you’ve been in this location?
 
CH
Not much has really changed since I opened the gallery two years ago, but exciting changes are certainly afoot!  At the moment, there is an edginess to the area, but the atmosphere changes when there are public events in the space. I especially love the Slow Food Market on Sundays.  And Canada Day festivities.  Public events in the square definitely draw people into the area and into the gallery.

TLV
What do you think about the current plans to revitalize Market Square?

CH
I am so excited − having followed the discussion about Market Square for over a decade −that it is finally happening!  A lot of people have worked long and hard to get us to this point.  I am very supportive of what the City has planned. I think they have been responsible in conducting an open, fair and democratic planning process and sticking to the findings of the various consultations and the AtFocus report, which made clear that only 9% of participants want development to focus on the front of City Hall and 72% want the buses and parking to be removed from behind City Hall.  To do otherwise would have been a waste of taxpayers’ money, as well as wasting precious time, potentially jeopardizing the whole project. Inevitably, not everyone will be happy with every element of the plan, but I do believe that the majority are well served, and have confidence that the people of Stratford, and all of the stakeholders involved, will work together with the City to make it a success.
 
TLV
How do you think it will transform the way people think about and use Market Square?
 
CH
Just transforming the physical space will not be enough, in my opinion. Initially the curious will visit Market Square simply to see the changes, but that won’t be enough to keep people coming back. It has to be welcoming and there have to be services and planned activities. In order to be a truly dynamic public space, there must be flexibility to accommodate different types of activities like the market, film screenings, concerts, public art, and large public gatherings and events such as Canada Day.  Stratford clearly needs a large, accessible, flexible public space, given past challenges when presenting large events like Savour Stratford and Ribfest. Market Square can become that necessary public space.
 
TLV
What would help people adjust to the changes?

CH
Right now, the biggest challenges for businesses in the area are planning, anticipating the impact of the impending construction, and figuring out how to keep people coming into their businesses.  Effective, timely and ongoing communication between the City and affected businesses is critical to our survival. I know that the City Centre BIA is currently working to develop a plan to ensure that businesses are kept informed and intends to present public programming that will keep people visiting the Square during construction. 

From the visitor’s point of view, during construction the Square must be safe, accessible and welcoming, ideally with some public programming.  I have complete confidence that the City will ultimately find a solution to the lost parking spaces, which has been kept to a minimum, and relocation of the buses, which will still continue to stop at City Hall. Once the parking and transit reports have been completed, we'll see those options. In the end, I believe the benefit of a beautiful, engaging public space that meets the needs of Stratford residents and visitors, now and in the future, far outweighs the challenges.  

TLV
Is there anything missing in the current plan?
 
CH
It is clear to me that City officials are really working hard to figure out how to make this a success on every level. They know that they have to provide some programming for the Square in order to make it a dynamic, appealing, and functional space. It is also clear that what happens in Market Square will have an impact on the rest of the downtown, so the City must take a strategic view of Market Square within the context of downtown and the rest of Stratford.  

You probably won’t be surprised that I think that public art is currently missing in the plan. There are media towers slated for Phase Two, but I hope the City and GSP will consider installing one or more of the media towers as part of Phase One to allow for resource sharing with the Sesquicentennial Committee. That Committee is currently working with the City to bring a digital media public art project to Market Square for Canada’s 150th birthday celebrations on July 1, 2017.  It seems appropriate for a city with such a culturally rich past, and promising digital future, to celebrate this birthday with a digital media public art project, presented in this important public space.

TLV
What are you most looking forward to?
 
CH
I am looking forward to having a welcoming, attractive, dynamic public space at my doorstep; complete with an engaging digital media project that celebrates Stratford’s unique past, present and future.

What’s New

• Appointment of new CAO: the City of Stratford has appointed Ron Horne to the position of Chief Administrative Officer.  Currently commissioner of Planning at the Region of Waterloo, Mr. Horne will officially take over the job effective 27 June. Read about Mr. Horne’s background here: http://tinyurl.com/z7hcqtm
  
  
• On 17 May, the Finance and Labour Relations Subcommittee considered a report on design features and expenses to begin determining which provisional design features will be incorporated  into Market Square.  GSP Group has provided updated cost estimates for different provisional options, including the underground infrastructure for the later installation of a skating rink. These options will be presented at the Open House on 1 June. Council will consider the report and relevant updates on 13 June.
  
  
• Seating/custom wood benches and the steel column audio-visual digital media structures have been identified as good fundraising opportunities.  Other potential items include solar charging stations and mobility chagrining stations/outlets.
  
  
• City staff havestaff has met with the City Centre BIA to discuss ways to keep local businesses plugged in and informed as construction begins in Market Square.
  
  
• Members of the Market Square Committee sat down with representatives of the City Centre BIA (CC/BIA) to talk about how we can work together to ensure that information flows in a timely fashion about what’s happening in Market Square.  City Centre BIA has some great strategies to keep Market Square merchants advised of construction schedules.  CC/BIA will use social media and “dig it” signage to assist shoppers to continue to access their favourite stores.

Key Dates
            
June 1            A Market Square Open House has beenis scheduled for this date. The public can Ddrop into City Hall between 6 p.m. and 8 p.m. GSP Group will make a presentation about their revised design at 6:30 p.m. and will then take questions. There will be an opportunity for attendees to provide written feedback at the Open House, as well as an opportunity for residents to provide feedback online through the city’s website for a few days after the Open House.

June 5          Bring your lawn chairs and come to the front of City Hall at 7pm for the Opening Celebrations of the 14th World Festival of Children’ss’ Theatre. 7PM, bring your lawn chairs Enjoy the parade of nations, music, a pageant and street dancing.  For WFCT tickets, go to www.visitstratford.ca/wfct
 
June 13        GSP Group presents revised conceptual design to Council.
 
July-August  Detailed design is finalized and prepared for tender.
 
September   Contract awarded and construction begins.

Reading List
 
Did you know that Market Square and much of the surrounding area have been designated as a Heritage Conservation District by the Ontario government?  Is Stratford taking advantage of some of the programs and grants that go along with this designation? Read more at http://www.mtc.gov.on.ca/en/heritage/heritage_conserving_districts.shtml

The province provides a ton of great resources and reading on this topic at http://www.mtc.gov.on.ca/en/heritage/tools.shtml
And we’d like to put this book on our bedside table --  City Squares: Eighteen Writers on the Spirit and Significance of Squares Around the World (Harper, 2016)
 
Have a listen as Catie Marron, chairman of the board of directors of New York’s Friends of the High Line and the editor of the above-forementioned book andspeaks with  journalist/  MacArthur fellow Alma Guillermoprieto, journalist, MacArthur fellow, and author of Dancing with Cuba and Samba, talk about Mexico City's  Zocalo and the role of city squares in cities around the world. http://www.wnyc.org/story/worlds-great-gathering-spots/.
 
Check out the #CitySquares hashtag too.

How to Get Involved
 
Talk to us and follow us on social media. And let us know if you want to be on our distribution list.
Website:      www.stratfordmarketsquare.ca
E-mail:        stratfordmarketsquare15@.gmail.com
                  www.facebook.com/StratfordMarketSquare
                  @StratfordMktSq #MyMarketSquare
 
The City of Stratford posts information about Market Square at https://www.stratfordcanada.ca/en/insidecityhall/Market-Square.asp

Urban designer Ken Greenberg gave the closing speech at the Ontario Heritage Conference in Stratford, ON on Saturday, May 14, 2016. Click here for the Beacon Herald coverage of Mr. Greenberg's presentation.
 http://tinyurl.com/gtvdxy9

 What’s New?
 
The Stratford Market Square Committee is pleased to introduce our newsletter ABOUT THE SQUARE as our plan to keep Stratford residents aware of new developments in Market Square. We’ll publish as often as we can and especially when there is news to share. City staff will work with us to get the latest out to the community.
As you know, the City of Stratford has confirmed a contract with the GSP group out of Kitchener-Waterloo (http://www.gspgroup.ca/) to design the traditional market square space behind City Hall.
 
Here’s what GSP has posted on their website.
GSP Group is excited to kick off the Stratford Market Square project to support the community and the City to redevelop this historic space in the heart of Downtown. Our Landscape Architecture team will refine the concepts that we prepared during the design competition to visualize a flexible year-round place for programmed events and informal activities. We are proud to have this opportunity to help realize Market Square as an accessible, welcoming and active space.

This week, GSP conducted stakeholder consultations with a view to updating and revising their initial design concept. A revised design will be presented at a Public Meeting the week of May 30th, where there will be an opportunity to provide public input. Information will be provided regarding parking and transit options that address concerns raised in the community. The new design will then be revised before it is presented to Council.

Key Dates 
April 26                     GSP community/stakeholder consultations.
 
May 1                        Slow Food Market re-opens in Market Square. Come visit our table on Sunday, May 8th.
 
Week of May 30        GSP presents revised design at a Public Meeting (Date and format TBD)
 
June                          Council approval of revised conceptual design in mid June.
 
July-August               Detailed design is finalized and prepared for tender.
 
September               Contract awarded and construction begins.
 
The Local View
From time to time, we’ll be posting interviews with local residents and business owners about their hopes and wishes for Market Square. Visit our Blog at www.stratfordmarketsquare.ca to find these interviews.
 
Reading List
If you are interested in new thinking about public spaces, transit, parking or urban design, here’s an interesting link to current practice.
www.pps.org/reference/placeforparking/
 
How to Get Involved
This newsletter/blog will endeavor to highlight all of the ways that you can get involved in the planning and consultations about Stratford’s historic Market Square. In the meantime, watch for news from us and follow us on social media. Click on links / buttons below. 
Website:      www.stratfordmarketsquare.ca
E-mail:        stratfordmarketsquare15@gmail.com
                 
                   Use this twitter hashtag #MyMarketSquare