The Biography of the Market Square 05
The Market Square, the Town, and the Planet
Published in the Stratford Gazette, 2 May 2012.
Most of the world’s market squares, especially those in the older parts of cities, are ancient institutions. And, yes, they are institutions; they were not just vacant lots. They were designated as gathering places. Early settlements needed an area in the middle of town where regular markets could be held for buying and selling food, livestock, and other commodities, where proclamations could be made, where happy public events like the return of victorious soldiers could be celebrated, or mournful ones observed like the death of a local dignitary. There people gathered for a festival such as Mardi Gras or the anniversary of the city’s founding. A city could hardly function without one.
Centuries of this civic life give such an area the richness, the sense of history, that is one of its attractions today. Many are still used on one or more days a week as open-air markets. Others are now parks or recreational areas. Many of them host planned programs like concerts, theatre, fairs, art displays, and sports events. The fact that so many still exist despite the rebuilding around them shows that they not only still serve a vital purpose, especially as the cities around them become more densely built up, but are cherished by the people who use them, and by the city government that oversees and maintains them. They are needed and wanted and used.
Stratford’s Market Square began in the same way as other old squares did. In 1855, surveyor Donald McDonald sold an acre of land bordered by Downie, Wellington, and George Streets to the village of Stratford for 200 pounds, about $800, specifying that it was to be a market place. The Town Hall was built on part of the land; the ground floor at the back contained market stalls, and the open area in front of that was used as a market until 1902. After that the open space was used on most days as a parking area, but on market days it continued to function as a market, with farmers selling their produce off the backs of the wagons.
The area also served the other functions of a traditional market square. During World War I it was on the Market Square that Stratford met as a community to give a send-off to the Perth Regiment when it left for battle, and it was there that the celebration was held to welcome the troops returning from World War II. In my previous column I mentioned other and more recent public gatherings: Canada Day celebrations, the Olympic Torch event, part of Savour Stratford, the Slow Food Market, Fayre Day in Camelot.
In former articles I’ve written about ways in which we as individuals might use and enjoy the Market Square, especially after it has been renovated according to the Plant Architect Inc. plan. To give a glimpse into that future: a few weeks ago, on Good Friday, I walked across the Square on my way to the Slow Food Market on Erie Street. It was a chilly day, with a cold wind, and downtown was not busy. But on the Market Square, near the chip wagon, there were four people standing talking. Nearby was a man playing a guitar, with someone on an electric scooter listening to the music. A dog-walker, with dog, were also listening. This was on my way to the Slow Food Market. Half an hour later, on my way home, four people were still standing near the chip wagon. The first guitarist had been joined by another, and they were talking about their instruments, comparing and gesturing. There was a second person on an electric scooter, and both of them were talking with the musicians. The dog-walker was just leaving, but someone with a camera was taking a picture, and another person was crossing Downie Street, heading for the group.
This was on a chilly day, and without any amenities except the chip wagon. There were no benches right there, no shade, nothing to encourage people to linger. But these people were using the Square in the way in which market squares have been used since human settlement began – as a gathering place.
The future of the Market Square will be discussed at a public Discovery Session with the theme “What Would Stratford’s Market Square Look Like in a Smart City?” Panelists will be Mayor Dan Mathieson, Lisa Rapoport of the architecture firm that created the plan for renovating the Market Square, Rick Haldenby of the School of Architecture at the University of Waterloo, and I. It’s on Wednesday, May 16, at 7:00 p.m. in the Amphitheatre Room at Knox Church, corner of Ontario and Waterloo Streets in Stratford. Please use the Waterloo Street entrance.
My information about the history of the Square comes from a brief account written by Carolynn Bart-Riedstra.
The Plant Architect Inc. design for renovating the Market Square can be found at www.stratfordmarketsquare.com
Brandis has lived in Stratford since 1996 and is a full-time writer. She is the author of a number of books - visit Marianne's website
Published in the Stratford Gazette, 2 May 2012.
Most of the world’s market squares, especially those in the older parts of cities, are ancient institutions. And, yes, they are institutions; they were not just vacant lots. They were designated as gathering places. Early settlements needed an area in the middle of town where regular markets could be held for buying and selling food, livestock, and other commodities, where proclamations could be made, where happy public events like the return of victorious soldiers could be celebrated, or mournful ones observed like the death of a local dignitary. There people gathered for a festival such as Mardi Gras or the anniversary of the city’s founding. A city could hardly function without one.
Centuries of this civic life give such an area the richness, the sense of history, that is one of its attractions today. Many are still used on one or more days a week as open-air markets. Others are now parks or recreational areas. Many of them host planned programs like concerts, theatre, fairs, art displays, and sports events. The fact that so many still exist despite the rebuilding around them shows that they not only still serve a vital purpose, especially as the cities around them become more densely built up, but are cherished by the people who use them, and by the city government that oversees and maintains them. They are needed and wanted and used.
Stratford’s Market Square began in the same way as other old squares did. In 1855, surveyor Donald McDonald sold an acre of land bordered by Downie, Wellington, and George Streets to the village of Stratford for 200 pounds, about $800, specifying that it was to be a market place. The Town Hall was built on part of the land; the ground floor at the back contained market stalls, and the open area in front of that was used as a market until 1902. After that the open space was used on most days as a parking area, but on market days it continued to function as a market, with farmers selling their produce off the backs of the wagons.
The area also served the other functions of a traditional market square. During World War I it was on the Market Square that Stratford met as a community to give a send-off to the Perth Regiment when it left for battle, and it was there that the celebration was held to welcome the troops returning from World War II. In my previous column I mentioned other and more recent public gatherings: Canada Day celebrations, the Olympic Torch event, part of Savour Stratford, the Slow Food Market, Fayre Day in Camelot.
In former articles I’ve written about ways in which we as individuals might use and enjoy the Market Square, especially after it has been renovated according to the Plant Architect Inc. plan. To give a glimpse into that future: a few weeks ago, on Good Friday, I walked across the Square on my way to the Slow Food Market on Erie Street. It was a chilly day, with a cold wind, and downtown was not busy. But on the Market Square, near the chip wagon, there were four people standing talking. Nearby was a man playing a guitar, with someone on an electric scooter listening to the music. A dog-walker, with dog, were also listening. This was on my way to the Slow Food Market. Half an hour later, on my way home, four people were still standing near the chip wagon. The first guitarist had been joined by another, and they were talking about their instruments, comparing and gesturing. There was a second person on an electric scooter, and both of them were talking with the musicians. The dog-walker was just leaving, but someone with a camera was taking a picture, and another person was crossing Downie Street, heading for the group.
This was on a chilly day, and without any amenities except the chip wagon. There were no benches right there, no shade, nothing to encourage people to linger. But these people were using the Square in the way in which market squares have been used since human settlement began – as a gathering place.
The future of the Market Square will be discussed at a public Discovery Session with the theme “What Would Stratford’s Market Square Look Like in a Smart City?” Panelists will be Mayor Dan Mathieson, Lisa Rapoport of the architecture firm that created the plan for renovating the Market Square, Rick Haldenby of the School of Architecture at the University of Waterloo, and I. It’s on Wednesday, May 16, at 7:00 p.m. in the Amphitheatre Room at Knox Church, corner of Ontario and Waterloo Streets in Stratford. Please use the Waterloo Street entrance.
My information about the history of the Square comes from a brief account written by Carolynn Bart-Riedstra.
The Plant Architect Inc. design for renovating the Market Square can be found at www.stratfordmarketsquare.com
Brandis has lived in Stratford since 1996 and is a full-time writer. She is the author of a number of books - visit Marianne's website