Locals Call This Canada's Most Underrated Town… So I Investigated It

Stratford, Ontario is best known for Shakespeare — but locals will tell you that's only part of the story. In this episode, I spent a full day testing Locals' recommendations to find out what really makes this small Ontario town one of Canada's most surprising travel destinations. Founded in the 1830s as a railway hub, Stratford nearly collapsed when the rail industry declined in the mid-1950s. The town's revival began when a local journalist convinced a British director to launch what would become the Stratford Festival — now one of North America's most renowned theatre festivals. But while Shakespeare put Stratford on the map, the food scene, local makers, and surrounding farmland are what keep locals proud of a town of just 35,000 people. Chapter Markers: 0:00 Introduction 1:00 History & Beautiful Destinations 4:15 The adventure begins In this video, I visit: Why Stratford is more than a theatre town The railway history behind Stratford's reinvention Stratford's main landmarks — City Hall, Shakespeare Gardens, and the Festival theatres The Wild Hog Country Market — a three-generation Ontario farm and butcher shop Rebel Coffee — locally sourced beans, hand-rolled croissants, and Montforte dairy Birch and Wine — Johnny Kerwin's brunch spot famous for focaccia Rheo Thompson Candies — home of the original mint smoothie, invented in 1969 Utterly Ridiculous Farm — goat ice cream, mini Highland cows, and one of only seven goat towers in the world Ontario Street shopping Ashborne Cafe — Stratford's paleo, gluten-free wellness cafe All of Your Favourites — a Stratford olive oil and balsamic tasting bar Junction 56 Distillery — a cocktail-making workshop using 100% Ontario grains If you're planning a trip to Stratford, this is your local-recommended itinerary for one full day — the landmarks worth seeing, the cafes worth lining up for, the farms worth driving out to, and the workshops worth booking ahead. Stratford sits about two hours west of Toronto and makes an easy weekend trip or day trip from the GTA, Kitchener-Waterloo, or London, Ontario. The Stratford Festival runs annually from April to October, but as this video shows, there's plenty here year-round. What's your favourite spot in Stratford? Let me know in the comments — your recommendations help shape the next episode. Subscribe for more local-recommended travel across Ontario and the rest of Canada. #Stratford #StratfordOntario #OntarioTravel #CanadianTravel #VisitOntario #ExploreCanada #StratfordFestival #OntarioFoodie #SmallTownOntario #BestOfCanada