Downie Street

In the early years, Downie Street was just a mud road leading to the townships. It was later paved with logs laid crosswise to form what was known as a corduroy road. The coming of the railway to Stratford in 1856 gave Downie Street its start as an important commercial and residential street. Prior to that, the main development in the town had taken place along Ontario and Huron streets. The early railway stations serving Stratford all were in the vicinity of the present CNR station. During the period of transition from stagecoach travel to rail travel, Downie became increasingly important as the main route to and from the various railway stations. It became the main access to the centre of town, not only for the travelling public, but also for the shipment of raw materials, manufactured goods, livestock and produce. Almost overnight, the focus of commercial development in Stratford swung from Ontario, Huron and Erie streets to Downie and Wellington streets and the area surrounding the present city hall.

The Stratford town hall was completed in 1857 on the same site as the present building. It was considered to be one of the finest town halls in Ontario and quickly became the centre of business and social activity. Its location greatly enhanced Downie Street. The site had previously been occupied by a sawmill and potash works on the stream that still flows in the "Romeo arch" that runs under the Avon Theatre, crosses under Downie Street and Market Place, and eventually empties into the Avon River. In the early days of the Theatre Albert (now the Avon Theatre) it was said that members of the orchestra, playing in the pit, sometimes had to wear rubber boots to keep from getting wet feet. They even did a little "pit fishing" through holes in the "Romeo arch," especially during Shakespearean productions. The new town hall also served as a market building and concert hall. The building's increased activity added greatly to the importance of Downie Street.

The first block of Downie, from Ontario to Albert and Wellington, soon became known as Market Street because it led to the new market. The name stuck until about 1908, when it again became part of Downie Street because of confusion with Market Place. That first block became the focal point of Stratford's red-brick Victorian architectural style. Handsome three-storey business blocks, an arcade and shops lined both sides of Downie Street. The Victorian streetscape was further enhanced by the building of the present city hall in 1898, after fire destroyed its predecessor. Market Street provided the vital link between Ontario Street and Downie and Wellington streets. It was a high traffic area, particularly for pedestrians. For many years, the T. Eaton Co. had a department store on the west side of the block. The old Eaton's store and the Gordon Block were saved from threatened demolition to house new shops in what came to be called Festival Square. Other buildings on the block did not fare so well. Three of the banks destroyed their buildings, all in this block. In their mad dash to enter the computer age, the banks obliterated much of Canada's downtown Victorian architecture. Fortunately, our big red tomato (the city hall), was saved from the same fate and refurbished. Now it even has a garden to welcome you to the front steps.

Stratford is not so easily destroyed. Robert Downie would be proud of the progress his street has made, running as it does, from the centre of the city, through the downtown, to the railway, and into the residential, industrial and park areas of the city's south end, and then into the townships, and even to Tavistock if one is to turn left at Harmony. With notes from Stanford Dingman

Eidt was 72 when he died on Aug. 16, 1937. At the time, he was in his sixth year as secretary-treasurer of the city's board of education. He had also been active with Stratford's agricultural and horticultural societies. But it was his dedication to the park system that set him apart. Upon his death, an editorial in the Beacon Herald highlighted that dedication: "As far back as 1903, Dr. Eidt was an alderman with a vision of what nature, aided by man's handiwork, could do for his city. His cultural tastes found inspiration in the natural beauty of the Avon Valley. His forward-looking mind envisioned a matchless park system that would make the Classic City a community of health and happiness."

The four men most responsible for developing the park system were Thomas J. Dolan (see Dolan Drive), a newspaper man and member of the parks board; George McLagan (see Mclagan Drive), a furniture manufacturer who donated money and land for the cause; R. Thomas Orr (see Veterans Drive), a prominent businessman and charter secretary of the parks board; and Dr. E. Henry Eidt whose civic accomplishments are highlighted by his push for and creation of that board. In recognition of these men, there is the T. J. Dolan Drive (see Dolan Drive) and T. J. Dolan Natural Area; McLagan Drive; and the R.Thomas Orr Dam. The city has yet to honour Henry Eidt in such fashion.

Thanks to Dean Robinson for the history of Dr. Eidt, taken from his book Not The Last Waltz and other Stratford stories.

Theatres: Albert, Majestic, Avon

Among the musical families of Stratford were the Brandenbergers who ran a sausage business and hotel on Wellington Street (the Blowes building). Albert Brandenberger, a Stratford citizen and reputedly a theatre man of some considerable experience, had long wanted to establish a proper theatre in his hometown. His ambition was ignited by the fire in 1897 that destroyed the original city hall, and with it the only performance hall in Stratford worthy of the name. In due course, Brandenberger acquired a building site at the corner of Downie and St. George streets, which hie bought from Mary Patterson, grandmother of the  Tom Patterson, who half a century later would found the Stratford Festival.

According to the Beacon Herald of July 7, 1967, the architect of Theatre Albert may have been Harry J. Powell of Stratford. In any event, construction of the building began in 1900. Brandenberger named the building, designed to seat 1,250, Theatre Albert after himself and, some said, also after Queen Victoria's consort. The new theatre, though not completed, opened on Jan. 1, 1901, with The Female Drummer, the first stage show in the city's first legitimate theatre.

By 1910, Brandenberger had enlarged and improved the building, giving most of his attention to the interiors as well as adding on a stagehouse of wall-bearing brick, the timber framed ceiling of which hung 46 feet above the stage. Stage dimensions were a respectable 32 feet back wall-to-proscenium-line, by 54 feet wall-to-wall on the wings. The proscenium arch measured 32 feet wide and 21 feet high. There was an orchestra pit of modest size, part of it taken up by a storm water culvert that conducted Romeo Creek diagonally under the building, as it does today .Once again, the travelling shows, operas and local musical productions could be put on in proper style.

 Audience seating for about 1,100 was arranged in aisle-access fashion on two levels, much as it is now, except for the introduction of cross-aisles in the late 1960s. From a centre point, five feet upstage of the proscenium line, the furthermost seats in this house were, and have remained, about 90 feet away, acceptable for lyric stage productions but not so cozy for drama.

The auditorium decor, as it emerged from the 1910 refurbishings, was vaguely akin to Edwardian style, with bas relief touches reminiscent of the brothers Adam. The exterior façade of the building's commercial block, fronting on Downie Street, mercifully replaced by a modern edifice in 1967, was of little architectural merit. In 1910, Brandenberger declares his theatre "The house of polite vaudeville and motion pictures," and changed its name to the Griffin Theatre. He sold his interest in the place in 1924, and it was renamed the Majestic Theatre. Under yet other ownership in the 1940s, the theatre was given the name it now has - the Avon Theatre. In 1956, 30 years after Albert Brandenberger had died, his building once more became the venue for legitimate theatre, opening in the summer of that year with Le Theatre du Nouveau Monde in Three Farces by Moliere, directed by Jean Gascon. With the founding of the Stratford Festival, the renaissance of Theatre Albert had begun. Source: Canada West Library UToronto  Pictures: Stratford-Perth Archives 

Justin Bieber

It can be said that Justin Bieber got his start on the steps of the Avon Theatre.

The Stratford Perth Museum had an exhibit called: Justin Bieber: Steps to Stardom, which opened in 2018. It was an overwhelming hit for the small museum. Prior to the Bieber exhibit, the museum received a few thousand visitors in a good year. With the exhibit in place, that number jumped to more than 20,000 visitors a year, Bieber among them, more than once. A book penned by John Kastner presents a behind-the-curtain look at the exhibit. Justin Bieber: Steps to Stardom features 100 colour photos of some of the most iconic pieces of memorabilia in the exhibit, as well as never-before-told stories behind what makes the items significant. Source: Stratford Perth Museum

Click above to see the Star of Stratford - Justin Bieber (before he was famous), playing on the steps 0f the Avon Theatre). The city honoured him with a Bronze Star on its Walk of Fame on July1,v2011.

Walk of fame

Bronze stars in front of the Avon Theatre.  * Click on  slide photos by Fred Gonder below.

For almost three decades, 428 Downie St. has been Scott McKowen’s home and studio. The original building was standing when land records were introduced in Stratford in 1856, and was once used as a boarding house for workers on the nearby railway operations. Scott and his designer-wife, Christina Poddubiuk, bought the house next door in the 1990s. It was in rough shape and had to be demolished, and in its placed built a modern studio (inside reusing the yellow brick of the original house). It’s joined to their original Victorian home at 428 Downie. It is in the front room of this house where he creates his distinct illustrations. Source: Stratford Literary Walking Tour

 Punch and Judy Inc. is a small design studio operated by Scott McKowen and Christina Poddubiuk. He is an art director, graphic designer and illustrator specializing in graphics for theatre and performing arts. She is a costume and set designer with a strong background in the classics, having worked with theatres across North America. Source:  Punch and Judy Picture: Thanks to Scott and Christina

Note: Scott McKowen designed the plaque honouring Walter Allward, who created the Stratford war memorial. (see Erie Street).

The Gordon Block is an excellent example of a late-Victorian commercial building that incorporates design influences from a variety of architectural styles. Among the most notable of the building's features are the two pyramid-capped corner towers along the main (north) façade and the intricate brick corbelling along the roofline. As impressive as those features may be, the Gordon Block is the first building in Stratford to be constructed of a cast-iron frame. Timber frame construction had been predominant throughout the downtown core in the early days of Stratford, but in 1863 a municipal bylaw was passed in an effort to reduce the hazards of fire. The adoption of a cast-iron frame not only helped to curb the threat of fire, it also expanded design opportunities by reducing the amount of space required for structural components. Given that new opportunity, the floor level of the building was designed as a solid curtain of plate glass, allowing uninterrupted views into the building from all three sides. Source: Historic Places

By 1880, John Way owned the business himself. He later moved the store to 26 Downie Street and then to 13 Market Place. The business flourished until his death in 1921, at which point it was taken over by his daughter Sarah. 

In 1879, Myers' daughter Margaret married Frank Hamilton, another boot and shoe merchant. In 1883, Frank, in partnership with his brother Archibald, purchased the store owned by John Way, another well-known Stratford boot and shoe merchant, located at 53 Downie Street, which was part of the Meyers Block. They operated the store for fourteen years before selling the business in 1897. 

John Ross who arrived in Stratford from Ireland in 1860 also had a business in the Myers Block at this time. Ross worked first as a stevedore for the railway and then a grain merchant. A few years later he joined William Fortune to create a produce business, Ross & Fortune. Their store was located in the Myers Block on Downie Street across from the Market Square.

  Source: 1876.pdf;  Historical Plaque Properties 

Products and Sales. The company produced an average of 20 tons of candy per day and several tons of more than 150 varieties of biscuits. The biscuit department occupied the second floor while the candy making department and facilities were found on the third and fourth floors.  The goods were shipped across North America in the distinctive royal purple and blue packages. Perfection Cream Soda and Avon Chocolates were two most popular products.

In Stratford Mooney had dedicated railway cars to deliver its goods from the shipping department on the first floor on a spur line connected to the main track of the Grand Trunk Railway. The Stratford factory produced mostly specialty items in bulk, to supply the eastern and western branches of the company. For example, all the raw chocolate, to supply the other three branches, was manufactured in Stratford.

The president and manager of the company was William J. Mooney. His brother, William C. Mooney, was vice-president. William J. was born in London Township. As a child, he lived in Sarnia, where he received his schooling until he went to work at the age of 13. He established the Mooney Biscuit and Candy Co. in 1903, after 15 years "on the road," noting that these kinds of products were needed for various large Canadian concerns.

Other prominent tenants at 245 Downie St. included the Canadian Edison Electric Appliance Co. (1920-1923), the Canadian General Electric Co., Ltd. (1924-1925), Kist Canada Ltd. (1933) and National Grocers Co. Ltd. (1935-1942 and 1948-1975).  Source: Charles Mountford for Stratford-Perth Archives; Stratford Times article by Betty Jo Belton, May 3, 2024; Old photo: Stratford-Perth Archives

The building, now called the Bradshaw Lofts, is home to 56 condominiums, University of Waterloo classrooms in the basement, a business office, and an art studio, thanks to the considerable restoration efforts of two local developers. Heritage Stratford recognized those efforts by presenting them with the 2019 James Anderson Award for heritage preservation. As can be seen, the original Edwardian Classical style has been preserved, complete with channeled brick and radiating voussoirs that frame arched windows and entrances. the Mooney Biscuit and Candy Factory defined the entrepreneurial spirit of the time. It was in this spirit that successive enterprises built their own legacies at 245 Downie Street including J.L. Bradshaw, one of Canada’s oldest wholesalers, whose history is honoured with the name, Bradshaw Lofts. (see Bradshaw Drive). Source: The Bradshaw    Also the source for the new photo.

Joseph Christopher Harrison 

Joseph Harrison was born in 1814 on the Hemingway plantation in Virginia, where he was given the name of his owner. At age 14, he escaped slavery and wound up in Boston, where he changed his name to Harrison.

He taught himself to read and write and also learned barbering. At that time barbers not only cut hair and trimmed beards, they also performed small surgeries. They removed tonsils, teeth and did blood letting using leeches. In addition to his skill as a barber Harrison learned hair dying and clothes cleaning, and dreamed of the day he could have his own business. Eventually, Harrison came to Canada, and he and his wife Emma, bought a farm in Waterloo County where they raised a family.

In about 1855, after time in Hamilton,  the family moved to Stratford, where he worked as a builder but also opened a shop at 106 Downie St. His downtown business comprised dry cleaning, barbering and hairdressing. His son Harvey (1855-1920) was the tonsorial artist and barber. His daughter Harriet 91841-1908) ran the Human Hair Emporium, providing what are now called “extensions,” but were then known as curls and switches. Joseph Christopher Harrison died in 1890. Source: Stratford Historical Society

Addendum: The images below show an ad in Vernon's Stratford Directory in 1924 for the Harrison Family Businesses at 106 Downie Street. Thanks to Nancy Musselman for providing the image. To the right, we see Joseph Harrison in front of his establisment at 106 Downie Street. Note the signs in the windows. The building was on the northwest corner of Downie and George Streets.  The wooden building was later replaced by a brick structure  which can be seen in the coloured photo. Both photos posted by Bob Toleff on If you grew up in Stratford FB site.  Additional family history of later generations can be found here. Joseph Christopher Harrison (1814-1890) - Find a Grave Memorial 

Olive (child  in the picture) was well known for her food column in the Toronto Telegram and her radio work with CFRB radio in Toronto. She used the name Louise Moore as her media name, and did a number of ads depicting herself as a kind and wise grandma. 

From 1881 to 1884, the Victoria House Hotel was operated by John O'Donoghue, who would later become the mayor of Stratford (1897-1898). In that role, he he laid the original cornerstone for the current city hall.

The building at 96-100 Downie St. reflects the Georgian, Gothic and Italianate architectural styles. It has the balance, symmetry and formality of the Georgian Revival style, but a Gothic gable and Italianate brackets add ornamental details. These styles were gaining popularity at that time. Source: Canada's Historic Places

The operation's output grew to about 80,000 plants a year, some of them bound for CNR properties as far north as North Bay, as far south and west as Windsor, and as far east as Niagara. Williams and his helpers formed an assembly line and wrapped the plants in strips of dampened newspaper and put them in clearly marked boxes. Then, based on the proposed delivery route, they loaded the boxes into a baggage car furnished by the railway. When came the Second World War, the Stratford greenhouses were dismantled and sold to a Hamilton company.  Williams retired in 1946 at age 65. Source: ACO Newsletter 2013. Text taken from Dean Robinson's book  Railway Stratford Revisited.

The school was built with rug brick, which was used mainly in the 1920s and '30s. The style of the building is similar to other schools built during that period. By Brandi Borman, Stratford-Perth Archives

The photograph is of  the Pounder Brothers "construction crew," when that company built Anne Hathaway school in 1922.

According to a Stratford Herald report, the "fine structure was built for $58,000." It was described a "an imposing edifice and a source of pride to the board of education, the builders and the citizens generally . . . Its exterior beauty and interior appointments and equipment are second to none in this city. Nothing that would add to its architectural appearance and to the comfort of the pupils and teachers has been omitted."

There were four large and well-ventilated classrooms, a dental clinic, a teachers' room and a record room. In the basement were two large recreation rooms and lavatories . . . large and airy cloak rooms [adjoined] all classrooms. Source: Betty Joe Belton, Stratford-Perth Archives.

The YMCA

In 1867, Stratford had its own the Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA) and held meetings in the Temperance Hall at the corner of Erie and Ontario streets. There were Bible classes and prayer meetings on Sundays, and concerts, debates and lectures on week nights. Dean Robinson, in his book Y Stratford: A History 1858-1991, is the source for this information and for what follows. Robinson claims there is evidence that a YMCA group had started in Stratford as early as 1858, just 14 years after the movement had started in London, England.

In fact, the YMCA had several beginnings in Stratford, Ont., through the years. There was great interest at each beginning, but sustaining that interest and ongoing membership seemed to be a problem. (see YMCA Feature Article for details)

By 1895, the YMCA organization was meeting and operating out of a series of rooms on the north side of Ontario Street, near where that street meets Huron Street. In 1897, the Y leaders were told their lease would not be renewed. That prompted the purchase of the vacant property at 25 Market Pl., immediately west of the Herald building at 21 Market Pl. The Y board arranged a mortgage for $3,500, mounted a successful donor campaign to lessen their debt, and put up their building in 1897-98. George McLagan, a young cabinetmaker, played a key role in that venture. An avid sportsman, strong Baptist, and soon-to-be a prominent furniture designer and manufacturer, he served on the YMCA board for 22 years. He eventually played an equally sronbg role with the city parks board. (see McLagan Drive)

 The purpose of the YMCA organization was articulated in 1889, "to elevate young men mentally, morally and physically.”

The camp flourished for both boys and girls for more than 35 years until it closed in 1963 when the property was sold. By this time, there were too many competing interests for the camps to be successful.

By the mid-1960s, the railway connection was also a memory, and because the city could not afford two buildings, the YMCA and YWCA amalgamated formally in 1965. Demolition of the first Downie Street Y took place in 1967., and a new modern structure was built.

The aim of the new YW-YMCA was “…the promotion, development and improvement of the spiritual, intellectual, social and physical condition of men, women, boys and girls…” The million-dollar campaign under the leadership of Allan Knight was successful but even then, not everything could be done at once.

When it came time to choose between a gymnasium and a swimming pool, the committee chose pool. But there was still the small gym at the old YWCA building on Waterloo Street.  So, that is where gym and sports activities were centred, though church halls and schools also played a role.  

The early 1970s were difficult times for the Stratford Y, times of low revenue and high operating costs. To reduce the latter, the directors in the fall of 1970 listed the YWCA building for sale and decided to shut it down as of March 31, 1971. Details of its history can be found in the YWCA Featured Article also based on materials and photos from Dean Robinson's book  Y Stratford.

Despite the financial problems of the early 1970s, additional facilities in the new YM-YWCA were needed. Oliver Gaffney (See Queen Street) chaired the building fund committee to add a gym, handball and squash courts and a physical fitness area. The target was $500,000 including $76,000 to wipe out the existing capital debt. By October 1974, the amount raised was $504,405.

In 1976, construction began, and by February 1977 the new gymnasium, some additions and renovations were opened and dedicated with some 300 in attendance. The jogging track, suspended on the wall above the gym floor was opened a week later, and in March 1977, the handball-racquetball court was opened. Cooper-Bessemer, which had taken over the CNR land and shops, donated land for that court and more parking, valued at $21,500. Overall, it had been a $700,000 project.

In the 1970s, the Y involved itself with the ministry of correctional service through TAP (the Temporary Absence Program), which provided free use of the Y facilities for inmates of the city jail who had fewer than three months remaining on non-violent sentences. They dressed in street clothes, visited the Y in lightly-used hours, and were accompanied by a guard. 

In the 1980s, most of the growth was positive. One of the three racquetball courts was converted, and squash became the Y’s newest sport. The Y membership numbered 2,400.

In 1979, the Stratford Y Foundation was incorporated to ease the monetary problems that had long played havoc with the Y's operation funds. 

In 2020, the CBC reported that the YMCAs of Cambridge and Kitchener-Waterloo, the YMCA-YWCA of Guelph, and YMCA of Stratford-Perth officially joined in what came to be called  the YMCA of Three Rivers.

At the culmination of a 37-year career with the Y, Mimi Price, chief executive officer of the YMCA of Stratford-Perth, said, "It's exciting that as I'm transitioning into my retirement, the YMCA of Stratford-Perth is also transitioning into a new phase, one that will afford increased relevance and impact in our community."   Area YMCAs merge with a promise to increase impact in communities | CBC News

Special thanks to Dean Robinson for his Y Stratford book. The research, writing and photos used in this article and in the Featured Article can be found with much additional information in Robinson’s book .

The current building on Downie Street was doubled in size in the 1940s and doubled in size again in 1966.  An addition was completed in 1999, and the entire building was completely renovated inside and out in 2001-02.

Hudson’s is no longer a department store. The clothing departments closed in early 2020, and the store has become one of the largest furniture and mattress stores in Stratford. Three generations of the Helperin family have now worked at Hudson’s, continuing a long tradition. Sources:  Hudson's about us. and  Celebrating a Century of Success, compiled by Gord Conroy

The drive-in

The drive-in theatre was on Downie Street, just south and east of Lorne Avenue. Its memory still generates great nostalgia for those who grew up in Stratford in the 1950s and '60s. Many parents would take their children to movies in their pajamas and let them sleep in the back seat. It was great for dating, too. The popcorn was horrible and the sound system was not stereo, but we loved it anyway. On a personal note, I proposed to my  wife in 1965 at the drive -in after watching Psycho. I didn't want to be alone after that. The drive-in was closed in about 1985, leaving an empty field. By Paul Wilker   Picture by Doug Gibbons . . . FB

Rememberances posted by audiences  on Facebook 

Stefan Myles: In the early '70s we lived on Home Street near O'Lorne. On Friday afternoons after school my brother Jeff and I would turn up all the speakers, then come back after dark and sit in the ditch (it was dry) and watch the movies. The long weekend sex-o-ramas were part of our, um, education. A while later I saw Star Wars first run there a dozen times. A great drive-in, sadly missed. Sometimes we would park at the side of the road on Downie st to watch a movie till cops came and told us we had to move. 

Bruce Hislop: My parent's farm was at the next corner out from the Drive-in (Flanagan's Corner). You could see the screen from many parts of the fields. My land cultivation work wasn't too straight some nights, depending what was playing.

Ed Doadt: I worked there in the seventies. Sometimes we wouldn't have the correct letters to spell out the movies. We had to get inventive especially with the all nighters on long weekends.

John Gregory: My mother had a 1963 Rambler. I took a date to the drive-in in that car. While I was off getting drinks or something, my date heard folks in the next car saying that the Rambler was great for drive-ins because the front seat went all the way back to flat, to make a comfortable place/bed for the movie. I don't recall taking advantage of that feature (or of that date).

Barry Jordan: My brother and I worked at the drive-in theatre in the early 60’s handing out speakers at the vehicle entrance and watch for trunk lids opening up with extra passengers. A great summer job.

Wayne Gould:I know I'm dating myself but I snuck (is that a real word?) in there when I was a kid. It was a long walk from St. David St. Those old Randolph Scott movies were great. Fond memortes.

In 1947 he led the Stratford Rotanettes to a PWSU junior A title. Three years later, he was joined by his sons Bob and Ralph, and they had a major influence on the Stratford Kadettes winning four consecutive PWSU junior A championships, starting in 1951.

When Bunny Fryer died in 1957, Stratford lost one of its best-known sports figures. His name was added to the city's sports wall of fame in the builders category 2016, for his contributions to softball and the to the community at large. Source: Stratford Sports Wall of Fame

The Odd Fellows stepped up and pooled their money and resources together to help people in need.  Since this attitude was converse to how society thought at the time, they considered themselves “odd” — thus the name. 

In 1876, the Odd Fellows were already established and meeting in the Oddfellows Block opposite the market on Downie Street. The business men, such as E. K. Barnsdale, of Taylor and Barnsdale, grocers, situated in Stoney's Block, on Market Square, met weekly on different days and were divided into Lodges such as the Avon Lodge or Romeo Lodge. Sources: 1876.pdf (perthcounty.) ;: Stratford and District Historical Society FB; If You Grew Up in Stratford FB; Thomas Francis Quirk (1845-1917) - Find a Grave Memorial 

Woolworth's in Stratford by 1928. Woolworth's was already in town before 1928 but occupied 69-71 Downie Street on the northeast corner of Brunswick and Downie Streets  across from the Bank of Montreal . A & P groceries moved in when Woolworth moved out. Woolworth's would move to the corner of Albert and Downie in 1935 after the Windsor Hotel sold half of its building because of the loss of clientele during the severe downturn in the economy which lasted during the 1930s. 

Kresge's was influenced architecturally, by the Art Deco style from that period. The strong vertical lines, the repetition and the symmetry are all part of the style that was highlighted in the Paris Exposition in 1925. Kresge's was a smaller store than Woolworth's but people loved to shop in both. Side by side they were unbeatable for kids and adults alike.  

The initials S. S. in the Kresge name stood for Sebastian Spering and he was born in 1867, in Pennsylvania, the year of Canada's Confederation. He died 99 years later in 1966 after establishing his first K- Mart in 1962. In 1977 Kresge Corporation formally changed to Kmart Corporation.  Kresge originally thought that the discount stores in the big suburban shopping plazas could coexist with the downtown variety store but by the 1980s, the change from Kresge to K-Mart matched the change all over from the "five and dime" variety to discount.   

After Kresge's in Stratford closed in the 1970s, the Municipal Savings & Loan Corporation occupied the building before Tourism Stratford took over at 47 Downie Street. Sources: Finding Aids and Digitized Collections - Perth County;  Destination Stratford - Stratford, Ontario | The Arts Are What We Are ;  Stratford and District Historical Society FB;  S.S. Kresge Co. - Gone but not forgotten);  S. S. Kresge - Wikipedia.  Complied by Gord  Conroy.

 Woolworth's buys ...  half a hotel!     

In 1935, F. W. Woolworth's bought, remodeled, and moved into half of the Windsor Hotel Block and began their iconic stay on the southeast corner of Albert and Downie Streets. Unlike Kresge's, Woolworth's did not raze the building but they did extensive remodeling. Note the changed roof-line and the Tudor style architecture.  They were an institution in Stratford and together with S. S. Kresge right next door, the two stores catered to generations of Stratford people of all ages. Woolworth's like Kresge's were stores for people and that meant for people of all ages from kids to adults and seniors. They all could find something they wanted  at "the five and dime." 

And those were real prices. Woolworths was founded in Utica, N.Y. in 1879 by Frank Winfield Woolworth, who conceived the novel idea of selling a variety of goods for a fixed price of either a nickel or 10 cents – the original "five-and-dime" concept. The company raised its price ceiling to 20 cents in 1932 and abolished price limits altogether in 1935.  

F. W. Woolworth Sales Philosophy. On September 16, 1922, an advertisement in the Saturday Evening Post explained Woolworth's philosophy for success.  

"In 1879, F.W. Woolworth set forth to do a new thing--to give values for five and ten cents as had never been given before. He knew that values alone will not build a business; the goods must be so displayed that people can see them. 'Our windows,' was one of the reasons he gave for his success." 

From the very beginning, the signature Woolworth windows were the company's only form of advertising. They featured standardized lighting (GE's "Edison Mazda Lamps,") and sumptuous and enticing displays, the style of which had been codified by the turn of the century by Samuel Knox, an early partner. 

Every window calls out for noses to be pressed up against it, every display beckons the viewer inside, and every counter is piled high, as far as the eye can see. The displays can be elaborate for toys and Christmas but even the more mundane (sewing supplies, stationary, dry goods, toiletries) seem voluptuous and welcoming. Despite the wide variety of stock, the merchandising is remarkable for its consistency. Virtually every item is accompanied with its own little price sign, a constant visual reminder that this treasure can be yours, for only a nickel or a dime. That pricing structure held for a full fifty years. Throughout the 1910s and 1920s, the familiar "Nothing in this store over 10¢!" banner hung in every Woolworth store. 

Then came the crash of 1929. That year, a 15¢ line was added to the lower-priced items, and in 1932 the upper limit was raised again to 20¢. Then, on November 13, 1935, the final blow: as later related by the Saturday Evening Post, “The five-and-ten, as an American institution, came to a quiet end. The occasion was a meeting of the board of directors of the F. W. Woolworth Co. The action they took was designed to engineer the company into merchandising more profitably than the price-restricted field of five-and-ten. On that fateful day, the board voted "that the selling-price limit of twenty cents on merchandise be discontinued.’Although Woolworth would stay in business for another fifty years, the five-and-dime era truly had come to an end."

In Stratford as elsewhere, the 1930s were tough. Many were out of work. Jobs were hard to find. Wages were peanuts. The Stratford Strike of 1933 was still raw. The anthem of the Great Depression from 1932 sung by Bing Crosby told the cold, hard facts of the economic collapse, "Brother Can You Spare a Dime."  Audaciously, Stratford had built a new outdoor swimming pool (See William Street) and a baseball stadium (See Norfolk Street) during The Depression and this was one more statement of hope.

The Windsor Hotel had fallen on tough times. No one had money to travel. Radical times called for radical solutions. They sold half of the Windsor Block and that move meant they survived The Depression and continue on Albert Street to this day. 

Woolworth's eventually became Woolco in Stratford in 1968 and bought and razed the Old Firehall on Albert Street. Eventually Woolco's era passed as well and other small stores bought pieces of the large Woolco including Rhéo Thompson Chocolates . (See Albert Street).  

 Sources: Finding Aids and Digitized Collections - Perth County;  Stratford and District Historical Society FB; Stratford-Perth County Archives; Saturday Evening Post, September 16, 1922; Woolworth Co. | American company | Britannica; F. W. Woolworth Company - Wikipedia  Complied by Gord  Conroy.

Earlier Woolworth's history ... at the corner of Brunswick and Downie Streets ... or ... The plot for the Great Bank Heist, Nov 7, 1928, at the Bank of Montreal.

In 1927, J. W. Woolworth 's appears for the first time in the Vernon Stratford Directory and was listed at 69-71 Downie Street. That's the northeast corner of Brunswick and Downie Streets, right across from The Bank of Montreal, at 73-77 Downie Street, on the southeast corner. (See photo below). The manager of Woolworth's was John Warren Spencer of  11 Birmingham Street and later of 105 Douglas Street. When Woolworth's opened in their new location at  Downie, Spencer moved to 89 St. Vincent North. Robert L. Whitman, 90 William Street, was the bank manager. 

And here is the story...the plot of The Great Bank Heist...as told by Adelaide Leitch in Floodtides of Fortune. 

One November day in 1928, Police Chief Joseph Bradley called the newsroom of the Stratford Beacon-Herald and told a young reporter it might be to his advantage to be around the Woolworth corner at Downie and Brunswick Streets across from the Bank of Montreal, in the early evening. Plans for a bank robbery, simmering away for weeks, were about to come to a head. 

The date was November 7, 1928. The young reporter was Tom Dolan, later known as "Mr. Stratford." (see T. J.  Dolan Drive).

The plot for the Great Bank Heist in Stratford had been dreamed up some time before, in a prison in Detroit. There, serving time, and with little to occupy his facile mind, Freeman J. Talbot mulled over information he received that the Stratford Bank across from Woolworth's carried over $50,000 in cash at times. He devised a scheme. When he was released, Talbot headed for the Classic City and tried to enlist a likely bank employee as accomplice. However, Walter Martus told his manager who, in turn, told the police. 

 With the supposedly willing employee as bait, a trap was set for Talbot, who was to be provided with a bank key and the vault's combination. November 7 was set as the date. Up cruised Talbot, with a partner at the wheel of the getaway car. Walter Martus, the bank employee, emerged on schedule to give Talbot the key to the bank and the combination to the vault.

But the whole Stratford police force was concentrated in the centre core, and Chief Bradley and staff descended on the surprised Talbot and accomplice, and hustled them off. Thanks to the Chief's thoughtful tip, reporter Tom Dolan (See Tom Dolan Drive) was able to write a fine eyewitness account of the whole episode. Talbot was given three more years in jail for conspiracy to rob. The alert reporter, numerous scoops later, became managing editor of his paper, The Stratford Beacon-Herald.  Source: Adelaide Leitch, Floodtides of Fortune.  Complied by Gord  Conroy.

.  

The Bank of Montreal has occupied three key locations in Stratford in its history. Two have been on Downie Street and the third of the corner of Ontario and Downie Streets.  The first location was at 32 Downie Street in the Odd Fellow's building. In the c. 1880 engraving seen above that accompanies the article about the Odd Fellow's Block that was razed to build Kresge's, the sign 'Bank of Montreal' can be seen in the lettering on the ground floor.  In 1876, the Bank of Montreal is noted in the Stratford City Directory to be at 32 Downie Street with James Hogg as agent. This is still the location in 1880-1881 and James Hogg remains as manager with his residence on Douglas Street near John. 

However, by 1896, the Bank of Montreal has moved to the southwest corner of Downie and Ontario streets. It would remain there until 1922. The Bank occupied the lower level of the Gordon Block built in 1894.  Central Business College occupied the second floor. Thomas Plummer is the manager of the Bank of Montreal in 1896 and lives at 340 Ontario Street. By 1900, the Bank of Montreal had purchased the mansion at 90 William Street which would be home to its bank mangers for more than half a century. (see William Street).  E. P. Winslow was the first manager to live there at 90 William Street in 1900; K. Ross McNaughton was the last to reside there in 1958. 

The advertisement in the City of Stratford Directory for 1896 declared that the bank of Montreal had assets of $12,000,000, plus other assets of $6,000,000 with undivided profits of $800,000.

That was to be the home of The Nut Club for the next 26 years. Then, when the building was sold in 1975, The Nut Club moved to its location on Brunswick Street. Three years after buying The Nut Club Mr. and Mrs. Waterman put in a lunch counter with 10 stools and that was the beginning of the dual nature of their business. Both sides of the operation grew, with the Watermans expanding the coffee shop and both wholesaling and retailing candy.

 Even after Mr. Waterman died in 1967, Mrs. Waterman continued the tradition, only dropping the candy-making part of the business when she changed location in 1978. In the meantime, the Watermans became involved in another business venture, the operation of Stratford’s first steak house. It was called the Tall T Steak House and opened on Ontario Street in 1960.  In 1970, Mrs. Waterman sold it and it became the All Baba Steakhouse . Source: Stratford-Perth Archives

This is a Heritage Property.