Lawrence Feick Stratford-Perth Archives
Lawrence Feick, mayor
Feick Crescent appeared in about 1960, developed by Stratford builder Guenther Mohrmann. The street was named in honour of Lawrence Feick, the city's mayor in 1953-54.
Best remembered for his public service, he was also a councillor for 30 years (1946-52 and 1955-69). He cast the deciding vote to was a member of the city council for 24 years and was mayor in 1953 and 1954. 1953 was the big one because it was the founding year of the Stratford Festival. He cast the deciding vote to approve the city's financial support for the dream that became the Stratford Shakespearean Festival.
He was also associated with the Stratford Athletic Association, and was president of the city baseball league, the Stratford softball league, and the industrial hockey league. And he was an organizer and strong supporter of the Stratford’s Boys Band (see Brett Street).
For service to the city, he received the Queen Elizabeth II Coronation Medal in 1953, the Canadian Centennial Medal in 1967, and was one of five Stratford recipients of the Queen Elizabeth II Silver Jubilee Medal in 1977. By Stanford Dingman
Residence 629 Ontario St.
Wigwam Harry
An interesting subject is one of Lawrence Feick's six brothers, named Harry Fieck (intentional spelling). He was born in Stratford in 1900 and went West in 1918 to live in Fort Churchill, Man. He went on to the Yukon in 1941 and worked on the construction of the Alaska Highway. For a while he lived in a tent on the main street in Whitehorse and became known as Wigwam Harry. He worked as a truck driver for the United States army and then the Canadian Army. When he was not prospecting for gold, he was digging basements and post holes and foundations. He became a living legend and a genuine Whitehorse character. He died in 1997 and is buried in the Grey Mountain Cemetery in Whitehorse. By Stanford Dingman
