Date set for next Stratfords reunion

Ray Cleaver | 15th July 2010

A date has been set for the next biennial Stratfords of the World Reunion, which will be held at Stratford in Canada’s Prince Edward Island between September 13 and 19, 2012. The venue was chosen at a meeting of leaders from participating Stratfords at the 2010 gathering in Stratford, Taranaki earlier this year.
Several local people have already expressed interest in attending, and a meeting will be held early next year of prospective participants, with organisation and planning handed over to a new committee.
25 locals attended the last reunion in Prince Edward Island in 2001, though the programme was somewhat affected when the 9/11 New York terrorist attack disrupted travel plans for many.
As in 2001, arrangements are being planned for overseas guests to also be given the opportunity of brief hosted visits to both Stratford, Ontario and Stratford, Connecticut, USA.
Prince Edward Island is located in East Canada in the Gulf of St Lawrence. In size it is slightly smaller than Taranaki, but has a population 40% higher at around 145,000.
Since a 13 km bridge was opened to join with the mainland in 1997, the scenic island has seen strong growth in tourism and permanent residents.
The town of Stratford was formed from six villages in the mid-1990s and now has a population of over 7000.
Like Taranaki, Prince Edward Island’s wealth is based on agriculture from fertile soils.