Stratford City Council
Special Council Open Session
AGENDA

Meeting #:

4796th

Date:

Monday, April 20, 2026

Time:

6:00 P.m. - 7:00 P.m.

Location:

Council Chamber, City Hall

Council Present:

• Mayor Ritsma - Chair Presiding, 
• Councillor Beatty, 
• Councillor Biehn, 
• Councillor Briscoe, 
• Councillor Burbach, 
• Councillor Henderson, 
• Councillor McCabe, 
• Councillor Nijjar, 
• Councillor Sebben, 
• and Councillor Wordofa 

Staff Present:

• André Morin - Chief Administrative Officer, 
• Tatiana Dafoe - City Clerk, 
• Audrey Pascual - Deputy Clerk, 
• Kim McElroy - Director of Social Services, 
• Tim Wolfe - Director of Community Services, 
• Taylor Crinklaw - Director of Infrastructure Services, 
• Karmen Krueger - Director of Corporate Services, 
• Adam Betteridge - Director of Building and Planning Services, 
• Neil Anderson - Director of Emergency Services/Fire Chief, 
• and Emily Robson - Corporate Initiatives Lead 

If unable to attend the meeting in person, you can watch the Council meeting live.

A video recording of the meeting will also be available through a link on the City's website following the meeting.

 

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1.

Call to Order:

​​Mayor Ritsma, Chair presiding, to call the Council meeting to order.

Councillor Hunter provided regrets for this meeting.

Land Acknowledgment

Moment of Silent Reflection

Respectful Conduct Statement

2.

Declarations of Pecuniary Interest and the General Nature Thereof:

​The Municipal Conflict of Interest Act requires any member of Council declaring a pecuniary interest and the general nature thereof, where the interest of a member of Council has not been disclosed by reason of the member’s absence from the meeting, to disclose the interest at the first open meeting attended by the member of Council and to otherwise comply with the Act.

Name, Item and General Nature Thereof

 

3.

Delegations:

Delegations are listed under section 4.1.

4.

Orders of the Day:

4.1

Resolution - Grand Trunk Renewal Project — Workshop Series Update and April 27 Report Introduction to Recommendations (COU26-047)

Following a presentation by the Chief Administrative Officer, the following persons have requested to speak to Council regarding the Grand Trunk Renewal Project:

• Co-Chairs Ron Dodson and Chris Leberg, Stratford Arts and Culture Collective (SACC) - will inform Council of a need for a space that can be used for the arts and culture community, YMCA, Stratford Library and to request SACC be included in the development of the site.
• Robert Ritz will be presenting ideas on the development of the site.
• Robert Verdun will be requesting that all options be kept open until after the 2026 election.
• Jane Marie Mitchell will be speaking in support of an alternative proposal for the site.

• Motion by

  Staff Recommendation: THAT the Report titled, “Grand Trunk Renewal Project — Workshop Series Update and April 27 Report Introduction to Recommendations” (COU26-047), be received for information.

• Motion by

  THAT Ron Dodson and Chris Leberg, Co-Chairs of Stratford Arts and Culture Collective, Robert Ritz, Robert Verdun and Jane Marie Mitchell be heard. 

5.

Confirmatory By-law:

To confirm the proceedings of Council of The Corporation of the City of Stratford at its meeting held on April 20, 2026.

• Motion by

  THAT By-law 5.1 be read a First and Second Time. 

• Motion by

  THAT By-law 5.1 be read a Third Time and Finally Passed.

6.

Adjournment:

• Motion by

  ​THAT the April 20, 2026, Special Council Meeting adjourn.