The Corporation of the City of Stratford
Ad-Hoc Grand Trunk Renewal Committee
Open Session
AGENDA

Meeting #:

Date:

Tuesday, May 20, 2025

Time:

4:00 P.m. - 6:00 P.m.

Location:

City Hall Auditorium

Ad-Hoc GTR Committee Present:

• Dan Mathieson - Chair Presiding, 
• Mayor Martin Ritsma, 
• Barb Cottle, 
• Franklin Famme, 
• Mark Vandenbosch, 
• Melanie Hare, 
• Nic Flanagan, 
• Paul Parlee, 
• Ron Dodson, 
• Stephen Mitchell, 
• and Trudy Jonkman 

Staff Present:

• Adam Betteridge - Interim Chief Administrative Officer , 
• Emily Robson - Corporate Initiatives Lead, 
• Joani Gerber - CEO of investStratford, 
• Tim Wolfe - Director of Community Services, 
• and Victoria Trotter - Recording Secretary 

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1.

Call to Order

The Chair to call the Meeting to Order.

Land Acknowledgement.

Moment of Silent Reflection. 

2.

Disclosure 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 otherwise comply with the Act.

Name, Item and General Nature of Pecuniary Interest

3.

Adoption of Previous Minutes:

• Motion by

  THAT the Minutes of the Ad-Hoc Grand Trunk Renewal Committee of The Corporation of the City of Stratford dated March 17, 2025 be adopted as printed.

4.

Delegation Requests

Cate Trudeau, Executive Director, ShelterLink Youth Services (10 mins)

• Motion by

  THAT the delegation by  Cate Trudeau on behalf of ShelterLink Youth Services be heard.

5.

Business Arising from Previous Minutes

5.1

Committee Input: Interim Uses, Community Facility Planning & Development Approach

Emily Robson, Corporate Initiatives Lead, City of Stratford

Update on three key areas of the Grand Trunk Renewal Project: interim uses of the site, early planning for a shared community facility, and the approach to preparing development scenarios.

The Committee is invited to provide input on the direction of the work to help inform reports going to Council in June and July. Discussion will focus on the interim activations, including:

• Does the Committee support the direction being proposed for interim use of the Grand Trunk site, particularly the summer programming idea?
• Are there any concerns or considerations the Committee feels should be addressed before these activities proceed?
• What feedback should staff keep in mind as this work is shared publicly and brought forward to Council?

5.2

Interactive Briefing: What’s Shaping Development Options for the Grand Trunk Site

Joe Svec, Svec Group
Rock Wang, UrbanEdge Advisors

Svec Group will present early analysis on what is shaping the development scenarios for the Grand Trunk site including land use configurations, infrastructure considerations, and trade-offs.

This builds on the Committee’s March 17 meeting and is designed as a working session to support understanding and gather input ahead of Council’s review this summer. Attached is Svec Group's presentation from March 17, 2025 and the Vision and Guiding Principles for reference.

The Committee is encouraged to share feedback on:

• What factors or trade-offs are most important to consider in scenario planning?

• Are there any additional opportunities or risks that should be taken into account?

• How well does this work reflect the vision and guiding principles the Committee helped shape? Are there ways the connection could be made clearer for Council and the public?

6.

New Business

6.1

Refreshing the Grand Trunk Master Plan

Melanie Hare, Chair, Vision, Planning & Architecture Working Group

7.

Working Group and Staff Updates

7.1

Partnership

Herb Klassen & Karen Haslam, Co-Chairs

• No report

7.2

Vision, Planning & Architecture

Melanie Hare, Chair

• Report presented in item 6.1

7.3

Real Estate, Legal & Finance

Franklin Famme, Chair

7.4

Communications, Advocacy, Civic Engagement

Andrew Hilton & John Kastner, Co-Chairs

7.5

Infrastructure & Environment

Stephen Cooper, Chair

• No report

7.6

Working Group Coordinators

Alan Kasperski & Ray Harsant, Coordinators

• No report

7.7

Staff Update

Emily Robson, Corporate Initiatives Lead, City of Stratford

The format of this update has been changed from previous updates for clarity and simplicity.

8.

Date of Next Meeting

The next Ad-Hoc Grand Trunk Renewal Committee Meeting is June 16, 2025 in the Council Chamber, City Hall.

9.

Adjournment

Meeting Start Time:

Meeting End Time:

• Motion by

  THAT the May 20, 2025 Ad-Hoc Grand Trunk Renewal Committee meeting adjourn.