The Stratford Slice

Anyone brave enough to survive more than three decades in the restaurant industry deserves respect and a sizable tip.  Larry McCabe, however, likes to consider himself “A Pazzo Bouffon” (translation: A crazy fool), which also happen to be the names of the two successful restaurants he runs in the heart of downtown Stratford. Larry is also a newly elected member of Stratford City Council.  Craig and Larry chat about the challenges facing not only the tourism and hospitality industries but small municipalities in general as communities everywhere deal with issues related to housing and affordability

Synopsis:   As the traditional tourist season gets underway, Craig sits down with Zac Gribble, Executive Director of Destination Stratford to learn more about the trends reshaping the tourism economy.  Zac also shares his vision to develop a year-round multi-faceted visitor experience that encompasses arts, culture, culinary and sports.  

When people think of Stratford, they naturally think of culture and the arts.  Think again. Think Milk!  Believe it or not, Stratford is at the epicentre of Canada’s dairy industry. So it’s not surprising that this city is home to the annual Canadian Dairy XPO, which is celebrating its 10th anniversary in 2024. Craig sits down with Jordon Underhill, founder of the Canadian Dairy XPO, and learns that the dairy industry is much more than just milk. https://dairyxpo.ca/

Best-selling novelist Andrew Pyper has built a career on probing the psychological depths of his characters in a myriad of thrilling circumstances. Now his alter ego, Mason Coile, Pyper’s new pen name, is taking the narrative in a new direction blending science with the supernatural. Craig chats with the Stratford-born author about his career and where he finds the inspiration for his stories. andrewpyper.com

Growing up on his family’s dairy farm, Matthew Rae was hooked on news and politics from a young age. So when it came time to choose a career, he chose a path that he imagined would eventually take him into the world of foreign diplomacy and international affairs.  After years in the corridors of power in Vienna, Ottawa and Toronto, he is now front and centre on the political side as the MPP for Perth Wellington and the Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing.  He sits down with Craig to share his journey and discuss some of the key issues currently on the top of the agenda in Ontario today.

Brittlestar, otherwise known as Stewart Reynolds is a Stratford-based social media influencer, media commentator and author whose satirical, common-sense viral videos have more than 600 million views across various platforms. He sits down with Craig Thompson to discuss his new book Welcome to the Stupidpocalypse: Survival Tips for the Dumbageddon, a series of essays on the rise of technology and social media, politics, being a Dad and what it means to be Canadian.

When your name is Rheo Thompson, most people associate you with the famous candy store that bears the same name.  But Rheo Thompson is also a real person.  Now retired, having sold the chocolate and candy business years ago, Rheo chats with Craig about how he got started in the chocolate and candy business and reflects on his decades-long career as Stratford’s ‘candyman’

Craig chats with John Miller, the Founder and Artistic Director Emeritus of Stratford Summer Music who is now lending his considerable artistic talents to the Huron Waves Music Festival in Exeter, Ontario.  Miller’s eclectic and varied career includes time spent in education as a teacher and vice principal, in politics, as an advisor to a cabinet minister, leading the Canadian Music Centre as National Director and as Executive Director of the Glenn Gould Foundation. John is one of Canada’s leading arts and culture figures whose accomplishments have been recognized in his community of Stratford.  He has a star on the city’s ‘Walk of Fame’  in the heart of downtown, alongside other prominent art figures such as Glenn Gould, Loreena McKennitt and Christopher Plummer.

If Stratford had a poet laureate, David Stones would make a likely candidate. The retired business executive who now calls Stratford home, transformed his lifelong interest in poetry into a new artistic passion - one that combines words and music into spoken word performance art that has been drawing crowds across Southwestern Ontario. The author of two books of poetry - Infinite Sequels and Sfumato - David Stones discusses with Craig how poetry has helped him express his perception and opinions on the world we live in and how it has created meaning for his fans, many of whom are encountering poetry for the first time.

Craig’s guest is Stratford and Perth County historian and writer Dean Robinson. The author of 23 books and the author/editor of eight other titles, Dean maintains that Stratford’s rich and colourful past is a unique part of our community’s character. Craig chats with Dean about his journalism career in London, Kitchener, Seaforth and Stratford and dives into some of the remarkable stories from Stratford’s past that inspired him to write the many books that make up his impressive library of popular history.

Farm to Fork is a new television series from Ballinran Entertainment celebrating Southwestern Ontario farmers who are at the heart of the farm to table movement. Hosted by Waterloo region chef and culinary ambassador Nick Benninger, Farm to Fork airs across Canada on Bell Fibe TV1.  In this episode, Chef Nick and producer/director Julian Wierzbicki join Craig in-studio to discuss the growing interest amongst consumers to know exactly where their food comes from and the people who put the effort into bringing it to their table

In the second of two episodes, Craig chats with former Canadian diplomat, scholar and community advocate Deanna Horton. As a Canadian diplomat in Hamburg, Washington, Tokyo, and Vietnam, she has had a front-row seat to history.  Now based in Stratford, she brings a big-picture perspective to her adopted hometown - reminding us that even places like Stratford can learn from the winds of change sweeping the world.

In the first of two episodes, Craig chats with former Canadian diplomat, scholar and community advocate Deanna Horton.  As Canada’s ambassador to Vietnam, Deputy Head of Mission in Tokyo, and a Minister in Canada’s embassy in Washington DC, Deanna had a front-row seat to world history.  In this episode, she reflects on the shifting geopolitical landscape and global trading relationships in our increasingly polarized world.

From the Hockey Canada Crisis, to the debate over broadcasting’s future, to allegations of foreign election interference, John Nater has been at the centre of it all.  As the MP for the riding of Perth Wellington (which includes Stratford), John was the Vice Chair of the House of Commons Heritage Committee during the heated debates over misconduct in Canada’s beloved game of hockey.  Now, he has a front row seat for the scandal involving allegations of election interference.  Craig sits down with MP John Nater to discuss the many challenges facing our country and the world at large

Children’s book author and illustrator Marthe Jocelyn chats with Craig on the journey that led her to become a writer. With her 50th book now released, she shares her family connection to Stratford, her life in Toronto and New York and how personal tragedy helped shape her perspective. marthejocelynbooks.com

In the performing arts world, a “triple threat” is a performer who can act, sing and dance.  John Wilkinson could be considered the triple threat of the tech world.  As an investment advisor and former Minister of Revenue in the Ontario Government, he knows finance.  As the former Minister of Research and Innovation in Ontario, he has his finger on the pulse of advanced technology. As a graduate of the University of Western Ontario with a degree in Music, he can sing.  He brings all three talents to the table for a chat with Craig Thompson for a discussion on artificial intelligence and other technological advances that have the potential to change our world

Three time Juno nominee Emm Gryner chats with Craig about her new album Business and Pleasure, her upcoming international tour, her book The Healing Power of Singing, and reflects about what she learned about the music industry during her stint as a keyboard player and back-up singer in David Bowie’s band.

Ron Sexsmith is truly one of the music industry's greatest troubadours. He counts Paul McCartney, Elton John, Gordon Lightfoot and Elvis Costello as his biggest fans.  On the eve of the release of his new album and the launch of an international tour, Ron chats with Craig about moving to Stratford and how it has influenced his music and perspective on life.

Legendary comedian and improv genius Colin Mochrie chats with Craig Thompson about what it's like to go on stage night after night without a script - and not knowing what might unfold.  The star of the long-running television series Whose Line Is It Anyway was in Stratford to launch the Canadian tour of Hyprov, a new stage show co-starring master hypnotist Asad Mecci that combines the power of hypnotism with improvisational comedy with hilarious results.

The Bookends are Celtic instrumentalists from Stratford, Ontario, whose members have toured with Loreena McKennitt, Great Big Sea and Ashley MacIssac.  Consisting of two couples, who are also neighbours, they fine-tuned their fast-footed music with their masterful arrangements during the pandemic.  The foursome chats with Craig about their new CD, recorded with the Stratford Symphony Orchestra, and their musical quest to discover the heart of the Celtic tradition from Ireland and Scotland.  Get ready to enjoy some good craic and some foot-stomping tunes.