Stratford's Swan Parade Cancelled

Sunday's release of Stratford, Ontario's swans to the Avon River has been cancelled as the area where the swans are released is still frozen over. The swans will be returned to the river when the ice clears.


The first mute swans were brought to Stratford from Battle Creek, Michigan in 1918. Several of the swans on the river today are descendants of Queen Elizabeth II’s royal herd. In 1967, six pairs of Mute swans were a centenary gift and sent to Ottawa. Subsequently, one of the pairs was then given to Stratford.

From November to March the river is frozen and the swans are kept in Winter Quarters located behind the William Allman Arena.

UPDATE: Without fanfare on Monday, April 7, Stratford released 32 white swans, two black swans, one Muscovy duck, three Canadian geese, one bar-headed goose and two Chinese geese onto the Avon and other reservoirs.

322 Emily Street, St Marys, Ontario

The Town of St Marys, Ontario gave notice 7 Mar 2008 that 322 Emily Street will be designated an Ontario Heritage Property unless an objection is made within 30 days.


The house sits on spacious grounds north of the Grand Trunk Trail on the west side of Emily St. with a spectacular view of the Thames River valley. One of the earliest grand houses in St Marys, the Italianate villa was built in 1860 for John Robinson, a civil engineer responsible for the Sarnia Bridge on the Grand Trunk Railway line. Three years later he sold it to Milner Harrison, a St Marys pioneer merchant and early reeve, who lived there until his death in 1887. Harrison's son was David Howard Harrison who practiced medicine in St Marys. David Howard Harrison moved to Manitoba in 1882 and was briefly premier of the province.