In this series with mayors, police chiefs and other leading thinkers on the topic of policing and collaborative leadership, we ask how Intelligent Communities are responding to the issue and what advantages and best practices they might offer others.

There’s a new addition to the business landscape in Stratford.

Trillium Hatchery Inc. held a ribbon cutting-cutting ceremony at their 70-thousand square foot facility in the city’s Wright Business Park on Tuesday.

The city says the facility is a $25 million dollar investment which will generate economic opportunities in Stratford and across Ontario.

A ribbon-cutting ceremony officially marks the opening of the new Samsonite Canada expanded Canadian Head Office in Stratford

The new 140,000-sq.ft. state-of-the-art facility features a warehouse, offices, showroom and Company Outlet store.
The new facility is on a 10.4-acre site behind Festival Marketplace Mall on C.H. Meier Boulevard.

Samsonite first opened in Stratford in 1956 and recently celebrated 60 years in Canada. The company produces luggage, business cases, casual bags, and accessories.

A recent tour of Canada’s biggest battery allowed participants to get up close to an 8.8MW/40MWh lithium-ion array housed in an otherwise unremarkable looking shed in the Wright Industrial Park in Stratford, Ontario.

“This is a historical moment,” says Stefan Goertz, Director of Development of Energy Services for Saturn Power, EPC contractor (in a joint venture with Ellis Don) and co-developer (with Hecate Energy). “But in the future, we’re going to see a lot more of this.”

Though no announcement has been made yet in regard to future government funding for the program, facilitators are calling the Connect2Skills industry training program a success as 90 per cent of those who graduated from the program in its pilot year are now gainfully employed with local manufacturers.

Over the course of three six-week modules held in both Stratford and Listowel – the last of which finished up on Wednesday -- 29 area residents successfully completed the program, which included four weeks of in-class job training and two weeks of paid placement with one of the five local manufacturers that partnered with the Four County Labour Market Planning Board for this endeavour.

STRATFORD, Ontario (Reuters) - A Canadian town known for its annual theater festival is emerging as a hub of "snowtonomous" research, as automakers face demands to produce self-driving cars that can perform in snow and sleet.

But testing driverless cars in cold climates brings added challenges to an industry grappling with the first fatality involving an autonomous vehicle.

The auto industry's past and present co-exist with its high-tech future on opposite corners of an intersection in Stratford, Ont. If the research being conducted on the southeastern corner achieves its ultimate goal, what's happening on the northwestern side will no longer be necessary.

Computer-chip manufacturer Renesas Electronics Corp. is testing an autonomous vehicle on a dedicated track on the southeastern corner.

On the opposite corner of the crossing, where Lorne Avenue meets Romeo Street – this is, after all, the home of a Shakespearean festival – Lorne Ave. Salvage Yard & Recycling reclaims what it can from wrecked vehicles.

Ontario is investing $80 million over five years in the autonomous vehicle innovation network (AVIN) in Stratford.

The province is partnering with the Ontario Centres of Excellence to launch AVIN, which includes a Demonstration Zone allowing researchers to develop the technology and test an autonomous vehicle in real-life traffic scenarios.

In the Demonstration Zone, technologies can be tested, validated and showcased in live scenarios using vehicle platforms such as city buses, fleet vehicles, and OEM vehicles.

The Autonomous Vehicle Innovation Network (AVIN) and Demonstration Zone have officially opened in Stratford, Ontario, the new go-to destination for developing autonomous vehicles.

This first-of-its-kind Demonstration Zone will enable self-driving car technology researchers to innovate and test autonomous vehicles in real-life scenarios.With over 10,000 employees across 50 companies and organizations in Ontario, the self-driving/connected vehicle sector is growing and the province is investing to help remain a leader in the field.

Stratford is one of the best cities in Canada to call home, according to MoneySense magazine.

The city is moving up when it comes to magazine's annual ranking of the best places to live from coast to coast.

Last year pegged in the 15th spot, Stratford was declared the 12th best place to live in Canada in this year's rankings - though apparently it hasn't regained the glory of 2015 when the city claimed the 7th place position in Canada. The list is based on categories like a robust economy, median household income, access to health care, low taxes and crime, and nice weather.