Stratford in Perth County, Ontario — Central Canada (North America)

R. Thomas Orr 1870-1957

Photographed by Tim Boyd, July 18, 2025

1. R. Thomas Orr 1870-1957 Marker

Inscription. Click to hear the inscription.

A life-long member of the Stratford Parks Board, R. Thomas Orr was the driving force behind the Stratford parks system. Orr led the fight to save the riverfront and millpond from railway development and oversaw the transformation of the former industrial area into parkland. In 1936, Orr’s plans to link Stratford with the birthplace of the English playwright William Shakespeare led to the creation of the Shakespearean Gardens. These parklands provided an inspirational setting in 1953 for the Stratford Shakespearean Festival. During his life of community service, Orr also helped to establish Stratford's library and the war memorial, to extend Highway 7 to Stratford, and to found the Upper Thames River Conservation Authority and the Stratford Historical Society.

Membre permanent de la commission des parcs de Stratford, R. Thomas Orr est l'initiateur du système des parcs de la ville. Il mène la lutte pour sauver de l'expansion ferroviaire les berges de la Tamise et la retenue d'eau pour le moulin et préside à la transformation de l'ancienne zone industrielle en parcs. En 1936, son projet de lien entre

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Stratford et le lieu de naissance du dramaturge anglais, William Shakespeare, aboutit à la création des jardins de Shakespeare. Ces parcs forment le merveilleux décor du festival Shakespeare de 1953. Durant sa vie au service de la collectivité, R, Thomas Orr contribue également à l'ouverture de la bibliothèque de Stratford, à l’érection du monument, commémoratif de guerre, au prolongement de la route 7 jusqu'à Stratford, et à l'établissement de la Upper Thames River Conservation Authority et la Stratford Historical Society.

Erected by Ontario Heritage Foundation.

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Arts, Letters, Music • Charity & Public Work • Parks & Recreational Areas. In addition, it is included in the Canada, Ontario Heritage Trust series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1936.

Location. 43° 22.419′ N, 80° 58.786′ W. Marker is in Stratford, Ontario, in Perth County. It is on Veterans Drive 0.1 kilometers west of Waterloo Street North, on the right when traveling west. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 4 Waterloo St N, Stratford ON

R. Thomas Orr 1870-1957 Marker [français] image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Tim Boyd, July 18, 2025

2. R. Thomas Orr 1870-1957 Marker [français]

N5A 5H4, Canada. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in the Huron-Perth-Waterloo-Wellington Area

and in Southwestern Ontario.

It is also in Central Canada.

Globally, it is in North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once a British colony,

the Viceroyalty of New France,

the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) Confederacy,

and Rupert’s Land.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: The Bandshell (about 150 meters away, measured in a direct line); Stratford’s Furniture Industry (about 150 meters away); Sir John Cunningham McLennan, 1867-1935 (about 240 meters away); 203 William Street (about 240 meters away); Knox Presbyterian Church (about 240 meters away); The Queen’s Inn (approx. 0.3 kilometers away); Swan Parade (approx. 0.3 kilometers away); William Allman Memorial Arena (approx. 0.3 kilometers away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Stratford.

Photographed by Tim Boyd, July 18, 2025

3. R. Thomas Orr 1870-1957 Marker

Stratford Riverside Parks, ca 1900 image. Click for full size.

July 21, 2025

4. Stratford Riverside Parks, ca 1900

Toronto Public Library

Lake Victoria, Stratford in 2025 image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Tim Boyd, July 18, 2025

5. Lake Victoria, Stratford in 2025

Credits. This page was last revised on September 10, 2025. It was originally submitted on July 23, 2025, by Tim Boyd of Hamilton, Ontario. This page has been viewed 105 times since then and 35 times this year. Last updated on September 10, 2025, by Kevin Westell of St. Catharines, Ontario. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. submitted on July 23, 2025, by Tim Boyd of Hamilton, Ontario. • Devry Becker Jones was the editor who published this page.