Falstaff Ward, Stratford

Laid out in 1853 and named for Shakespeare's merriest knight, the ward still carries a little of his good cheer. Character homes line Waterloo and Cobourg, and the whole of downtown waits at the end of the block.

The 2021 census counts about 2,400 homes in Falstaff Ward. Just over half are single detached houses, about one in seven are semi-detached, and about one in six are apartments in buildings under five storeys. About a third were built in 1960 or earlier, and about a third between 1961 and 1980.

Stratford Transit's 2 East End, 3 McCarthy and 5 Devon routes serve Falstaff Ward. The VIA Rail station is about 1.8 km away. Ontario Street (Highway 7) runs along the south side, and Mornington Street, Waterloo Street North, Romeo Street North and McCarthy Road East are the other main streets.

The Stratford Festival Theatre stands in Upper Queens Park, the ward's largest park at about 12 hectares, and the Tom Patterson Theatre and Gallery Stratford are also in Falstaff Ward. North Shore Parkland, Lakeside Drive Parkland, Confederation Park and the Cenotaph and Memorial Gardens add more green space, and Long Drive Park and Devon Street East Parkland are the biggest neighbourhood parks. The William Allman Memorial Arena, the Stratford Lions Pool and the Stratford Country Club round out the ward.

• Bedford Public School — JK to Grade 6. The public school for most of Falstaff Ward, with French immersion from Grade 1.
• Romeo Public School — JK to Grade 6. The public school for the streets along the west end of Ontario Street.
• Anne Hathaway Public School — JK to Grade 6. The public school for the far east end of Ontario Street, and the French immersion school for the Romeo Public School streets.
• Stratford Intermediate School — Grades 7 and 8. The public middle school, on St. Andrew Street, with French immersion.
• Stratford District Secondary School — Grades 9 to 12. The public secondary school, on Forman Avenue, with French immersion.
• St. Ambrose Catholic School — JK to Grade 8. The Catholic elementary school for the southern streets, including Devon Street and Romeo Street South.
• St. Aloysius Catholic School — JK to Grade 8. The Catholic elementary school for the northern streets, including Mornington Street and Fairfield Drive.
• Jeanne Sauvé Catholic School — JK to Grade 8. The Catholic French immersion school, on Grange Street, with immersion from Junior Kindergarten.
• St. Michael Catholic Secondary School — Grades 9 to 12. The Catholic secondary school, on Oakdale Avenue.