Shakespeare Ward, Stratford

Mature shade over mid-century porches, Victorian rooflines a street over, and Dufferin Park where the neighbourhood's summers have played out for a century. Many of the houses here have stood for generations.

The 2021 census counts about 2,200 homes in Shakespeare Ward. Half are single detached houses, about one in five are semi-detached, and about one in six are apartments in buildings under five storeys. About half were built in 1960 or earlier, and about a third between 1961 and 1980.

Stratford Transit's 4 Queensland, 6 Downie and 7 Industrial routes serve Shakespeare Ward. The transit terminal and the VIA Rail station are each about 0.9 km away. Erie Street, Downie Street and Lorne Avenue East are the main streets.

Dufferin Park, at about 5 hectares, is the ward's largest park, and the Dufferin Arena is beside it. The Optimist Recreational Park has a baseball diamond, and Maple Avenue Park and Inverness Park are close by. The Stratford Municipal Golf Course is about 1.5 km away.

• Shakespeare Public School — JK to Grade 6. The public school for most of Shakespeare Ward.
• Anne Hathaway Public School — JK to Grade 6. The public school for the eastern streets along Downie Street, and the French immersion school for all of Shakespeare Ward.
• 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 Shakespeare Ward.
• 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.