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FREE CARRIAGE RIDES

SEASON: Spring, Summer, Fall

LOCATION: Corner of Downie and Ontario streets

WEBSITE: www.stratfordcitycentre.ca

HIGHLIGHT: Downtown Stratford at street level with a free horse-drawn carriage tour

Every Saturday, from about the beginning of June to the end of September, more than 300 stores and businesses in Downtown Stratford provide free horse-drawn carriage rides through the city’s Victorian-era core. Rides depart every half hour and are on a first-come, first-serve basis from noon to the last run at 3:30 p.m. All you have to do is present yourself at the corner of Downie and Ontario streets, on the north side of the intersection, in front of the Freeland Fountain and Memorial Gardens.

John Thomson is the carriage driver. He talks to his horses, calls them by name, and gives them a “giddy-up” when he wants them to move along. John controls the reins while his sister Lois rides shotgun. Lois keeps an eye on traffic. It is her arm that signals an upcoming turn at an intersection. If Lois can’t make it on a certain day, one of John’s other sisters fills in. The tail gunner, who stands on the top step at the rear of the wagon, is a Stratford business owner or a local historian. They’re perfect people to provide commentary on the downtown sites and talk enthusiastically about their city. The tour presents an overview of buildings and shops you can return to on foot for a closer look.

Thomson’s horses are quiet and mild-mannered. Honking and traffic don’t bother them as they clip-clop their way around town. When the ride is over and the horses are on a break, you can pat their necks and rub their foreheads. They don’t mind at all.