What actor Paul Gross loves about Stratford
The silver-fox thespian takes us on a tour of his go-to spots in Festival City
In the ’70s, when actor Paul Gross was naught but a barne (as Shakespeare would say), his mother took him to see King Lear at the Stratford Festival. Afterward, Gross’s heart swelled, his eyes widened and he proclaimed, “I want whatever that is.” He is perhaps best known for his portrayal of hunky RCMP constable Benton Fraser in the TV comedy-drama Due South, but he’s also played Hamlet and King Lear at Stratford. And this season, he’s back as Vladimir in Samuel Beckett’s Waiting for Godot. When he’s not onstage delivering existential monologues, he takes advantage of the region’s bounty. Here, a tour of his favourite spots.
Wild Hog Country Market
“I am a carnivore. I love cooking, and I love dead animals (but not in an RFK Jr. way). The meat at Wild Hog is fabulous. I’ll load up my cart with all sorts of unbelievable steaks, chucks, ribs—you name it—and fresh produce before heading out of town to my place in Cobourg with my wife, Martha. They also have a good café—not that I need any more coffee after pounding back-to-back cups at 5 a.m.” 2785 Line 34, Perth East, wildhog.ca
T. J. Dolan Trail
“I have a terrier—or terrorer, as I like to say—who always needs to go out. He’s indefatigable. A few years ago, I started a habit of running my lines while dragging him around the picturesque T. J. Dolan Trail that winds around Lake Victoria and through a graveyard. At the time, I was growing my hair and beard out for King Lear, and I looked insane, yelling at a dog in iambic pentameter. Hikers would stare at me. They still do, even though the lines for Godot are more decipherable. I don’t stop to do much explaining.” Entrance located off John St. N.
Fanfare Books
“I’m so glad people have continued supporting independent bookstores even in the age of Amazon—they’re too special to lose. Fanfare Books is almost 60 years old. It has creaky wooden floors, and the atmosphere is wonderful. No one bothers you while you’re browsing, but the staff are quick with a recommendation if you ask for one. It’s the kind of place where I could end up sitting in an armchair and leafing through a whole book. They have lots of plays and books on the craft of acting, but I read more fiction. I recently picked up Virginia Evans’s The Correspondent on a staff member’s suggestion and loved it.” 92 Ontario St., Stratford, fanfarebooks.ca
Canadian Tire
“Canadian Tire is the world’s all-time greatest store. It has some sort of ESP that knows how to make me compulsively buy stuff. I go in for two things and walk out having spent $200. I used to use a little handheld basket, but now I know myself: I need the big cart. My dad had a one-piece snowsuit from there that he called his bunny suit. I inherited it, and I still wear it every winter. I’m sad the fake money is disappearing, but that’s okay. I’m learning to accept change.” 1093 Ontario St., Stratford, canadiantire.ca
Gallery Stratford
“A short walk away from the Festival Theatre, Gallery Stratford always has a great little show on. It’s well curated, and whether it’s exhibiting paintings, drawings or sculptures, I’m all in. I’m indiscriminate—I like everything. When I visit, I like to take some time to enjoy the grounds and the building. The gallery is housed in the city’s old waterworks from the 1880s. It’s gorgeous when all the gardens get going in the spring and everything is in bloom.” 54 Romeo St. S., Stratford, gallerystratford.on.ca
Lindsey King is a Toronto-based writer and editor whose work can be found in Toronto Life, Maclean’s, Canada’s 100 Best and more. She is interested in arts and culture, food and drink, architecture, design, and real estate stories
