Stratford’s iconic Avon River has dried up, stunning locals and tourists

From its earliest days, the Avon River has been the heart of the community of Stratford, Ont.

The centrepiece of the river, known as Lake Victoria, was created in the 1830s as a millpond for industry. The parks board later convinced the city to invest in horse-drawn scoops to dredge the lake. Locals warded off railroad proposals along the shorelines, where roses from Queen Mary were planted. A pair of swans from Queen Elizabeth arrived in 1967.