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The Canadian Press - ONLINE EDITION
It must be spring: Swans march to river in Stratford's quirky parade
The Stratford Pipes and Drums form an honour guard for the swans’ final descent into the Avon River. THE CANADIAN PRESS/ho-Stratford Tourism Alliance-Terry Manzo
It's not the longest parade in the world, but the swan celebration in Stratford, Ont., may be one of the quirkiest.
Every spring, usually on the first Sunday in April, the city's beloved long-necked birds emerge from their winter quarters — a brick building they have all to themselves — and parade to the Avon River, a 15-minute waddle away.
Up to 5,000 people line the block-long route along Lakeside Drive to watch the feathered contingent go by, says Cathy Rehberg, marketing manager for the Stratford Tourism Alliance.
"The swans follow the Stratford police pipes and drums, and it looks like they are marching to the beat. It's pretty humorous," she said.
"They're anxious to get to the water and they're happy to be out, and for us it means it's spring."
Inaugurated in 1990, the parade of about two dozen birds draws onlookers to the southwestern Ontario city — more famous for Shakespearean theatre at the Stratford Festival — from Toronto and nearby U.S. border states, as well as a flock of local fans, said Rehberg.
Last year, organizers created a weekend-long festival around the event to give visitors more to do, and this year they are expanding further by adding street performers and other family-friendly activities, said Rehberg.
There are guided swan walks, carriage rides and a puppet show, as well as decorated topiary swans — visitors can vote for their favourite — throughout the downtown area.
Stratford has been raising swans since 1918, when it received a pair as a gift. The city has two species: mute swans, which are white (and not mute, despite their name), and black swans.
Several in the current population are said to be descendants of the Queen's royal herd. Stratford is so swan-crazy, it once had an official Honorary Keeper of the Swans, the only person in North America to hold such a title, according to the city.
Some of the birds have names. In a video about "Minnie" and "Mickey," actor and Stratford resident Colm Feore describes mating rituals that include blowing bubbles and other x-rated "flirtatious behaviour" that stimulates their hormones and makes them respond to each other like "newlyweds."
As an animals-in-the-streets spectacle, the annual swan celebration is less hazardous for humans than, say, the running of the bulls in Pamplona, Spain. But Rehberg cautions newbies about the correct technique for feeding the sometimes cranky birds: toss the food (greens and grains are preferred, not bread, which is hard for them to digest). Don't let the swans eat from your hand, which could have painful consequences because of their sharp beaks.
Another piece of advice: "Dogs and swans don't mix."
The festival kicks off April 6 and the parade takes place the following day.
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Online: www.visitstratford.ca/swans
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