Ya but, who is Ellam?

Amy Robertson, Stratford, ON

Ellam's restaurant used to be a big deal here in Stratford, ON. Apparently it was THE place for the after theatre crowd in the 1950s and 1960s. Growing up in Stratford in the 90s, however, we saw Ellam's a bit differently. That's where we bought cigarettes and dared each other to eat. We whispered about Ellam's being a "front", as they never seemed to have customers, but continued to operate as if they did. Now its doors are locked and it's like looking into a time capsule. In quaint, pretty Stratford, the mystery remains- what's the deal with Ellam's?

I'm Amy Robertson, an Occupational Therapist by training, who spent over a decade working in mental health and addictions in Vancouver, BC. I returned to my hometown of Stratford, Ontario during the pandemic, burnt out, tired, and needing a change. I've switched gears and am engaging in meaningful conversations with folks about their experiences with illness, death, and dying, and what life has taught them- it's a podcast! called As I Will It. In our death phobic society, I have learned the transformative power of storytelling and the honest, sometimes funny, sometimes sad, but always entertaining, stories from my community.

Find Amy on Instagram at @asiwillit_pod