In the News: Campaign Director Mike Balkwill Speaks with rabble.ca on Get Concerned Stratford’s Winning Campaign

February 18, 2025

When multinational corporation Xinyi Glass tried to build a float glass factory in Stratford, Ontario, residents discovered that city council had been privately working on the deal for two years. Pressuring the province to issue a Minister’s Zoning Order (MZO), council attempted to bypass environmental reviews, public consultation, and democratic oversight.

Concerned about water usage, emissions, and loss of farmland, residents quickly organized. Within days, Get Concerned Stratford (GCS) mobilized a grassroots campaign that—against all odds—forced Xinyi to abandon its project and led the Ontario government to rescind the MZO.

Their remarkable success was so extraordinary that campaigners Sam Demby and Small Change Fund’s VP of Campaigns and Engagement Mike Balkwill wrote about their efforts in A Winning Campaign, a playbook for communities facing similar challenges.

A Winning Campaign offers essential lessons on organizing, storytelling, and resilience. It proves that strategic grassroots action can challenge powerful interests and protect local communities.

Read Mike’s full interview with rabble.ca to learn more about how Stratford’s citizens took action—and won.

• You can purchase a copy of A Winning Campaign online here.