CTV News Kitchener’s top entertainment stories of 2025

From mourning the loss of a treasured actor from Six Nations of the Grand River to getting a lesson from The Godfather of Shock Rock, 2025 was full of big moments in the entertainment industry.

The death of Graham Green

Ohsweken-born television, movie and video game star Graham Green died on Sept. 1 of this year, leaving behind a legacy of creativity.

He was best known for his Oscar-nominated role in Dances with Wolves, but also appeared in The Green Mile, Reservation Dogs, Longmire, The Adventures of Dudley the Dragon, the Twilight film franchise and, most recently, The Last of Us. He even broke into the world of video games by lending his voice to the critically acclaimed Red Dead Redemption.

Closer to home, Green appeared on the famous Stratford Festival stage during the 2007 season as Shylock in The Merchant of Venice and Lennie in Of Mice and Men.

“As Shylock, he brought a painful dignity and sharp intellect to the part,” Antoni Cimolino, Stratford Festival’s artistic director, said in a social media post. “From the moment he entered, we knew we were in the presence of a star. His Lennie was heartbreaking in his childlike innocence. We were completely won over by his simple warmth and consequently devastated as the play progressed.”

Greene was inducted onto Canada’s Walk of Fame in 2021, but instead of heading to Toronto, a ceremony was held for him at the Tom Patterson Theatre in Stratford, where his star is still displayed to this day.

During a special event in his honour, he spoke about some of the more unusual jobs he had in entertainment business.

“I was a welder, an iron worker, carpenter, a carpet layer, draftsman, civil technologist,” he said.

Greene’s advice for anyone looking to get started in the business – follow your intuition.

“If you want to do what you want to do, do it,” he said. “Don’t listen to anyone who says you shouldn’t be doing that. Do what’s in your heart”

As part of his induction into Canada’s Walk of Fame, Greene received $10,000 which he could donate to the charity or cause of his choice. He chose the Stratford Perth Humane Society and Alley Cat Café, who each received $5,000. A news release said Greene once ran a one-person cat rescue that socialized and placed 26 stray cats and kittens into new homes.

Greene was also named a Member of the Order of Canada in 2015.

Earlier this year, he was awarded the Governor General’s Lifetime Artistic Achievement Award.

He had an honourary degree from Wilfrid Laurier University in Waterloo and won a Grammy Award for Listen to the Storyteller, a spoken word album for children.

Green died at the age of 73 after a long illness.

Famous corgi from Kitchener saves owner

A dog with thousands of followers on social media became famous for a new reason after saving his owner.

Waldo, a corgi, is a familiar sight at Oktoberfest festhallen and has more than 14,000 followers on TikTik, where his fans know him for his wiggle and wobble, as well as his commercial appearances.

Jess Parker, Waldo’s owner, told CTV News Kitchener in January that she was out on a routine walk with Waldo when things took a terrifying turn.

A path behind her home was muddy due to melting snow, making conditions quite slippery. Parker lost her footing and fell to the ground.

“My body went and my right leg didn’t. I heard a giant crack and I knew that something was wrong,” Parker recalled. “My foot was facing completely east and my body was facing north. So, it was very gruesome.”

The pain was instant and with no phone on her, she felt helpless.

Parker began screaming because the path was set far back from the main road. She was frightened nobody would be able to hear her.

“Waldo immediately jumps to action. He kisses me on the face and then runs away,” she said.

Parker remained on her back, in pain, and worried until Waldo reappeared.

“I saw him out in the distance tugging on a stranger’s pant leg. He starts barking and he leads the guy to me. I’ve never met this guy before,” she said.

Waldo immediately took off again. What Parker didn’t know at the time was he had dashed to get even more help. This time, he got the attention of Parker’s landlord and her husband.

“We just came right down and I could see some people gathering,” said Parker’s husband Brady. “I could hear Jess. She was in a lot of pain.”

Paramedics arrived shortly after.

“The doctor said I got there just in time. I was losing a lot of blood to my foot and that can be quite dangerous,” Parker said.

The quick-thinking corgi was hailed a hero.

“I had hoped I’d never find out, but thankfully, Waldo did pass the Lassie test,” Parker joked.

Iconic voice actor brings new play to Stratford, Ont.

Two people who have worked on one of the longest running shows on television brought something new to the stage in Stratford, Ont.

In October, CTV News spoke with Dan Castellaneta, one of the writers of Frankenstein’s Daughter. Although the name may be unfamiliar to some, his voice is considered to be one of the most recognizable voices on television.

Castellaneta voices Homer Simpson, Krusty the Clown, Barney Gumble and a host of other characters on The Simpsons.

He worked with Deb Lacusta, who is also a writer on The Simpsons, to create the new dark comedy for the stage.

“When you write something for The Simpsons, it goes through a major rewrite process,” Castellaneta explained. “You hand in a script, and a roomful of writers will rewrite it. So, it’s not necessarily going to come out the way you envisioned it.”

Frankenstein’s Daughter starred Jim Annan and Alastair Forbes as two characters who are separately invited to a cottage without knowing the other person will be there. The show used only one set at the Here for Now theatre.

“I think it’s exciting to have an alternative that’s not necessarily competition,” Annan said. “[It’s] a great side dish to [Stratford Festival] and especially to have comedy and to have that option and to have just a lovely little 60-seat theatre.”

The show ran from Oct. 16 until Oct. 26.

Robert Munsch donates his personal archives to Guelph Public Library

A beloved children’s author made headlines this year when he decided to donate his personal archives to the Guelph Public Library.

Robert Munsch, best known for stories such as Love You Forever, The Paper Bag Princess and Mortimer, is now 80 years old, and his tales continue to inspire a love of reading.

In November, CTV News learned of his intention to donate his collection of original drafts, notes from publishers, letters from fans, photographs and more than 75 published picture books.

“We are excited to have the archives of Robert Munsch added to the Guelph Public Library,” the Munsch Family said a media release. “The library has been a large part of our family’s lives. When our children were young, Robert would take the kids every week to pick out new books. Robert Munsch is happy to continue to inspire kids and adults alike through the archives.”

The library said Robert and Ann Munsch approached them in 2024 to discuss the donation.

The collection will be added to the library’s archive at its new Central location, which is set to open sometime in 2027.

“The library is honored to house and provide access to Munsch’s archives to foster a deeper understanding of the stories that shaped many of our childhoods and the man who created and brought them to life,” Eleni Hughes, the supervisor of archives and records management for the Guelph Public Library, said.

Guelph students get ‘School of Rock’ lesson from Alice Cooper

The Godfather of Shock Rock came to Toronto in September, and he brought along some very special guests from Guelph.

Heavy metal fans flocked to Budweiser Stage to watch Judas Priest and Alice Cooper deliver an unforgettable performance. Little did they know it would also be a night students Guelph Collegiate Vocational Institute would remember for the rest of their lives.

Many members of the school’s chamber choice hadn’t even been born when Cooper’s hit ‘School’s Out’ was released in 1972, but they were ready for a real lesson in rock and roll from the music legend.

Clad in white shirts, black pants, and Cooper’s characteristically dark eye makeup, the high school students provided backing vocals for a mash up of ‘School’s Out’ and ‘Another Brick in the Wall Pt. 2.’

Cooper’s team even gave the teens makeup kits for the occasion.

One Grade 12 student, Jane Wood, was given an extra special surprise when Cooper invited her to his dressing room and helped her get performance ready by putting on her stage face.

“[A member of Cooper’s team] knew I was a fan already. I was like, ‘If that happens, I will burst into tears and I will cry,’” Wood recalled.

For fellow student, Quinn Louge Barei, it was also an experience he won’t forget.

“To have that opportunity, it’s not something any of us in the choir took lightly at all,” said Louge Barei. “We know that we’re incredibly lucky and we appreciate it so much.”

The performance was the result of dedication, determination and a good deal of collaboration.

“[Cooper’s team] was so supportive of our kids from the get-go,” Lane Osbourne, GCVI’s choir director, said. “We were sending them rehearsal videos. They would give us feedback on things. The kids were learning how to adapt, sometimes at the last minute in terms of what’s actually needed to put on a show of this magnitude.”