• Stouffville is recruiting a new town crier to serve as an official ambassador at local events and public celebrations.
  • The ceremonial role dates back millennia and was last held locally by Marcel Bossi, who served from 1990 until his death in 2016.
  • Applicants must submit a video by Aug. 15 demonstrating their ability to deliver a clear proclamation on the introduction of a new crier in Stouffville.
  • Shortlisted candidates will undergo interviews and screening, with selected finalists possibly facing an in person audition later this year.
  • The successful candidate will be fitted with a custom uniform and receive $200 per official Town event attended.
  • Duties are expected to begin Jan. 1, 2026, and more information is available online.

 

Do you have a booming voice, a flair for the dramatic, and a love of local tradition? The Town of Whitchurch-Stouffville is looking for its next official town crier, who will serve as a bell-ringing ambassador at civic events.

“The reinstating of Stouffville’s town crier will play an important part in our community, declaring official announcements, opening special events, and adding a touch of tradition to local celebrations,” the Town’s website explains. “As a proud ambassador of the Town, the crier helps spread civic pride and community spirit wherever they go.”

Town criers date back to antiquity, long before mass literacy and the printing press. One of the earliest known references appears in Homer’s Iliad, which describes Stentor, “whose cry was as loud as that of fifty men together,” serving as a herald during the Trojan War.

By medieval times, criers had become fixtures of civic life across Europe, responsible for delivering proclamations and public news aloud in town squares. While their role today is largely ceremonial, town criers remain as lasting symbols of public discourse.

In Stouffville, that tradition was upheld by the late Marcel Bossi for 26 years, from 1990 until his death in 2016.

“He started appearing at Town events in an unofficial capacity in 1989, and his appointment became official by by-law on June 12, 1990,” Town communications coordinator Hayley Langdale said in comments to Bullet Point News. “He continued to fulfill the role until his death in 2016, at which time he was the town crier for both Stouffville and the Village of Swansea in Toronto.”

“We haven’t had a town crier since Marcel passed,” Mayor Iain Lovatt added. “It was a long-standing tradition here in town, and we are trying to resurrect it.”

Lovatt moved a motion in March directing Town Staff to explore the feasibility of reinstating a town crier, which led to the current open call. “The reintroduction of a town crier could enhance community engagement, promote local events, and preserve the Town’s historical traditions,” his motion stated.

York Region’s own John Webster briefly served as Stouffville’s town crier prior to Bossi and was appointed as the official town crier for the City of Markham in 1987. Since then, he has taken on similar roles in Aurora, East Gwillimbury, and Cary, North Carolina. His international ties include being named the honorary town crier for the Town of Edlinton in England by Lord William Haydon Gordon-Smith.

“The town crier was the original information device,” Webster told us. “Being town crier is a wonderful avocation. It combines the history of the community with where it’s going into the future and where it is right now.”

Webster noted that the town crier represents the mayor, whether in uniform or not, much like they used to represent the British monarch. “The way I look at it: if the mayor wouldn’t do it, I shouldn’t,” he said.

Those interested in the role must apply online by 11:59 p.m. on Aug. 15. Applicants are asked to submit a short video showcasing their ability to project loudly and clearly, using the theme of welcoming a town crier to Stouffville and highlighting what makes the community special.

Shortlisted candidates will be contacted for interviews and an initial screening process, and finalists may be invited to audition in person. The selected crier will be custom-fitted with a uniform and paid $200 for each Town event they attend.

Duties are expected to begin Jan. 1, 2026. Full application details and a description of the role and its responsibilities are available on the Town’s website.

Cover photograph of John Webster provided by and used with permission from Anna Lozyk Romeo