NEWS

Local news in and around Aylmer and Elgin County

Aylmer Fire Department marks 150th anniversary

July 24, 2024 | 0 Comments

Retired volunteer firefighters attended the 150th anniversary open  house of the Aylmer Fire Department on Saturday, July 20. Standing in front of a recently-restored 1942 firetruck that had at one time been in town service were, from left, Barry Shipp, Wayne Gavey, Steve Gray, Jim Laur, Jim Thompson, Lew Underhill, Tom Miskelly, Bob Sproul, Gerry Freeman,…

Crane asks for 2,500 more trees

July 24, 2024 | 0 Comments

Jim Crane addressed Southwold councillors “from the bottom of my heart” as he asked for 2,500 trees to be planted on former conservation land gifted by his uncle that ended up in private hands with a new home on it. He was speaking at the July 8 council meeting, about the former Crane Conservation Area…

Body of missing swimmer, 14, found

July 17, 2024 | 0 Comments

The body of a London boy, 14,  reported missing in the waters of Lake Erie off Port Stanley’s Main Beach on Sunday afternoon, July 14, was discovered on Tuesday, July 16.  Elgin Ontario Provincial Police Constable Brett Phair said at 1 p.m. Sunday, two individuals, a 44-year-old and a 17-year-old were seen struggling in the…

Restaurant rezoning denied

July 17, 2024 | 0 Comments

Aylmer council members, after hearing opposition from residential neighbours, denied a rezoning to allow an unnamed restaurant with a drive-through lane on the back half of The Bargain Shop property at 154 Talbot St. W. They also promised neighbours they would investigate if 4 a.m. trash bin pickups at TBS and nearby McDonald’s restaurant can…

Motorist killed in Central Elgin crash

July 14, 2024 | 0 Comments

A St. Thomas resident, 23, died in a single-car crash on Roberts Line near Centennial Road in Central Elgin on Friday, July 12, at about 6:50 p.m. Elgin Ontario Provincial Police Constable Brett Phair said the identify of the driver, the only occupant of the vehicle, would not be released “out of respect for the…

Straffordville’s Gerry Taylor accepts Medal of Honor for Civil War ancestor

July 10, 2024 | 0 Comments

Gerry Taylor of Straffordville travelled to Washington, D.C., last week, where on behalf of his ancestor Philip G. Shadrach he received a Medal of Honour, the highest military honour of the United States of America, from President Joe Biden. Private Shadrach enlisted to fight for the Union in the USA’s Civil War and was saluted…

Keegan Harvey, 20, sought in St. Thomas murder

July 9, 2024 | 0 Comments

St. Thomas Police have identified a suspect allegedly involved in the murder of Victoria Dill, 40, who died by gunshot in the early-morning hours of Wednesday, July 3. Police are asking the public’s help finding Keegan Harvey, 20, who is wanted for one count of being an accessory after the fact to murder and one…

Breaking news: Homicide investigation in St. Thomas

July 3, 2024 | 0 Comments

St. Thomas Police have launched an investigation into the death of a woman in the area of Hiawatha and Curtis streets, which is being treated as a homicide. Police announced that they and firefighters responded to multiple 911 calls about a fire in that area on Wednesday, July 3, at 12:30 a.m. On arrival, was…

Call for health funding denied at county

July 3, 2024 | 0 Comments

Elgin County council members, in a 6-3 vote on Tuesday, June 25, rejected a proposal from Central Elgin Mayor Andrew Sloan to provide $1.3-million in funding to help pay for a new magnetic-resonance imager for St. Thomas Elgin General Hospital and another $500,000 to support the building of the new Elgin County Hospice in St.…

Putting on a Canada Day “gun show”

July 3, 2024 | 0 Comments

In a moment of frivolity, Elgin-Middlesex-London MP Karen Vecchio, Aylmer Mayor Jack Couckuyt, MPP Rob Flack and Malahide Mayor Dominique Giguère showed off their muscles during the annual joint Canada Day celebration at East Elgin Community Complex on Monday, July 1. Afterward, they further flexed their muscles by cutting and serving pieces of a Canada…

Driver charged in hit-and-run fatality, victim named

June 27, 2024 | 0 Comments

A Thamesville man, 35, has been charged  by St. Thomas Police in connection with the recent hit-and-run death of pedestrian Carissa George, 34, of St. Thomas. He’s been charged with failing to stop at the scene of an accident and two counts of operating a motor vehicle while prohibited from doing so. The collision between…

Truck and Tractor Pull this Friday, Saturday

June 26, 2024 | 0 Comments

The Fairgrounds will be home the seventh annual Aylmer Canada Day Weekend Truck and Tractor Pull this Friday, June 28, and Saturday, June 29. Aylmer Fair Board President Randy Laur said that while he’s been to such events elsewhere, “I’ve never been a puller,” as competitors are termed. However, in 2016, when the pull was…