First Nations Trustee Phil Schuyler told Thames Valley District School board, as members reviewed the final senior recommendations for closings and other drastic changes in elementary schools in the Aylmer, St. Thomas and Dorchester areas, that too much emphasis was being put on financial considerations, and not enough on the role of a school in…
Paige Wentzell learned she could keep a ping pong ball aloft with a hair dryer on low setting, but not high, as she and fellow pupils in a grade 5-6 class studied “air” during a “Mad Science” demonstration at Springfield Public School on Friday, April 7. This and other experiments conducted by a visiting “Mad Scientist”…
Mike Shackelton, in the mobile booth in the middle, solicited bids from would-be buyers during Shackelton Auction’s annual Farmers Spring Consignment Machinery sale on Saturday, April 8. Winter weather disappeared just in time for the event, which attracted 1,519 registered bidders. A total of 1,928 lots were auctioned for 268 sellers.
Central Elgin volunteer firefighters advanced slowly but steadily on a fire in a replica of a large-scale propane tank, similar to what might be used for home heating, at St. Thomas Airport on Sunday, April 9. Forty-two of them participated in a weekend of training on how best to handle liquid petroleum gas fires and…
A wreath was laid at the Springfield Cenotaph Sunday morning, April 9, by representatives of Colonel Talbot Branch 81, Royal Canadian Legion, Aylmer, to mark the 100th anniversary of the First Great War Battle of Vimy Ridge. A similar service followed at the Aylmer Cenotaph.
Out There Creative Therapy of Springfield, in cooperation with Canadian Mental Health Association, has received a $209,600 Ontario Trillium Foundation grant to establish “Get Out There” to foster mental health in local young persons, primarily through creative arts. Kellen DeVos, founder of the organization, said a former restaurant in Springfield would be converted to a…
The drivers of two pickup trucks, Samuel Chabot, 17, of Malahide and Branko Cindric, 62, of Central Elgin were killed following a crash on Talbot Line (Highway 3) just west of New Sarum that occurred shortly after 3 p.m. on Wednesday, April 5. Ontario Provincial Police officers, Central Elgin volunteer firefighters and Elgin St. Thomas…
Volunteer and retired librarian Nancy Robinson read Sometimes I Feel Like A Fox by Danielle Daniel to a Kindergarten class during the annual Forest of Reading program at Straffordville Public School on Wednesday, April 5. Ms. Robinson and others from the community read 10 books written by Canadian authors that are nominated for the Blue…
Eric Hueston, left, played acoustic guitar while The BackSeat Girls, Linda Churchill, Gail Ward and Brenda Beaudoin sang one of their signature songs during the Lovin’ the Music concert at Aylmer Old Town Hall Theatre on Saturday evening, April 1. Seen in the background is guitarist Blair Heddle. The concert was held as a fundraising…
Director Cheryl Batterink, left, conducted the Crescendo Male Choir at Bethel United Reformed Church located just east of Aylmer during the Gospel Hymn Sing benefit concert on Friday evening, March 31. Now based out of Mount Brydges for the past several years, the Crescendo Male Choir started in 1969 at St. Thomas Christian Reformed Church.…
Matt Lessard of Burgesville sang and played acoustic guitar to Johnny Reid’s Kicking Stones during the Corinth Community of Christ Church Music Night on Friday evening, March 31. A number of area musicians, along with the Aylmer Area Community Band, played a wide variety of music that night with the freewill offering proceeds of $511.40…
These ducks were seen floating, some splashing, in the water along the floodplain of Kinsmen Park in Aylmer on Saturday morning, April 1. The rain received the prior two days resulted in some minor flooding in the usual low-lying areas of the Aylmer area.