Several rural schools in the area were closed on Monday, Jan. 27 due to overnight snow that had created poor road conditions. Thames Valley District School Board closed New Sarum, Port Stanley, South Dorchester, Southwold, Sparta and Summers Corners public schools due to bus cancellations. East Elgin Secondary School and McGregor Public School in Aylmer…
Grade 5 pupil Jocelyn Drenth returned a serve during a two-hour “Volleyball Extravaganza” at New Sarum Public School, Wednesday, Jan. 22. Grade 5 through 8 pupils participated in the event, which was raising money for a planned Grade 8 graduation trip to Camp Celtic in the Bruce Peninsula in the spring.
Brennan Piché-Leclaire, 13, of Aylmer is hoping to become a junior counsellor for The War Amps of Canada CHAMP (Child Amputee) program starting this summer. “They’re awesome,” he said with feeling about the organization and the help it has given both to him and his parents over his lifetime. For Brennan, who was born without…
Elgin County councillors on Tuesday, Jan. 14, unanimously rejected a request from Elgin Federation of Agriculture for a rejigging of property tax on agricultural land. Councillors unanimously rejected a request from EFA to have the tax rate for farm fields lowered from a quarter of what residential properties paid. Local farmers saw the value of…
The recent warmer weather along with rain over the weekend helped create an ice jam within Catfish Creek at Port Bruce, seen here on Sunday, Jan. 12. Malahide officials issued a flood warning for the watershed area and Port Bruce specifically Saturday night and minor flooding was reported in a few areas. An elderly couple…
A fire that started in a mini-van parked in the driveway of 211 Talbot Street East in Aylmer on the evening of Friday, Jan. 10 spread to that house as well as the neighbouring house to the east. Volunteer firefighters managed to contain the fire but not before it destroyed the van, caused extensive damage…
Central Elgin councillors on Monday night, Jan. 13, approved an exemption to the municipal bylaw to allow the St. Thomas Gun Club to hold trap-shooting competitions the mornings of Sunday, Jan. 19, and Sunday, May 18. The bylaw normally forbids shooting Sunday mornings. Matthew Campbell, who said he resided 800 metres from the gun club,…
Officials with Catfish Creek Conservation Authority and Kettle Creek Conservation Authority both issued separate early warnings on Friday, Jan. 10 about the potential for high water and flooding in their watersheds. The warmer temperatures forecast that day and the next day along with expected rain and melting snow could raise the water levels in the…
The owners of the Malahide home that is the prize of an essay writing contest are running in this fall’s municipal election in Aylmer. Calvin Brydges and his wife Diana both filed nomination papers on Thursday, Sept. 9 with the Clerk’s office in Aylmer and are seeking council positions in the Oct. 27 election. Mr.…
Malahide councillors will ask their Aylmer counterparts if the town would like to park a planned expanded library in the community hall at East Elgin Community Complex. Councillor Mark Widner broached the idea at a township meeting Thursday, Jan. 9, where he and his colleagues also learned that delivery of an operational review of the…
St. Thomas Elgin General Hospital and Elgin St. Thomas Public Health are appealing to local residents to do their bit to stem the spread of influenza in the community, which has been blamed for one death. In a release late Thursday afternoon, Jan. 9, hospital President Paul Collins and Medical Officer of Health Dr. Franklin…
A two vehicle crash that occurred at the intersection of Talbot Line (Highway 3) and Springwater Road in Orwell shortly before 10 a.m. on Thursday, Jan. 9 slowed traffic in the area for about a half hour. The crash involved a white Buick Century and a farm transport truck. One of the occupants of the…