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Mike, left, and Jenn Collins cut free slices for everyone coming into the annual Straffordville Watermelon Fest on Saturday, Aug. 24. They went through about 180 melons as crowds thronged the event. Rose Gardner, one of the organizers, said the festival was another overwhelming success. For more pictures, see the Aug. 24 edition of The…

Elgin OPP reported on Monday, Aug. 26, that the owner of a lost bull in Central Elgin had been found. Police investigated a report of a bull running at large on Belmont Road near Ferguson Line on Saturday, Aug. 17, at about 7 p.m. Assisted by members of the public, officers corralled the bull and…

The 176th Aylmer Fair last weekend, enjoying mild weather and no rain, recorded an attendance of more than 11,000 on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. That’s up – way up – from 7,000 last year. “Amazing,” Fair President Randy Laur said on Monday, “It was better than I ever expected. “I haven’t seen crowds here that…

President Randy Laur says this year, the 176th edition of the Aylmer Fair, promises as always, an opportunity to gather together, socialize and take in all the attractions, including cattle shows, demolition derbies, arts and crafts competitions, flower shows, farm produce contests, a variety of foods, a petting zoo with pony rides and, for the…

  Legend Rubber of Bayham hopes to be back in production by the end of this week after a major fire in the early-morning hours of Monday, July 29. The company manufactures rubber livestock mats for use in beef cattle and dairy barns. Chief Marketing Officer Brendan Church said the company was grateful to Bayham…

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,…

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…

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…

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…

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…