News
Seeking to rescind closings of Springfield, New Sarum schools
Elgin-St. Thomas trustees Meagan Ruddock and Bruce Smith are mounting an effort to rescind previous decisions by Thames Valley District School Board to close elementary schools in Springfield and New Sarum, if and when a large new elementary school is built in Belmont. Those decisions were made in 2017, but whether or not the province…
Read MoreFive exotic animals die in fire
Five animals, an alpaca, two pot-bellied pigs and two New Guinea singing dogs were lost in a fire at Educational Animal Displays on Woolleyville Line in Malahide on Sunday, Oct. 13. Owner Velma Sheppard said a neighbour rescued a camel from the burning barn, which was destroyed in the blaze. Two other buildings, in the…
Read MoreDeal scotches school closings
The Canadian Union of Public Employees and the Ontario government reached a last-minute tentative contract deal on Sunday night, Oct. 6, preventing wide-scale public and Catholic school closings across the province that had been expected on Monday, Oct. 7. Both Thames Valley District School Board and London District Catholic School Board had warned that all…
Read MorePotential school closings Monday, Oct. 7
Both Thames Valley District School Board and London District Catholic School Board have warned that all schools will be closed to students on Monday, Oct. 7, unless weekend talks with the Canadian Union of Public Employees results in a breakthrough. CUPE has announced school custodians and support staff will go on strike as of Monday…
Read MoreWarning comes with 2020 Bayham capital budget
Bayham councillors on Tuesday night, Oct. 1, unanimously approved in principle the municipality’s capital projects budget for 2020. That will allow Bayham to issue tenders for next year’s work almost immediately, in an effort to get the lowest possible prices from contractors. However, Administrator Paul Shipway and Treasurer Lorne James warned hard times could be…
Read MoreEast Elgin Concrete wins Port Bruce harbour contract
Malahide councillors on Monday, Sept. 23, awarded a contract for improvements to the entrance to Port Bruce Harbour to East Elgin Concrete Forming of Tillsonburg, which had the lowest of three bids at $1,926,600. Development and Community Services Director Gene DiMeo told councillors work was expected to start in about a week. An east breakwall…
Read MoreFederal all-candidates forums on Wednesday, Sept. 25 in Aylmer, Oct. 2 in St. Thomas
The Aylmer Express will host two all-candidates meeting to give the public the opportunity to directly question candidates in Elgin-Middlesex-London riding for the Oct. 21 federal election. The first will be at Aylmer Old Town Hall on Wednesday, Sept. 25, starting at 7 p.m. The second will be held at Memorial Arena’s auditorium in St.…
Read MoreMennill seeks new tack on amalgamation
Malahide Mayor David Mennill is looking for a detour route to still reach his goal of having the township and Aylmer councillors sit down as a group to see if a potential merger between the two communities is worth looking into. Aylmer councillors continue to balk, saying again and again they want more information first,…
Read MoreLift bridge project 14 months instead of six
Central Elgin Mayor Sally Martyn said she was shocked when she learned via a news report that planned rehabilitation of the King George VI Lift Bridge in Port Stanley by Elgin County would take 14 months, including all of next summer, rather than six months beginning later this year. She wasn’t happy the news had…
Read MoreGo-ahead for Port Bruce harbour work
Malahide Administrator Michelle Casavecchia Somers told township councillors Thursday, Sept. 5, that the federal Department of Fisheries and Oceans had finally issued a permit allowing the municipality to embark on extensive rehabilitation to the harbour in Port Bruce. The work must be completed by winter, so Malahide councillors will hold a special session on Monday,…
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