News
Outdoor fires banned
Fire chiefs in St. Thomas and Elgin County have issued an immediate ban on all open-air and recreational fires. In a statement, they said, “Open air fires are defined as any fire outside of a building and include bonfires, campfires, burn barrels, outdoor fireplaces/chimineas or any other fires set in open air. “Although there is…
Read MoreVW neighbours seeking compensation
Central Elgin residents around the edges of the proposed new Volkswagen electric-vehicle battery plant are calling for compensation for suddenly finding themselves with a “gigafactory” as a neighbour. They lined up to convey that message at a public hearing about proposed rezoning for the north side of Highway 3, between the road and a railway…
Read MoreMost support hockey merger
Most of the 25 participants in a “town hall” session Friday, May 26, on a planned one-year pilot program that would merge minor hockey Rep teams from Aylmer and Belmont under a new “East Elgin” banner were supportive of the test that will start in September. The only exceptions were Gary Rabbets and Eugene Lindsay,…
Read MoreTensions rising at CE council
Tensions between Central Elgin councillors and staff flared at council’s May 23 meeting. Deputy Mayor Todd Noble suggested that interim chief administrative officer Wendell Graves was out of line asking council to approve a new psychological health and wellness policy, just two weeks after a show of emotions by the deputy mayor. The deputy mayor…
Read MoreDog sought in biting in Port Stanley
Southwestern Public Health is seeking help to identify a dog that bit someone at Little Creek Park in Port Stanley on Sunday, May 7, between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m., to determine if it had been vaccinated against rabies. The dog was described as a small Dachshund with a solid brown coat and short hair.…
Read MoreAylmer mayor, deputy seek return of police to schools
Aylmer Mayor Jack Couckuyt and Deputy Mayor Pete Barbour want to see police return to routine visits to local schools. At a town council meeting Wednesday, May 17, Deputy Mayor Barbour said Thames Valley District School Board had, since before the COVID-19 pandemic began, denied access to police to deliver safety messages and programming to…
Read MoreMore calls for roundabout
Malahide councillors continue to demand that Elgin replace the current crash-prone intersection of county-owned Imperial Line and Ron McNeil Road with a traffic roundabout. At a meeting Thursday, May 18, Councillor Rick Cerna said yet another crash had occurred two days earlier at the intersection, the fourth or fifth since January. He suggested Malahide pressure…
Read MoreCelebrating 75 years of “Optimism”
Aylmer Optimist Club held a banquet and danced to live music as members and guests celebrated the 75th anniversary of the founding of the club on Saturday, May 13, at Saxonia Hall. “It turned out really well,” President Linda Stewart said the following day. “It was nice to have the bigwigs there,” including Aylmer Mayor…
Read More“Resounding no” to EESS changes
East Elgin Secondary School will send a “resounding no” to proposed changes to the boundaries of East Elgin Secondary School. A planning committee made up of local representatives held a second public hearing on the proposal at EESS on Monday, May 15, but the report it initially filed with Thames Valley District School Board will…
Read MoreBeach Patties re-opens after roof ripped off former site
Beach Patties, a Caribbean/breakfast restaurant in Port Burwell, has reopened at 29 Wellington St. after a severe winter storm blew the roof off its former home at 34 Robinson St. just before Christmas. Lisa Partap and Jon Staples are the owners of the restaurant, with Lisa’s mother Joan Partap providing the cooking expertise in the…
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