Posts by Rob Perry
57 to speak on proposed school closures
Thames Valley District School Board trustees will, on Tuesday, May 2, and Wednesday, May 3, hear from a total of 57 speakers about the proposed closures of several schools in the Aylmer, Malahide and Central Elgin area, and the building of new ones in Belmont and southeast St. Thomas. Most will have only five minutes,…
Read MoreTwister at the library
Cecilia Propper, 8, of Aylmer, left, and Andi Thiessen, 8, of Malahide contorted themselves as they played Twister at Aylmer library on Tuesday, April 25. They were among participants in one of several “Unplug and Play” events being held across East Elgin this week to promote physical activity for children.
Read MoreMaking a Splash at Old Town Hall
Taes Leavitt, left, and Nick Adams of Splash’n Boots got children to count along with them during an Aylmer Kids and Company concert at Old Town Hall on Saturday, April 22. The event was sold out, with 175 attending.
Read MoreSweet Caroline at EESS lip synch
Teacher Dean Emmons lip-synched to Neil Diamond’s “Sweet Caroline” as the finale to an annual three-day competition at East Elgin Secondary School, Thursday, April 13. Several student acts participated in the event.
Read MoreTrustee says bigger schools not always better
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…
Read MoreMad about science
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”…
Read MoreBig farm equipment auction at Shackelton’s
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.
Read MorePropane training for CE firefighters
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…
Read MoreSpringfield remembers Vimy Ridge
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.
Read More$209,600 Trillium grant for “Get Out There” mental health project
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…
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