NEWS

Local news in and around Aylmer and Elgin County

Training for flashovers

October 14, 2017 | 0 Comments

Volunteer firefighters in full gear from all for Central Elgin halls received day-long flashover training at the Yarmouth Centre Fire Station located just east of St. Thomas on Saturday, Oct. 14. The training continued all day on Sunday as well. The firefighters were trained using a Drager flashover simulator. “Flashovers occur when high temperatures in…

Barn gets one-piece 500 foot long eavestrough

October 13, 2017 | 0 Comments

On Friday morning, Oct. 13, Teichroeb Exteriors Inc. worker Henry Knelsen, front, steadied the end of a 500 foot long one-piece section of eavestrough that was about to be installed on a chicken barn at Walker Poultry Inc. just south of Richmond on Richmond Road. The property is also known as the Richmond Ranch. While…

Learning fire safety

October 13, 2017 | 0 Comments

Aylmer volunteer firefighter  Mike Holmes, left, encouraged his son Cale, 6, to read a pamphlet with information on smoke alarms while his other son Colin, 9, looked on during the annual Fire Prevention Open House held at the Aylmer Fire Department on Thursday evening, Oct. 12. Fire Prevention Week was observed from Oct. 8-14. Aylmer…

Thanksgiving ends with power outage

October 10, 2017 | 0 Comments

Thankfully, most Thanksgiving celebrations – at least the cooking and dining parts – weren’t affected by a power outage in the Aylmer area that started at about 10 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 9 and lasted at least two hours. Aylmer Hydro One Lines Manager Paul Falk said equipment failed at the New Sarum regulation station…

Assumption helps FCC with food drive

October 10, 2017 | 0 Comments

On Tuesday morning, Oct. 10, the Grade 5/6 pupils of teacher Julie Tracey’s class at Assumption Catholic Elementary School volunteered to help weigh all of the non-perishable food collected during Farm Credit Canada’s Drive Away Hunger drive at the Aylmer school leading up to the Thanksgiving long holiday weekend. Logging the weigh-in results a couple…

Celebrating wetland conservation

October 5, 2017 | 0 Comments

Over 320 men attended the 36th annual Ducks Unlimited Aylmer Men’s Committee Dinner and Auction at the German Canadian Club’s Saxonia Hall on Wednesday evening, Oct. 4. Those attending could bid on 40 silent auction items, 24 live auction items including two hand-carved duck decoys and the raffle consisted of 117 assorted hunting and outdoors-related…

It’s a walking bus

October 4, 2017 | 0 Comments

Pupils Curtis Fehr, right, Braylon Jacques and Sophie Kerr carried the “walking school bus” banner for everyone arriving on foot at McGregor Public School on Wednesday morning, Oct. 4 for International Walk to School Day. Seen behind the banner carriers were Jayden Fehr flanked by parent leaders Nicolin Fischer and Jordan Kerr. Several routes were…

Running to find a cure

October 3, 2017 | 0 Comments

South Dorchester Public School pupils Ava Campbell, left, Payton Biser, Tyler Van Gorp and Cameron Richardson participated in the annual Terry Fox Run at their school on Thursday afternoon, Sept. 28. Over $350 was raised after families were asked to donate $2 per child or what they could afford to help fund cancer research.

Oktoberfest fills the Sax

October 1, 2017 | 0 Comments

Canada’s Polka King Walter Ostanek and his band helped fill the Aylmer German Canadian Club’s Saxonia Hall on Saturday evening, Sept. 30 for a third straight year as the featured attraction of Oktoberfest. Those who chose to attend the entire dinner and dance were treated to a full Bavarian-style sit-down meal with craft beer pairings…

Learning about Aboriginal culture

September 30, 2017 | 0 Comments

Kira Bilodeau, 7, of the Eden area stopped to look at a beaded child’s regalia belt, top, and a leather vest, traditional clothing that would be worn during Aboriginal ceremonial occasions, part of a Culture Days exhibit at Springfield Library on Saturday afternoon, Sept. 30. The items were made by Chippewas of the Thames First…

Giving to the food drive

September 30, 2017 | 0 Comments

At the Horton Farmers’ Market in St. Thomas on Saturday morning, Sept. 30, Cameron Vermeer, 8, left, held two of three bags of apples his family donated to the 28th annual Aylmer Express Thanksgiving Food Drive. Seen accepting the donation was Express employee Vera Unich while Cameron’s mother Christine also posed for the photo. The…

A running start for a good cause

September 30, 2017 | 0 Comments

Assumption Catholic Elementary School pupils Taya Lopez, front, led a crew that included Emmeri Geraci, Andrea Sleegers and Jayla Piche-Sviezikas who all headed out in a sprint from their Aylmer school for the annual Terry Fox Run on Thursday afternoon, Sept. 28. Almost all of the school’s 179 pupils, up from last year’s 155, participated…