NEWS

Local news in and around Aylmer and Elgin County

Vehicle inspection blitz comes to Aylmer

March 8, 2016 | 1 Comment

Ministry of the Environment and Climate Change Inspector Thomas Hansen, left, directed a police officer to where he could be of assistance during a commercial vehicle inspection blitz on Progress Drive in Aylmer on Tuesday morning, March 8. Mr. Hansen had just used an on-board diagnostic scanner to find out why a check engine light…

Winter fun at South Dorchester Public School

March 7, 2016 | 0 Comments

Grade 5 pupil Tom Beggs pushed Grade 2 pupil Payton Schnarr during a heat of a toboggan race at South Dorchester Public School’s Winter Carnival on Friday afternoon, March 4. The sunny skies and not too cold temperatures that day provided ideal conditions for holding the Carnival.

Tundra swans have arrived

March 5, 2016 | 1 Comment

A pair of an estimated 340 Tundra swans were seen in the water early Saturday afternoon, March 5 at the Aylmer Wildlife Management Area (WMA) located just south of the Ontario Police College off Hacienda Road northeast of Aylmer. The Tundra swans arrived in greater numbers on Tuesday, March 1 with 116 counted by volunteers with…

High five for Smokey

March 5, 2016 | 0 Comments

Meyah Blanchard, 4, of St. Thomas got a high five from Smokey the Bear at the Springwater Maple Syrup Festival on Saturday morning, March 5. The Festival will continue on weekends (Saturday and Sunday) until March 20 and on March Break (March 14-18) from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Springwater Conservation Area located on…

Egging the dignitaries on at the Home Show

March 5, 2016 | 0 Comments

Aylmer Fair Board President Scott Lewis, left, handed Mike Vecchio, the husband of Elgin-Middlesex-London MP Karen Vecchio, a new egg to colour while Whitney McWilliam, the executive assistant for MPP Jeff Yurek, continued colouring her egg during the opening ceremonies of the seventh annual Aylmer and East Elgin Home, Garden and Rec Show at East Elgin…

Aylmer levy increase down to 5.87%

March 3, 2016 | 0 Comments

Aylmer councillors managed to bring a tax levy increase of 9.84 percent down to 5.87 percent as they whittled away at the 2016 draft budget line by line during the Wednesday, March 2 Finance Committee meeting. They reduced the amount of taxation in the budget by $198,500 in several different areas, the largest line item…

Winter storm not as wicked as expected

March 2, 2016 | 0 Comments

A build up of ice from freezing rain caused a large portion of an old tree to fall across power lines on John Street South in Aylmer in the early evening of Tuesday, March 1. This photo was taken the next morning shortly after 8 a.m. Erie Thames Powerlines reported that the fallen tree branches…

Aylmer levy increase starts at over 10%

March 1, 2016 | 0 Comments

Aylmer councillors did a lot of listening and little decision making during the second finance committee meeting of 2016 on Monday, Feb. 29 to work on the 2016 budget. Rather than make any decisions during the meeting, finance committee chairman Ann Laur suggested councillors just listen to the staff reports and wait to do a…

Malahide gives nod to 3.55% tax levy increase

March 1, 2016 | 0 Comments

Malahide councillors on Monday, Feb. 29, gave preliminary approval to a 2016 budget of $6.37-million that calls for a 3.55 percent increase, or $218,000, in the township’s property tax levy. Finance Director Suzanna Dieleman said that would mean a home assessed at a value of $250,000 would pay an additional $53 to Malahide this year,…

In the pink in Summers Corners

February 24, 2016 | 0 Comments

Full-day kindergarten pupils Cooper Walcarius, left, Mya Klassen and Jada Wiebe joined in the Pink Shirt Day fun at Summers Corners Public School on Wednesday, Feb. 24. Many pupils in all grades wore pink shirts, shoes and other pieces of clothing to school that day.

First Aylmer budget session starts with 8.68% increase

February 23, 2016 | 0 Comments

Aylmer Councillor Pete Barbour asked the key question during the first town budget session of 2016 on Monday afternoon, Feb. 22. After Finance Director Lisa Pelton gave an overview of how the draft 2016 budget documents were set up to help the finance committee members (all of council) understand the numbers, Cr. Barbour asked her…

White Villa vandalized

February 22, 2016 | 0 Comments

The former White Villa gas station, variety store and snack bar located near the intersection of Talbot Line (Highway 3) and Heritage Line east of Aylmer was vandalized with graffiti recently. Someone driving by the vacant White Villa building on Monday morning, Feb. 22 noticed the spray painted damage there and stopped into the Aylmer…