NEWS

Local news in and around Aylmer and Elgin County

Currie, McDonald cross semantic swords over “deficit”

April 14, 2015 | 1 Comment

Aylmer Councillor Ted McDonald believes the East Elgin Community Complex has an annual “deficit” of $600,000, but Mayor Greg Currie disagrees. Mayor Currie insisted at a meeting Tuesday, April 7, that he believed whatever the annual cost to Aylmer and Malahide taxpayers for operating the Complex should be called, he knew it wasn’t deficit. The…

Preston offers no financial hope for Ojibwa

April 14, 2015 | 2 Comments

Elgin-Middlesex-London MP Joe Preston offered beleaguered Bayham no relief from the huge financial burden the municipality has been left with over HMCS Ojibwa. He and MPP Jeff Yurek answered questions during a St. Thomas and District Chamber of Commerce luncheon in St. Thomas, Wednesday, April 8. MP Preston provided no hint of any potential financial relief,…

Spring farm auction at Shackelton’s

April 11, 2015 | 0 Comments

Hundreds turned out for the annual Farmers Spring Consignment Machinery Auction at Shackelton Auctions northeast of Springfield on Saturday, April 11. Potential buyers had to park their cars, buggies and pickups up to two kilomtres away from the busy sale.

Easter brunch attracts full house

April 5, 2015 | 0 Comments

The Aylmer Knights of Columbus monthly brunch at their hall on Beech Street attracted crowds for both breakfast and lunch (and in between) on Sunday, April 5. The Knights of Columbus hold their brunches on the first Sunday of each month which just so happened to fall on Easter Sunday this time. The Knights of…

Aylmer Library hosts Easter Egg Hunt

April 4, 2015 | 0 Comments

Aylmer Old Town Hall Library hosted an Easter Egg Hunt in the parkette immediately south of its location on Saturday afternoon, April 4. Several youngsters, some with the help of their parents who bundled their children up for the near freezing temperatures that afternoon, participated in the free event leading up to Easter Sunday.

Easter bonnet making in Sparta

April 4, 2015 | 0 Comments

Kaidynce Rosso, 9, of St. Thomas concentrated on making a colourful Easter bonnet at the Sparta House Tearoom on Saturday afternoon, April 4. The Sparta business community celebrated the Saturday before Easter Sunday in style with Easter Egg hunts, free photos with the Easter Bunny and special sales. Donations to St. Thomas Caring Cupboard food…

Passion Play a highlight of Good Friday service

April 3, 2015 | 0 Comments

Jesus, played by Ray Reid, right, embraced Lazarus (Nicole DeRyk) after raising him from the dead during one of the scenes of the Passion of Christ staged during the Good Friday service at Our Lady of Sorrows Roman Catholic Church in Aylmer on the morning of April 3. At left were the Chief Priest played by…

Shackelton’s Farm Machinery Auction – April 11

April 1, 2015 | 0 Comments

CORRECTION: The annual spring farm machinery auction at Shackelton Auctions Inc. will be held on Saturday, April 11 at 8:30 a.m. The date and time on the ad on page 14 is incorrect and the Express regrets the error and any confusion it may have caused. There is still an antique estate auction on Thursday,…

Elgin OPP Sunshine List at 44 officers

April 1, 2015 | 0 Comments

The Ontario Provincial Police pay hike in 2013 increased the number of Elgin OPP officers earning over $100,000 to 44 in 2014, up more than 60 percent from the year before. The annual “Sunshine List” of Ontario public sector workers making over $100,000 increased by about 13.9 percent in 2014 over the year before. There…

Crash takes out sign at Imperial and John Wise

April 1, 2015 | 0 Comments

A black Infiniti car was about to be towed away from a crash scene just north of John Wise Line on the west side of Imperial Road south of Aylmer on Wednesday morning, April 1. This photo was taken at about 8:45 a.m. It appeared that the directional sign seen in the foreground had been broken…

Central Elgin budget sets 3.95% tax levy increase

March 30, 2015 | 0 Comments

Central Elgin councillors are preparing to adopt a budget that will increase the municipal property tax levy by 3.95 percent or $450,085. Finance Director Karen DePrest, citing a real example, said a $254,000 home last year increasing in assessed value to $259,000 this year would pay an additional $47.05 on its property tax bill from…

Port Burwell pupils tour sugar bush

March 30, 2015 | 0 Comments

Port Burwell Public School pupil Leah Giesbrecht looked inside a bucket for the collected sap from a maple tree during a tour of the Springwater Forest sugar bush on Monday morning, March 30. Leah and the rest of teacher Lori Hill’s Grade 2/3 class first took a guided walk through much of the nearby forest on the…