NEWS

Local news in and around Aylmer and Elgin County

Habkirk running for mayor

September 11, 2014 | 0 Comments

Former Aylmer Mayor and long-time town council member Bob Habkirk has thrown his hat in the ring to return to the top job in the Oct. 27 municipal election. He submitted his nomination on Thursday, Sept. 11. Mr. Habkirk is running against current Mayor Jack Couckuyt, a retired high school teacher and principal, and retired…

Barn fire near Harrietsville suspicious in nature

September 11, 2014 | 0 Comments

A fire that destroyed an abandoned barn just west of Harrietsville on Tuesday night, Sept. 9, is being investigated by Middlesex County fire prevention and Ontario Provincial Police officers as suspicious. Fire Prevention Officer John Elston said the barn fire at 2140 Harrietsville Drive was reported by someone calling on a cell phone at 10:57…

Sleeping driver almost causes head-on crash

September 10, 2014 | 0 Comments

A 17-year-old male from Bayham almost caused a head-on crash on Talbot Line (Highway 3) in Summers Corners in the early morning of Tuesday, Sept. 9 when he fell asleep at the wheel. Elgin County Ontario Provincial Police Constable Troy Carlson said officers were called to a one-vehicle collision just east of Springfield Road at…

Terrace Lodge reversal

September 10, 2014 | 0 Comments

Elgin County councillors unanimously reversed course on Tuesday , Sept. 9, and instead of planning limited renovations to Terrace Lodge long-term care home will turn to designing and getting a cost estimate for a completely new facility. The change came as the result of a public hearing at Terrace Lodge, followed by a recommendation from…

Head-on crash results in minor injuries

September 10, 2014 | 0 Comments

The drivers of two vehicles were taken to a local hospital for treatment of minor injuries after a head-on crash east of Aylmer along Talbot Line (Highway 3) just west of Heritage Line on Tuesday, Sept. 9. The collision happened at 3:43 p.m. and Talbot Line was closed in the area for about an hour…

Storm tears boats away from Port Bruce

September 7, 2014 | 0 Comments

Two boat slips upstream along Catfish Creek in Port Bruce needed repairs after a series of powerful thunderstorms came through the region overnight on Friday, Sept. 5. Conflicting reports were received about how many boats had broken away from their docks along the creek and had to be retrieved from either off of the cliffs east…

Mud fun at Elgin Plowing Match

September 6, 2014 | 0 Comments

Reece Somerville, 11, of St. Thomas competed in the garden tractor class during the Elgin Plowing Match on Saturday morning, Sept. 6 at Andrelea Farms located on Ron McNeil Line north of St. Thomas. He was riding a 1985 Allis-Chalmers 916 and was being coached by his father Paul. Other than the various plowing classes,…

Minor flooding after major thunderstorm

September 6, 2014 | 0 Comments

Minor flooding was reported in various low-lying areas of the region including Kinsmen Park in Aylmer, seen here, Optimist Park and in farmers’ fields north of Copenhagen after about 50 millimetres of rain fell overnight Friday, Sept. 5. While parts of London experienced heavy damage due to fallen trees and lightning strikes, Aylmer escaped relatively…

Break leaves Port Burwell, Vienna without water

September 5, 2014 | 1 Comment

A pipeline break along Nova Scotia Line northwest of Port Burwell and a couple kilometres east of Richmond Road left all of Bayham’s municipal water customers without the service for several hours on Friday, Sept. 5. Bayham Water and Wastewater Operations Manager Ed Roloson said about 760 water customers in Port Burwell and Vienna were…

County to debate a new Terrace Lodge Tuesday, Sept. 9

September 5, 2014 | 0 Comments

A building committee overseeing planned renovations to Terrace Lodge long-term care home in Malahide is now calling for a complete replacement adjacent to the current facility to be designed instead. Cost estimates for a Class “A” home (the current one has a provincial “C” rating) would then be used to lobby the Ontario government for…

Two injured in farm-related crash

September 5, 2014 | 0 Comments

Two occupants of a car were taken to a local hospital for treatment of minor injuries following a collision with a Jeep pulling a tobacco trailer in the Jaffa area just before lunch on Thursday, Sept. 4. Elgin County Ontario Provincial Police Constable Troy Carlson said the collision occurred at 11:33 a.m. on John Wise…

User groups protest potential EECC changes

September 4, 2014 | 0 Comments

Hockey players and skaters lined up Wednesday night, Sept. 3, to call for summer ice to be retained and the community hall kept open at East Elgin Community Complex. While they insisted the proposed elimination of summer ice next year and the possible permanent leasing of the community hall for another use would hurt their…