NEWS

Local news in and around Aylmer and Elgin County

Wolfe running for deputy mayor

April 2, 2014 | 1 Comment

Malahide Councillor Mike Wolfe will run for deputy mayor in the October municipal election. He told the Express his primary focus was “keeping costs under control,” both at East Elgin Community Complex and throughout the township’s own departments. Incumbent Deputy Mayor Jim Jenkins has already filed his nomination papers, seeking re-election.

Express best Farm Edition in Canada

April 1, 2014 | 0 Comments

The Farm Edition of The Aylmer Express has won the best agricultural section award for newspapers under 10,000 circulation in the Canadian Community Newspapers Association’s Better Newspapers competition for 2013. In other awards, an Aug. 27 story by reporter Craig Bradford about how an essay contest to win a house in Malahide was falling short…

Library tenders opened

March 28, 2014 | 0 Comments

Tenders for the construction of the new and expanded Aylmer library were opened on Thursday, March 27 and the bids came in close to the staff estimate of $2.6-million. The lowest bid of $2.419-million was submitted by Graceview Enterprises of Belmont, the company that constructed the Aylmer Trillium Park condominium building on the southwest corner…

Public to have their say on changes at Complex

March 28, 2014 | 0 Comments

A public participation meeting will be held within the next two weeks after the operational review of East Elgin Community Complex was presented to the Aylmer-Malahide Liaison Committee. No decisions on changes to the Complex’s operations were made during the committee meeting that was held on Thursday, March 27. The recommendations by John Stevenson of…

Playing with Molotov cocktails

March 25, 2014 | 0 Comments

St. Thomas Police reported Tuesday, March 25, that sometime over the past week someone had been experimenting with Molotov cocktails behind the former St. Gabriel’s School on Parish St. Molotov Cocktails are bottles filled with a flammable substance with a soaked cloth or rag stuffed in the top. The rag is lit and the bottle…

Complex review: no summer ice, no community hall rentals

March 25, 2014 | 2 Comments

An operational review of East Elgin Community Complex is finally in, and it recommends two major changes: eliminating summer ice; and leasing the Imperial Hall to a tenant such as a library or museum, rather than continuing to rent it out for special events like banquets and wedding receptions. Click here to download the full…

Malahide gives nod to 5% tax levy increase

March 24, 2014 | 0 Comments

Malahide councillors, sitting as finance committee, on Friday, March 21, recommended that, as a council, they adopt a proposed $11.65-million 2014 budget that would increase the township’s property tax levy by five percent. The levy collected by the township would increase by $275,000, from $6.3-million last year to $6.6-million in 2014. Financial Services Director Suzanna…

Pursuing science after school

March 24, 2014 | 0 Comments

Cadyn Hewbank, left, Jessica Wieler, Emma Nute, Fisher Ward and Ryder Stokley participated in a demonstration of magnetism led by Lee Winegardner of Mad Science at McGregor Public School in Aylmer last week. It was the start of a six-week afterschool program where pupils explore science for an hour each Wednesday.

Two vehicle crash takes out hydro pole in Aylmer

March 24, 2014 | 0 Comments

A two vehicle crash involved a hydro pole and street light at the intersection of Talbot Street West and Caverly Road in Aylmer on Monday at about 7:30 a.m. A silver Dodge 1500 pickup truck struck the hydro pole and sustained substantial damage to the front driver side. The second vehicle, a grey Ford Focus,…

Aylmer Shoppers Drug Mart to be sold

March 21, 2014 | 2 Comments

The Shoppers Drug Mart in Aylmer will be sold as a result of the Loblaw takeover of the pharmacy chain. A merger of two large retail chains was approved by the federal Competition Bureau effective March 28. As part of the Competition Bureau approval, Loblaw is required to sell 18 stores including Shoppers Drug Marts…

Tundra swans have arrived

March 21, 2014 | 0 Comments

The first migratory tundra swans of 2014 were seen at Aylmer Wildlife Management Area on Wednesday, March 19. The tundra swans usually arrive much earlier in March but were delayed due to the frozen water on the ponds at the wildlife management area located northeast of Aylmer off Hacienda Road. Elgin Stewardship Council volunteers who…

Measles found in St. Thomas

March 21, 2014 | 0 Comments

Elgin St. Thomas Public Health issued an advisory on Friday, March 21 about someone with the measles potentially transmitting the virus to other individuals. Anyone who was present at Dr. Scott Barrett’s office at 107 Edward Street in St. Thomas on Tuesday, March 18 between 2-5 p.m. were encouraged to visit the health unit at…