News Headlines

Two deaths linked to COVID-19-updated

Southwestern Public Health was reporting two fatalities connected to COVID-19, one involving at resident at Aylmer Retirement Residence, on Saturday, Feb. 20. That brought the number of deaths in the Southwestern region linked to COVID-19 to 67. One of the fatalities was an Elgin woman in her 90s who resided at Aylmer Retirement Residence, and…

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Major fire at Walker Farms-updated

A major fire erupted in at least one barn at Walker Farms in Summers Corners on Wednesday, Feb. 17, just before 5 p.m. Firefighters streamed in from Malahide, Bayham, Central Elgin and Aylmer to fight the blaze, including Aylmer’s aerial truck, seen here. Meanwhile, workers drove cows that had been evacuated from barns towards waiting…

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Keep up good work, health unit urges

Dr. Joyce Lock, medical officer of health for Southwestern Public Health, says she’s pleased with the continued downward trend in the number of COVID-19 cases in Elgin, St. Thomas and Oxford, but doesn’t want the public becoming complacent about precautions they should take. During a weekly news conference Wednesday, Feb. 17, she said everyone should…

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Central Elgin abandons Port Stanley heritage conservation district

Central Elgin councillors, in a surprise vote at the end of a three-and-a-half hour public hearing Wednesday night, Feb. 10, voted 4-3 to abandon further consideration of a heritage conservation district in Port Stanley. Deputy Mayor Tom Marks proposed the same motion he had at a regular council session on Monday night, but that was…

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Lockdown to end locally on Tuesday, Feb. 16

The Southwestern Public Health area and most other regions will come out of the current provincial COVID-19 “lockdown” on Tuesday, Feb. 16, Premier Doug Ford announced on Monday, Feb. 8. A few regions in Eastern Ontario will open sooner, and Toronto, York and Peel will have to wait until Monday, Feb. 22. “Today we’re seeing…

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Attorney General issues cease and desist order against Church of God

The Ontario Ministry of the Attorney General has issued a “cease and desist letter naming any pastors, elders and directors of the Church of God” on John Street North in Aylmer, town police announced on Thursday, Feb. 4. Deputy Chief Nick Novacich said the letter was served on church Pastor Henry Hildebrandt on Thursday morning.…

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Tillsonburg cases down to single digit; two more deaths

For the first time in many weeks, the number of ongoing cases being tracked by Southwestern Public Health in Tillsonburg and area has dropped to a single digit. At times in January, the number had been well over 100, but on Thursday, Feb. 4, the health unit reported Tillsonburg and area was at just nine…

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COVID-linked deaths in Elgin, Oxford

Southwestern Public Health reported two deaths related to COVID-19 on Wednesday, Feb. 3, a man in his 70s from Elgin County and a woman in her 90s from Oxford, the latter a resident at PeopleCare long-term care home in Tavistock. The two latest fatalities bring the local death toll in Elgin, St. Thomas and Oxford…

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Heavy police presence at Church of God

Aylmer Police stopped a vehicle on Glencolin Line that had left Aylmer Church of God moments earlier on Sunday, Jan. 31. The church held in indoor service that morning, and several police cruisers were nearby or drove by frequently. More in the Feb. 3 edition of The Aylmer Express. (AE/Rob Perry)

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