News Headlines

Central Elgin councillors on Tuesday, Oct. 11, voted unanimously to support a proposal for a large new Kindergarten through Grade 8 public elementary school to be built in Belmont. Thames Valley District School Board is considering a plan that would close New Sarum, South Dorchester and Springfield schools locally, and Westminster Central in Southeast London,…

An ad hoc committee founded by five mothers held its first public meeting, attended by about 50, Monday night, Oct. 3, to enlist support to keep Springfield Public School open. The committee is less than a week old, and was formed after word that Thames Valley District School Board was considering closing Springfield, South Dorchester…

A group of parents will hold a public meeting at St. John’s United Church in Springfield starting at 7 p.m. Monday, Oct. 3, intent on preserving the village’s public elementary school. Jessica Goodwill has two children now at Springfield Public School, and three more she hopes will be able to attend there. “I don’t think…

Thames Valley District School Board administrators are preparing to undertake a five-month study that could drastically change the landscape of public elementary schools in East Elgin and Central Elgin, including the potential closings of Springfield, South Dorchester and New Sarum, and the building of a large new elementary school in Belmont. In an interview Tuesday…

Malahide volunteer firefighters, Elgin County Ontario Provincial Police officers and Elgin-St. Thomas Emergency Medical Services paramedics responded to a two-vehicle crash west of Aylmer on Talbot Line (Highway 3) just east of Orwell on Saturday morning, Sept. 17. This photo was taken shortly after 10 a.m. Talbot Line was closed between the entrances of Temperance…

Students in East Elgin Secondary School’s Environmental Leadership Program paddled along the edge of a pond at Pleasant Valley Trout Farm southwest of Aylmer on Friday, Sept. 9. They were completing 20 hours of training required to get their basic canoeing certification before embarking Saturday, Sept. 12, for a five-day paddling, portaging and lake trout…

Keith Davis of RR 8 St. Thomas brought his 1949 Chevrolet Bickle Seagrave fire truck, formerly used by the Yarmouth Township (now Central Elgin) Fire Department, to a parade that opened the annual Labour Day weekend Fire Muster in St. Thomas, Saturday morning, Sept. 3. They were approaching Pinafore Park, the site for a series…

Amanda Goertzen, 8, only had to travel down the street from her home to enjoy the free swing midway ride at the 19th annual Straffordville Watermelon Fest on Saturday, Aug. 27. Attractions of the mostly free day-long event included fresh watermelon slices, cotton candy, the midway rides for children, a parade, live music, a classic…

The sixth annual 3 Port Tour Classic Century Ride reached its maximum of 500 riders this year, including this group from Waterloo on Nova Scotia Line approaching Port Bruce and their lunch, Saturday morning, August 20. Weather for the event was hot and extremely humid.

Drivers competed in the first heat of a “Figure 8” race at Aylmer Fair’s “Demo Day” Saturday afternoon, Aug. 13. A couple laps after they started, officials realized the racers were going around in an oval, and reminded them they had to wheel about in a Figure 8. Hilariously, some started going one way and some the…