News Headlines

Aylmer sends Complex budget back

Aylmer councillors at their Monday, June 1 meeting sent the draft 2015 East Elgin Community Complex budget back to the facility’s Ad Hoc Committee to find a further $40,000 to $50,000 in savings. That was despite that committee, whose only voting members are the mayors of Aylmer and Malahide, just last week voting to send…

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New women’s shelter receives $1.93-million

Ontario Minister of Community and Social Services Helena Jaczek received a round of applause from the over 100 attendees at a funding announcement for Violence Against Women Services Elgin County held at Princess Avenue Playhouse in St. Thomas on Thursday, May 21. Minister Jaczek told the crowd the provincial government was providing $1.93-million towards the…

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United Way promises to stay local

United Way of Elgin-St. Thomas raised only 73 percent of its $600,000 goal in its most recent fundraising campaign, and and a two-month emergency effort that followed just $11,400 of its $100,000 target. But at the annual general meeting of the fundraising cooperative Monday, May 4, in St. Thomas, President James Todd and Vice-President Michelle Boyce…

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Shelters for Nepalese earthquake victims

Aylmer Rotary Club hopes to dispatch three to five “ShelterBoxes” overseas to provide victims of a devastating earthquake in Nepal with a temporary home. The boxes contain a six to eight person tent, a stove that can use many types of fuel, blankets, water purification kits, tools, cooking utensils and, to distract traumatized youngsters, a…

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Central Elgin, county clear-cutting roadsides

Vegetation such as shrubs and grasses represents such a clear and present danger that Central Elgin is going to start mowing roadsides from fencerow to fencerow. Councillors voted 5-1 on Monday, April 20, to approve a new policy to cut vegetation the full width of every municipal and county road within Central Elgin, half to…

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Preston offers no financial hope for Ojibwa

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,…

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Spring farm auction at Shackelton’s

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.

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Fire destroys John Street South apartment

An early morning fire on Monday, March 30 destroyed an apartment at the back of 332 John Street South in Aylmer. Located right across the street from the town fire hall, the occupants of the home, Darrel and Lily Ralf and their Husky dog Comanchie, came home at about 12:20 a.m. to find their home…

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Polar Bear Dip for Childcan

Swimmers reacted to the frigid waters of Lake Erie during a Polar Bear Dip organized by Port Stanley volunteer firefighters on Saturday, March 28. The event was a fundraiser for Childcan, which assists families with a young one receiving cancer treatments.

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Bayham responsible for $6-million Ojibwa loan

Bayham taxpayers could be on the hook for the entire $6-million loan given to the Elgin Military Museum to pay for the HMCS Ojibwa submarine project. Bayham officials issued a media release announcing the development in the late evening of Thursday, March 12 after councillors met behind closed doors to discuss the situation. The Elgin…

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