News
No support for “liveable income”
Aylmer Mayor Jack Couckuyt, at an Elgin council meeting Tuesday, April 14, couldn’t find a seconder for a motion calling on the Ontario government to declare a “food insecurity emergency” and for the federal and provincial governments to introduce a “Guaranteed Livable Basic Income” for those living in poverty. County councillors had received a request…
Read MoreAylmer man flourishes in quilting
Aylmer’s Len Adams was a rare masculine figure in a sea of women at the April 10 Quilts in Bloom Show hosted by the Shedden Agricultural Society at the Southwold Keystone Complex recently. Mr. Adams has combined his background in information technology with an understanding of woodworking to establish a satisfying business in retirement as…
Read More“Old School” Cerna scoffs at employee incentives
Malahide Councillor Rick Cerna, apologizing along the way to what he considered an excellent township staff, still couldn’t contain himself when he learned of new incentives being proposed to help with the recruitment and retention of municipal employees there. But Deputy Mayor Mark Widner, at that council meeting Thursday, April 2, supported the changes, observing…
Read MorePlanning furor in Southwold
Over 200 Shedden and area residents attended a special Southwold council session on Monday, March 30, to protest a rezoning to allow development of up to 161 residential units on a 10-acre property at 9210 Union Road …but as Mayor Grant Jones admitted candidly, it was too late. Residents, some of whom threatened to toss…
Read MoreElderly fraud victims tell their story
After losing about $85,000 to identity theft in 2025, pensioners Joe and Sadie Smith, of St. Thomas, are nearly broke and struggling to keep their home. “I am so embarrassed,” said Mr. Smith, his voice cracking with emotion as he described the dreadful experience at a fraud prevention session hosted by Elgin-St. Thomas-London South MP Andrew…
Read MoreRepair of railway bridge near completion
Post Stanley Terminal Rail hopes to be back in business in May. The popular tourist attraction cancelled all operations effective Dec. 12, 2025 after the discovery of “serious erosion” under the south abutment of the historic railway bridge across Kettle Creek in Port Stanley. With about 25,000 riders a year now, PSTR has operated as…
Read MoreCouckuyt blasts social media
Aylmer Mayor Jack Couckuyt lashed out this week at social media users who sparked what Aylmer Police Chief Kyle Johnstone calls a “wild fire” of frightening online innuendo about gun violence. The community leaders were referring to social media chatter about a fake threat of gun violence at East Elgin Secondary School on March 2.…
Read MoreCentral Elgin calls for developers for former hospital lands
The second round of public engagement for plans to build over 3,500 homes for about 9,000 people on the former St. Thomas Psychiatric Hospital lands concluded on March 2 as Central Elgin council issued a request for proposal (RFP) seeking private sector development partners. CE council is now expected to approve the hospital lands official…
Read MoreShooting threat at EESS a hoax
A claim that surfaced online at 4 p.m. on Sunday afternoon, March 1, about students supposedly planning to shoot up East Elgin Secondary School the next day was investigated by Aylmer Police and found to be nothing but a fake. Still, the usually crowded parking on streets around the school was much lighter through Monday,…
Read MoreJohn Hueston, partner purchase Eganville Leader
Aylmer Express owner John Hueston and his partner Ray Stanton, owner of London Publishing Corp. have purchased The Eganville Leader from Gerald Tracey, its owner/publisher. Mr. Hueston said The Leader is one of the best and most successful newspapers in the country. From a population of about 1,500, they sell 5,000 newspapers a week. Mr.…
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