News

Vecchio wins second term as MP

A federal election was held on Monday, Oct. 21 in Canada. With nearly half of all votes, Conservative candidate Karen Vecchio will sit for a second term as the Elgin-Middlesex-London Member of Parliament. Nationally, the Liberals will stay in power, winning enough seats to form a minority government. As of Tuesday morning, preliminary results for…

Read More

Whipping cancer

Teacher Kristian Rose grinned after getting a whipped-cream pie in the face from a pupil during a celebration at Springfield Public School on Wednesday, Oct. 16. Pupils had raised $1,762 at a Terry Fox Run on Sept. 26, almost triple the original goal of $600, and in return teachers volunteered to be on the receiving…

Read More

“Voices muzzled” as TVDSB rejects public delegations over school closures

Thames Valley District School Board has told mayors, parents and even an MPP who’s also a Cabinet minister they won’t be allowed to speak during a board meeting Tuesday, Oct. 22, where Elgin-St. Thomas trustees Meagan Ruddock and Bruce Smith will try to overturn previous decisions to close elementary schools in Springfield and New Sarum.…

Read More

Seeking to rescind closings of Springfield, New Sarum schools

Elgin-St. Thomas trustees Meagan Ruddock and Bruce Smith are mounting an effort to rescind previous decisions by Thames Valley District School Board to close elementary schools in Springfield and New Sarum, if and when a large new elementary school is built in Belmont. Those decisions were made in 2017, but whether or not the province…

Read More

Five exotic animals die in fire

Five animals, an alpaca, two pot-bellied pigs and two New Guinea singing dogs were lost in a fire at Educational Animal Displays on Woolleyville Line in Malahide on Sunday, Oct. 13. Owner Velma Sheppard said a neighbour rescued a camel from the burning barn, which was destroyed in the blaze. Two other buildings, in the…

Read More

Deal scotches school closings

The Canadian Union of Public Employees and the Ontario government reached a last-minute tentative contract deal on Sunday night, Oct. 6, preventing wide-scale public and Catholic school closings across the province that had been expected on Monday, Oct. 7. Both Thames Valley District School Board and London District Catholic School Board had warned that all…

Read More

Potential school closings Monday, Oct. 7

Both Thames Valley District School Board and London District Catholic School Board have warned that all schools will be closed to students on Monday, Oct. 7, unless weekend talks with the Canadian Union of Public Employees results in a breakthrough. CUPE has announced school custodians and support staff will go on strike as of Monday…

Read More

Warning comes with 2020 Bayham capital budget

Bayham councillors on Tuesday night, Oct. 1, unanimously approved in principle the municipality’s capital projects budget for 2020. That will allow Bayham to issue tenders for next year’s work almost immediately, in an effort to get the lowest possible prices from contractors. However, Administrator Paul Shipway and Treasurer Lorne James warned hard times could be…

Read More

East Elgin Concrete wins Port Bruce harbour contract

Malahide councillors on Monday, Sept. 23, awarded a contract for improvements to the entrance to Port Bruce Harbour to East Elgin Concrete Forming of Tillsonburg, which had the lowest of three bids at $1,926,600. Development and Community Services Director Gene DiMeo told councillors work was expected to start in about a week. An east breakwall…

Read More