Monthly Archives: March 2017

03.29.17
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High praise for first art installations at St. Thomas Elevated Park

Whether it’s art imitating life or life imitating art, the gift of a pair of “big, heavy, muscular and colourful pieces of art” will be impressive focal points at the St. Thomas Elevated Park when it officially opens Aug. 27.
The metal sculptures are the creation of artist and blacksmith Scott McKay, commissioned and donated to the park by his father Ian, a resident of Waterloo.
A model of the first installation, Fear Not The Wind, will be on display at the St. Thomas Home Show, this weekend at the Timken Centre.

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03.28.17
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EPAR 01 final recommendations on school closings and realignments to be presented at April 11 TVDSB meeting

The final recommendations of the Senior Administration Report – Elementary Pupil Accommodation Review 01 will be presented at the Thames Valley District School Board’s April 11 meeting, to be followed by a public meeting in May.
The report is 1,458 pages in length with 44 recommendations. Here are the 42 that directly impact schools in St. Thomas and Elgin. The full report can be accessed here
1. THAT Sparta Public School close effective June 30, 2018.
2. THAT New Sarum Public School close effective June 30, 2020 contingent upon Ministry of Education approval of capital funding for the new Belmont Public School and the new Southeast St. Thomas Public School.

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03.28.17
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STEAM Centre and TVDSB roll out unique partnership in St. Thomas aimed at Gr. 10 students

The irony is not lost on STEAM Education Centre board member Andrew Gunn.
Standing inside a heritage building, a former elementary school, now re-purposed as a 21st century progressive education centre.
“Here we are bringing 3D printers and robotics and all sorts of new technologies for learning and design all here in a building from 1898,” enthused Gunn, trustee of the Dorothy Palmer Estate which contributed $638,000 to help launch the alternative education project.

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03.28.17
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A crowded table for debate over mobile food vendors in Port Stanley

Mobile food vendors would set up for the day in Port Stanley and then leave town at night without any investment in the community.
Not the case at all, insisted an operator of a vehicle in question. “We’re not invading the territory, we’re here to complement existing restaurants.”
Such was the scope of argument Monday night (March 27) at a public meeting held to gather input from both sides of the table on whether to allow mobile food vendors in  Port Stanley. The one-hour dialogue preceded the regular meeting of Central Elgin municipal council.

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03.27.17
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Hockey history finds a home in St. Thomas

There was no shortage of blue and white Toronto Maple Leafs’ regalia around the city Sunday as the commemorative Hap Day banner was welcomed to its new permanent home in St. Thomas.
The 16-foot banner was initially unfurled at the Jumbo monument in front of a sizable gathering, including members of the Day family, in a lighthearted ceremony hosted by the voice of the Maple Leafs, Joe Bowen.

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03.25.17
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Who suffers when you can’t get there from here?

city_scope_logo-cmykLow-income families, young people, seniors and those with disabilities are the most disadvantaged when a rural area does not have access to good public transportation.
That was the message Thursday (March 23) at a rural public workshop hosted by Elgin St. Thomas Public Health and  attended by close to 30 participants.
The aim of the three-hour forum was to get the ball rolling on development of a community transportation system for St. Thomas and Elgin county.
Opening speaker Dr. Joyce Locke, the area’s medical officer of health, noted 35 per cent of Elgin’s population lives in rural areas, with personal vehicles being the most popular form of transportation.
In fact, advised Locke, 86 per cent of those living in St. Thomas/Elgin drive to work, with the average annual cost of operating a vehicle running in the neighbourhood of $7,300.

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03.24.17
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Dutton Dunwich wind turbines: ‘We’re not past the point of no return’

Opponents of the Strong Breeze Wind Project in Dutton Dunwich gathered outside the Dutton Community Centre on Thursday, vowing it’s never too late to stop construction of 16 to 20 wind turbines capable of generating over 57 megawatts of green energy,
Meantime inside at a public open house, a spokesman for Chicago-based Invenergy said his firm has had positive feedback from local businesses wanting to know how they can participate in the undertaking that likely won’t see a shovel in the ground before 2019.

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03.22.17
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South Path: paving the way to a more connected tomorrow in St. Thomas

Although the city was unable to obtain funding under the Canada 150 grant, an ambitious path project linking the west end of St. Thomas to the east side along its southern boundary will march ahead as planned.
The South Path Connectivity Project involves a 4.2 km multi-use asphalt trail that will connect with the existing London & Port Stanley Rail Corridor in the west and extend the existing OPS recreational to Elm Street in the east.

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03.21.17
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Establishment of a courthouse neighbourhood embraced by residents

Having received overwhelming response from area residents, city council unanimously endorsed the concept of a courthouse neighbourhood Monday and authorized staff to “communicate existing programs and information to community leaders.
Approximately 75 residents of the courthouse area responded to a survey distributed to all property owners and renters last November, a rate of return Justin Lawrence, director of environmental services, called “a very high percentage” in his report to council.

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