The St. Thomas Police Service yesterday (May 17) released its Diversity Action Plan. You can view the plan here STPS-Diversity-Action-Plan-2024
The launch of the plan is the “first step of our commitment to creating a more diverse and inclusive police service for our members and our community.”
According to the plan, it is to be used “in coordination with our Strategic Plan to move forward on important issues that our community and our members have identified for action.
“When we recognize diverse perspectives and opinions, we can find alternative solutions that, in turn, help to better address issues specific to our community.”
As evident in headlines over the past several years, policing in Ontario and across Canada is undergoing many changes.

As such the plan notes, “Demographic changes within our communities bring together a richness of diverse discussions which reflect changes in opinion, needs, transparency and services.
“These changes need to be studied and evaluated and then solutions must be communicated to community partners to ensure that there is a clear understanding of the role police officers will undertake and the services the community partners can bring to the equation.”

The police service undertook a voluntary diversity survey to collect basic information from its members. Something that will be repeated regularly.
The response rate to the survey was 68.4 per cent.
Fifty-one per cent of members identified as male, 44 per cent as female and six per cent submitted other responses.
Just under five per cent of the members surveyed identified as either First Nations, Metis or Inuit.
Of the respondents, 90 per cent identified as White (European descent).
Ninety-five per cent of members speak English as their first language.
Forty-eight per cent indicated they had no religious affiliation.
Seventeen points are presented as key objectives in better representing the diverse community of St. Thomas.

“This demographic group will impact STPS resources over time; therefore, the service intends to pursue and enhancement of relationships with its community partners and, as necessary, develop new partnerships with groups or organizations that serve the senior citizen population in the community.”

These include attending events involving diverse communities; providing diversity and inclusivity training to all members of the service; hosting open houses; and embedding all aspects of an anti-racism strategy in organizational procedures, policies, practices and training.
To ensure equitable representation, participation and opportunity, all internal selection and promotional panels will be comprised of both male and female-identifying individuals.
The plan stresses, “It will be the responsibility of St. Thomas Police Service Human Resources to ensure the objectives and action plan items are applied, monitored and tracked.
“Semi-annual reports will be submitted to the Chief of Police and form part of the annual STPS Diversity Report to the St. Thomas Police Services Board.”
Special mention is made of the city’s aging population which will also require “new approaches to service by the STPS.

“This demographic group will impact STPS resources over time; therefore, the service intends to pursue and enhancement of relationships with its community partners and, as necessary, develop new partnerships with groups or organizations that serve the senior citizen population in the community.”
One critical partnership to track moving forward will be the relationship between the police service and the two area school boards.
Especially in light of two reported assaults in Thames Valley schools this past week.
While the London-centred board continues to stubbornly resist any form of community policing program in its schools.

WORKING TOGETHER AND BEING GOOD NEIGHBOURS

In recent months, we have had lengthy conversations with a couple of the key players involved in a deal by Doug Tarry to purchase land from the Elgin County Railway Museum (ECRM) for proposed residential development.
On Feb. 20, city council unanimously agreed to declare certain parcels of land that partially comprise Jonas Park to be declared surplus to the city and those parcels will be sold to Doug Tarry Limited (DTL) for future residential development west of the Elgin Country Railway Museum.

The following day Tarry stressed, “Investing into our downtown by honouring our railway heritage while creating a sustainable future is part of Doug Tarry Limited’s continuing vision for our community engagement projects, such as our support of the elevated park and Project Tiny Hope.”
Back in the summer of 2021, Tarry sought to purchase eight acres of railway land immediately west of the museum at $300,000 per acre for a low-rise residential development that would front onto a new street to be created off Ross Street and north of Jonas Street.
On the other side of the street, so to say, is Terry Mason, a resident of Barnes Street who has launched a petition in opposition to the land being carved off the ECRM property.

“He very much wants to integrate the building and the rail lands and the rail lines that are still going to be there as well for rail access and all that, from my understanding, to be incorporated and then our mandate as the board and membership and volunteers is to ensure that continues and does integrate as a whole.”

Mason is adamant that “The land should be used for its intended purpose – to educate and celebrate our deep rich history in the rail industry. It is crucial that ECRM follows their mandate to preserve and protect all railway assets.”
Earlier this past week, we sat down with Scott Sleightholm, ECRM president, to determine how the deal looks from his vantage point through one of the many windows in the museum.
“I can’t speak to the plans Doug Tarry has,” advised Sleightholm, “but it’s no secret we need some work on our building and the museum as a whole and the funds from this are just a seed and a starting point for us to continue into the future and retrofit and restore that building and the museum.”
Tarry has insisted all along that the residential development is vital to the revitalization of the city’s core.
“And, that’s my understanding from early conversations with Doug,” noted Sleightholm.
“He very much wants to integrate the building and the rail lands and the rail lines that are still going to be there as well for rail access and all that, from my understanding, to be incorporated and then our mandate as the board and membership and volunteers is to ensure that continues and does integrate as a whole.”
An ongoing concern has been maintaining rail access to the museum and Sleightholm does not see that as worrisome.
“Not at all and from Day 1, that was one of the biggest concerns in our initial conversations, maintaining that rail access and that has been in the agreement since Day 1 and that will continue so we can get trains in and out.”
As St. Thomas Mayor Joe Preston emphasized after the council vote, “This is the start to the process and we will touch it many times.
“This is the city being bold with the railway lands. What is the best thing we can do with the railway lands in downtown St. Thomas?”
Sleightholm nodded in agreement.
“We’re just getting going and I know the mayor has said multiple times that this will be touched and talked about multiple, multiple times as we move down the line. So, it’s still in the very early stages, but still very exciting.”
So why is there ongoing opposition to any deal”
“There are many possibilities,” suggested Sleightholm. “Obviously, a lot of them have been rooted in that community and in that area for many years and they do look and it is an open space.
“It is contaminated land and not much can be done without cleaning it up. But, it is still open green space that they see and without plans, they may not know what is going to be there and how it is going to look in the end. Everyone is entitled to their thoughts, emotions and opinions on that situation and I just want to reiterate I do feel this is a very exciting time for that whole property and that land and everything is moving forward.”
And the museum board agrees, said Sleightholm.
“This is just the starting point on where we can take the museum. It is extremely exciting. There have been lots of studies and members and volunteers over the years have looked at that building and the museum and what the possibilities are and we continue that conversation today and start to envision what the future looks like for the building and for the museum.”

Add to the mix a conceptual drawing presented in 2016 – funded by the estate of Dorothy Palmer – that portrayed a potential railway-themed park on the site (see artist’s rendering above).
It would have seen a spectacular transformation of a barren brownfield into “a central park for all ages, with the ability to provide event space, recreation activities, and extend the heritage culture of the Elgin County Railway Museum,” according to a media release.”
Its purpose was akin to the proposals recently put forward by Fanshawe College students as to one of many undertakings possible on the site.
We confirmed with Andrew Gunn, trustee of the Dorothy Palmer Estate, that no expectation was attached to the park proposal.
The idea was shelved in any event as the cost of remediation of the soil on the property would have run into the millions of dollars.

“So, it really is exciting and certain things keep me up at night but I know you are not going to please everybody but I hope everybody can eventually come on board and realize the good that ourselves, Doug Tarry and the city are going to do for the greater community.”

Sleightholm concurred.
“That was one of many conceptions drawn up over the years. It was just an idea that if we had the funds, what could this land and this property look like.”
So Tarry’s residential development is the first concrete proposal for the property.
“It’s the first kind of road map, for lack of terms,” agreed Sleightholm, “that has been put out there and that helps us as a museum and the building to begin our road map of what the future looks like.
“In all honesty, it is exciting. This is a big change within the downtown core of St. Thomas and a lot of change within our organization, the museum and the building. We’ve had dedicated volunteers for decades and the majority of them are on board with our vision and our ideas.

“That is what I strongly believe. We’re going to work together and be good neighbours and really revitalize the downtown.”

“So, it really is exciting and certain things keep me up at night but I know you are not going to please everybody but I hope everybody can eventually come on board and realize the good that ourselves, Doug Tarry and the city are going to do for the greater community.”
It is a financial lifeline the museum desperately needs.
“Doug has been vocal since Day 1 that he is a strong supporter of the museum and wants to see all that survive and continue and integrate into his development.
“Many community stakeholders will be engaged over the months and years and I just encourage everyone to get involved and we can all work together to help change the city and the downtown core.”
While co-existing as good neighbours.
“That is what I strongly believe. We’re going to work together and be good neighbours and really revitalize the downtown.”

Related posts:

Can the Elgin County Railway Museum and residential development co-exist? ‘Yes,’ asserts the developer. ‘No,’ responds the neighbour.

‘Always leave the campsite better than you found it’ – St. Thomas developer Doug Tarry on his purchase of downtown railway lands

THE NEED TO BORROW

According to a report prepared for Tuesday’s (May 21) council meeting, the city is looking to borrow millions of dollars.
The report from the city’s director of finance Dan Sheridan is seeking council approval to establish a borrowing limit of $17 million to help pay for the construction of affordable housing and expenses related to the Yarmouth Yards industrial park.

“The loan application also specifies $10,000,000 to be used for Yarmouth Yards, this money is required for the development of Yarmouth Yards and is related to the agreement with the Municipality of Central Elgin.”

The funds would be borrowed from the Ontario Infrastructure and Lands Corporation.
Sheridan reminds members of council that this year’s capital budget contained a provision for affordable housing.
He explains, “This loan application includes $7,000,000 to be used for future affordable housing projects. With this application, we are only seeking approval for the funding, we won’t take out the loan until the funding is needed.”
As for the other dollars, Sheridan advises, “The loan application also specifies $10,000,000 to be used for Yarmouth Yards, this money is required for the development of Yarmouth Yards and is related to the agreement with the Municipality of Central Elgin.”
To recap, last month the city and Central Elgin agreed to an $80 million compensation package for the hundreds of acres of land absorbed by St. Thomas for the new industrial park that will house the PowerCo EV battery plant.
The land was obtained by the city under provisions in Bill 63, St. Thomas – Central Elgin Boundary Adjustment Act, 2023.
The $80 million is made up of $15 million in monetary compensation to Central Elgin and access to 7,700 cubic metres per day of wastewater treatment capacity at flow rates equal to City of St. Thomas rates.
The long-term debt will be amortized over 30 years with an annual repayment cost of about $1.1 million, according to Sheridan.
Approximately $650,000 of that is assigned to the Yarmouth Yards portion of the loan.
The last time the city incurred long-term debt like this was during the construction of the new police station and the twin-pad arena.
Years from now when Yarmouth Yards is at capacity, will there be an accounting as to how much city ratepayers ultimately contributed?
We keep hearing these expenses are assigned to the industrial development budget.
Where exactly can ratepayers view these line items?

Related post:

Central Elgin and St. Thomas reach a settlement for boundary adjustment compensation, ‘now the heavy lifting begins’

WASTEWATER OPEN HOUSE

The city is going to host a public information centre on May 29 related to a new water reclamation facility also known as a wastewater treatment facility in the city’s north end (see map).

It is a drop-in format with no formal presentation and the purpose is to provide background information, present the purpose and scope of an environmental assessment study now underway and review alternative solutions.
The open house will run from 6 until 8 p.m. in the auditorium at Memorial Arena.
A second public information centre is scheduled for this fall to present the alternative design concepts for the recommended solution. As they become available, project updates will be posted on the city’s website at http://stthomas.ca/wrf2.
The Municipality of Central Elgin will share this facility as part of the land transfer agreement announced last month for land obtained by the city for its Yarmouth Yards industrial park (see reference in borrow item above).

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And a reminder, I can be heard weekday afternoons as news anchor and reporter on 94.1 myFM in St. Thomas. As always, your comments and input are appreciated.