Plans are in the works to create a new identity for one vacant downtown lot and rejuvenate a rather forlorn Talbot Street parkette.
The former is the site of the Sutherland Press Building at 606 Talbot Street while the latter is Hepburn Parkette at 446 Talbot Street.
Masterminding the transformation is the team of Andrew Gunn and Maddie King of young & free press in conjunction with city staff and through the assistance of Arthur Lierman Landscape Architecture.
A similar process was undertaken in 2020 which resulted in the formation of Westlake Evans Civic Park adjacent to St. Thomas Public Library.
Gunn points out, “Both sites have incredible potential to be active spots complete with things to see and do, room for special events, and beautiful landscaping, too.

“The next step is to gather input from community organizations and residents.”
We took the bait and arranged to meet with the pair this past Wednesday (June 17) at Hepburn Parkette.
“We started a process with the city over the past year or so . . . and really the idea is here are some open green spaces in the downtown and what could be added to make them active, vibrant spots for the downtown to help bring residents and visitors here.”
The key, stressed Gunn, is public input.

“Over the years, we’ve found any of these projects we’re getting into, it is best to start with a frame of reference.”
That’s where the landscape architects came into play and they have come up with preliminary designs and ideas for what could be incorporated.
Giving the public a frame of reference for what is possible.
“At this point now, we’re really just asking for community members, especially people who live and work downtown, to get in touch and we are scheduling time to either meet by Zoom or in person and look at the designs and get input.
“The designs definitely act as starting points for conversation. One thing we have done already before the end of the school year was to bring both elementary and secondary school students from here in St. Thomas and walk them through the downtown.
“Show them Westlake Evans Civic Park . . . and then show them these two sites and ask the students what they would like to see.
“A lot of them do not come downtown very much. I think it was eye-opening and we left it for them to provide some feedback.
“We got some interesting thoughts.”

Maddie King added they spoke with students from Arthur Voaden Secondary School and various elementary school students.
“The kids from Voaden are downtown every day and they have different ideas from kids who have never been downtown at all and it’s nice because they are not constrained by money or how difficult the project might be.
“They just give us their wildest dreams and hopes for the parks.”
We sought her input on what she envisions for Hepburn Parkette.
“Somewhere people can gather every day. Everyone is at their own place of business or they are in their car and no one is talking or getting to know each other and meeting naturally.
“Meeting like you would in an active park space. Something that would facilitate that.”
Gunn added, “What we really want to do in this collaboration with the city was not to have the process be static.

“Not to try and do it all at once. Just trying to take the project step by step and gradually there is a strategy behind it and a cumulative process where you get the outcome over a number of years.”

“We want it to be an active, fun and open collaboration with the community so we could hear what people see existing on these sites and then what they would like to see.
“What we have heard consistently is to have some sort of food and drink options operate on a regular basis. This is important because that means people are staffing here and watching the park all the time.
“That makes it a consistent draw in the downtown.”
He continued, “One of the things that is important is facilitating active transportaton. We all enjoy being in our cars, coming downtown, parking in one place and then leaving.
“Downtowns really thrive when people get out of their cars and stay out of them for a while.
“Or whether they are coming down on a bike or walking, it gives them things to do and a place to stop and get something to eat.
“That’s what we really need to build more and more into our downtown and I think there is a lot of support for that here.
“Not to try and do it all at once. Just trying to take the project step by step and gradually there is a strategy behind it and a cumulative process where you get the outcome over a number Edgewof years.”

Here is how you can be involved in the process:

1. Email Andrew Gunn at andrew@youngandfreepress.ca to let them know you would like to schedule a meeting to discuss the concept designs.
They will send you the PDF file of the initial park plans and arrange a time to chat in person or by Zoom. They aim to conduct all the meetings between July 29 and Aug. 16.

2. Following the meeting, they will send you a form that provides space for your written comments, and then they will ask you to return the completed form to them by Aug. 23.

ST. THOMAS BATTERY STORAGE PROJECT A DOOR-OPENER 

Last week we briefly touched on the province’s Independent Electricity System Operator (IESO) approving the Edgeware Battery Storage project.
Since then we spoke with Darren Carl, senior project manager at EDP Renewables Canada which is proposing to build the facility on five acres of land adjacent to Messenger Freight Systems on Highbury Avenue.
“Of the 13 contracts that were offered (by the IESO), 10 of those were storage projects and we were one of those that were awarded. That happened early in May of this year.”
Under the contract, EDP must have their facility online by May 2028.

“We are working toward having the project connected sometime in mid-2027 but, obviously, it is very early days.
“We have not selected a vendor yet who is going to supply the batteries for the project. That is something we will be working toward having by the middle of next year.”
These would be housed in a structure similar to a shipping container and the stored electrical power would be fed back into the nearby Hydro One transmission network.
It is a 75 MW project providing energy over at least four consecutive hours, through the storage of energy in banks of lithium-ion batteries.
As to the status of the undertaking at this point, Carl advised, “In the short term, we are working through our environmental studies and permits which will be required through the province and those will require onsite evaluations.
“There will be no earth movement with those studies. The heavy lifting won’t likely begin until the middle of 2026, the initial ground-breaking for the project.”
As to whether there would be an office of some type on the property, he suggested that is being reviewed.

“There is a nice fit for us. We are going to be bringing tax benefits to the city with the industrial tax rate over the life of this project.”

“Typically with projects like this, you would have an operations facility or building associated with it. How that is going to look is still to be determined.”
For EDP, this is their first project in southwestern Ontario.
“Our projects to this point in the province have all been in eastern Ontario. We have 130 megawatts of operational wind farms currently in Ontario and both of those projects are south of Ottawa.”
With the St. Thomas project, is there a plan to increase EDP’s presence in this part of the province?
“One of the things EDP has learned through our efforts on this project is there are a number of opportunities for us to continue development in southwestern Ontario.
“The transmission system seems to support that so we are continuing to evaluate opportunities for us to find new projects or partner with groups looking to develop in southwestern Ontario.”
The contract EDP has with the IESO is for 20 years.
And, what about employment opportunities with this battery storage facility?
“There is a component of the project that will be monitored remotely from a centre in Houston, Texas. There will be a number of staff who monitor the project 24/7.
“However there will be a permanent presence with someone operating the facility. The location of that person is probably going to be somewhere close to the battery project for responsiveness during the life of it.”
Some workers will be required during the construction phase of the project.
As we wrapped up the conversation, Carl had nothing but praise for the efforts of city staff.
“The city has been a great partner on this project. They are doing a lot of great work to bring in industry and opportunities for the city.
“There is a nice fit for us. We are going to be bringing tax benefits to the city with the industrial tax rate over the life of this project.”
Carl indicated there will be another public open house related to the battery storage project.
“We will update the community on progress and the permit status. And general updates on timelines and where things are going to be located so people can have a good understanding on what the project will look like in finished form.
“And that’s something we expect will be next year, once we have more information on the batteries themselves, the layout and the technical details that we are just kicking off this year.”

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THE CITY IS NOW PART OF THE FLIX FAMILY

St. Thomas can now boast of a direct bus service to Toronto, although on a limited basis to start with.
FlixBus has expanded its service to include St. Thomas in its southwestern Ontario network.
Jonas Pearce with FlixBus talks about the new service.
“Right now we’re just starting out with one bus and seeing how the bus service grows in St. Thomas. If we see there is more demand we will see when and where we can add.”
A bus leaves Toronto daily at 1 p.m., arriving in St. Thomas at 4:40 p.m. The return trip to Toronto leaves at 5:40 p.m., with stops in London, Hamilton and the Union Station bus terminal.

FlixBus provides services in the United States, Canada, and Mexico, with almost 2,300 destinations across its network.
Pearce notes the bus will be provided by Gallexy Tours in Toronto but marked as a FlixBus service.
“It will be operated by a different company, but there will always be a FlixBus there.
“Whether it is wrapped in Flix green or it is a different bus with a Flix decal, I don’t know off-hand exactly what colour the bus will be but I know for sure customers will know it is a FlixBus.”
On Wednesday afternoon, the bus that pulled into St. Thomas was a white Gallexy Tours vehicle with a green FlixBus decal on the side behind the door.
The bus will pick up and drop off at the Wimpy’s Diner parking lot at 960 Talbot Street.
Pearce adds, that once in Toronto, customers can link up with other services operated by FlixBus.
“Flying into Toronto Pearson Airport, we have a service that would go to the Union Station bus terminal and then you could take that trip from the bus terminal to St. Thomas.
“Or, vice-versa if you’re wanting to get from St. Thomas to the airport you can go to the bus terminal.”
FlixBus has also increased the number of daily connections between London and Toronto from eight to 12 roundtrips daily, with added stops in Ingersoll and Woodstock.
In a media release, Richard Szeri, Senior Manager of Network Planning for FlixBus noted, “We are thrilled to expand our service to these three new communities in Southwest Ontario. This provides more travel options for our valued customers, strengthens our network, and connects these communities to major cities in the region. “We look forward to welcoming more customers and remain committed to providing affordable, convenient, and comfortable travel options.”

Fares between St. Thomas and Toronto Union Station start at $22.49 one way, depending on how far in advance you book your ticket.
For schedule information and to book tickets, visit http://flixbus.ca

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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.