Monthly Archives: July 2025

07.26.25
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Returning balance to Canada’s criminal justice system the subject of a community think tank held in St. Thomas

A roundtable discussion was held on Thursday (July 24) to examine the evolving challenges impacting public safety in St. Thomas and Aylmer.
In attendance were St. Thomas Police Chief Marc Roskamp, Aylmer Police Chief Kyle Johnstone, along with deputy chiefs from both services and Elgin-St. Thomas-London South MP Andrew Lawton and Brantford-Brant MP Larry Brock.
The two Conservative MPs are members of the Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights.
Front and centre was the growing concern over repeat offenders, a matter well documented in both municipalities.
The need was expressed for stronger accountability to curb chronic offending and reduce the burden on victims and frontline responders.

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07.19.25
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New legislation gives the St. Thomas Police Service enhanced resources to combat illegal drug activity

For St. Thomas Police Chief Marc Roskamp, new provincial legislation designed to ensure safer streets and stronger communities is a step toward reducing illegal drug activity while also providing support for affected communities, promoting safety, and encouraging rehabilitation.
Bill 10, the Protect Ontario Through Safer Streets and Stronger Communities Act, is a broad ‘justice-and-safety’ omnibus bill passed into law on June 5th of this year.
As noted on the Canadian Mental Health Association website, “An omnibus bill is one that introduces or amends multiple new or existing laws at once. Each new or existing law that Bill 10 impacts is addressed in a separate ‘Schedule’ of the Bill. Schedule 8 is a new law titled the Measures Respecting Premises with Illegal Drug Activity Act.”

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07.12.25
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A spike in St. Thomas arson incidents sparks calls for action on the catch and release of ‘destructive and violent criminals’

St. Thomas was rocked this week by a pair of arson-related fires, which, thankfully, did not result in any injuries.
A blaze early Sunday morning destroyed part of the Acacia Block on Talbot Street, which dates back to 1881.
A couple of young entrepreneurs were close to completing renovations on the building adjacent to the Railway City Transit terminal that would have housed commercial operations on the ground floor and apartments on the second level.
Earlier this year, the ground floor was the campaign headquarters for Elgin-St. Thomas-London South MP Andrew Lawton.
Joseph Penfound was quickly apprehended on Sunday morning, and the accused, “a prolific offender,” according to St. Thomas Police,  has been charged with arson along with a couple of other offences.

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07.05.25
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Is city hall about to pull the plug on a home-based business in St. Thomas teaching youngsters water safety?

For more than three decades, countless young children have learned to swim in Joy Dawdy’s backyard pool.
Her daughter, Brittany, is proud of the fact that some of those youngsters have gone on to become swim instructors themselves.
And, just like the City of St. Thomas, which will enact a personal flotation device bylaw in the aftermath of the drowning of Ryan Davies last fall in Lake Margaret, Dawdy is doing her bit to promote water safety.
This is her third location for conducting the swimming classes, she explained in a conversation yesterday (July 4). She currently lives near Central Elgin Collegiate Institute.
“Before this, I was doing it at our home on Balaclava Street, and it initially started at my parents’ house on Hughes Street.”

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