Monthly Archives: February 2026

02.28.26
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‘The former St. Thomas Psychiatric Hospital site presents an exciting opportunity to put unused government land back to work, unlocking new homes, parks and local businesses’

In the coming years, in the shadow of St. Thomas, a small town will sprout and grow; its progression unfolding like time-lapse photography.

And its evolution will begin to germinate next week as the Municipality of Central Elgin begins the hunt for “experienced development partners” to play a leading role in turning about 400 acres of land into the largest planned community expansion in the municipality’s history.

The former St. Thomas Psychiatric Hospital lands in the coming decades will be redeveloped into a community of more than 3,500 new homes, with 9,000 residents, local businesses and parkland.

The hospital opened in 1939, and St. Joseph’s Health Care in London assumed control in 1997 as part of the reorganization initiative ordered by the Health Care Restructuring Commission.

It closed once the Southwest Centre for Forensic Mental Health Care opened in 2013.

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02.21.26
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Nurtured in St. Thomas, The Wellness Navigation Project is ‘A mission to normalize mental health in law enforcement’

The roots of The Wellness Navigation Project can be traced back to the fall of 2022, as Marc Roskamp prepared to take over the helm at the St. Thomas Police Service.
At the time, Roskamp was a 25-year veteran of the St. Thomas Police Service with 16 years in uniform patrol before moving up to the Criminal Investigation Branch and then being appointed Deputy Chief in 2018.
In an interview with the incoming chief, he shone a light on a critical focal point as he prepared to assume the duties of the outgoing chief, Chris Herridge.
“From a public safety perspective, I believe so strongly in the health of the community and its citizens. And one of my main priorities will also be to build up the resiliency of our members of the police family.

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02.14.26
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From the Mayor of St. Thomas to Mayor Bubba presiding over the grandkids, Joe Preston is set to ‘take a step back’

While the media release on Tuesday evening may have caught some residents by surprise, if you have been a close observer over the past few months, it was evident that St. Thomas would have a new mayor come November.
The tip-offs were as subtle as the first signs of spring; however, as Mayor Joe Preston phrased it, “It was time to take a step back.”
As he stressed in the media release, the decision not to seek re-election in the 2026 municipal vote comes after “thoughtful personal and professional consideration.“
“All things have to be decided personally and professionally,” he added. “At some point, you have to ask yourself when it’s the right time to take a step back.”

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02.07.26
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‘While Bill C-14 falls short in some areas, it is an important response to the growing problem of revolving door bail and catch-and-release justice’ – MP Andrew Lawton

Bill C-14 proposes reforms to Canada’s bail and sentencing laws, including changes to reverse-onus provisions, bail conditions, sentencing factors, and restrictions on house arrest, to increase public safety.
Elgin-St. Thomas-London South MP Andrew Lawton, who sits on the House of Commons Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights, has put forth an amendment that will strengthen our criminal justice system by ensuring that criminals cannot vouch for people who have been criminally charged to be released on bail.
Lawton’s amendment was adopted this past week by the committee and bars anyone convicted of an indictable offence in the last 10 years from acting as a surety for another accused.

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