Monthly Archives: May 2026

05.30.26
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‘Housing in our community is a crisis and needs to be filled,’ and the most contaminated field in the community is there to help

A large tract of barren land, a stone’s throw from Memorial Arena, a rubble-strewn reminder of the city’s once-dominant position in the age of the iron horse, has caught the eye of a London developer eager to transform the wasteland into desperately needed rental housing.

To the delight of St. Thomas Mayor Joe Preston, who is all smiles at the prospect of another brownfield undergoing rehabilitation to add as many as 2,000 units to the city’s housing inventory.

Drewlo Holdings, a family-run enterprise based in London, has acquired the 20-acre site, stretching north and east of the intersection of Wilson Avenue and Elm Street.

The firm is proposing to construct six rental buildings with between 1,800 and 2,000 housing units.

Site preparation at the highly contaminated property has been underway for some time and includes full environmental remediation.

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05.23.26
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At the upcoming AMO conference, the city would like to bend the province’s ear on childcare, support for seniors, and further preparation for the explosive growth of St. Thomas

In February of 2024, city council endorsed the 2024-27 Strategic Plan, titled Brighter Future.

According to a report presented to council at the time, “The Strategic Plan provides a road map for the current term of council, and consists of a Vision and Mission statement, six Guiding Values, two broad Strategic Pillars, and eleven Strategic Priorities.”

Once the plan was endorsed, city staff began to outline existing activities aligned with the strategic plan and new actions to help the city toward its new vision.

The Strategic Plan is a ‘living document’ that is continually being reviewed and updated.

Another portal to the city’s priorities moving forward is the annual Association of Municipalities of Ontario conference, to be held this year in Ottawa from Aug. 16-19.

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05.16.26
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The City of St. Thomas is seeking ‘visionary and innovative proposals’ for the former Wellington Street School

September 17, 2012, proved an exciting day in the life of St. Thomas, as students returned to Wellington Street School for the first time in several years.

The former Thames Valley District School Board facility, purchased by the city in 2011 to provide parking spaces for the new consolidated courthouse, was being revitalized as the St. Thomas campus of Algoma University.

“This is a great day for Algoma University, and it’s also a great day for St. Thomas and Elgin County,” enthused Algoma president Richard Myers.

“You’ve made my St. Thomas a richer place today, and it’s a richer place for all of us,” added Andrew Gunn, trustee for the estate of Dorothy Palmer, which contributed more than $1 million to the refurbishment of the heritage school.

Fast forward 20 months, and the headline of that day was being put to the test.

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05.09.26
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For Cliff Barwick, it was always about respect for the mayor’s chain of office

For many city residents, their first introduction to Cliff Barwick would have been at Arthur Voaden Secondary School, where the long-time mayor and alderman ruled over the classroom.

That certainly was the case for former mayor and MPP, Steve Peters.

“I took a couple of classes with him over the years,” recalled Peters this week after the news of Barwick’s passing.

Barwick was born and raised in Fort Erie and moved to St. Thomas after completing teacher’s college.

“He was a really good educator. He challenged students to think a little differently. It’s been interesting reading some of the Facebook posts of former students and how he inspired them or instilled in them certain career paths.

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05.02.26
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These investments in education ‘reflect the remarkable growth we are experiencing in St.Thomas’ – Mayor Joe Preston

It was a red-letter day for education in St. Thomas and Southwold Township this past Tuesday.
The province announced a $1.8 billion investment to build and expand schools across the province, with more than $80 million in funding earmarked for three new area schools.
Of that total, almost $44 million will be spent on a new high school with a capacity of 703 students to replace Arthur Voaden Secondary School.
A new 412-place elementary school with 49 licensed child care spaces valued at $22 million will be built in Talbotville.
And, in a joint venture between the Thames Valley District School Board and Ecole scolaire Viamonde, a new French elementary school, with room for 262 students, will share the same site at a cost of almost $16 million.
The local funding is part of a $92 million investment announced Tuesday morning for new and expanded schools in Thames Valley.
No details were announced on the exact locations of the three new facilities.

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