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.

However, Elgin-Middlesex-London MPP Rob Flack (seen below at the announcement Tuesday at the new Catholic elementary school under construction in Kilworth) stressed the hunt for land will soon begin.
“Work has started to find land. I was talking to both directors today at the announcement, and they both said let’s go find the land to build them on.”
Although they may not directly impact this area, Flack advised that another round of announcements is on the way, although nothing in the way of timelines. And he reminded of the need for a school on the re-purposed hospital lands in Central Elgin.
“What the Minister, Paul Calandra said today, this was the first iteration of an announcement . . . a second wave will be announced fairly shortly, but that’s across the province.
“And remember, the re-purposing of the hospital lands in Central Elgin, we’ve set aside land for the need for schooling there as well.”
Flack noted, “These investments will make a real difference for children and families today, while helping to build a stronger future for our region.” He reminded that there are plenty of people to thank.
“I thank the teachers who advocated, the principals, the vice-principals, the administration at the boards.
“I thank the City of St. Thomas and the City of London, they’ve helped me sell a pretty good case to the Minister of Education, and they listened and we got some pretty good action.”
The new high school to replace Arthur Voaden Secondary School represents the first new high school for the Thames Valley Board in more than 20 years.
As part of the transition, however, Arthur Voaden Secondary School, which first opened in 1926, will close at the end of the 2025–2026 school year.
Flack indicated talks are underway with the City of St. Thomas on possibly re-purposing the school.
“Voaden has been on everyone’s radar in terms of its status. We’ve got almost $44 million to find land and build a new high school for 700-plus students, and licensed child care there, so that’s great news.
“And remember, we can re-purpose that high school. We’ve already met with Mayor Joe Preston, and we’re looking at solutions. I’ll let local service managers and the City of St. Thomas come up with some cool solutions, and I’ll be working very closely with them so that the right solutions hit the desk and away we go.”
“These investments reflect the remarkable growth we are experiencing in St.Thomas and across our region, and that growth includes planning thoughtfully for education,” added St. Thomas Mayor Joe Preston.
“Expanding access to licensed child care is essential for a city like St. Thomas,” he added. “The addition of more than 180 new child care spaces in St. Thomas and Talbotville will help families balance work and home life, support local employers, and advance the important work of St. Thomas-Elgin Social Services in improving access to high-quality child care across the region.”
In January of last year, the province announced the city would get a second Catholic high school, thanks to $41 million in funding.
London District Catholic School Board trustee Bill Hall advised at the time that no location had been determined for the high school.

LOOKING BACK AT MORE THAN THREE DECADES AT CITY HALL

Thirty-eight years ago to the day, Maria Konefal checked in for her first shift at city hall in St. Thomas. It’s a day she remembers well, especially how exciting it all felt.
“I do actually remember it. It was May 2nd, 1988, and I was pretty excited. I had started in the social services field, and then I worked for a law firm for a couple of years. That’s what I thought, yeah.”
Working at city hall did sound very enticing. So much so that more than three decades later, now ensconced as city clerk, she closed the book on her long run in the field of municipal governance.
A couple of weeks ago, she presided over her last meeting of city council, and yesterday (Friday, May 1), Konefal said her goodbyes.
She announced her retirement back in February, and several days afterward, we took a stroll down that career path from the vantage point of her office overlooking Talbot Street.
About 11 years into her tenure, she veered off in the direction of Southwold, where she served as deputy clerk.
“There was no opportunity at that time, succession-wise, to move up (at city hall),” recalled Koneful. “It was an opportunity to expand my experience.”
She continued, “I took some courses with the Association of Municipal Clerks and Treasurers of Ontario, who have a wealth of ongoing training and educational opportunities. And then I obtained my Master’s in Public Administration at Western.
“And with that kind of education, you get a broader sense of what’s happening within a municipality. You learn things about HR, about financial management, and I’ve always been a huge fan of customer service, and that’s one of the divisions within my department that I’m responsible for.
“And that’s one of the ways in which we are more transparent to the community by providing an opportunity to either make a complaint, or a suggestion or even just ask for information, so it’s a key ingredient in our municipality.
“You may have seen our recent report about the number of requests that we’ve received, and the number is only going up, and we love that; that means that we are engaging with the public, as we should be, and that people are actually interested in what’s happening in their community.”

“The type of person who is most likely to succeed as a clerk is well organized. They need to have time management skills but also, they need to pivot from one topic to another and they need to have a good memory, which makes you a valuable resource for anyone who is looking for information.”

One area in which she especially excelled launched yesterday, the opening of the nomination process for the municipal election in October.
“We have instituted an electronic version of voting, which has allowed us to provide the most accessible election that we’ve ever been able to, so that anyone, either online or through telephone, no matter where they are in the world, can vote.
“We did a hybrid in 2018. In 2022, it was fully electronic, and we have planned to do the same. We did not experience any issues in the past three elections.”
Just one of many significant technological advances Konefal has witnessed at city hall.
“The biggest change in the municipal field is the digitization of many processes. So we had computers, for example, in the late 90s. That was part of our standard. Just even scanning to create digital documents. We have online forms.
“We have a digital agenda management program, our bidding process is electronic, and a lot of our communications, whether internal or external, are through digital media.”
For those aspiring to become a municipal clerk, Konefal had this observation.
“The type of person who is most likely to succeed as a clerk is well organized. They need to have time management skills, but also, they need to pivot from one topic to another, and they need to have a good memory, which makes you a valuable resource for anyone who is looking for information.
“So I think it’s being readily available to answer any method of question, whether that’s something related to the municipal freedom of information legislation, whether it’s in my role as the division registrar relating to marriages and burial permits, or even from council on any of their policies or on their rules of procedure.
“So on any given day, there could be all these offshoots, and I quite enjoy that. That’s the diversity that I like. And I like the fact that I still have a connection to the public. Even though I’m a department head, I still answer the phone. I still walk to the counter and help individuals over this entire time period.
“So I will say I will miss that, but I can continue helping people even when I’m no longer working here.
“And then the other thing that I’ll say that I might miss is working with council. Council’s the information hub. So I will have to start reading a lot more media to find out more information. Read the city’s website. “Whereas here, it’s just a part of my job. So I know what’s going on because it’s on an agenda, or I’ve met with the mayor. It flows through here.
“Also, the collaboration with members of the leadership team, with the city manager and the dedicated staff here. Trying to solve a problem or move something forward, providing the best advice that we can to members of council, I’ll miss that as well.”

“So it’s kind of exciting to watch the progress of construction, reconstruction, or bringing in, for example, new restaurants like the one across the road, instead of hearing about it after it’s already taken place.”

And her plans after May 1?
“I will say I will not have to attend the first three Mondays of the month at a council meeting. I’ll do a little bit of travelling. I’ll spend more time with my family. And if I choose to volunteer somewhere as well.”
Konefal concedes that municipal governance is a demanding job for all involved. Something worth remembering for those watching a council meeting live or online afterward.
“It’s a tough job, it’s a tough job for staff, it’s a tough job for council. I don’t think I’d be rushing to any judgments. I recognize it takes a lot to bring a report forward, to look at all the options, to make the decision.
“They are going to be doing the best they can with the information that’s provided.”
And finally, what was it like looking out that expanse of office window and watching St. Thomas unfold in front of you?
“Yes, I will miss sitting here and just seeing the city go by. This is a great view. Sometimes a bit distracting when there’s excitement out there. Yeah, it has been a wonderful opportunity to be at the hub of activity in the city. Well, it’s kind of like a window on the world when you sit here.
“And just being in the downtown core, and our Downtown Development Board has done a wonderful job in ensuring that there’s facade improvements, that there are businesses being brought forward.
“So it’s kind of exciting to watch the progress of construction, reconstruction, or bringing in, for example, new restaurants like the one across the road, instead of hearing about it after it’s already taken place.”
One area a little further afield that Konefal admitted will be missed might come as a surprise.
“I know it’s a little bit unusual in Canada, but I’m also in charge of the airport. And so I’m going to miss those relationships with Dale Arndt, our airport manager. And Margo and the rest of the team there, including our various tenants.
“And there is considerable growth happening at the airport at this time. And so we wanna make sure that they succeed. And so that’s one area that, as I said, I’m going to miss, being involved with strategic planning there, making sure there’s infrastructure work.
“As you may have noticed, we have some rather large aircraft that are parked on the ramp, and they require maintenance servicing, sometimes complete refurbishing.
“So that’s wonderful to see the growth at the airport as well.”
As her final council meeting drew to a close on April 20, Mayor Joe Preston put those three-plus decades of service into perspective.
“The city of St. Thomas is forever grateful for all the things that no one will ever notice that you got done for us, right?
“But we know, and we thank you.”

BALANCING SWIMMING LESSONS WITH NEIGHBOURHOOD COMPATIBILITY

So far, it’s been anything but smooth sailing as Joy Dawdy attempts to obtain clearance from the city to continue offering swimming lessons from her backyard pool at 21 Philip Street in St. Thomas.
It’s a service she has provided for more than three decades; however, a neighbour’s complaint about noise and parking issues has Dawdy treading water since last summer.
And a report from Michelle Knieriem, Manager of Planning Services, to city council for Monday’s (May 4) meeting is far from optimistic.
Knieriem is recommending that “Council refuse the site-specific draft Temporary Use By-law to Zoning By-law 50-88 to permit the provision of backyard swimming lessons as a home occupation.”
At the Dec. 8 meeting last year, council refused the requested amendments and directed staff to prepare a report introducing a Temporary Use Bylaw for its consideration to permit the provision of swimming lessons as a home occupation.
The report was presented to council on March 2, and a follow-up public meeting was held on April 13.
Dawdy had requested that the temporary bylaw include provisions to allow for a second instructor to teach swimming lessons who does not reside in the dwelling, and staff have not done so, as it was not included in the initial ask.
As to parking, Dawdy has indicated that all participants park their vehicles in the Central Elgin Collegiate Institute parking lot.
However, city staff advise, “No evidence has been provided demonstrating a formal parking arrangement with the school. It is unclear if this parking arrangement is legal or if it represents trespass on TVDSB property.
“Unless evidence of a formal arrangement can be provided, council should be considering implications of this proposal as if all participants are parking on the public street.”
As for compatibility with the surrounding neighbourhood, staff stress, “The proposed Temporary Use Bylaw attempts to limit these impacts through reduced hours and limits to the number of patrons in an effort to reduce the scale of the operation and address the concern from certain neighbours about noise when trying to eat dinner in their backyard.”

“The bylaw being presented for council’s consideration is based on staff’s attempt to balance the continuation of swimming lessons on a temporary basis while reducing compatibility issues with the surrounding residential neighbourhood.”

Knieriem’s report concludes, “Consistent with the recommendations of the previous staff report recommending refusal of the Official Plan and Zoning By-law Amendment applications, staff do not support the passing of a Temporary Use Bylaw to allow the provision of swimming lessons at 21 Philip Street.
“In the opinion of staff, this amendment would not conform to the Official Plan. This Temporary Use Bylaw is being brought forward at council’s direction for its consideration of whether or not to refuse this temporary amendment to the Zoning Bylaw.
“The bylaw being presented for council’s consideration is based on staff’s attempt to balance the continuation of swimming lessons on a temporary basis while reducing compatibility issues with the surrounding residential neighbourhood.
“The additional requests made by Joy Dawdy to allow leadership courses and a second instructor who does not reside in the dwelling are not included in the Temporary Use Bylaw being presented for council’s consideration, as these were not included in the initial OPA and ZBA applications.
“Should council direct staff to bring forward a Temporary Use Bylaw for its consideration, the bylaw will be placed on the May 11 agenda for council’s consideration.”
Members of council are in a tough position on this one. And the mood of members has shifted somewhat since last December, with questions and concerns being raised over the impact on neighbours and the danger of setting a precedent that could have greater implications down the road.
Will the public gallery again be populated with her supporters in an effort to influence council?
Shade of the new arena debates from a couple of decades ago.

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SENIORS AND CYBERSECURITY

No matter the police service, it is rare now that a media release does not reference a fraud or scam targeting unsuspecting individuals.
Recognizing the financial and emotional toll on the victims, even more so when the target is a senior, Elgin-St. Thomas-London South MP Andrew Lawton is going to host another in a series of public forums to inform residents on steps they can take to protect themselves. This one will deal with cybersecurity.
We sat down with Lawton yesterday (Friday) to talk about the session coming up later this month.
“So many of the frauds and scams and new threats facing people today involve computers and the internet,” noted Lawton. “And the problem is that scammers and fraudsters are evolving faster than a lot of our knowledge is.
“So I was trying to make sure that we had an opportunity to bring the most up-to-date information to people, specifically seniors, but I think anyone could benefit from this, on what the cyber threats and potential things to be aware of are, and more importantly, how to protect yourself against them.”
So Lawton is teaming up with Jeff Wong of DAGI, a London-based IT support firm.
“He’s an internet and computer security expert, a session for basically giving people the tools they need. It’s a senior cybersecurity information session in St. Thomas, and I think a lot of people will learn from it.
“I hosted a couple of months back a session that was dealing with fraud alongside the St. Thomas Police Service. And it was from that and the feedback that I had the idea to do cybersecurity.
“And some of the stories we heard from people at that were heartbreaking, people who had fallen victim to significant scams, in one case, over $80,000.
“And the thing about it that was most noteworthy is that so many of these problems emerged from a lack of, I don’t know if literacy is the right word, but a lack of awareness of what some of the threats are specific to computers and the internet. So we wanted to delve into that aspect of it specifically.”
Lawton continued, “So much of our lives now are wrapped up in our computers, our personal family photos, emails we’ve exchanged with people, our banking information. So if you don’t have protection of your cyber information, you aren’t going to be able to protect a lot of these really important things.
“So that’s why this is so important. It’s not just about fraud, but fraud is a big part of this. And ultimately, we’re just trying to make sure that people have practical tools and awareness because when phishing comes in, this is a really common thing.
“People don’t realize how sophisticated it could be that you think an email is coming from the bank and it isn’t. You think an email is coming from a loved one, but it isn’t. So even just being aware of that can help people.”
So, the seniors’ cybersecurity information session is to be held on Wednesday, May 13, starting at 2 p.m. at the CASO station.
No need to register, and if you need more information, you can call Lawton’s constituency office at 519-637-4130 or email at andrewlaughtonmp.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.