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.

We have requested an interview with a Drewlo representative and, in the meantime, spoke with Mayor Preston on Friday (May 29) about the repurposing of the former railway yard, shop, and turntable.

“Well, this may be cause and effect,” suggested Preston, because we talked about it, we’re able to get some movement on how Drewlo can handle the most contaminated field in the community. And so we think this can really work.

“If we’re contributing towards brownfield redevelopment in our Community Improvement Plan, and the province is also now contributing against a tax bill kind of thing, it starts to layer on top of each other to make it affordable to do some of these great projects.”

Preston continued, “If we can net somewhere around 2,000 market-rent apartments on one of the worst contaminated sites in the community because we put a little money forward and a lot of activity from Drewlo, then way to go, Drewlo.”

Following a bit of a template, pointed out Preston.

“That’s what Drewlo builds. They go to a new site and build a city, right? An active-market rent city at each of its sites.

“They also do single-family homes and such, but they’re very well known and liked as a landlord. And so I’m really looking forward to, first of all, jumping over the last couple of hurdles.”

“Look, they’ve done an excellent construction-type job. They are very good as a company. Let’s give them the time to do what they need to do to finish what will be, when it’s built, the biggest complex in our community.”

Preston cautioned that, “This isn’t an absolute done deal, and we can keep moving forward on getting them the qualifications from an environmental standard point of view and then get some building permits issued.”

With the area roads being two lanes, we asked Preston about possible congestion in the neighbourhood.

“Both the shadow studies and the traffic studies don’t show issues,” he assured.

The site borders the Whistlestop Trail, offering an active transportation corridor leading to the downtown core.

Preston added, “If we continue to look at transportation studies going 50 years out, then both Elm and Wilson would be the types of roads that may have to be expanded in the future, but we don’t have to look at it until we get some more people living in the neighbourhood.”

Preston reminded, “We put two apartment buildings at the end of Moore Street in Alma College, right? That’s basically a one-way street with two large apartment buildings on it, and we really have not seen a traffic issue because of the variance in time when people leave for work and come home from work.

“And of course, we have transit that runs out to that corner, too. So when you can start layering the different levels of transit, walkability, you know, active transportation, then you really win.

“And what a great place to live along that trail. The ravine on one side, Pinafore Park across Elm Street, that’d be a gorgeous place to live.”

It is very early in the planning process, and few details are available on the building height and layout on the property.

“Well, I don’t think they’re going to build symmetrically, suggested Preston. So some six stories, some eight stories, some 14 stories to make it work.

“And in some of the affordable apartment discussions we’ve had with them, we’ve been flexible on the number of floors that they can give us, more affordable units if we’re allowing another floor to go on. And so those discussions continue to take place. And I don’t think they know where they’ll end up.

“When you see the piles of what looks like gravel, every place they dug, they found old foundations and stuff. They’re a smart enough company to pull them up, grind them up, and use that for aggregate on the site.

“Look, they’ve done an excellent construction-type job. They are very good as a company. Let’s give them the time to do what they need to do to finish what will be, when it’s built, the biggest complex in our community.”

It’s worth remembering that the land was originally owned by London developer Shmuel Farhi, but continued to sit vacant.

“And then Drewlo said they would take it. ‘We think we can do something with it.’ So I can do nothing but salute them for that statement alone.

“You know, as I’ve said, housing in our community is a crisis and needs to be filled, and this will help fix it.”

HOUSE OF HOMES: WHERE FAMILIES CAN BEGIN AGAIN

Nearly three years ago, city council agreed to financially support Fresh Start Support Services’ House of Homes Project in the amount of $100,000.

House of Homes is a supportive and transitional housing development designed to provide safe, stable housing for women-led families, pregnant women, and young children who are experiencing housing instability or homelessness.

The facility at 118 Centre Street in St. Thomas welcomed its first families in April of this year as they settled into one of 12 apartment units, including accessible units.

At the official opening, Executive Director Jamie Cann stressed that House of Homes “Is a place of safety. It’s a place of support. It’s a place where families can begin again.”

In addition to the provision of safe housing, House of Homes includes shared community spaces and on-site supports focused on parenting, life skills, system navigation, and family stability.

As part of the agreement, Fresh Start will operate two of the dozen units as emergency housing to enhance the St. Thomas-Elgin Family Homelessness Protocol, which assists area families in urgent housing situations.

At Monday’s (June 1) meeting, council will authorize Danielle Neilson, Acting Director of Social Services, to formalize the Municipal Service Agreement and sign the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation’s Consent and Acknowledgement Agreement.

In her report to council, Neilson confirms that the latter “is a standard agreement that acknowledges CMHC’s interest in the House of Homes project and provides standard lender protections related to the city’s funding agreement with Fresh Start.

“The agreement requires the city to notify CMHC of significant defaults and provide CMHC an opportunity to remedy issues before terminating the funding agreement.

“It also recognizes CMHC’s ability to step into the agreement if enforcement action is required. The agreement does not make the city responsible for the CMHC loan or Fresh Start’s debt obligations.”

PARTNERING FOR SUMMER 2026

At first glance, it might appear a rather unlikely partnership.

According to a report to city council on Monday (June 1), the city’s Parks and Recreation Department is teaming up with St. Thomas Public Library to support Summer 2026.

As per the report from Adrienne Lacey Griffin, Director of Parks and Recreation and Aaron DeVries, CEO/Chief Librarian, “Summer 2026 outreach initiatives focus on bringing library and community services directly into neighbourhood parks, recreation spaces, and community gathering areas throughout the city.

“The partnership supports shared objectives related to increasing awareness of municipal programs and services, reducing barriers to participation, strengthening community connection, and enhancing the use of parks and recreation spaces as welcoming community hubs.”

So what will this entail over the summer?

According to the joint report, “The Summer 2026 collaborative outreach strategy includes coordinated park activations, community events, housing outreach initiatives, and partnerships connected to local recreation and sports programming.

“Activities will include the library outreach van, Summer Reading Club registration, library card sign-up opportunities, family-friendly activities, and community engagement opportunities.”

The report continues, “Through this partnership, recreation and library staff have coordinated a series of outreach activations aligned with existing municipal day camp programming and community recreation spaces, including:

 July 22 – Pinafore Park

 July 29 – Waterworks Park

 August 12 – 1Password Park

“These activations are intended to provide flexible, drop-in opportunities that complement existing recreation programming while creating welcoming and engaging spaces for children, youth, and families. “Residents will have opportunities to participate in literacy, educational, creative, and recreational activities within familiar community settings.”

The report notes that the partnership can readily be expanded into other programming areas.

“Similar partnerships in other municipalities have supported initiatives such as story walks, outdoor learning experiences, creative workshops, youth drop-ins, seniors programming, and community events that combine recreation, education, and social connection.

“In addition to park activations, the library will participate in community events, including Pride in the Park, Horton Market, Seniors Picnic, Nostalgia Night, and a partnership with Railway City FC as a July Game Day sponsor.”

“By coordinating outreach initiatives and park activations, both organizations can support recreation, literacy, learning, and community engagement opportunities for residents of all ages.”

These outreach visits will be expanded to include local housing complexes like Confederation Housing, Fairview Housing, and Elmview Estates, to help improve “access to programs and services for residents who may face transportation or mobility barriers.”

The report concludes, “Overall, the partnership between Parks and Recreation and the St. Thomas Public Library creates opportunities to expand community-based programming and increase access to municipal services in welcoming and familiar public spaces.

“By coordinating outreach initiatives and park activations, both organizations can support recreation, literacy, learning, and community engagement opportunities for residents of all ages.

“Staff are also exploring additional collaborative programming opportunities between Parks and Recreation and the St. Thomas Public Library within Westlake Evans Park.

“As work continues toward the installation of the piano enclosure, both organizations will continue discussions regarding future community programming opportunities that support recreation, arts, literacy, creativity, and community engagement within the downtown core.

“The partnership between the City of St. Thomas Parks and Recreation Department and the St. Thomas Public Library demonstrates the value of collaborative municipal initiatives in strengthening community connection and enhancing access to programs and services.”

A creative partnership that’s akin to DoorDash, delivering city programming and offering access to municipal services to residents anywhere in the community.

WHILE OTHERS RUSH TO THE CITY, THE CAA DRIVES OFF

If you are a CAA member or have used their services, you likely received notice that the St. Thomas store is closing as of July 10.

We contacted Olivia Hodgkiss, Corporate Communications at the CAA Club Group of Companies, and she provided the following statement on the closure.

“CAA South Central Ontario has made the difficult decision to close its St. Thomas retail location.

“This decision reflects ongoing changes in consumer preferences and the broader evolution of the retail landscape, as more members choose to access services through digital and remote channels.

“As our organization adapts to these shifts, we remain focused on delivering convenient, accessible, and high-quality service to our members in the ways they prefer.

“While the St. Thomas store will be closing, members can continue to access the full range of CAA services through our call centre, online at caasco.ca, or by visiting our nearest retail location in London.

“Our commitment to supporting our members remains unchanged.

We would like to sincerely thank the St. Thomas community for its many years of loyalty, trust, and support. It has been our privilege to serve this community, and we are grateful for the relationships we have built over time.”

A heads up.

Their London outlet is located at 1365 Beaverbrook Ave., and if you prefer personalized service and sitting down with an agent to discuss your needs, be prepared for a 40- to 45-minute hike up busy Wonderland Road for that privilege.

POINT TO PONDER

Last week we noted a request before council members at the May 19 meeting from Devon Church, co-chair of Elgin County Pride “That council proclaim July 20th to 25th, 2026 as “Pride Week” in the City of St. Thomas, that the progressive pride flag be flown for the week and that the Jumbo monument be lit in pink the week of June 8th to 15, 2026 in recognition of Universal Pride Month.”

We were curious as to why Coun. Gary Clarke requested a recorded vote on the motion.

And Clarke promptly contacted this corner to advise that the verbal acknowledgment from each member of council demonstrated a firm commitment of support beyond the traditional raising of hands.

Particularly in light of some questionable comments that had appeared on the city’s social pages, noted Clarke.

A good call, Gary.

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