Category Archives: Elgin Mall

10.03.26
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‘I want to make sure that the community that has moved mountains to make this happen is getting the 3,000 jobs that made all that worthwhile’ – MP Andrew Lawton on last week’s PowerCo announcement

Following last week’s PowerCo announcement, MP Andrew Lawton cautioned that the community has the right to know what’s being done to ensure the promised jobs materialize.
You can read last Saturday’s item here.
This comes in light of the federal government offering up to $13 billion in subsidies.
On Sept. 24, Powerco announced that production at the massive EV battery factory in St. Thomas has been pushed back until some time in 2029, although the move is not being painted as a step back.
Lawton, Conservative MP for Elgin-St. Thomas-London South, said it is important to acknowledge work is proceeding at the site.
“Look, we have to be very clear to acknowledge that there is work going on. And even the announcement from PowerCo indicates they intend to see this project through.

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09.26.26
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‘The St. Thomas gigafactory remains a cornerstone of our North American strategy’ – Joel Karlsberg, PowerCo Canada

Production at the massive PowerCo EV battery gigafactory in St. Thomas has been pushed back to sometime in 2029, although the move is not being categorized as a step back.
The original plan called for a 2027 opening, which was amended to the second quarter of 2028.
The information was included in a media release issued this week announcing that EllisDon Corporation will be the general contractor for the $7 billion megaproject in Yarmouth Yards industrial park.
Construction includes the production-building shell, mechanical, electrical and plumbing installations, energy and utility systems, and supporting site services. Approximately 60 EllisDon workers are on site. That number is expected to ramp up to roughly 1,300 workers at peak, alongside additional personnel supporting parallel project activities.

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08.15.26
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Imagination Station art installation at Yarmouth Yards industrial park in St. Thomas speaks to the past, while connecting to the future.

A colourful, circular sculpture surveying the cars and trucks rushing past on Highbury Avenue is a whimsical reminder of the city’s railway heritage while cleverly linking it with the industrial revolution underway in St. Thomas.
Titled Imagination Station, the 25-foot-high wooden toy train is local artist Briony Douglas’ first permanent public art commission (seen below with St. Thomas Mayor Joe Preston).
The Woodstock native has had her installations appear at cultural institutions and link with international brands across North America, including Cadillac, Adidas, American Express, Shake Shack, and the Hockey Hall of Fame.
And now her latest work graces the gateway to the city’s industrial park, Yarmouth Yards.
Imagination Station was assembled and unveiled at a ceremony Thursday afternoon at the intersection of Dennis Road and Highbury Avenue.

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01.03.26
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Numerous attempts to bury the problem now leave the St. Thomas Cemetery Company staring down a financial crisis

For the second time in a decade, the St. Thomas Cemetery Company has begun the process of abandoning St. Thomas Cemetery (West Avenue) and South Park Cemetery, south of the city.
In 2015, the board of directors had served notice that it would seek to abandon the two burying grounds if the long-standing city grant wasn’t reinstated.
And in October of that year, city council voted to extend the cemetery board of directors a financial lifeline of sorts by way of a $20,000 operating grant. Combined with the first instalment in April of $30,000, it left them $9,000 short of the amount requested during 2015’s budget deliberations.

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08.28.21
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As was his vision, Jay Burstein says Elgin Centre will again be a happening place

city_scope_logo-cmykElgin Mall has wonderful potential according to the small, family-owned real estate investment company that acquired the 263,000-square-foot property in October of 2016.
At the time the mall was operating at a roughly 50 per cent vacancy rate.
Jay Burstein, spokesman for the new owners stated, “Our goal is to try and lease the vacant space as quickly as possible and try to make this mall the vibrant place it once was.”
A rather major concern was the large vacant space at the west end of the mall, formerly occupied by Zellers.
“We recognize the fact the former Zellers space is something we really have to look at,” admitted Burstein. “If we could find one tenant for that space, that would be awesome.”
Just shy of five years later and what is now known as Elgin Centre is again making headlines.
Preparatory work has begun at the very same spot in the shopping centre to make way for a $16 million, 95-room Holiday Inn Express and Suites scheduled to officially open next October.

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08.08.20
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A better ride is on the way for those who rely on St. Thomas Transit

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At a luncheon held at the beginning of the year at St. Anne’s Centre, St. Thomas Mayor Joe Preston was nothing short of blunt when it came to the city’s bus system.
“It leaves way too much to be desired. Our transit system doesn’t run on Sundays and it doesn’t run past 6:30 at night.”
As those in attendance lingered over coffee and dessert, Joe reminded them the city has approval from the provincial government to help institute a full seven-day service operating over longer hours.
That approval was delivered on August 8 of last year in front of city hall when Elgin-Middlesex-London MPP Jeff Yurek confirmed the provincial government is committing $1.8 million for transit projects in St. Thomas.
The money will be used for fleet upgrades – including the purchase of 10 new buses with an additional four vehicles for future expansion – and transit technology, including priority signalling for buses at designated intersections.

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09.14.19
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You can amend the St. Thomas official plan but will that attract hotel guests?

city_scope_logo-cmykEarlier this month, council unanimously approved recommendations from the planning department concerning amendments to the city’s official plan to support hotel and apartment use at Elgin Centre (formerly Elgin Mall).
The report from Jim McCoomb, manager of planning services for the city, followed a public meeting held July 15 where some residents expressed concerns about noise emanating from the hotel, snow removal and storage, fire safety for the upper levels of the hotel and parking and traffic.
A traffic assessment study submitted to the city concluded, “the proposed redevelopment of a portion of the existing Elgin Centre shopping mall will not significantly change the existing roadway traffic volumes and on-site parking accommodation.”
It was noted a petition had been received signed by 40 individuals opposed to the proposal.

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06.15.19
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Crossing that bridge to affordable housing in St. Thomas

city_scope_logo-cmykIt’s one of those unperceived neighbourhoods in St. Thomas . . . life beyond the hump of the Barwick Street bridge.
The residents, who enjoy a tranquil setting west of the railway track, may soon be joined by a couple hundred new neighbours if the city approves a proposed subdivision in the Hill and Barwick streets enclave.
The Ostojic Group of St. Thomas is proposing a 75-lot subdivision west of Hill Street with Nick and Joe Ostojic making their pitch to council this Monday (June 17).
It’s not the first time the Ostojics have sought to develop the open field nestled between the St. Thomas bypass and Kettle Creek.
The stumbling block in the past has been the restricted access across the wooden bridge that spans the CN line to London.

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04.29.17
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Retirement payouts to firefighters enough to make you sick

city_scope_logo-cmykYou have to look very, very carefully to find this gem in last Monday’s council agenda.
We’ll help you out. It’s on Page 65. A warning from the city’s director of finance, David Aristone.
“The various reserve balance are adequate in the short term,” advised Aristone in his 2016 year-end update to council. “However, for the longer term, the city is financially exposed in the following areas.
Aristone lists four areas with the final being “future retirement payouts for the fire department.”
No amount is listed, but we confirmed with human resources director Graham Dart the amount at the end of 2016 was approximately $1.3 million.
A tidy sum, that. And what is the $1.3 million earmarked for?

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