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.
Category Archives: Municipality of Central Elgin
St. Thomas relaunches program designed to assist low-to moderate-income households purchase their first home
After a hiatus of nearly six years, the City of St. Thomas is reviving the St. Thomas-Elgin Affordable Homeownership Program (AHP), originally launched in 2007.
The AHP was designed to assist low-to moderate-income households in purchasing their first home.
This AHP was originally funded as a one-time allocation under the Canada-Ontario Affordable Housing Program.
It is worth noting that since its inception, 46 households have successfully achieved homeownership through the initiative.
So, how does the program operate?
In her report to council at the April 20 meeting, Ellen Hickey, Supervisor of Housing Stability Services, explained, “AHP provides down payment assistance in the form of an interest-free, forgivable loan over a 20-year period to help eligible St Thomas-Elgin households transition from renting to home ownership.
Share this:
‘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.
Share this:
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.”
Share this:
The Parks and Recreation Master Plan: ‘Working to keep the residents of St. Thomas in St. Thomas and playing in St. Thomas’
The early feedback on the city’s draft of the Parks and Recreation Master Plan and the Community and Aquatic Centre Feasibility Study appears positive, based on the steady stream of residents who attended the drop-in open house this past Thursday (Jan. 22).
Held in the lower level of the Joe Thornton Community Centre, it was an opportunity to read through and ask questions about the two documents that will help guide future decisions related to parks, recreation facilities, and services across the community.
A considerable amount of attention was directed toward the aquatic centre, an ambitious undertaking that is likely eight or ten years down the road.
Share this:
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.
Share this:
‘We cut out the noise, focus on the signal’ – PowerCo hiring blitz is underway
It was an invite-only event with a twist.
Thursday evening (Nov. 6), PowerCo held a Shopfloor Hiring Network Event designed to connect local talent in industrial electrician, millwright and industrial automation roles with their gigafactory team.
Those attending had the opportunity to meet company leadership, explore career opportunities and get an up-close look at what it would be like to be an employee at what is to become the largest such factory in Canada.
As the evening started to wind down, we spoke with Shuja Qadri, manager of talent acquisition, who observed, “Considering this was an invite-only RSVP event that we wanted to look at based on skill set and experiences, we actually had over 65 people turn up for the event.”
Share this:
‘The dream of home ownership cannot be extinguished, it has to stay alive in this province’ – Rob Flack, Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing
This week, the provincial government introduced the Fighting Delays, Building Faster Act, 2025, that, if passed, would build “a more prosperous, resilient and competitive economy by fighting costly delays and regulatory burdens that slow the delivery of homes, roads, and infrastructure that communities need.”The legislation would cut red tape, thereby getting shovels in the ground faster, added Rob Flack, Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing.
“With tariffs and economic uncertainty taking aim at our economy, we’re working with municipal leaders and homebuilders to get shovels in the ground faster so we can build more homes and keep workers on the job,” noted Flack.
Share this:
‘So 37 years later, it’s my opportunity to pass that hat to somebody else’ – Steve Peters steps away from city council
An announcement out of left field, but, in the final analysis, likely inevitable.Steve Peters stood up as Monday’s city council meeting drew to a close to announce he was walking away from municipal politics, effective immediately.
Ironically, this year is Peters’ 30th anniversary of holding elected office.
You can read his announcement to council below.
Peters wants to spend more time in his position as chair of the Ontario Greenhouse Vegetable Growers, a position he was appointed to last year.
The organization represents 170 growers of over 4,300 acres of greenhouse vegetables.
“I’m a focused person, and I really want to focus on the greenhouse sector. We’ve got a lot of stuff on our plate.”
