“You might call it bragging, but I got the job done and it wasn’t easy.”
Long-time Shedden resident Lorne Spicer might have been recounting his work with minor hockey, the community’s Rosy Rhubarb Festival or his tireless efforts with the St. Thomas Field Naturalists and the Southwold War Memorial Committee.
Spicer certainly went above and beyond the call of duty with all of those undertakings.
And those achievements would be in keeping with his favourite piece of advice.
“When you make up your mind to do something, just do it.”
And three days before becoming an officer in the RCAF, he wrote in his log book he wanted to become an above average navigator.
His assessment after the fact?
“I delivered.” Continue reading
Category Archives: Uncategorized
Dalewood bridge deemed unsafe; closed permanently
Many north-end St. Thomas residents will have to adjust their driving habits as of today (Nov. 30).
Following an inspection Wednesday, the Dalewood bridge has been deemed unsafe and is now closed permanently.
The Bailey bridge was installed at Dalewood Dam as a temporary structure in 1983 at a cost of $35,000. It was due to be replaced with a new, two-lane bridge featuring a multi-use path incorporated into the design at a cost of $4.5 million.
City manager Wendell Graves said construction of the new bridge will begin next spring and will not be moved up due to today’s closure.
Detour routes will be posted for motorists.
Related posts:
New Dalewood bridge gives city a creative opportunity
Permanent solution to a temporary fix
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Inquest called into death of St. Thomas flagman
An inquest has been called into the death of a St. Thomas man killed while directing traffic at a construction site on the Hwy. 3 bypass.
On July 2, 2014, 55-year-old Brian Daniel was flagging vehicles around a boom crane obstructing traffic in the westbound lane of the bypass at Burwell Road.
He was struck and killed by a pickup truck driven by a 46-year-old Aylmer man, who was charged with dangerous driving causing death.
An inquest is mandatory under the Coroners Act, and Dr. Rick Mann, Regional Supervising Coroner for West Region, London Office, announced Monday it will begin Feb. 5th, 2018 at the Elgin County Courthouse in St. Thomas.
It is expected to last four days and hear from approximately eight witnesses.
The jury may make recommendations aimed at preventing similar deaths.
Questions and comments may be emailed to: City Scope
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After nine years, it’s time to pony up and listen
After nine years of legal wrangling, a bevy of engineering reports, much dizzying debate over semantics and hair-splitting, we finally have a definitive answer from on high.
The Sutherland Press building is unsafe. That’s the determination of Justice Peter Hockin handed down this week along with confirmation building orders issued in 2015 and 2016 have been confirmed as valid.
All right, but now what?
City manager Wendell Graves advised the next step for the city is consultation with legal counsel John Sanders, but “In the absence of any action by the owner, the city will want to make the area safe again as soon as possible.” Continue reading
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Nine years after the fire, a brick from Alma College initiates healing for Ivan Zinn
Vilified for his role in the blaze that hastened the demise of iconic Alma College in St. Thomas, nine years later a shadow has been lifted from Ivan Zinn’s past.
On May 28, 2008, Zinn and a fellow Arthur Voaden Secondary School student scrambled through a back window into Alma College where they set fire to a mattress found under a stairwell, little expecting “all hell to break loose” as described by a member of the St. Thomas Police Service during a taped interview.
Just 15 at the time he and the co-accused were charged with arson and on Sept. 24, 2009, Justice Donald Ebbs sentenced them to two years probation, the maximum allowed under the Youth Criminal Justice Act. In addition, they were to undertake 240 hours of community work.
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Wind turbine noise complaints proof province is ‘kowtowing to their corporate buddies’ – Dutton Dunwich Opponents of Wind Turbines
A coalition of groups and individuals concerned about the proliferation of industrial wind turbines is calling on the province to halt the approval process for new projects and develop and enforce new, tougher noise standards.
In a media release issued today (May 31) Wind Concerns Ontario (WCO) claimed the Kathleen Wynne government has failed to respond to thousands of wind turbine noise complaints.
And locally, a spokesperson for ratepayers opposed to proceeding with a wind turbine project in Dutton/Dunwich said it’s further proof the province is “kowtowing to . . . their corporate buddies.”
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Sutherland hostages handed a small legal triumph
There haven’t been many in the past decade, however on Monday the city received word of a small victory in the Sutherland saga.
City manager Wendell Graves informed council a panel of three appeal court justices ruled in the city’s favour, advising a lower court erred in its determination last September that a notice issued in March of 2016 warning of demolition of the four-storey structure for failure to comply with a previous work order was null and void.
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New life for an old St. Thomas foot path
The city’s newest trail project may very well involve one of the older, well-established foot paths in St. Thomas.
At Monday’s reference committee meeting, city council was apprised of the Owaissa Trail project connecting Hiawatha Street to Athletic Park and then continuing on to St. George Street.
Existing path looking eastward from Athletic Park clubhouse
The short-cut to Athletic Park has been in use for decades, most notably by Arthur Voaden Secondary School teams to quickly get from the school to games at the sports fields.
“It’s a very, very well used trail,” advised Ross Tucker, director of parks, recreation and property management.
The move to formally create a trail was prompted by queries about ownership of land in the area and liability issues.
The plan is to create a three-metre wide asphalt path down from Hiawatha Street to the clubhouse area at Athletic Park and then through the parking area up to St. George Street. The cost is estimated at $180,000, which does not include any possible land purchases.
The route includes a storm sewer easement which the city does not own.
When asked about steepness of the trail and ease of use for those with accessibility issues, director of environmental services Justin Lawrence indicated the grade would be in the six to eight per cent range.
Coun. Steve Wookey questioned whether the trail would be lighted, to which Tucker responded, “We’re not entertaining any lighting, at least yet.”
A staff report will be presented to council later this fall, with cost of the trail to be included in the 2018 capital budget.
Questions and comments may be emailed to: City Scope
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Fate of Sutherland Press building remains in a holding pattern
Not unlike the two combatants, a panel of three appeal court justices failed Wednesday to make any significant headway in the eight-year standoff that is the Sutherland Saga.
The nearly three-hour hearing held at Toronto’s Osgoode Hall dealt with the city’s appeal of a decision handed down September 27 of last year by Justice Kelly Gorman, who determined a notice issued in March of last year warning of demolition of the four-storey structure for failure to comply with a previous work order was null and void.
