Tag Archives: 2026 municipal election

10.31.26
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‘We’ve got to hit the road running’ – City of St. Thomas mayor-elect Jeff Kohler

After a 20-year absence as head of city council in St. Thomas, Jeff Kohler was elected mayor on Monday by a decisive margin. He defeated runner-up Aidan Frederick by nearly 5,000 votes.
Kohler garnered 7,407 votes to 2,641 for Frederick.
Corey Janzen was a distant third with 745 votes. Campaigning on a 20-year-old credit card issue obviously did not resonate with voters.
The surprises and upsets were confined to the 18 individuals seeking one of eight seats on council.
With Kohler’s seat vacant, at least one new face would be present in the council chamber beginning mid-November.
Few would have predicted, however, that three incumbents would not be returning.
Jim Herbert, Earl Taylor and Joan Rymal lost favour with the majority of the electorate and were sent packing.
Another surprise is the return of former mayor Heather Jackson, after an unsuccessful mayoral run in 2022. She also sought a third term as mayor in 2018, but finished second to Joe Preston.

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10.24.26
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Lynden Door Products breaks ground on its new Aylmer home: With high-quality door and millwork solutions ‘manufactured and assembled in Canada by Canadians for Canadians’

One of the leading manufacturers of residential, commercial, and architectural doors in the western U.S. and Canada continues its eastern expansion.
In 2022, Lynden Door Products of Lynden, Washington, opened an Alliance Door Products distribution branch on Dennis Road in St. Thomas.
In response to growing customer demand, Lynden Door is investing in a new residential door manufacturing plant in Aylmer, announced Alliance Door Products Canada president John Ridder.
A groundbreaking ceremony was held Tuesday (Oct. 20) on 20 acres within Aylmer’s AIM Industrial Park.
Ridder talked about the firm’s humble beginnings.
“The relationships we have built through our line store products distribution operation in St. Thomas, together with growing customer demand, have given us the confidence to make the next major investment in Canada, a new Linden Door Canada manufacturing facility here in Aylmer.”
He continued, “While our business has grown and changed, the principles behind it remained remarkably consistent: integrity, service and stewardship. We remain a family-owned and operated business, rooted in deep faith and in a belief that business can be conducted with honesty, kindness, humility, and respect for others. Those values have guided us for more than 70 years, and they continue to guide us today.

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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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09.19.26
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2026 municipal election: St. Thomas candidates’ night Sept. 16

St. Thomas residents had an opportunity to meet candidates hoping to lead the city and serve on council ahead of this fall’s municipal election.
The St. Thomas Kinsmen teamed up with the Columbus Club to host an All Candidates Night on Wednesday (Sept. 16).
Each of the candidates seeking one of eight spots on council was given two minutes to make their pitch to the overflow crowd at the Columbus Club.
Gibbs Alobwedge Diobe, Sandra Hamill and Malachi Male did not participate.
Each of the three mayoral candidates then had five minutes for their presentation.
The evening then moved into a meet-and-greet until 9 p.m.
St. Thomas Kinsmen member and Kin Canada District 1 Governor, Matt Sharpe, served as moderator.

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09.05.26
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Laying the groundwork for a future integrated transportation network linking St. Thomas with Aylmer

A new Highway 3 corridor appears to be on the radar and will improve connectivity between St. Thomas and Aylmer.
The Ontario Ministry of Transportation has retained Stantec Consulting Ltd. to undertake a Planning, Preliminary Design, and Class Environmental Assessment.
Stantec made a presentation to Elgin County council on Aug. 11.
The purpose of the study is to identify transportation improvements to Highway 3, including a new arterial road connecting to the St. Thomas Expressway extension, known as Technology Trail, to improve transportation connections between St. Thomas, including Yarmouth Yards, and communities to the east.

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08.29.26
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A future Railway Lands District should celebrate local heritage, enhance parks and trails, create spaces for people of all ages, and strengthen downtown St. Thomas

A significant number of concerned city residents gathered at the CASO station Wednesday afternoon for a public information centre on the future development of the downtown railway lands (see map) over the next 25 years.
The Preferred Master Plan will identify areas for development and redevelopment, permitted land uses, transportation and mobility connections, parks, public service/community uses, and infrastructure strategies.
All of this while recognizing the historical significance of the railway lands and the Downtown St. Thomas Heritage Conservation District to ensure an appropriate transition of new development to low-rise residential areas.
In part, this is prompted by the recent sale of a parcel of land at the Elgin County Railway Museum to Doug Tarry Homes for a planned residential development.

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08.08.26
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‘Public safety is the foundation of every healthy community’ – St. Thomas Police Chief Marc Roskamp

A comprehensive report from St. Thomas Police Chief Marc Roskamp on public safety is included on the agenda for Monday’s (Aug. 10) city council meeting.
We sat down with the chief last week for a lengthy discussion on the report and related matters, including Bill C-14,  the Bail and Sentencing Reform Act.
More on that later in this post.
Roskamp’s report to council was initially presented to the Police Services Board last month and addressed the 2025 Crime Severity Index values as reported by Statistics Canada.
The Crime Severity Index (CSI) is a measure of police-reported crime that considers both the volume and relative seriousness of criminal offences. Unlike a traditional crime rate, which counts all offences equally, the CSI assigns greater weight to more serious offences based on sentencing patterns established through Canada’s criminal justice system.

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08.01.26
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‘With every milestone reached, we sustain St. Thomas’ growth for decades to come.’ – Vic Fedeli, Ontario Minister of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade

For a glimpse at the shape of things to come for St. Thomas, simply drive to the perimeter of the Yarmouth Yards industrial park.
An equally dramatic preview is now available through the transformation of the road infrastructure on the western doorstep to St. Thomas.
The Talbotville Bypass (photo below) has rapidly displaced the farmland between Wonderland Road and Hwy. 4 north of Talbotville and is due for completion by the end of next year.
And this past week, the twinning of Hwy. 3 in St. Thomas was officially launched with a ceremony on the roadway, just west of the Centennial Avenue roundabout.
Elgin-Middlesex-London MPP Rob Flack was joined by Prabmeet Sarkaria, Minister of Transportation and Vic Fedeli, Minister of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade, on Tuesday morning to announce the start of advance work, including utility relocations and grading.

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07.25.26
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Re-imagining Hepburn Parkette in St. Thomas to support ‘daily use as well as organized events and programming’

Two years ago, the planning process was underway to rejuvenate a rather forlorn Talbot Street parkette so it could again contribute to life in the downtown core.
Masterminding the transformation was the team of Andrew Gunn and Maddie King (below in the photo) of young & free press in conjunction with city staff and through the assistance of Arthur Lierman Landscape Architecture.
A similar process was undertaken in 2020, which resulted in the formation of Westlake Evans Civic Park, adjacent to St. Thomas Public Library.
Two summers ago, the pair were at the stage of gathering input from community groups and residents.
“We started a process with the city over the past year or so,” noted Gunn, “and really the idea is here are some open green spaces in the downtown and what could be added to make them active, vibrant spots for the downtown to help bring residents and visitors here.”

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