Tag Archives: Andrew Sloan

04.25.26
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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.

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02.28.26
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‘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.

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02.14.26
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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.”

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10.25.25
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‘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.

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08.16.25
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The Central Elgin Life Jacket Lending Program: transforming grief into action

The central lifeguard tower at Main Beach in Port Stanley was the backdrop Thursday afternoon for the launch of the Central Elgin Lifejacket Lending Program. The initiative is a result of collaboration, determination, and a shared belief that drowning is preventable.
The Elgin County Drowning Prevention Coalition is the driving force behind the program, led by Briar McCaw.
However, the true inspiration has been provided by Linda King (pictured below centre, with Briar McCaw, left, and Nathan MacIntyre), whose 26-year-old son Ryan Davies drowned on Labour Day last year when a canoe he was in with two friends tipped over in Lake Margaret.
This spring, the Ryan Davies Project was unveiled in St. Thomas, which encouraged the City of St. Thomas to develop a Personal Flotation Device bylaw and install ring buoys around Lake Margaret.

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04.19.25
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Strong Mayor Powers not required for St. Thomas: ‘We have a council that gets stuff done because it agrees with the direction of the city’ – Mayor Joe Preston

The province proposes expanding strong mayor powers to the heads of councils in another 169 municipalities.
This would include St. Thomas, Aylmer, the Municipality of Central Elgin and the Township of Malahide.
The intent is to streamline local governance and help ensure municipalities have the necessary tools to reduce obstacles hindering new housing and infrastructure development.
In a media release, Rob Flack, Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing, stressed, “Heads of Council are key partners in our efforts to build homes and infrastructure across the province.

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08.31.24
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Will back-door deals determine the Conservative candidate for Elgin-St. Thomas-London South in the next federal election?

With MP Karen Vecchio announcing earlier in August she will not seek re-election, we are following up on a credible email dealing with the potential nomination process for Elgin-St. Thomas-London South.
According to the correspondence, party officials intend to parachute a candidate into the riding instead of following the usual nomination process.
The writer suggests party insiders will nominate Andrew Lawton, who declared his intention to run the day after Vecchio told myFM she would step away after this term.
So, it is 2018 all over again.
In the provincial election that year, Premier Doug Ford announced he would appoint candidates in 11 ridings, including London West, where three individuals had already declared their intention to seek the PC nomination.

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04.20.24
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Central Elgin and St. Thomas reach a settlement for boundary adjustment compensation, ‘now the heavy lifting begins’

city_scope_logo-cmykIt’s being referenced as a historic settlement.
An $80 million compensation package to the Municipality of Central Elgin for the hundreds of acres of land absorbed by St. Thomas for its new industrial park that is to be the home of the PowerCo EV battery plant.
The land was obtained by the city under provisions in Bill 63, St. Thomas – Central Elgin Boundary Adjustment Act, 2023.
The $80 million is made up of $15 million in monetary compensation and access to 7,700 cubic metres per day of wastewater treatment capacity at flow rates equal to City of St. Thomas rates.
This is projected to have a value of $75 to $85 million.
The question to ask is how will this impact water rates for Central Elgin residents?

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03.30.24
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From hospital to housing, the re-purposing of the former psychiatric facility in Central Elgin

city_scope_logo-cmykA pilot program embedded in the provincial budget rolled out Tuesday (March 26) is going to have a direct impact on Central Elgin and Elgin county.
Elgin-Middlesex-London MPP Rob Flack explains what is behind the Site Preparation Pilot Program.
“What I’m really excited about is the province has set aside close to $100 million over three years through what is called the Site Preparation Pilot Program.
“It is to re-purpose surplus sites. And those sites include the former St. Thomas Psychiatric Hospital.
“So, we’re getting ready to develop that and put houses in and roofs over people’s heads.”
Other than serving as the backdrop for the odd movie, the former psych hospital has sat empty for years.
Opened in 1939, the psychiatric hospital was replaced in 2013 by the Southwest Centre for Forensic Mental Health located immediately to the north.

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