Tag Archives: Grant Jones

12.13.25
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Joy Dawdy’s swimming lessons earn a reprieve; however, some conditions will apply

The days of treading water for the owner of 21 Philip Street are over, at least for the time being.
At Monday’s meeting of city council (Dec. 8), members unanimously agreed to direct staff to design a temporary bylaw, allowing Dawdy to continue offering swimming lessons in her backyard pool, likely for a period of three years.
Something she has done for more than three decades.
Staff were not recommending Official Plan and zoning bylaw amendments in a report to council from Michelle Knieriem, Manager of Planning Services.
She concluded, “Staff understand and appreciate that the swimming lessons provided by the applicant are valued by many members of the community. While this value is noted, staff recommend refusal of the Official Plan and Zoning Bylaw Amendment applications due to issues of compatibility.

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12.06.25
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Some tinkering with the proposed 2026 property tax levy, but the result is still a hike in the range of six per cent for St. Thomas ratepayers

Round 2 of 2026 city budget deliberations is on tap for Monday’s (Dec.8) council meeting.
Several amendments are being presented by the city’s Director of Finance, Adam Boylan; however, they will not lower the projected six per cent hike to the municipal property tax levy next year.
A major consideration is the rescoping of the Emslie Field grandstand project.
Boylan notes city staff are exploring a ‘fresh start’ approach that would entail demolition of the grandstand, to be replaced by “modern, accessible amenities at a significantly reduced cost.”
These would include new, concrete bleacher pads, accessible bleachers, a barrier-free ramp, equipment storage, replacement player benches and protective netting.
The approximate price tag is $600,000, well below the original estimate of $1.2 million to fully rehabilitate the grandstand.

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06.21.25
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Future tourism signage: Come and enjoy the sun, sand and surf at the County of Elgin’s smoke-free beaches

With the blistering hot weather steamrolling into southwestern Ontario this weekend, Lake Erie beaches likely will prove a popular destination to seek relief from the heat and humidity.
However, is that quality outdoor time sprawled on a beach towel atop the sand negatively impacted by a blue haze of cigarette smoke wafting in the breeze?
The Smoke-Free Ontario Act (SFOA) prohibits smoking in many public areas; however, municipal bylaws are still needed to cover the gaps in places like parks and beaches.
Many municipalities have smoke-free park bylaws, but beaches in the Southwestern Public Health region remain unregulated.
All of that could change by as early as next summer.

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03.08.25
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‘We’ve started our homework on what we do, from a procurement point of view’ – Mayor Joe Preston on the City of St. Thomas doing its part to Buy Canadian

With Trumpian tariff roulette trending in the lives of all Canadians, it is comforting to see that the majority of the citizenry is on standby, elbows raised, and ready for action.
But what about at the municipal level?
Is the city reviewing what products and services it may have obtained through U.S. firms?
In light of the major purchase of a pumper truck for the city’s fire department on Monday’s (March 10) agenda, we checked in with Mayor Joe Preston for an update.
He advised that he had recently contacted Justin Lawrence, the city’s Director of Industrial Development, to see whether the work proceeding at Yarmouth Yards was being undertaken by U.S. firms.
“He assured me other than perhaps some pump parts or some things that are not available anywhere else (that was not the case).

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12.21.24
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The incoming city manager is ‘an ideal fit’ for St. Thomas

St. Thomas has a new city manager and the hiring committee only had to turn their gaze slightly to the west.
Mayor Joe Preston announced Thursday (Dec. 19) morning that Southwold CAO Lisa Higgs will fill the void left by Michael Bradley’s departure in November.
He assumed the city manager post at city hall on May 15 of this year. Exactly five months later, a media release from Preston announced, “City to begin recruitment for new city manager.”
Bradley accepted the position of CAO with the City of Brantford – his hometown – and departed the city in mid-November.
Higgs has served as CAO and clerk in Southwold since 2017 and prior to that worked in SW Oxford, Tillsonburg and the Township of Malahide.

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12.14.24
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Is the 2025 City of St. Thomas municipal tax levy relief simply a case of delaying the inevitable?

Ratepayers await a definitive answer on the city’s 2025 operating and capital budgets, however at last Monday’s council meeting some serious pencil sharpening was evident.
The process began with a proposed 4.93 per cent hike to the municipal tax levy next year.
However, after more than two hours of deliberations, that hike has been whittled down to about a 3.8 per cent increase.
This was accomplished by dipping into reserves for an additional $650,000 to soften the hit on ratepayers next year.
Next year’s proposed levy is almost $74.5 million, up from just shy of $69 million this year, an 8.13 per cent increase.
Factor in the estimated additional growth-related tax of 3.2 per cent and ratepayers were looking at a 4.93 per cent hike.

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09.21.24
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The Elgin Community Health Hub fills a ‘crucial gap in healthcare’ for residents of St. Thomas and Elgin

There was positive healthcare news announced Friday (Sept. 20) for thousands of residents of St. Thomas and Elgin county.
A new primary care clinic is opening Monday in St. Thomas and appointments are now available.
The Elgin Community Health Hub at 230 First Avenue will fill a gap for about 10,000 individuals without a primary care provider, explained Jill Strong, executive director of the Thames Valley Family Health Team.
And provide an option for another 20,000 or so people who use the services of a healthcare provider located outside Elgin county.
“Starting Monday, Sept. 23, Elgin (and St. Thomas) residents seeking health care have a new option, the Elgin Community Health Hub.

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02.24.24
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‘Always leave the campsite better than you found it’ – St. Thomas developer Doug Tarry on his purchase of downtown railway lands

city_scope_logo-cmykProposed residential development on land currently owned by the Elgin County Railway Museum is an opportunity to revitalize that portion of downtown St. Thomas, stresses Doug Tarry.
The St. Thomas developer made that observation almost three years ago, and this past Tuesday (Feb. 20) city council unanimously agreed to declare certain parcels of land that partially comprise Jonas Park to be declared surplus to the city and those parcels will be sold to Doug Tarry Limited (DTL) for future residential development west of the Elgin Country Railway Museum.
Back in the summer of 2021, Tarry sought to purchase eight acres of railway land immediately west of the museum at $300,000 per acre for a low-rise residential development that would front onto a new street to be created off Ross Street and north of Jonas Street.

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02.17.24
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‘The year ahead represents, to me, a bridge to prosperity and a critical shift from past to present’ – Central Elgin Mayor Andrew Sloan

city_scope_logo-cmykThe St. Thomas & District Chamber of Commerce Lunch with the Mayors gathering is typically a non-controversial State of the Union-type event, more jovial than jousting.
That all changed with last year’s get-together which came on the heels of Bill-63, the St. Thomas Central Elgin Boundary Adjustment Act.
Central Elgin lost hundreds of acres of farmland to St. Thomas for that municipality to assemble 1,500 acres for what would become the Yarmouth Yards industrial park and ultimately the home of Volkswagen/PowerCo and the EV battery giga-plant.
Much of the question-and-answer time slot was put to good use by former Central Elgin Mayor Sally Martyn to hold St. Thomas Mayor Joe Preston’s feet to the fire on her municipality’s lack of involvement in the land deal.

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