St. Thomas Times-Journal
A REASON TO SMILE
After more than five years of planning, budgeting and fundraising, St. Thomas Animal Services is ready to welcome people and pets to its new location at the corner of Bill Martyn Parkway and Southdale Line. Animal services staff, municipal bylaw...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
A WELCOME RETURN
Fun returned to town Wednesday with the 2026 edition of St. Anne's Community Festival. “We're good to go,” said Dan Simpson, leading the infusion of new volunteers who stepped forward last year to stop the St. Thomas institution from shuttering after...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
FAMILY PHOTOS
Caitlyn Costa holds Leo Costa, 23 months, as she looks at the pictures of herself and Leo snapped by Danielle Fehr, who holds her own oneyear-old son, Cole Walker, The friends from London were enjoying the main beach at Port Stanley on a warm sunny...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
PORT STANLEY New vehicle for beach rescues
In support of a “longstanding partnership,” the Port Stanley Lions Club has donated a utility vehicle -- which will strengthen Central Elgin's emergency response capacity -- to the growing municipality's fire rescue team, officials say. Central Elgin...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
ON THE SAME PAGE
Staff and students at Eckoe public school in Glencoe hold up some of the books they've donated to the Kiwanis Club of Rodney's Blue Boxes for Books program. The nine boxes of books donated will be processed, then distributed over the coming months to...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
RETURN VISIT
Nicki Fisher, with help from her son Landon, picks out plants at Canadale Nurseries in St. Thomas over the weekend. Fisher said they come every year to the nursery, which is now slated to close in 2027. “It's sad.” she said. “Hopefully someone takes it...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
COME FROM AWAY
Young actors perform the opening number from the St. Joseph's Catholic high school production of the musical, Come from Away. For more, please turn to
Read Full Story (Page 1)
READY FOR THE STAGE
Brielle Willemse plays a lead role as airplane captain Beverley in a production of the mega-hit Canadian musical, Come From Away, being staged at St. Joseph's Catholic high school. For more, please turn to Eric Bunnell's People column on
Read Full Story (Page 1)
IT'S A JEEP THING
Apryl Moreau of St. Thomas was one of many people to attend Go Topless Jeep Day at the Norfolk Mall near Tillsonburg on Saturday, May 16. The event is part of a worldwide tradition for Jeep enthusiasts who celebrate the start of spring by removing the...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
HEADS UP
Karim Alary of Gabriel-Dumont and Emmett Begin of West Elgin go up for a header during their Thames Valley Regional Athletics Central varsity boys' quarter-final soccer game at Western last week. Gabriel-Dumont won 5-1.
Read Full Story (Page 1)
CLOSE TO BEDTIME
Christina Sokay waters petunias in the city's Pinafore Park greenhouse, where about 13,000 plants and seedlings are almost ready for planting out. For more, please turn to Eric Bunnell's People column on
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Analyst warns of worst-case scenario
TORONTO — Canada's auto industry, based largely in Ontario, could disappear by 2040 unless the country regains duty-free access to the U.S. market or finds other ways to keep the sector afloat, one of Canada's biggest banks warns. At an industry...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
QUITE THE STRETCH
Owen Martin of John Paul II Jaguars tries to slow down Tyler Perrot of the St. Joe's Rams during Friday's Thames Valley Regional Athletics boys' rugby match Friday at the City Wide fields. The Rams earned their first win of the season with a 27-7 rout...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
CLOSING TIME
Construction fencing surrounds the front of Arthur Voaden secondary school. The Thames Valley District school board says the building is safe, but it will close, all the same, at the end of this school year. For more, please turn to Eric Bunnell's...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
METAL FANS
Fanshawe College instructor Larry Oudekerk shows Isabel Rusek, a student at Arthur Voaden secondary school in St. Thomas, how to work sheet metal. Female high school students from across Southwestern Ontario spent last Thursday getting hands-on...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
MURAL AUTHORITY
Robert Ponzio of East Elgin secondary school shows off this year's art project comprising self portraits of students showing their Canadian pride. Ponzio said this year's project was inspired by the tariff talks and 51st state rhetoic coming U.S....
Read Full Story (Page 1)
THE TREE OF LIFE
Lisa McNea, St, ThomasElgin General Hospital building services, adds new leaves are to the Tree of Life at the hospital, recognizing organ and tissue donors. Hospital officials say there's a higher-thanaverage number of registered donors in the...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
SCHOOL FUNDING
Minister of Education Paul Calandra announced $285 million in funding Tuesday for schools in the region at the site of the new Kilworth Catholic elementary school that is under construction. For more, please turn to
Read Full Story (Page 1)
IT TAKES TWO
Henry Ngyuen of the St. Joseph's Rams is tackled by two Medway players during their rugby game at the City Wide fields in London on Wednesday. Medway, the top team in the Thames Valley Regional Athletics' `AAA” division, earned a 20-0 win against their...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
BLUE BOXES FOR BOOKS
Young readers select their next book to read at the Rodney Kiwanis Club's Easter egg hunt at the Rodney Recreation Centre last week. More than 130 books were distributed and many more were donated. Gently used books can be donated at one of the club's...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
A HIGHBURY OFF-RAMP?
Highbury Avenue, a major artery between London and St. Thomas, is seen during a busy Wednesday afternoon. For more, please turn to
Read Full Story (Page 1)
RETURN TO SENDER
Jackie Martens strokes a backhand at the Pinafore Park tennis courts in St. Thomas on Wednesday. Martens was playing for the first time this year with Joyce Lock, and both were bundled up against the cold breeze even though the sun was shining. Local...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
MANY HANDS . . .
More than 275 volunteers serve in Harvest Hands' St. Thomas warehouse, sorting and packaging products for community organizations feeding families impacted by food insecurity across southwestern Ontario. For more, please turn to
Read Full Story (Page 1)
School rallies as Artemis II nears launch
Excitement is building at Ingersoll District Collegiate Institute, whose halls Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen once roamed as a student. If all goes to plan Wednesday evening, Hansen will become the first Canadian, alongside three Americans, to fly...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
SETTING PRIORITIES
St. Thomas Mayor Joe Preston talks about contaminated lands along some of the city's old rail lines that, if remediated, could provide needed land for affordable housing in the downtown. Building new affordable housing in the community is one of the...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
SWORN IN
St. Thomas Police chief Marc Roskamp hands a badge to Wes Johnson of St. Thomas, who has a terminal heart condition, as he was made an honorary cadet of the St. Thomas Police department.
Read Full Story (Page 1)
ON A ROLL
Twelve-year-old Liam Tait shows off some of the cinnamon rolls he and his mother bake for the Grade 7 student's thriving home business. For more, please turn to
Read Full Story (Page 1)
A VIP EXPERIENCE
Wes Johnson, who held a living celebration of life last month, got the VIP treatment while attending a Blue Jays spring training game in Dunedin, Fla., on March 10. For more, please turn to
Read Full Story (Page 1)
CHORAL CONNECTION
Hugh Van Pelt, right, conducts Choral Connection in rehearsal for an April 3 performance of Mozart's Requiem at Knox Presbyterian Church. For more, please turn to Eric Bunnell's People column on
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Event showcases quality, techniques
A London-area greenhouse is branching out with an cider tasting event, offering a chance to sample some of Canada's top craft ciders, served in sommelier-style glassware. Canada's first Cider Salon will take place on Saturday, March 28, at Heeman's...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
AN UNCERTAIN FUTURE
Bonnie and Ron Bradfield, who own the land surrounding the lighthouse in Port Burwell, are concerned about the potential takeover of its care by the local historical society. The couple would prefer the municipality to continue caring for the landmark.
Read Full Story (Page 1)
PARK PROJECT
The Kiwanis Club of Rodney has donated $28,000 to the Rodney Park revitalization project. Shown here are Kiwanians and playground committee members Larry Schneider and Ron Abram, Rodney Kiwanis president Becky Byers and club treasurer Paul Downie.
Read Full Story (Page 1)
JUMBO MEMORIES
Elephants may never forget. But human memory, well, it's hardly perfect. But as the Jumbomania exhibition at the Elgin County Heritage Centre enters its final weeks — the show closes March 21 — the museum has now stocked a keepsake to remember what...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
A `HORRIFIC NIGHTMARE'
Kaitlin Strong and Robert Jordan stand outside the Provincial Offences Administration building in St. Thomas. The couple's dogs were shot and killed by a man hunting coyotes in February 2025. For more, please turn to
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Former trustee irked by recent promotions
A Thames Valley school board trustee says the recent promotions of two senior staff members while saying more cuts loom on the horizon leave a bad taste in his mouth. On Jan. 1, two superintendents-Kevin Auckland and Sheila Powell --- were promoted to...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
IN A FOG
The Elgin County Railway Museum, which shuttered last month over concerns about the structural safety of its century-plus building, said to be North America's oldest remaining railway shops, has scheduled a series of information sessions to answer...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
AN OLYMPIC NAIL-BITER
Rodney's Bo Horvat (14) of Team Canada and Jan Rutta of Team Czechia compete for the puck Wednesday in the second period during the men's quarter-final match between Canada and Czechia on Day 12 of the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic games at Milano...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
ON ICE
Trent McIntee heads across Lake Margaret Thursday while hauling his sled full of fishing gear, a depth sounder, a battery-powered drill and an ice auge. McIntee said the lake is home to largemouth bass, crappie and sunfish, all of which will take a...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
A FELLOW OF INSTAGRAM JEST
A long-running February feature is tuning up for its yearly return to our town. And this year, the St. Thomas Music Festival is a going — and growing — concern. “Registrations are up over 300 for the first time in a few years,” says veteran festival...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
POPPING BY THE PORT
Eugene and Zofia Jarocki of London love coming to Port Stanley throughout the year. “It's a 40-minute drive, not far away,” Eugene Jarocki said during their Thursday visit to the snow-covered beach.
Read Full Story (Page 1)
ALONG THE SHORE
Mike Hall and his pooch, Daisy, pick their way along the icy shore of Lake Erie on Port Stanley's main beach on Thursday. Hall, who moved to Port Stanley from the London area 25 years ago, said it's the first winter in a long time with “such a long...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
CUTTING THE RIBBON
The ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new Caledonia Three apartment project in Dutton was held Jan. 23. Shown here are Dutton Dunwich Mayor Mike Hentz, Elgin Warden Dominique Giguère, Heather Sheridan, director of St Thomas-Elgin social services, MPP Rob...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
CANADALE ANNOUNCES 2027 CLOSURE
Co-owners Pauline Intven-Casier and Tom Intven announced they will be closing Canadale Nursery in St. Thomas in two years. The two announced the closure early to provide time for staff to prepare, Pauline Intven-Casier said.
Read Full Story (Page 1)
SPORTS SPECTACULAR
More than 500 sports fans packed the St. Anne's Centre in St. Thomas on Jan. 22, as the 46th annual St. Thomas Sports Spectacular raised more than $50,000 for Special Olympics Ontario and Community Living Elgin. One of the largest annual events in the...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
AUTO SECTOR SUCCESSES
St. Thomas Mayor Joe Preston and Municipal Affairs Minister Rob Flack chat before the groundbreaking for the new $3.2- billion Vianode artificial graphite factory in St. Thomas in this November 2025 file photo. See more about Southwestern Ontario's...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
A ST. THOMAS STAR
St. Thomas actress Rachel McAdams poses on her just unveiled Hollywood Walk of Fame star during a ceremony in Hollywood, Calif., on Jan. 20. For more, turn to Eric Bunnell's People column on
Read Full Story (Page 1)
OVERTIME THRILLER
Chatham Maroons' Jaxon Priddle (11) and St. Thomas Stars' Rowan Reid (5) battle Sunday at Chatham Memorial Arena. The eighth-place Stars upset the first-place Maroons in this Greater Ontario Hockey League tilt, eking out a 6-5 overtime win thanks to an...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
AUTO BELT ANXIETY
To say 2025 was a tough year for Canada's auto sector — which is concentrated in Southwestern Ontario, stretching from Windsor in the west to Guelph, Cambridge and Woodstock in the east — would be an understatement. Jan. 20 will mark one year since...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
WINTER WALLOP
An OPP officer and truck drivers try to figure out how to get another driver out of the cab after his truck tipped over on its side Thursday in the eastbound lane of Highway 402 near Colonel Talbot Road.
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Fake outbreak signs circulating
A Southwestern Ontario public health office is alerting the public about fake illness outbreak signs circulating in its territory. Southwestern Public Health (SWPH) -- the health unit that serves Oxford and Elgin counties and St. Thomas -- said in a...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
STILL STANDING IN ST. THOMAS
Jonny Harris sure had some `splainin' to do following his visit last September to St. Thomas. Profiling the community for CBC's Still Standing television program, he visited Malachi Male's Saint T shop and came away with an image of Jumbo shaved into...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
PIER REVIEW
More than 250 impaired-driving charges were laid as a result of vehicle stops at Christmastime RIDE sobriety checkpoints on local Ontario Provincial Police-patrolled roads, new figures show. On Monday, OPP officials for the West Region, which covers...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
A CHRISTMAS DRIVE
Ganden Rohrer and his buddy Drake Hunter were enjoying the mild weather on Christmas Day by playing a few holes of disc golf at the V.A. Barrie Park in St. Thomas.
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Optimism on the dealer lot
Even with all the uncertainty swirling around Ontario's auto industry, especially from trade tensions with the United States, it's been a solid year for vehicle sales, industry insiders say. Out on dealership lots, where Big Auto meets the consumer,...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
COMING DOWN
Demolition of a downtown St. Thomas building began Friday, a day after the structure was severely damaged by a fire. The blaze broke out around 6 a.m. Thursday and fire crews rescued two residents from upper-level apartments through windows. Others...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
DOWNTOWN BLAZE
A downtown St. Thomas building will have to be torn down after a Thursday morning blaze did extensive damage and forced the rescue of two people, the city's fire chief says. Several streets in downtown St. Thomas were closed on Thursday morning after...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
ICED UP
The front windows of the Carol Anne II, a fishing boat docked in Port Stanley, shows the effect of the waves of freezing water from Lake Erie that hit the ship. The Carol Anne II had come back with an assorted catch Monday featuring pickerel, said a...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
A CARING COMMUNITY
Christmas Care president Richard Auckland stands with hampers packed by the organization to ensure no one goes without this coming holiday season. Distribution begins Saturday in St. Thomas and area. For more, please turn to Eric Bunnell's People...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
NEW CONNECTIONS
Rainbow Connections is a year-old organization based in St. Thomas dedicated to providing a safe and accepting space for 2SLGBTQIA+ youths in Southwestern Ontario. It celebrated the opening of its first physical space, a dropin hub at 15 Catharine St....
Read Full Story (Page 1)