The London Free Press
DALYS DOUBLE DOWN
They call it the `Daly family Superbowl,' a Jan. 9 women's basketball game that will pit Western University's Rachel Daly, left, and cousin, Nicole, against their sisters, Lauren and Keira Daly, who play for rival Mcmaster Marauders. Ryan Pyette...
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GLAD TO BE A GRAD
Newly minted Doctor of Philosophy Clair Baleshta receives a hug as Western University recognizes Class of 2026 graduates at autumn convocation ceremonies this week. The 328th ceremonies continued over two days at Canada Life Place in London this week.
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Cautiously optimistic about CAMI'S future
Peggy Falkingham is used to the ups and downs of the auto sector since she's been working in it for more than 20 years. In the last six years , she and her co-workers at General Motors' CAMI Assembly plant in Ingersoll have spent more time laid off...
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Pause BRT expansion: Stevenson
Mayoral hopeful Susan Stevenson is pledging to pause planned expansions of bus rapid transit (BRT) routes, saying she wants a full accounting and more input from Londoners before making any commitments. Speaking to media in the not-yet-open BRT...
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New London plant real power move
As Canada continues to slug it out with the U.S. on a trade and tariff dispute and more economic fallout looms, London just took a ringside seat. Hitachi Energy, a subsidiary of the Japanese industrial giant, will build a $479-million manufacturing...
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GETTING IN THEIR STEPS
Lukas Thibault, left, of Saunders, Lucas Victoriano, of St. Joseph's in St. Thomas, and Jameson Reich, of Sir Wilfrid Laurier, compete in the senior boys' race at the Springwater invitational high school cross country meet at Springwater conservation...
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London lands 70-job pharma plant
London has landed a 70-job pharmaceutical manufacturing plant, the latest drug maker to join what has become a growing industrial sector for the city. Wednesday, city council approved a land sale for Pharmaline to build a 8,300-square-metre...
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GOING OVER THE TOP
Saunders Sabres' Nathan Colvin spikes the ball past Strathroy Saints' William Hishon, centre, and Joel Sloetjes during a TVRA senior boys' volleyball match at Strathroy District secondary school in Strathroy this week.
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NATURE'S HEALING POWER
After years of seeing overwhelmed people spending too much time using tech, social worker and psychotherapist Heather Vanderkam recently opened True Nature Outdoor Therapy, offering clients an outdoor option on the grounds of London's Elsie Perrin...
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10 HURT IN ROLLOVER
Ten people were injured when a school bus carrying 36 adults rolled over on a Highway 401 West offramp south of Chatham on Sunday. The bus rolled on its side on the westbound off-ramp at Bloomfield Road in Chatham-kent at about 11 a.m., OPP Sgt. Ed...
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SOUP-ER SERVICE
Growing Chefs ` Ailana Guslits, right, serves Kathy Humphrey and Frank Franchetto at this week's SOUPER Bowl fundraiser at the Grove in London. The event, a joint effort of Growing Chefs, Urban Roots and Clayworx, offered participants a choice of 10...
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Killer walks free after guilty plea
Zachary Mcdermott raised his fist in triumph as he walked out of the London courthouse. He hugged some of his family and then, surrounded by his supporters, made a beeline for the parking lot. “I just want to thank Tania Bariteau and Kristin Dulysh...
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Porter's London service taking off
Porter Airlines will lift off from London International Airport with daily flights to five destinations across Canada, the airline announced Tuesday. The carrier, which already announced cold-weather service to southern destinations starting next...
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Norwich entrepreneur faces $29K bill after township planning miscalculation
A Norwich woman says she is frustrated after unexpected charges added thousands of dollars to her project and threatened her dream of owning a hair and nail salon in the village. “I don't believe small businesses should face this much red tape and...
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A `GLIMMER OF HOPE'
Sydney Gesualdi has no shortage of hobbies and interests. “I love baking, hiking, running, reading and crocheting and knitting,” Sydney said. The 27-year-old also likes journaling and enjoys travelling, noting she's been to Europe alone and has been...
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OFF AND RUNNING
Competitors in the 11-year-old girls race start their run at the London District Catholic school board's annual cross country meet at Regina Mundi College. The four-day event, which drew 4,000 Grade 7 and 8 students from London, Middlesex, Elgin and...
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Quebecer charged in fatal shooting
Witnesses described hearing a pop and seeing people flee an apartment building near a busy downtown London intersection Tuesday after a shooting left one man dead. Officers responding to reports of a shooting in the Central Avenue and Richmond Street...
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Hundreds flock to opening of Canada's first Ikea `compact store' in London
With its “iconic” blue and yellow colour scheme, customers will recognize it as “unmistakably Ikea.” That's how Danny Santana, Ikea London's deputy market manager, described the Swedish company's first “compact store” in Canada, which opened Tuesday...
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LOFTY GOAL IN SIGHT
Recovered bricks cover the floor as Cento Capital shows off progress in its $2M transformation of a 130-year-old heritage building at 387 Clarence St., once home to Bud Gowan Antiques, into 12 residential units and main-floor commercial space. It's on...
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`A BIG YES'
A drawing three years in the making has earned a London artist the $100,000 grand prize in a global art competition that's based here. Anna Wilson, 30, was among 1,200 entries to 100 Kellogg Lane's annual Art Comp. The competition, considered among...
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A CENTURY OF MEMORIES
Port Stanley's Stork Club was once the place to be, with big bands, dancing and Lake Erie steps away. This fall, 100 years after the iconic dance hall opened, director Heather May, centre, and her Elgin Theatre Guild cast are bringing A Stork Club...
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READY TO ROCK
Malaya Macdonald, playing bassist Katie Travis, lets rip in School of Rock, the Grand Theatre's 2026 High School Project based on the hit 2003 movie. It's the one show a year where students play the parts and build the show alongside professional...
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TREE FOR THE TAKING
Arborist Ron Higgins loads one of 2,000 trees the city of London gave away to mark National Tree Day at a Westminster Drive lot Wednesday. The Forest City, which gives away and plants 10,000 trees a year, is on track to reach its goal of 34 per cent...
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SAND AND DELIVER
Carter Koumi of the Fanshawe Falcons blasts out of the bunker on the 10th hole at St Thomas Golf and Country Club in Union, as some of Ontario's best university and college golfers take part in the Western University Invitational golf tournament.
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Western's new physician assistant program all about access to primary care
Ontario's first graduate-level physician assistant program has begun at Western University, training 29 students for a profession that could help expand access to primary care across the province. The master of physician assistant studies is a...
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ROCK, BUT NO RUNWAY
Wes Borland of nu metal headliners Limp Bizkit performs as the relocated Rock the Runway festival lands loudly, but smoothly, with Cypress Hill, JJ Wilde and The Dirty Nil in London's Harris Park Thursday. Disco Lines headlined the closing night Bckyrd...
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London man charged with murder
Sam Awdi was in his southeast London home Tuesday evening when he heard screaming outside. He went out to see one of two women who live in a home across the street on Chelton Road, southeast of Commissioners Road and Highbury Avenue, rushing out of...
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LIGHTNING SPARKS FIRE
Flames shoot into the air from a blazing storage tank at the Greenfield Global ethanol plant in Chatham early Wednesday. No one was hurt and no damage estimate was available from the fire, blamed on a lightning strike, which took fire crews nearly...
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MARKING THE 200TH
London Mayor Josh Morgan and city official Shawna Chambers plant the 200th tree along the Thames Valley Parkway in Soho as part of the Firest City's bicentennial celebrations, marking the past while helping build `a greener future for generations to...
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ALPACA MEETS LAMB
Callie Lamb, 6, greets a curious alpaca as the Western Fair continues its 10-day run in London this week, featuring shows, midway rides and games, tasty treats and more. It looks like a fine day for fairgoers today, with a mix of sun and cloud and high...
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BRACING FOR IMPACT
There are a lot more U.s.-made appliances in London Major Appliances' Sovereign Road warehouse these, says owner Jay Vanderhoeven, as the retailer races to protect customers from price spikes by dodging Canadian counter-tariffs amid the ongoing...
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Stevenson kicks off mayoral bid
London city councillor Susan Stevenson launched her mayoral campaign Wednesday evening, pledging a more transparent city hall and safer neighbourhoods just steps away from some of the most prevalent areas for homelessness downtown. Speaking to a crowd...
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LEARNING NEXT STEPS
Sophomore music student Luciana Sabogal, centre, joins first-year students in a line dance during orientation week activities at Western University as students at the university and Fanshawe College kick off the new school year this week.
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WELCOME TO LONDON
Sophs greet Olivia Boyle, left, as about 6,000 first-year students move into residence on Labour Day long weekend as Western University's on-campus population swells to about 7,100 students across 12 residences for the new school year. We meet some of...
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THE SURF IS THEIR TURF
Lifeguard Ethan Gauthier does some entry training at Port Stanley's Main Beach recently. Today, our Hot Stuff regional summer series looks at the lifeguards, who monitor the 600metre sandy strip from five lakefront towers to keep thousands of visitors...
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HEATED RIVALRY HITS LONDON
A scorching-hot television series hit the ice in London this week. Heated Rivalry, the Crave streamer series that became a breakout hit in its first season, filmed part of its second season in London recently, sources close to the production...
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`There's nowhere for them to go'
The city of London and social agencies are locked in an ongoing “chess match” that sees homeless people evicted from one encampment only to relocate elsewhere and eventually cycle through the same sites, the director of London Cares says. There are...
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CATCHING SOME RAYS
Zac Galea, 14, Brendan Donnelly and Kaden Donnelly, 5, and Hailey Galea, 12, enjoy some warm late summer sunshine as they fish off a dock recently at Rondeau Provincial Park near Morpeth. Today's London-area forecast calls for thunderstorms and a high...
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COLLECTING MEMORIES
Librarian David Caloren, co-ordinator of central adult services, is on the lookout for high school yearbooks to fill out the Central Library's Ivey Family London Room collection. A new campaign seeks the public's help with donations.
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`Completely unworkable scheme'
U.S. President Donald Trump's threat to raise tariffs on Canadian autos and auto parts to 50 per cent starting in January would wreak havoc on Ontario's already battered auto sector, but also inflict significant pain on U.S. automakers, industry...
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For Krose, the ratepayer rules
The first to register and the first to release a platform, mayoral candidate Kirsten Krose has unveiled her campaign promises, including a plan for her first 100 days in office. Released early this week, Krose's platform focuses on four main pillars:...
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50% auto tariff threat `nuclear'
Southwestern Ontario manufacturers reacted with surprise and disbelief Monday to U.S. President Donald Trump's threat to slap 50-per-cent tariffs on Canadian vehicles and auto parts, with one calling it “a nuclear option” that could decimate the...
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Field set at 110 for civic election
London, meet your candidates for mayor, city council and school trustee. It wasn't quite a Day 1 lineup out the door at city hall Friday, but the election desk saw a steady stream of people looking to register before the 2 p.m. cutoff for the Oct. 26...
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OPP unit joins LHSC fraud probe
A specialized OPP fraud squad has joined forces with London police in the ongoing probe of possible multimillion-dollar fraud at London's biggest hospital — and together they're seeking more information from the community. Almost two years into the...
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FROM RACETRACK TO SUBURB
If it can slow Formula One cars, it can slow suburban drivers. A first-of-itskind traffic-calming measure is being installed on a relatively quiet street in north London to slow down speeding motorists. WHAT IS A CHICANE? A chicane is a zigzag-shaped...
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Biker stops `intimidation': expert
A man wearing a Hells Angels vest sits on the patio of a restaurant in London's Old South neighbourhood. His motorcycle helmet, bearing the letters AFFA — Angels Forever, Forever Angels — is perched atop his Harley-davidson, decorated with the outlaw...
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UNLOCKING NEW OPTIONS
Lab tech Bonnie Pilkington works in a lab at the London Health Sciences Centre Research Institute, where researchers say a new study suggests expanded genetic testing can help match cancer patients with more personalized treatment options, potentially...
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Watching from a distance: Former mayor reflects
Anne Marie Decicco-best remains London's longest-serving mayor, having held the city's top political job from 2000 to 2010. Now 61 and retired from her post-politics job in government relations with Fanshawe College, she spoke with The Free Press about...
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Pinery campsites at risk: advocate
Pinery Provincial Park has lost 91 campsites and another 200 could be eliminated as Ontario moves to get campers out of areas it says have become environmentally sensitive, one area camping advocate says. But the move to slash the park's total...
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THRILL OF THE GRILL
A south London family that began with home cookouts is firing up a grill downtown and attracting new diners with its own barbecue recipes. Kafta's and Poyos Chicken at Covent Garden Market, which advertises itself as 100 per cent halal, offers tacos,...
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MASTER STROKE
Two years ago, London swimmer Danielle Hart, right, took up rowing at Western University. Now 19, she and her women's coxless four teammates are competing for Canada at the FISU World University Rowing Championships on London's Fanshawe Lake. Her...
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HOSPITALS GET BOOST
Devin Sturdy, Middlesex Health Alliance's finance chief, says $6.4M in Ontario infrastructure renewal money is a welcome shot in the arm for hospitals outside major centres like Strathroy's Middlesex General Hospital, above, and Newbury's Four Counties...
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ROCK AND FIRE
Pitcher Bogdan Becic of Manitoba's Peguis Redmen delivers to Ontario's Walton Brewers at the International Softball Congress world tournament Monday. The event wraps Saturday at JDT First Energy Veterans Memorial Fields on Chippewas of the Thames First...
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SPECTACULAR SUNSETS
As the sun begins its slow descent toward Lake Huron, the beach seems to pause. Swimmers take a break and families settle into the sand. Phones rise along the pier as the lake catches streaks of gold and the sky shifts from pale blue to orange, pink...
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Union sounds alarm on hospitals
A national union is sounding the alarm that Ontario hospitals — including London's — face a growing capacity crisis due to what it believes is underfunding. Released by Canadian Union of Public Employees and the affiliated Ontario Council of Hospital...
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FUN IN THE SUN
Abi Johnston keeps the volleyball alive as she and her co-workers have some fun at Big Beach in Port Stanley this week. But beach-goers beware: Today's forecast calls for thunderstorms, with a high of 26 C and overnight low of 18 C.
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Tapping power of partnership
A new partnership between Ottawa and General Dynamics Land Systems-canada will let the armoured vehicle maker expand its domestic supply chain while cementing London as an “important hub for defence manufacturing” in the country, the company's head...
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STUBBORN BLAZE
Strathroy-Caradoc fire crews battle a fire in a die-casting machine at the Meridian Lightweight Technologies plant in Strathroy. Four people were treated for heat exhaustion. The fire posed `special challenges' because water can't be used on burning...
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HOMETOWN HERO
Former London Devilette Nicole Gosling, the first Londoner to win a Professional Women's Hockey League championship with the Montreal Victoire this spring, brings the Walter Cup home to greet local fans at London Sports Park this week. More photos at
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MAN CRITICAL AFTER HOME BLAST
A man seen crawling from a pile of rubble after an explosion levelled a vacant London house Wednesday is in critical condition. The explosion at a house at 131 Base Line Rd. W., west of Wharncliffe Road, about 1 p.m. prompted a heavy response from...
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PURSUING A PERFECT POUR
London's Alleen Rho faces a tough challenge: Make and serve 10 drinks in 10 minutes under the watchful eye of judges at the recent eastern Canadian regional round of the 2026 Starbucks North America Barista Championship for a shot at their continental...
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OPEN AT LAST
For the first time, vehicles travelled across the Gordie Howe International Bridge on Monday, as the $6.4 billion crossing between Windsor and Detroit officially opened to traffic. Members of the Howe family became the first official passenger...
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HAPPY CAMPER
Summer mountain bike camper Theo Barnett rides the trails at Boler Mountain. The camps, in their 25th season, run throughout July and August and include day trips, technical racing, visits to the Treetop Adventure Park and more. More photos on...
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Man charged, cops issue appeal after sex assault
A St. Thomas man faces charges after a woman reported being kidnapped at knifepoint and sexually assaulted while walking down a London street in broad daylight last month. The woman was on Adelaide Street near Pall Mall Street on June 4 about 11:30...
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FLEXING OUR MUSSELS
The first reintroduction of endangered freshwater mussels in Canada took place in London on Wednesday. Nearly 800 kidneyshell mussels were released into Medway Creek, a tributary of the Thames River. The species has been listed as endangered since...
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FOREST PROTECTED
Mark Brown, a woodland conservation officer with Middlesex County, walks in the Mosa Forest (aka Skunk's Misery) near Newbury. County council adopted a new forest management plan that will monitor and protect 1,025 hectares of county-owned forest until...
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SUITS 'EM TO AT
A 1911 Ford Model T Runabout leaves Dave Mceachren's John Deere Museum near Glencoe Monday following a stop on this week's Ontario Region Model T Ford Club 69th Annual International Tour. Scores of the cars, built between 1909 and 1927, are taking part.
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LONDON SHOWS ITS PRIDE
Rex Ross and friends join thousands downtown Sunday to watch London's 30th Pride parade as it made its colourful march down Queens Avenue to close out the 10-day Pride London Summer Festival celebrating the local 2SLGBTQ+ community.
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GDLS lands $2B defence contract
The federal government will spend $2 billion over four years to expand the Canadian Armed Forces' fleet of light armoured vehicles by buying 190 from London-based General Dynamics Land Systems-canada. The armoured combat support vehicles, based on...
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Rock the Park defies smoky air
Wildfire smoke derailed the plans of many Londoners Thursday, but not those who had tickets for Rock the Park. As city baseball diamonds and soccer pitches remained closed for a second straight day, Rock the Park announced at midday its Thursday show...
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KEEPING THEIR COOL
Quinton and Harrison Leach enjoy the refreshing spray in the splash pad at Gibbons Park this week as a sweltering heat wave grips the London region. Today's forecast calls for mainly sunny conditions with a high of 30 C cooling to 19 C overnight.
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`I WANTED TO GIVE BACK'
Community organizations from Ilderton and across Middlesex Centre gathered on Saturday for one resident's surprise $1-million donation. Ilderton's 150th anniversary celebration ran from July 10 to 12 and included a country concert, tractor pull and...
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STICKHANDLING TO SUCCESS
Five years after their hockey stick flags went viral, London dad Jason Smith, right, and his son, Jason, left, who has special needs, continue to build a fund to support Jason's future, one flag at a time. They make about 200 a year for buyers in...
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MAY THE CIRCLE BE UNBROKEN
Eagle Flight Singers' Griffin Sands performs a circle dance with the public during a show at Sunfest in Victoria Park Friday. The festival, now in its 32nd year, will feature more than 50 acts from across the globe and is expected to draw 115,000...
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A TASTE OF TRAINING
Future Firefighters in Training participant Maya Ledniowski manages a hand line at London fire department's Station 9 Thursday. About 20 girls will try cutting open damaged cars, ladder and other skills in the decade-old, week-long program aimed at...
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