The Woolwich Observer
Sewage plan the latest hurdle for St. Jacobs developments
RESIDENTS OF AN ESTABLISHED NEIGH BOURHOOD in the north end of St. Jacobs already fighting plans for two sprawling new subdivisions in the vicinity now find themselves fighting a scheme rolled out by Woolwich Township itself. Looking at options to...
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Wellesley approves budget with 3.49% tax hike for 2026
WELLESLEY’S TREA SURER SAID THE TOWNSHIP’S new 3.49 per cent tax increase is lower than in most surrounding authorities as council passed this year’s budget and approved $945,000 in extra spending. “We are lower than the majority of our neighbours,”...
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AUGUST
Wellesley councillors backed a 3.94 per cent property tax rise after ensuring that township staff trimmed more than $77,000 worth of proposed extra costs from the 2025 budget. Wellesley lowers new tax target to 3.94% Township purchases Elmira Home...
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Marc McInerney takes the helm at the Elmira Maple Syrup Festival Committee
THE ORGANIZERS OF THE ELMIRA Maple Syrup Festival have chosen a new leader as they prepare to stage its next edition a week later than usual. Marc McInerney has replaced Matt Jessop as the latter stepped down after a three-year term as committee...
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Woolwich has high staff-to-taxpayer ratio versus comparators
WOOLWICH TOWNSHIP HAS ONE OF the highest ratios of staff to taxpayers among comparable municipalities, an Observer investigation found. With 96 full-time workers – and plans to hire more – that equates to 10.26 employees for every 1,000...
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Woolwich pushes back on region’s plan for Arthur Street in Elmira
A PAIR OF WOOLWICH COUN CILLORS took their fight against bike lanes on Arthur Street to the region as they told a meeting this week that the proposed redesign would damage Elmira’s downtown and ignore overwhelming public opposition. Coun. Nathan...
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Delays as new contractor takes on clearing Elmira’s sidewalks
EQUIPMENT FAULTS, UNFAMILIARITY WITH THE streets and working-time restrictions were among the reasons for delayed snow clearance by Elmira’s new sidewalk-plowing contractor, Woolwich Township revealed. Some paths, including parts of Snyder Avenue...
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Wellesley eyes 5% tax increase as budget meetings get underway
WELLESLEY IS CONSIDERING RAISING ITS property tax rate by almost five per cent as councillors prepared to meet today (Thursday) to discuss next year’s budget. The proposed increase of 4.99 per cent would add an average of $66.14 to the township...
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Joe Adams,
Danielle Aprile, Lukas Winter and Autumn Debassige of the Waterloo County Carollers wear Dickensian outfits to serenade visitors with Christmas classics at the St. Jacobs Sparkles event last Saturday.
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Police investigating robbery at Dollar Tree store in Elmira
ELMIRA DOLLAR TREE STAFF TOLD of their terror after witnessing a hooded young man with a cross tattooed under an eye rob their store and assault a customer. “It was pretty scary,” explained Kara Losee, who said her own father was hit by the suspected...
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Councillors urged to bring spending under control in Woolwich budget
WOOLWICH RESIDENTS HOPING FOR ASSURANCES their property taxes would be brought under control were left disappointed following a council budget discussion Tuesday night. Coun. Evan Burgess’ motion to keep the 2026 tax increase to within inflation,...
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Let’s go Blue Jays!
BLUE JAYS FEVER HAS SWEPT the nation, and this area is no exception in keeping a close eye on things as the Toronto squad faces the Los Angeles Dodgers in the World Series. St. Jacobs businesses have seen more people coming through the door, while at...
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Trees for Woolwich set to wrap up roadside planting project Nov. 7
THE VOLUNTEER GROUP BEHIND AN ambitious project to plant 22,500 trees along 335 kilometres of local roads is set to soon complete its mission – on time and under budget. Trees for Woolwich’s three-year effort is due to end as it began, with the sowing...
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Plenty of family on hand as Brady Martin makes NHL debut
EMIRA’S BRADY MARTIN REVEALED IT was a proud moment for him and his watching family after making his NHL debut with the Nashville Predators. “It was really cool,” said the 18-year-old centre after playing in the top line alongside veteran forwards...
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Two drivers,
a 62-year-old Woolwich man and a 79-year-old Perth County woman, were airlifted to hospital with serious injuries after a crash on Ament Line, near Linwood, on Oct. 3. Three children, aged 10,12, and 14, travelling in the woman’s Chrysler sedan, were...
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Heidelberg family feeling squeezed by big jump in assessment, tax hikes
A HEIDELBERG FAMILY WHOSE PROPERTY taxes more than doubled following a home rebuild say they can barely afford to live, and they will have to move if they are hit with another big increase. Wes and Lindsay Bast, who have three young sons, saw their...
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Heidelberg man fears speed cameras a cash grab, as region defends program
A MOTORIST WHO RECEIVED TWO speeding fines in as many days has questioned the accuracy of a St. Clements camera after being caught twice within 90 metres of starting from a standstill as he drove towards a stop sign. “I would have had to floor it to...
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Woolwich eyes range of tax hikes as it begins 2026 budget process
EVEN A TAX INCREASE OF 22 per cent this year and 58 per cent over the next three years wouldn’t be enough to deal with all of Woolwich’s financial woes. But that scenario is unlikely to pass muster as councillors this week got an early jump on...
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Needle Sisters embrace the new while maintaining age-old social aspect of quilting
“EVERY QUILT TELLS A STORY,” said Deb Beirnes, as she revealed how people have always been at the heart of the Elmira Needle Sisters guild she helped establish more than a quarter of a century ago. Interwoven in every design they craft for charity are...
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Five students awarded scholarships
FIVE YOUNG LOCAL ATHLETES GOT a boost to their educational funds last week, a record number of NHLPA Dan Snyder Memorial Scholarship recipients. Alex Simioni, Ian Spieran, Jakob Noot, Sara Forwell and Indya Pentilchuk were welcomed to the Waterloo...
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Elmira woman warns others to avoid Disability Tax Credit scams
THE CANADA REVENUE AGENCY WARNED about private firms that charge to help people apply for the Disability Tax Credit after one such company mysteriously learned the details of an Elmira woman and offered her assistance soon after she had made an...
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Kite-fighting banned under Wellesley bylaw
A LINWOOD FARMER WHO TIRELESSLY campaigned for a kite-fighting ban has welcomed a new Wellesley bylaw that threatens fines of up to $10,000 on any individuals caught doing the dangerous pursuit. “I’m ecstatic,” said Andy Robinson of the bylaw...
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Elmira Legion looking to repurpose section of old Bailey bridge
THE REMAINS OF A SECOND World War-era steel Bailey bridge that had been used for almost seven decades to support the West Montrose covered river crossing could get a new home in Elmira. War veteran Richard Sheppard is hoping to put the metal trusses,...
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Elmira neighbourhood hit in apparent act of eco-vandalism
A GROUP OF ECO VAN DALS DEFLATED the tires of up to 100 vehicles in Elmira in an overnight attack that organizers said was to highlight the damage “gas guzzlers” do to the environment. The activists targeted mostly SUVs and pickup trucks on at least...
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It’s all about butter tarts at upcoming Elmira festival
ALL THINGS BUTTER TART from those who like to bake them to those who enjoy the gooey goodness – will be the order of the day in Elmira July 26 during the For the Love of Buttertarts Festival. The event is organized by Jackie Psutka, a self-professed...
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Community responds to Elmira family that lost home in fire
A FAMILY IN ELMIRA IS thankful for community support after a fire destroyed their home last week. Friends had raised more than $4,000 via GoFundMe by Wednesday, five days after the blaze gutted the house of Amanda and Craig Tobey, and their four...
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Elmira’s Brady Martin selected 5th in NHL draft
ELMIRA’S BRADY MARTIN REVEALED HE was “pumped” to be selected by the Nashville Predators as the No. 5 pick in the 2025 NHL entry draft. The 18-year-old centre, who learned of his fate at an outdoor viewing party with around 100 other people at his...
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Council approves Gerber Road subdivision in Wellesley village
PLANS FOR A GERBER ROAD subdivision that drew heavy criticism from neighbours, prompting tweaks over the past three years, cleared the last hurdle this week, winning approval from Wellesley council. Up to 169 units – a mix of single detached,...
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Proceeds from EMSF top $68,000, providing funds to 31 charities
THIS YEAR’S ELMIRA MAPLE SYRUP Festival raised a record $68,000 for 31 different charities, with a total of $1.92 million handed out since the first event 60 years ago. Committee chair Matt Jessop said that despite a day of rain, with only drizzle...
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Two Elmira roads among the worst in CAA survey
TWO ELMIRA ROADS HAVE MADE the Canadian Automobile Association’s list of the worst roads in the province. Cratered Arthur Street South and notoriously bumpy Barnswallow Drive were jointly shamed as the fifth most complained about in Western...
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Province looks for more control over school boards
THE REGION’S SCHOOL BOARDS FACE the prospect of being placed under direct government supervision after the province introduced legislation aimed at boosting transparency and reducing reckless spending. Education Minister Paul Calandra said making it...
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Woolwich interested as board opts to sell old Riverside site
ELMIRA’S OLD RIVER SIDE PUBLIC SCHOOL site is set to go on the market, with the Township of Woolwich hoping to buy it to develop affordable housing, officials have revealed. The increasingly dilapidated building and former playing fields have not been...
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Repair work to get underway on Wellesley Dam, says GRCA
THE WELLESLEY DAM IS SET to undergo repairs that will cost at least $100,000 after flooding caused damage that has forced the village’s picturesque pond to be drained for the past seven weeks. The Grand River Conservation Authority (GRCA) said work...
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Residents oppose residential development proposed for St. Jacobs
RESIDENTS IN THE VICINITY OF a proposed St. Jacobs development raised a litany of concerns, offering no support for the project discussed Tuesday night at Woolwich council. From destruction of farmland to anticipated traffic woes, they made their case...
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Region looks to expand speed camera program, including two in Wellesley
TWO NEW SPEED CAMERAS ARE expected to be installed in Linwood and Hawkesville as part of plans to eventually roll out up to 175 traffic traps across the region over the coming years. The new devices are among 15 extra cameras the Region of Waterloo...
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Louis re-elected as local MP, but forced to wait for results… yet again
TIM LOUIS HAILED HIS THIRD election victory in Kitchener-Conestoga after another nail-biting wait in which the vote count flip-flopped between him and Conservative rival Doug Treleaven. “It was a long night, but we’re happy with the result,” said the...
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It’s another tight race in bellwether riding of Kitchener-Conestoga
OPINION POLLS PREDICT A TOSSUP in the tight race for the Kitchener-Conestoga battleground riding as Monday’s federal election approaches. Incumbent Liberal Tim Louis has a paper-thin 0.9 per cent lead over Conservative Doug Treleaven in Canada’s...
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Thousands greet Poilievre at Conservative rally in Breslau
CONSERVATIVE LEADER PIERRE POLLIEVRE POSITIONED himself as the next prime minister as he pushed for change during a campaign stop in Breslau last week. “Kitchener-Waterloo, who is going to vote for change?” he asked while addressing some of the 5,000...
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Rain couldn’t totally dampen spirits of those at sap fest
THE RAIN MAY HAVE POURED but, then, so did the syrup. And, among many of the estimated 55,000 people who attended the 61st Elmira Maple Syrup Festival on Saturday, neither the drizzle nor the outright deluges could dampen their spirits. Crowds,...
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Carney paints himself as the best candidate to counter Trump at Kitchener stop
GIVEN THE TROUBLED WATERS OF U.S. trade wars, Mark Carney positioned himself as the best hand on the Canadian tiller as he made a campaign stop in Kitchener last week. The newly minted Prime Minister, who called an election for April 28, was joined by...
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Rogue Trump a top issue for local candidates as election called for April 28
CANDIDATES FIGHTING TO REPRESENT THE Kitchener-Conestoga riding in the upcoming federal election are focusing on how to tackle Donald Trump’s threats to Canada’s economy and sovereignty. Incumbent Liberal Tim Louis, Conservative Doug Treleaven and...
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Spring arrives, with warmer temperatures expected to kick in
SPRING WAS IN THE AIR in the last couple of weeks as the weather got suddenly warm after a harsh winter. As of 5:01 a.m. today, spring made its official arrival. Weather guru David Phillips predicts the new season may be warmer than normal. But it...
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Complaints growing as fast as potholes on Elmira’s roads
MOTORISTS HAVE COMPLAINED OF DAMAGE caused to their vehicles by giant potholes on Elmira’s roads after the recent thaw caused asphalt to rapidly crumble. Some say they are routinely forced to drive “S-shapes” around the town’s streets in order to...
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Harris re-elected in Kitchener-Conestoga
WITH MIKE HARRIS BEING COMFORTABLY re-elected for a third term in Kitchener-Conestoga, the Conservative MPP and other candidates have suggested that his support and their opposition to the Wilmot land grab was not the galvanizing issue that...
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Candidates trade barbs over vote-splitting in Kitchener-Conestoga
KITCHENER CONES TOGA LIBERAL CANDI DATE JOE GOWING sparked a row with his NDP opponent after calling for Jodi Szimanski to step down to avoid splitting the anti-Tory vote in Thursday’s Ontario election. Gowing said polls showed that his party was...
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Kitchener-Conestoga candidates have different takes on lack of family doctors
CANDIDATES FIGHTING FOR THE KITCHEN ER CONESTOGA riding in the upcoming provincial election have offered opposing solutions to the family doctor shortage. Conservative MPP Mike Harris and three of his challengers said boosting primary care options in...
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Residents feel left adrift by township over drainage issues in Maryhill
FRUSTRATED MARY HILL NEIGHBOURS SAY THEIR street is being turned into a dangerous ice rink during winter because of a flooding issue that Woolwich Township refuses to fix. Some residents of St. Boniface Drive fear a serious injury could happen unless...
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With the writ dropped, the gloves come off in Kitchener-Conestoga
KITCHENER CONESTOGA MPP MIKE HARRIS JR. defended his boss Doug Ford calling a snap election for February 27 after rival candidates fighting for his seat said the vote was unnecessary and accused the Ontario Premier of “grandstanding” over the American...
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Woolwich sees steady rise in water and sewer rates
WOOLWICH’S WATER AND SEWER RATES are slated for large increases again this year, part of a multi-year plan that will see consumers pay for increasing operating costs and efforts to build up reserve funds. Proposed rate hikes for this year alone would...
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EMSF to honour volunteers who have passed on
ELMIRA MAPLE SYRUP FESTIVAL ORGANIZERS want to honour long-serving volunteers who have died since the event began six decades ago. EMSF committee chair Matt Jessop said he is currently looking at ways to highlight the past contributions of those who...
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Orchard razed at site of future Union Street development
A HOUSING DEVELOPER HAS CUT down dozens of trees on a former apple orchard in Elmira more than 15 years after first seeking to build a new subdivision on the controversial site. Since last week, workmen have been busy razing the 5.5-acre area...
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In wake of Trudeau’s resignation, local candidates gear up for election
KITCHENER CONES TOGA MP TIM LOUIS PRAISED Justin Trudeau’s “genuine care and dedication” after the Prime Minister resigned on Monday following nearly a decade in power. The Liberal backbencher wrote an open letter to the leader of his party, which...
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THE OBSERVER YEAR IN REVIEW
JANUARY ■ Wellesley approves 3.56% tax hike for 2024 Wellesley Township approved a 3.56 per cent tax increase for 2024, calling for a budget at $11,440,714, with $7,469,343 sourced from the tax levy. Additionally, a capital budget of $4.2 million was...
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Woolwich plans to lower speed limits on Three Bridges Road
WHEN IT COMES TO LOWERING speed limits on Three Bridges Road, Woolwich council thinks a go-slow policy is best. Rather than shaving off 20 km/h from areas now signed 80 km/h and 60 km/h, councillors meeting December 17 thought a 10-km/h shift might be...
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Following Santa as he makes his way through the townships
WITH SANTA CLAUS COMING TO town, you better watch out. And now, after North Pole organizers revealed this year’s Christmas Eve gift delivery route map, we have a much better idea of exactly where in the skies to watch. In Woolwich Township, Santa’s...
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Wellesley approves 53% jump in fees on new homes, adding another $7,000
THE NEW YEAR WILL BRING a higher price tag for new homes in Wellesley, as township council this week approved a 53 per cent jump in development charges. The move adds more than $7,000 to the cost of a new house, the fees collected ostensibly to pay...
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Branch,
a Saint Bernard and Rottweiler mix dog, was festively dressed for Saturday’s Elmira Kiwanis Santa Claus Parade as he rode along Arthur Street in a pickup truck.
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Wellesley drafting bylaw to ban kite fighting after incidents
WELLESLEY TOWNSHIP IS PLANNING TO ban kite fighting after Linwood farmers complained about groups of men travelling from the GTA to carry out the popular South Asian activity. Chief administrative officer Rik Louwagie said that staff are currently...
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Canada Post strike has local impact
WOOLWICH AND WELLESLEY BUSI NESSES THAT rely on Old Order Mennonites sending cheques in the mail have been among those most affected by the Canada Post strikes. As the walkout enters its seventh day today, amid fears it could drag on into the holiday...
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Wellesley eyes 53% hike in development charges, adding $7K to price of new home
THE COST OF A NEW home in Wellesley could rise by more than $7,000 next year as the township considers increasing development charges by 53 per cent. Currently, a fee of $13,551 is levied on builders – and ultimately homebuyers – for each new...
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Woolwich eyes millions in rec spending under new master plan
WOOLWICH IS LOOKING AT SOME $41 million in spending to provide recreation services as the township’s population grows by 78 per cent to 51,200 by 2051, a target identified in a new recreation master plan tabled Tuesday night. One of the priorities...
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Harry Potter inspired games at Elmira home make for a wand-erful Halloween
ABRACADABRA, ALAKAZAM, GET YOUR WANDS ready as DJ Carroll is calling all the young witches and wizards to battle the spookiest ghosts and mischievous goblins. For the past 30 years, the now-retired EDSS drama teacher has been hosting Halloween...
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Neighbours rally as fire destroys Elmira family’s home
NEIGHBOURS OF AN ELMIRA FAMILY whose house was destroyed by a fire revealed how they saved them by knocking on their door and waking them up late Sunday night. Other nearby friends had raised more than $8,700 via GoFundMe by Wednesday, three days...
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Decrease in donations a struggle for group helping Ukrainian refugees
THE MANAGER OF A ST. Jacobs shelter for Ukrainians fears it may run out of money by Christmas after donations have fallen because of people losing interest in the war. Jennifer Brown, who runs the St. Jacobs Guest House, is calling on the community...
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Neighbours raise concerns about proposed Wellesley subdivision
WELLESLEY RESI DENTS CRITICIZED A PROPOSED new subdivision of up to 169 homes along Gerber Road during a Tuesday night public meeting. Neighbour Brett Bartlett told Wellesley councillors that he was opposed to the prospect of paying for a shared drain...
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Intersection in Wellesley under scrutiny following fatal collision
A FATAL COLLISION LAST WEEK in Wellesley has some residents raising concerns about the safety of the intersection. Three people were killed September 23 when the Tesla they were travelling in collided with a Dodge Ram pickup truck at the intersection...
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