Southwestern Public Health, in its first COVID-19 update in five days, announced on Wednesday, Feb. 23, that three residents of Oxford County had died in cases related to the pandemic. They included a man in his 80s, a man in his 60s and a woman in her 50s, bringing the total number of such fatalities in Elgin, St. Thomas and…
Catfish Creek Conservation Authority on Wednesday, Feb. 23, formally announced the cancellation of its annual Springwater Maple Syrup Festival for 2022. In a statement, the authority said that faced with uncertainties around COVID-19 and logistical issues, both the festival and the usual accompanying maple syrup sales would not be offered this year. The festival has been CCCA’s longest-running and biggest…
Bus routes in Elgin County were cancelled Wednesday morning, Feb. 23, due to freezing rain but schools remain open. At a Thames Valley District School Board meeting Tuesday night, Feb. 22, Elgin-St. Thomas Trustee Meagan Ruddock said she was sure other trustees had also received many emails from parents who were upset and frustrated by a new policy that closed…
Ella Farquhar of host BAD (Belmont-Aylmer-Dorchester) Girls Under 18 B hockey team jostled the puck away from a St. Thomas player during a game at East Elgin Community Complex on Friday night, Feb. 18. The BAD squad lost that game 3-4, with goals from Sarah Parsons assisted by Farquhar and Jenna Huctwith, Sarah Parsons assisted by Huctwith, and Faith Farquhar…
Makenna Brown of host BAD (Belmont-Aylmer-Dorchester) Girls Under 15 BB team rushed the puck down the ice during a game against Woodstock at East Elgin Community Complex on Friday night, Feb. 18. The game was a duel between two goalies, and ended in a 0-0 tie. BAD’s Jordyn Taylor earned the shutout for her team. (AE/Rob Perry)
Ryan Riley of host Aylmer Minor Hockey’s Under 9 Rep squad fired the puck out from behind his team’s net during a game against Hagersville at East Elgin Community Complex on Friday night, Feb. 18. Aylmer took the win 6-2 and has a five-game winning streak for far this month. (AE/Rob Perry)
Malahide Township issued a statement on Friday afternoon, Feb. 18, at 3:43 p.m. announcing that road access to Port Bruce was slowly re-opening. Floodwater from Catfish Creek was receding, and public works crews were removing large chunks of ice and other debris obstructing roads. “Residents are advised to utilize strict caution if and when returning to their properties and dwellings.”…
Southwestern Public Health on Friday, Feb. 18, reported that 55 cases of COVID-19 had been confirmed over the previous two days, or an average of 27.5 daily, in Elgin, St. Thomas and Oxford. The number of ongoing cases being tracked by the health unit declined to 331 Friday from 343 Wednesday. Only four of 34 long-term care and retirement homes…
Water levels remain high in Port Bruce on Friday morning, Feb. 18, after Catfish Creek flooded the community the previous afternoon. Malahide Administrator Adam Betteridge said entry points to the village remain closed to non-essential visitors. Anyone requiring temporary shelter could find it Sommerfeld Church in Mount Salem. A handful of Port Bruce residents spent the night there, he noted.…
Elgin County, in a statement on Thursday night, Feb. 17, reported that a fire involving construction equipment at Terrace Lodge long-term care home in Malahide, just east of Aylmer, had been extinguished with no injuries to residents or staff. Residents of the lower north wing were relocated within Terrace Lodge as a precaution when the fire broke out at 5:30…