LOCAL HEADLINES

The 2025 deputy warden and deputy mayor of West Perth, Dean Trentowsky, has officially accepted the gavel and chain of office as Perth County’s 2026 warden.

As December’s chill gently settled on the town of Paris, the excitement in the air was unmistakable. The annual Paris Santa Claus Parade has always been a cherished tradition, but this year held special significance for The Paris Independent. Not only were we attending, but we were also given the honour of judging the best float entry—a role that filled us with pride and anticipation. The memories of festive parades gone by mixed with the promise of new moments, stirring a de

The City of Woodstock is advising residents to avoid touching wild birds and bird droppings after two Canada geese in Southside Park tested positive for avian influenza.

The connection between California and Niagara that most people traditionally make is through their respective wine industries. But if a project being organized by a Niagara-on-the-Lake group gets the funding and support it needs, the two regions could share another similarity.

The holidays bring with it many traditions. Some remain constant over the years, others get tweaked and evolve, and still more sometimes crop up out of nowhere. But for Diana Tracey, while the traditions may be great, Christmas means one thing above all.

After the shortest budget deliberations in recent memory, the 2026 City of Stratford budget was approved with a projected tax increase of 3.19 per cent – the lowest in recent years. That figure translates to an approximate rise of $172 annually ($14 monthly) on an average home valued by the Municipal Property Assessment Corporation (MPAC) at $317,000.

Two affordable housing projects are going back to the drawing board. At the most recent Stratford city council meeting on Nov. 24, council voted to cancel the request for expressions of interest (RFEOI) for two City of Stratford-led affordable housing projects at 38 Coriano St. and 161 East Gore St.

United Way Oxford’s annual 12 Days of Giving event has returned. The event, which started on Dec. 1 and runs until Dec. 12, encourages community members to show their Local Love by sharing 12 ways to give back to Oxford County and directly support those in need.

Wellesley council has officially dug into the township’s 2026 draft budget, which was introduced at council’s first budget meeting Nov. 27 with a proposed levy increase of 4.99 per cent, inclusive of growth.

Santa Claus and Mrs. Claus made their grand entrance ‘flying’ to the Simcoe Christmas Panorama light-up ceremony on Saturday, Nov. 29. “I have a tracker right here and I’ve been texting with Santa,” said Panorama MC Robynn Beazley at Wellington Park. “The firefighters are going to bring him over on the Bickle… but not quite yet. First, we need to hear from some special, important guests.”

A proposal to expand the boundaries of the Downtown Tillsonburg Business Improvement Association will not be proceeding.

A long-awaited new grocery option is officially on its way to Paris, with construction now underway for a FreshCo store at 10 Markel Drive, just off Rest Acres Road. The development comes as many residents express growing frustration over limited local grocery choices and increasing traffic congestion around routes to existing stores.

East Zorra-Tavistock (EZT) Township’s first attempt to sell its former office was unsuccessful, prompting the municipality to pay for a pair of studies at 90 Loveys St. in Hickson.

The Waterloo Region Community Foundation (WRCF) presented its Vital Signs report to Wilmot council at the Nov. 24 meeting, showing the township is growing at a much-slower rate than the rest of the Region of Waterloo.

Updates have been scarce on the Region of Waterloo’s plan to acquire 770 acres for a future mega-industrial project, leading one opponent to accuse members of maintaining a troubling lack of transparency.

David Cripps wasn’t allowed to talk to the media as a vice chair and trustee of the Thames Valley District School Board (TVDSB), but the Ingersoll resident said nothing is holding him back now.

At a Citizen Recognition Event on November 17, the Town of Goderich celebrated 25 individuals who have made a significant contribution or positive impact to the community.

As the holiday season approaches, the Goderich community toy drives are once again reminding us of the power of generosity.

Local architect Robert Ritz wants the public to start thinking of the Grand Trunk building as the solution, not the problem.

In a letter to the editor published in the Times on Nov. 21, Ken Dodd called the recently distributed 360 litre recycling carts “ginormous” and “wrong on many levels.”