LOCAL HEADLINES

County of Brant councillors are considering increases to the salaries of the mayor and council members for the 2026-2030 term, following a review that compared local compensation with several other Ontario municipalities.

A powerful storm tore through the County of Brant on Wednesday evening, leaving thousands without power, damaging electrical infrastructure, toppling trees and forcing the cancellation of opening night at the Paris Fair.

Lauren O’Nahr was crowned the 2026 Paris Fair Ambassador last Thursday night, emerging from a field of three candidates during the opening ceremonies of the 168th annual Paris Fair. Sponsored by the Girl Guides of Canada, O’Nahr earned the title following a competition that tested candidates through interviews, professional resumés, prepared speeches, impromptu questions and videos highlighting their sponsoring organizations.

County of Brant councillors are supporting a staff report recommending a series of potential changes to the municipality’s procedural bylaw, which will be passed along to the incoming council following a comprehensive review of how council meetings are conducted.

For Ryan Gardner-O’Keefe, hockey and Paris have always gone hand in hand. Long before he became captain of his hometown junior hockey team, Gardner-O’Keefe was a two-year-old with a pair of boots, a stick and an outdoor rink.

The County of Brant will look to regional partners and additional economic data to strengthen its case for a Highway 403 interchange at Bishopsgate Road after provincial transportation officials indicated they do not currently see a need for the project.

Well, here we are! Follow along as high winds met good weather out on the course, with golf clubs flying and everyone ducking and no, not the Daffy kind!

As voters prepare to head to the polls in the upcoming municipal election next month, the Paris Independent is providing candidates with an opportunity to speak directly to the issues and priorities raised by local residents.

Long before I was in the newspaper business, I still wrote a lot of things down and kept a journal. Social media was not around yet, but lengthy emails to friends and family were a thing, especially for me living on an island away from home. On Sept.11, 2001, I was a 27-year-old living in Bermuda and working as a Chartered Accountant for Marsh, an insurance company. My wife Laurie and I were hosting her parents Gary and Marg who were visiting us at our island home, and we wer

What began as a way to make the most of a necessary downtown road closure turned into a summer-long experiment in transforming the heart of Paris into a pedestrian gathering place. The Downtown Paris Promenade opened in early July along a closed section of Grand River Street North, offering residents and visitors a car-free space filled with seating, games, entertainment and community programming throughout the summer.

Paris has a reputation for caring deeply about its community, and local residents are continually finding creative ways to bring people together while supporting causes. Paris mom and community facilitator Shar O’Neill is doing just that with Thrift for Charity, a fun indoor event that combines the thrill of thrifting with fundraising for charity.

One of the perks of my job is to be able to meet some inspiring people and to come across some hidden gems in our community that need to be shared. I came across one of these hidden gems when I met with Elena Dumitru and took a tour of the Art of Ideas Gallery located at 236 Jones St. East in St. Marys.

How can you summarize such a great season of Dream-Die Hockey as was just exhibited by your Brant County Dusters? Well, you just can't. Is there any other league on the great earth where the worst player on the ice gets a hat trick in a 2-2 tie? Dare I say...let that league come forth! But that is Dusters Hockey my dear friends.

The rumble of high-octane engines and the gleam of polished chrome are coming to town as the Paris Shops Poker Run prepares to take over the roads on Saturday, September 19th. Rain or shine, vehicle lovers from across the region will gather in Paris, Ontario, turning a shared passion for motor culture into direct support for a critical local cause, the Paris Food Bank.

After more than a decade of encouraging people to speak openly about mental health, the team behind KickBack is looking for new voices willing to share their stories — and potentially help someone else feel less alone.

Held Saturday, August 22nd at the Burford Golf Course and it was so worth the wait. This is the date that this scribe circles on his calendar every year. Of course, the Paris Duffers were out in full force and did not disappoint. The beauty of this tournament is that Paris Duffers that live

The return of the Paris Mounties name brings a familiar piece of the community’s hockey history back to the ice. For the junior hockey club, reviving that identity is also part of an effort to strengthen its relationship with local fans, rebuild excitement around the team and bring more people back to the stands.

Jairus Maus was born on February 1, 1880, in South Dumfries Township, the son of Henry and Elizabeth Maus. He grew up on a farm just north of Paris. Jairus attended Maus School and Paris High School. Later he went west to fill a responsible banking position. He was working in Victoria, British Columbia when he enlisted with the 50th Regiment of the Gordon Highlanders on November 7, 1914, placing him among the first Canadians to volunteer during the First World War.

For nearly two centuries, generations of Paris residents have gathered at the local curling club to throw rocks, sweep ice and compete against friends. But for many members, what happens after the final rock is thrown equally important.

County of Brant officials used this year’s Association of Municipalities of Ontario conference to press provincial leaders on local infrastructure and energy priorities, while also taking part in regional discussions on economic development and Indigenous relations.