LOCAL HEADLINES

The upper hall of the Paris Legion was vibrating this past Thursday night, and it wasn’t just from the impact of darts hitting the cork. Between the vintage tracks, a "yoga queen" on the decks, and some high-stakes candy counting, the local ladies' dart league proved once again why Thursday is the undisputed favorite night of the week.

A dream more than two decades ago sparked an idea that would shape the creative path of a local author and game creator. “My first creative ideas was my boardgame in 2004. I don't really know how or why this idea came to me. But I had a dream one night and I drew the image of my game,” Carol Madou recalled.

For nearly a century, the Paris Lions Club has quietly helped shape the fabric of the community. Now members are inviting others to be part of that legacy. The club will host a wine-and-cheese meet and greet on Tuesday, March 17 at 7 p.m. at the Paris Fairgrounds, offering residents a chance to learn more about Lions membership and the impact the service club has had since 1931.

Ward 5 residents will be heading to the polls soon for the byelection on March 16th to choose a new councillor for the ward’s vacant seat.

When it comes to travelling to Europe, Belgium is often overlooked as a destination. Unless of course you have been invited to attend a function at NATO headquarters in Brussels. I'm sure I personally will never receive such an invitation, so I tend to stick to family visits. I am an immigrant from Belgium, and have lived in Canada for some 25 years, these last 15 years in lovely Paris, Ontario, which has become my home.

The weather last Wednesday and Thursday, with freezing rain and slippery roads, iced out the scheduled playoff games on those two days. Unfortunately for this reporter, it also cancelled me out from playing pickleball and my yoga class; thankfully the Olympics were on for a good plan “B”.

The Paris Ringette Association welcomed teams from across Ontario for its annual home tournament, held Feb. 12–15 at the Brant Sports Complex, Gaukel Memorial Centre and Burford Community Centre.

It’s playoff time in the PJHL, and the Titans drew the Tavistock for the first round of the best-of-seven series. During the regular season, the Titans had beaten the Braves only once in their four regular-season games.  Last Friday, the Titans began their series at Tavistock in front of an enthusiastic crowd. Frankly, the team looked unsure in this environment, not finishing their passes and not in synch with each other. 

Four generations. Seven hundred acres. Early mornings that start before sunrise. For Jay and Sara McLellan and their son Alex, farming in Onondaga isn’t just a business, it’s a way of life. That dedication has earned Jaysar Dairy and J & S Farms the 2026 Brant Farm Award. The family will be formally honoured at the Brant County Federation of Agriculture’s annual banquet on March 7.

If you’re feeling disappointed in the Canadian men’s hockey team, don’t be. Aside from a slow start off the draw in the gold medal game, they outplayed and outshot their American rivals, delivering all the drama, momentum swings and intensity you’d expect in a championship showdown. It also brings to mind the historic Canada–Russia series years ago. Kids, that’s one for the history section at the library, and how profoundly that rivalry reshaped the game in Canada.

The County of Brant’s 2026 budget has officially been adopted, locking in a four per cent property tax increase, along with a dedicated one per cent levy for the new Brant-Brantford hospital project. Council supported the budget without amendment, and under provincial legislation it was deemed adopted as of Feb. 15.

A new County of Brant report concludes that Automated Speed Enforcement (ASE) cameras reduced speeding in a local school zone and generated a significant surplus before the province banned the program last fall.

A long-term vision for trails, restoration and recreation north of the Nith River has the support of most councillors, following a detailed presentation and strong public input at the Feb. 17

Registered recreation programming in the County of Brant surged in 2025, with participation up 89 per cent over the previous year, according to a report presented to the Administration and Operations Committee on Feb. 17.

The County of Brant’s Community Improvement Plan (CIP) program saw a record-breaking year in 2025, with council approving $257,180 in grants to support downtown revitalization projects in Paris, St. George and Burford.

In the February 4th edition of the Paris Independent, I spoke about the various barriers and things stopping people from running for office, and what we can do to help alleviate those issues. But I wanted today to talk about the role that I have come to love and has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my life (after marrying my wife, of course!). Though with its challenges, like anything worth doing, being a member of council is a deeply important and impactful role

The County of Brant is taking the next step in overhauling its planning framework and is inviting residents to weigh in at a series of upcoming open houses. The county is proposing to replace its current zoning system with a new Community Planning Permit System (CPPS), a tool designed to streamline development approvals and modernize how growth is managed across Brant.

Residents in Ward 5 will soon choose a new representative at the council table, as the County of Brant moves ahead with a by-election to fill the vacant seat. Council voted in late November to reverse its earlier decision to appoint a candidate and instead proceed with a by-election, citing transparency and public input as key considerations. The seat has been vacant since former councillor Christine Garneau resigned last fall. After initially supporting a direct appointmen

Asked what kind of year it had been for snowmobiling, Derek Scholten responded, “Exceptional”. The head of public relations for Southern Sno Riders Snowmobile Club, Scholten, said the trails opened three weeks ago on Jan. 23.

The atmosphere for last Thursday night's semi-final game in the Paris High gym was electric, with fans cheering both the Panthers and the St John’s Eagles. St. John’s, who came off a big 89-34 quarter-final win over Pauline Johnson, arrived on the court looking confident. The game began with the Eagles playing the Panthers even, so much so that at the end of the first quarter, the score was tied 18-18. The second quarter took control of the game, going from a tied game to a s