LOCAL HEADLINES

County of Brant council has agreed to issue a letter designating the 2026 Paris Drinks Fest as a municipally significant event but stopped short of offering long-term support for the festival to remain at Twin Rivers Stadium at the Syl Apps Community Centre.

A group of Paris parents say they are frustrated, worried, and feeling dismissed following a Grand Erie District School Board decision to relocate the high school French Immersion (FI) program from North Park Collegiate and Vocational School (NPC) to Brantford Collegiate Institute (BCI) beginning in September 2026, with no busing for Paris students.

As the transformation of downtown Paris begins to take shape, Councillor John Bell says community backlash over the new streetscape and parking layout is growing, prompting him to push for changes before construction wraps up. Bell raised the issue at the Oct. 28 council meeting during discussion of a staff report on parking and traffic modifications across the County. The matter had been deferred from the Administration and Operations Committee, but Bell said he felt compel

With a bye to the semi-finals, the undefeated first-place Senior Panthers volleyball team met the fourth-place Brantford Collegiate Mustangs at the Paris home gym last Wednesday. In the first game, the Panthers cruised to a 25-16 victory. Jason Dicks closed the game off with the team scoring seven consecutive points. Gavin Bernard and Canaan Sherbino used their jumping abilities to smash hot spikes into BCI's side of the court.

Grief experienced within your career is indeed real.  It can have a devastating effect on our career choices, confidence, performance, and what we believe we deserve when it comes to our career satisfaction.

I never in my life thought I’d thank the orange menace for anything.  However, making travel in Canada much more appealing than south of our border is probably the one and only thing! First, it was an early summer trip to Kincardine and area, then a late summer trip to Ottawa, our capital, followed by a trip to Toronto, Pumpkinfest in Port Elgin and to top that off a family wedding in Muskoka. 

Every Sunday, you will find a local chess club playing at the communal tables inside Wincey Mills. Players from Paris to as far as Brampton and Richmond Hill, of all ages, drive to town to casually play. And it’s not just the players who enjoy the experience, vendors at Wincey Mill’s welcome them with open arms. Alethea Hamilton, from The Grilled Cheese Effect, said “people are so nice and enjoy a reason to come out.” A Barista’s from Detour Cafe agreed, “it feels good to kno

Last Thursday’s weather was terrible. Torrential rainfall and high winds are not ideal for a walk in the park or even a game of football. Regardless, the Paris Panthers' semi-final match against the Assumption Lions went on, as only lightning can stop an outdoor game! The last time these two teams played, Assumption edged out Paris 20-13. For whatever reason that day, the defense played well enough to win the game, but the offense seemed out of synch to drive to the goal lin

The Paris Titans took a 4-1 first period lead last Friday evening on their way to their second straight win as they scored a 7-4 decision over the Dorchester Dolphins in Provincial Junior C Hockey League play.

In the years leading up to 1914, the people of Paris viewed war as the ultimate adventure. They associated war with historic triumphs like the Plains of Abraham, Queenston Heights, Waterloo, and Trafalgar —moments when soldiers earned honor and the civilian population celebrated their victories vicariously. Military events were intertwined with social gatherings and grand spectacle. In 1912, the establishment of the 25th Brant Dragoons company in Paris and the conversion of t

Before we can be fully prepared for the significance of The Paris Legion Branch 29’s Centennial in 2026 I thought it would make sense to look back at the beginnings of the organization. The Royal Canadian Legion was founded in 1926 through an amalgamation of existing veterans' organizations.

It was July 2023 when Brant County residents say Cleaver Road bridge was “abruptly” closed without any prior warning or input from the community. The century-old, single-lane bridge is one of 15 the county is looking at permanently closing in the coming years, much to the frustration of some residents. 

South Ward’s Halloween House Decorating contest returned this year and, while contending with weather, the World Series and a new event format, it turned out to be a spooktacular event.  This annual community happening, organized by Paris business owner and Halloween enthusiast Tiffany Martin, is such a fun and frightening initiative that engages the locals in a friendly competition and boosts the spirit of the season. 

Scoop ran into an old friend, the captain of the Paris Mounties that Scoop coached in the late eighties. This old friend had a personal and truly moving story to tell. Scoop would like to share it with his dear readers of the Paris Independent.

If you’ve ever driven down Washington Street and felt a chill run down your spine, don’t panic, it’s just Hallowe’en spirit at work. More specifically, it’s the handiwork of Tiffany and Bernie Martin, the Paris residents who have turned their love of the spooky season into a full-blown community tradition known as the South Ward Scare.

The closure of a subsidized retirement residence in Paris points to a flaw with public housing, says a Brant County councillor. In August, Grand River Estates announced it would permanently shut the doors at 185 Grand River St. N. in Paris at the end of November, displacing up to 45 residents, many of whom need additional support.

The County of Brant is moving forward with plans to relocate two of its fire stations following a presentation to the Administration and Operations Committee on October 21. Consultant Tim Beckett of Behr Integrated Solutions, who has been working with Fire Chief Darren Watson and the County of Brant Fire Department over the past several months, presented the findings of a Fire Station Location Study, including a recommendation stemming from the County’s Fire Master Plan.

When Paris resident Drew MacDonald drives the nearly 100 kilometres from his hometown to Toronto, it’s not your average commute. By the time he parks near Rogers Centre, he’s stepping into one of the most intense workplaces in Canadian sports, the Toronto Blue Jays clubhouse. MacDonald, the team’s Major League Assistant Athletic Trainer, is responsible for keeping players healthy, managing injuries, and maintaining the steady calm that’s vital through the grind of a 162-game

The County of Brant is planning two modest reductions to its curbside waste-collection services beginning in 2027, changes that staff say will save about $110,000 a year while still providing residents with free disposal options.

Last Thursday, the 2-2 Senior Panthers faced the winless side of North Park Collegiate. The Panthers opened the score three minutes into the first quarter when Ian Souliere scored a touchdown.  North Park followed up with a missed field goal to score a single point (Rouge). The first quarter score was the Panthers leading North Park 6-1.