LOCAL HEADLINES

I have never played hockey, nor skated. I may be the only French Canadian who can’t skate. In fact, one of the dumbest ideas I’ve had was to ask my wife out on our first date, which was to go skating and maybe blow it with my awkward ice-skating. 

A scaled-back subdivision proposal for 73 West River Road received unanimous approval from County of Brant council last Tuesday night, marking a significant shift from the 71-unit townhouse plan that sparked concern from residents last summer.

Hard to believe there are only six days left (as I write this) in the Olympic competitions, and that Canada has medalled or improved performances. The Olympic Final Ceremony features the Olympic athletes marching into the sta

Darmont GivesBack is joining communities across the County of Brant and the City of Brantford in marking Black History Month 2026, highlighting local recognition events and ongoing efforts to support Black residents and families. 

Paris District High School student-athlete Sydney Kipp has reached a major milestone in her athletic journey, committing to play NCAA Division II softball at an Ohio university next fall. For Kipp, the opportunity represents years of dedication, self-advocacy, and steady development through local grassroots and rep sports systems. “Committing to play NCAA Softball II in Ohio means

After 45 years behind the chair in downtown Paris, Marylou Bergman is packing up her scissors - but not her career. Let’s get this straight right out of the gate: the longtime stylist is not retiring. She’s simply relocating Paris Coiffures II from the downtown core to a home-based salon in Scotland, Ontario. Same Marylou. Same phone number. Same commitment to her clients. Just a different parking situation, and significantly fewer steps from the coffee maker.

The family of Shawn Lowes continues to be surrounded by an outpouring of community support following his sudden death in a snowmobile accident last month. Lowes, 47, died on Jan. 24 as the result of a snowmobile collision on Brant County Road 18 between 6 School Road and Highway 54.

Hundreds of collectors attended the bi-annual Paris Coin Show at the Paris Fairgrounds on Sunday, February 1, 2026. Formerly known as the Southwestern Ontario Numismatics (SWON) show, the Paris Coin Show is a one-day event that has been running since the 1990’s and is always held on the first weekend of February, and again on the second weekend of August.

The Olympics giveth and the Olympics taketh away. Canadian snowboarder Mark McMorris, a four-time Olympic bronze medallist, suffered a head injury in practice last Thursday before being cleared to compete in slopestyle earlier today. Hours before deadline, long-track speed skater Valérie Maltais delivered the counterbalance, skating to bronze in the women’s 3,000 metres. Looking ahead, here’s what to expect in the coming days. All times are local and subject to change, with

The Titans faced the New Hamburg Firebirds last Thursday at the BSC and defeated them 4-2, despite being outshot 58-35. Calvin Gardner in net earned the first star of the game for being bombarded with more rubber than a Brantford recycling plant, a fact that made the coaches unhappy despite the win.

With exams done and snow days gone by, a new semester begins, and sports in the gym restart.

The Paris Agricultural Society is continuing its Homecraft Workshop Series this year, offering residents hands-on opportunities to learn traditional skills while connecting with the Society beyond fair time.

Our travels for 2025/2026 started December 29, 2025 as we headed over to England to spend time with family. Travelling to Pearson on the 29th saw us driving through near white-out conditions on the 401. Roy is a flawless driver, but as he says, “it’s the other guys you need to worry about!”  The normal hour and a quarter drive took well over 2 hours. 

A shortage of volunteers has led to the cancellation of the Snow Buddies program this winter, reducing access to snow-removal assistance for some of the community’s most vulnerable residents during a season of significant snowfall.

Hearts to Home Feline Rescue and Sanctuary will be hosting its “Crazy Cat People” Pawsta Dinner and Comedy Show fundraiser event on Saturday, February 7, 2026.

The Paris Minor Hockey Association’s inaugural Paris Full Moon Face Off tournament wrapped up Jan. 25 after a busy three-day run that brought 51 house league teams to Brant County from the U11 to U18 levels. Tegan Blake, Communications and Liaison representative for Paris Minor Hockey, said the weekend went smoothly from an organizational standpoint and has already sparked interest for next year. “The weekend was a huge success,” Blake said. “Many teams enjoyed it and are l

Transit riders in Brant County can expect each trip to cost a bit more as of March 1. Last Tuesday night, council passed a bylaw bringing the general fare from $5 to $6, and the 55+ fare from $3 to $4. There is no change for kids under 12 or Canadian National Institute for the Blind card carriers, who ride free.

This is the first time Milan has hosted the Winter Olympics, hosting all arena events, including hockey, figure skating, short-track speed skating, and the opening and closing ceremonies. The remaining events will take place in Cortina, about 400 kilometers north. Events take place between Feb 4 - 22, with the Opening Ceremonies on February 6 starting at 1:30 PM EST. The opening ceremony will feature performances by Mariah Carey, tenor Andrea Bocelli,

The Paris Titans endured a tough road loss Thursday, Jan. 30, falling 8–2 to the Norwich Merchants. Norwich jumped out to an early lead and never looked back, firing 47 shots on Titans goaltender Calvin Gardner and building an 8–0 advantage after two periods. Kayden Blacquiere and Cole Kersey scored for Paris in the loss.

With the Winter Olympics getting underway this weekend, Canadians can expect a lot more yelling and sliding granite on their television screens. As the only Olympic sport with games broadcast every day of the Games, curling is once again in the spotlight and clubs across the country are ready to use that momentum to welcome newcomers curious to try the sport for themselves. In Paris, the Paris Curling Club, located at 14 Oak Ave., is hosting a couple two-hour Try Curling sess