LOCAL HEADLINES

The DeClark family of Thorndale is mourning the heartbreaking loss of Gavin DeClark, a 17-year-old whose life was tragically cut short in a collision on Medway Road Sept. 29.

Exciting things are happening at the Towne and Country Cheese Shoppe.

As work continues on the nearly $2-million renovation of the Pyramid Recreation Centre (PRC) aquatics centre that began last fall, St. Marys council has approved an additional $13,336 in contingency funding to address some recently discovered deficiencies in the pool-wall tiles.

For a century, the Rotary Club of St. Marys has been shaping the town’s community spirit, from building local landmarks to supporting global causes.

Though Giving Tuesday is still a few months away, the St. Marys committee responsible for rallying residents, businesses, service clubs and others to give back to causes close to their hearts annually on or around the first Tuesday after American Thanksgiving is getting a head start recognizing locals who give back year-round.

New and returning actors will bring lots of laughs and heartfelt moments to audiences watching the St. Marys Community Players’ (SMCP) production of Hilda’s Yard by Canadian playwright legend Norm Foster.

From coffee meetups to upcoming cornhole nights, the Royal Canadian Legion in St. Marys is putting community first, reminding residents the branch is a service club as much as it is a social club.

The theme for this year’s Fire Prevention Week, which is Oct. 5-11, is “Charge into Fire Safety: Lithium-Ion Batteries in Your Home,” giving Fire departments across North America, including the St. Marys department, a chance to spread awareness of the dangers around improper use, storage and disposal of lithium-ion batteries.

Head coach Jeff Bradley summed up the feeling after the St. Marys Lincolns ended a three-game losing streak on Sept. 28 with a 5-2 victory over the Elmira Sugar Kings, a victory that allowed everyone to breathe and remember that the sky isn’t falling for the Lincolns.

The St. Marys DCVI Senior Boys Volleyball Team picked up back-to-back wins over Goderich and Listowel on their first day of the regular season on Sept. 25.

The Dunny’s Source For Sports U13 A Boys St. Marys Rock capped off an exciting weekend with a championship win at the London Jr. Mustangs Early Bird Tournament Sept. 19-21.

The Social Thirty-One U11 A Boys St. Marys Rock won gold at the London Jr. Mustangs Early Bird tournament Sept. 19-21.

The Thorndale Train Station has been absent from this community since it was moved to a private property in 1968. Originally built around 1912, it sat at the rail tracks opposite the mill. With the increase of trucks and cars for transporting people and farm goods to larger centres, the CNR decommissioned it in 1965.

After a two-month summer break, the St. Marys community police advisory committee held its September meeting last week, during which the Stratford Police Service presented its monthly crime statistics for St. Marys from June, July and August.

On Saturday, Sept. 20, volunteers with the United Way Perth-Huron were at the St. Marys Farmers’ Market at Milt Dunnell Field to kick off their annual fundraising campaign and unveil a 2025-2026 campaign goal of just over $2.5 million.

The Town of St. Marys is working toward a potential partnership with the Ontario Aggregate Resources Corporation (TOARC) on the cleanup of industrial waste at the town’s west quarry, part of an overall effort to rehabilitate the site for recreational use.

As summer ends and fall begins, one thing we all start to think about is Remembrance Day and everyone who fought for our freedom and are still fighting for us today.

After positive feedback from the first “Honest Budget” session, the Local Community Food Centre is hosting another workshop to help residents better understand and manage their finances.

There was a spectacular theatre in Toronto called the Runnymede, which opened in 1927 with silent movies and vaudeville shows. One of its many innovations was a projected “sky,” with clouds and stars, in the ceiling. On the lighting board backstage was a large electrical switch with a sign on it: “Turn Out The Stars Before Leaving.”

In the span of a week, the St. Marys Lincolns went from a lofty peak to a frustrating valley. Just days after their strong start to the year, which saw the Lincs win back-to-back games, the good news kept coming as the team reacquired forwards Ryan Hodkinson and Ethan Weir.