LOCAL HEADLINES

The Cure for Drowning by Loghan Paylor, formerly of Thorndale, is brilliantly written in the vivid voices of the two protagonists, Kit and Rebekah.

A local teacher and former Perth-Wellington candidate for the Green Party of Ontario is urging St. Marys council to endorse Bill 21, the Protect Our Food Act, put forward by provincial Green Party leader and Guelph MPP Mike Schreiner and Haldimand-Norfolk MPP Bobbi-Ann Brady.

St. Marys Public Library clerk Laura McAsh has finished her first novel, a project she credits to self-belief and perseverance.

Driving in the winter and driving the rest of the year are two very different beasts in Canada. While driving always comes with inherent dangers – distractions, impaired or entitled drivers, weather, road conditions and the like – the mere fact that snow and ice are pretty much ever-present on road surfaces in the winter cranks those dangers up several notches.

As the popularity of audiobooks continues to grow, Betty’s Bookshelf will soon be offering a monthly subscription for audiobooks.

The Soup Crawl is once again inviting residents to sample soups made by local businesses and vote for their favourite.

Though St. Marys council has some concerns with the province’s plan to consolidate the Upper Thames River Conservation Authority (UTRCA) with seven other conservation authorities under a provincially appointed and overseen governance body, council will not endorse the UTRCA’s expressed opposition to that plan.

Stratford Social Services is continuing to offer financial assistance to residents of Stratford, St. Marys and Perth County, as well as prospective area residents, looking to make the jump from renting to home ownership.

Since Nov. 23, the St. Marys Lincolns have been almost mechanical in how consistently strong their performances have been. During that stretch, fans would be hard-pressed to find a game in which, for large swaths of time, the Lincolns didn’t look either good or great.

The Frayne Custom Cabinets U14 A Boys St. Marys Rock won the top prize at the Joe Bentolila Classic tournament Jan. 9-11 in Aurora.

The Social Thirty-One U11 A Boys St. Marys Rock took home the gold from the Peterborough Atom Liftlock tournament Jan 9-11.

The A.N.A.F. U15 A Boys St. Marys Rock left Buffalo with the silver medals at the Buffalo River Outdoor Classic tournament Jan. 9-11.

The St. Marys Rotary Club-A.N.A.F. U14 A St. Marys Snipers captured the silver medals at the Waterloo Ringette Association Winterfest Tournament Jan. 9-11.

The St. Marys DCVI Senior Girls Volleyball team won a pair of home games on Jan. 13. Head coach Steve Chateauvert praised the team’s “aggressiveness” in both of their straight-set victories.

The St. Marys DCVI Junior Girls Volleyball team went undefeated at home on Jan. 13, winning their two games against F.E. Madill and South Huron.

For many years, the Thorndale Dinner Theatre has been an integral part of the community’s winter calendar. Hundreds of area residents and beyond have enjoyed this annual event and the 2026 Thorndale Dinner Theatre promises to be an entertaining experience from the delicious roast beef dinner by local organizations to the humorous performance on stage.

Thames Centre council approved the continuation of the municipality’s Community Improvement Plan (CIP) at its regular meeting Dec. 8.

February courses are now open to seniors looking to expand their knowledge of worldly topics, including philosophy, literature, gender identity and more.

The Mudmen brought their signature Celtic-country-rock thunder to the St. Marys Town Hall Theatre during their annual concert in the Stonetown Jan. 9.

Perth County council has officially dug into this year’s draft budget, which carries a proposed tax-levy increase of 7.93 per cent, inclusive of growth.