LOCAL HEADLINES

Fueled by hope and a positive vision, the Thorndale Optimist Club is dedicated to inspiring and empowering youth to be their very best.

At the Oct. 14 St. Marys council meeting, tourism and economic development manager Kelly Deeks-Johnson presented a brand-new approach to the planning of summer events in St. Marys next July.

The Rotary Club of St. Marys recently unveiled a Peace Pole installed in St. Marys soil to kick off the club’s celebration of a century of service.

Past and present members of the Kinsmen Club of St. Marys gathered Oct. 16 to celebrate decades of service, leadership and community spirit during the club’s annual Past Presidents’ Night.

Following the improvements made to Milt Dunnell Field in 2024, which included washroom renovations, an accessible dock, paving the Farmers’ Market area and playground enhancements, the picturesque St. Marys park could see additional improvements intended to improve the user experience beginning next year.

St. Marys will mark Remembrance Week 2025 with three events. On Saturday, Nov. 8 from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m., the St. Marys Legion and Army and Navy will host Veterans’ Decoration Day at the St. Marys Cemetery (150 Cain St.).

Foot by Foot Orthotics in St. Marys is giving its clients a chance to support breast cancer research with pink orthotics.

The Rotary Club of St. Marys recently celebrated 100 years of service to the community with its 100th anniversary dinner.

A local laundromat owned by St. Marys Mayor Al Strathdee and his wife, Gloria Strathdee, will remain closed for as long as two months following a dryer fire in the building on Oct. 16.

St. Marys council has approved a policy that could help residents cover the costs of unexpectedly high water bills resulting from a leak.

On Friday, Oct. 17, the Town of St. Marys held its annual Recreation Fair at the Pyramid Recreation Centre. The event ran from 5-7 p.m. and was a free, drop-in format. The purpose of the fair was to promote all recreation and leisure activities that are available in our town.

St. Marys residents can grow their gardens for free this spring thanks to the St. Marys Public Library’s seed program, which offers packets of flower, vegetable and fruit seeds to anyone in the community.

Organizers of the St. Marys Santa Claus Parade are calling on musicians to help bring the sound of the season downtown when the annual event returns on Nov. 21.

Mauve & Stone Charm Boutique was recently opened at 16 Church St. S by young entrepreneur Mackenzie Fierling.

Truly great teams don’t play perfectly every night, but they still find ways to win. That is precisely what the St. Marys Lincolns did on Oct. 17 against the St. Thomas Stars and Oct. 18 versus the Komoka Kings.

Barb Dorrington, author of The Trauma Monster has been a familiar figure in Thorndale in recent weeks.

Directors of I Love Thorndale (ILT) invited businesses listed on the ILT business directory to a social networking gathering last Thursday evening, Oct 16.

The St. Marys Fire Fighters Association held an open house at its station on Oct. 11 for Fire Prevention Week. The event featured demonstrations, displays of fire trucks and fire safety education.

Residents of St. Marys and visitors to downtown could see new banners with brand-new designs adorning downtown streetlights next year.

In one week, the St. Marys Lincolns reinserted themselves in the conversation for best in the Western Conference by quelling one of the west’s hottest teams, dismantling the top-ranked squad and walking into a difficult arena and eating the home side’s penalty kill alive.