City Scope update: You owe us an explanation, Joe and Steve

In February, two levels of government doled out millions of dollars in Building Canada infrastructure funding and St. Thomas was shut out.
There was no shortage of cash to lavish on the rest of Elgin. In fact, Aylmer, Bayham, Dutton/Dunwich, Malahide, Southwold and the county itself hit paydirt on projects ranging from road and sewer maintenance to facility upgrades.
The exclusion of St. Thomas from the funding beneficiaries had council, city staff, Police Chief Bill Lynch and the rest of the St. Thomas Police Service scratching their heads.
You see the provincial and federal dollars were pegged for construction of a badly-needed police headquarters which, when completed, would have eased the burden somewhat on the strained courts that share the Colin McGregor Justice Building.

You owe us an explanation, Joe and Steve

Posted by Ian:
In February, two levels of government doled out millions of dollars in Build Canada infrastructure funding and St. Thomas was shut out.
There was no shortage of cash to lavish on the rest of Elgin. In fact, Aylmer, Bayham, Dutton/Dunwich, Malahide, Southwold and the county itself hit paydirt on projects ranging from road and sewer maintenance to facility upgrades.
The exclusion of St. Thomas from the funding beneficiaries had council, city staff, Police Chief Bill Lynch and the rest of the St. Thomas Police Service scratching their heads.

St. Thomas shut out of infrastructure funds

Posted by Ian:
Two levels of government dole out millions in infrastructure funding on Friday and St. Thomas is shut out. So is Central Elgin which was looking for an investment in Port Stanley harbour. Plenty of money to lavish on the rest of Elgin. What happened in St. Thomas? Is it our elected leadership or lack of a CAO to properly administer the corporation or perhaps no concrete business plan for the future? Any money coming to St. Thomas was slated for a new police HQ.
Details of the announcement follow.
Infrastructure funding

Open letter from Bill Sandison re: employment opportunities

Time being of the essence I have elected to communicate with you in the most expeditious manner.
I would like to begin by thanking Joe Preston, Member of Parliament for Elgin-Middlesex-London and Hon. Steve Peters, Member of Provincial Parliament for Elgin-Middlesex-London for their
unbridled commitment to all constituencies and their unwavering support to the City of St. Thomas.

MP Joe Preston facing big challenge with harbour

Fishing tugs in Port Stanley harbour

Posted by Ian:
Harbour divestiture talks between the Feds and Central Elgin have long been clouded in secrecy … now we know why. Water quality. To be specific, the potential risk to the water supply of an entire region due to a blob of coal tar sludge up stream from the harbour in Kettle Creek. To be fair, existence of the chemical mess has been known for decades, it is slow moving and despite some media warnings it is a long way from the inlet for the water supply system that supplies Elgin and south London. Nevertheless, Port Stanley harbour, which very much can return to its former glory as a viable Great Lakes harbour. has been shamefully ignored by higher levels of government. This has hampered prospects of a proposed U.S. – Port Stanley ferry – an issue in itself that has split the lakeside community. It’s a challenge for M.P. Joe Preston, who has taken up the cause.
Background story