The London Free Press
OPEN AT LAST
For the first time, vehicles travelled across the Gordie Howe International Bridge on Monday, as the $6.4 billion crossing between Windsor and Detroit officially opened to traffic. Members of the Howe family became the first official passenger...
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HAPPY CAMPER
Summer mountain bike camper Theo Barnett rides the trails at Boler Mountain. The camps, in their 25th season, run throughout July and August and include day trips, technical racing, visits to the Treetop Adventure Park and more. More photos on...
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Man charged, cops issue appeal after sex assault
A St. Thomas man faces charges after a woman reported being kidnapped at knifepoint and sexually assaulted while walking down a London street in broad daylight last month. The woman was on Adelaide Street near Pall Mall Street on June 4 about 11:30...
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FLEXING OUR MUSSELS
The first reintroduction of endangered freshwater mussels in Canada took place in London on Wednesday. Nearly 800 kidneyshell mussels were released into Medway Creek, a tributary of the Thames River. The species has been listed as endangered since...
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FOREST PROTECTED
Mark Brown, a woodland conservation officer with Middlesex County, walks in the Mosa Forest (aka Skunk's Misery) near Newbury. County council adopted a new forest management plan that will monitor and protect 1,025 hectares of county-owned forest until...
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SUITS 'EM TO AT
A 1911 Ford Model T Runabout leaves Dave Mceachren's John Deere Museum near Glencoe Monday following a stop on this week's Ontario Region Model T Ford Club 69th Annual International Tour. Scores of the cars, built between 1909 and 1927, are taking part.
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LONDON SHOWS ITS PRIDE
Rex Ross and friends join thousands downtown Sunday to watch London's 30th Pride parade as it made its colourful march down Queens Avenue to close out the 10-day Pride London Summer Festival celebrating the local 2SLGBTQ+ community.
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GDLS lands $2B defence contract
The federal government will spend $2 billion over four years to expand the Canadian Armed Forces' fleet of light armoured vehicles by buying 190 from London-based General Dynamics Land Systems-canada. The armoured combat support vehicles, based on...
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Rock the Park defies smoky air
Wildfire smoke derailed the plans of many Londoners Thursday, but not those who had tickets for Rock the Park. As city baseball diamonds and soccer pitches remained closed for a second straight day, Rock the Park announced at midday its Thursday show...
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KEEPING THEIR COOL
Quinton and Harrison Leach enjoy the refreshing spray in the splash pad at Gibbons Park this week as a sweltering heat wave grips the London region. Today's forecast calls for mainly sunny conditions with a high of 30 C cooling to 19 C overnight.
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`I WANTED TO GIVE BACK'
Community organizations from Ilderton and across Middlesex Centre gathered on Saturday for one resident's surprise $1-million donation. Ilderton's 150th anniversary celebration ran from July 10 to 12 and included a country concert, tractor pull and...
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STICKHANDLING TO SUCCESS
Five years after their hockey stick flags went viral, London dad Jason Smith, right, and his son, Jason, left, who has special needs, continue to build a fund to support Jason's future, one flag at a time. They make about 200 a year for buyers in...
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MAY THE CIRCLE BE UNBROKEN
Eagle Flight Singers' Griffin Sands performs a circle dance with the public during a show at Sunfest in Victoria Park Friday. The festival, now in its 32nd year, will feature more than 50 acts from across the globe and is expected to draw 115,000...
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A TASTE OF TRAINING
Future Firefighters in Training participant Maya Ledniowski manages a hand line at London fire department's Station 9 Thursday. About 20 girls will try cutting open damaged cars, ladder and other skills in the decade-old, week-long program aimed at...
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COMING UP TRUMPS
Bored during an internet-free weekend at the cottage, London teens Kiara, left, Adam and William Palma came up with the idea for American Dictator?, a board game inpired by U.S. President Donald Trump, which has sold thousands of copies across Canada...
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STEPPING UP TO THE PLATE
Hailey Grimbleby, 11, is part of the Lady Tincaps, a youth squad believed to be London's first allgirls baseball team, which is off to an `amazing' start as a tournament squad — their first swing was a home run
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DAWN OF A `DOGGIE EMPIRE'?
Country Paws owners Michelle, Jaymie and Skylar Crook, and their dogs Doug, left, and Dilly are all smiles as the Wilton Grove Road dog kennel gives way to the sprawling, new $10M Country Paws Dogplex on Bradley Avenue, a planned new centre of all...
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WORLD CUP WATCH PARTY
Workers prepare for Saturday's FIFA Canada event at Victoria Park, a full-day World Cup celebration — highlighted by a screening of the Canada-morocco and France-paraguay Roundof-16 games — Tourism London is expecting to attract between 3,000 and 5,000...
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Evicted man feels `centred out'
A resident of a Southwestern Ontario seasonal trailer park believes he is being evicted without a proper investigation by a municipality after alleging he was the target of harassment by the park's supervisor. When Matt Plaine, 42, bought a trailer...
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CANADA DAY COOLDOWN
Dawson Dell, 5, plays in the splash pad at Cenotaph Park as he waits for the Del-ko-brydge Canada Day parade in Mt. Brydges on Wednesday. The festivities were held with Southwestern Ontario under an orange heat warning from Environment Canada with a...
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London father stays positive after losing legs in workplace accident
Sem Thin was nearing the end of his shift at a Woodstock factory earlier this month when a workplace accident resulted in the amputation of both his legs. But the 42-year-old father of three teenagers and an adult child is staying positive despite...
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HOT STUFF
Call him a Southwestern Ontario prince of pyrotechnics: With nearly 40 years of fireworks experience and customers across Ontario, Victor Anber offers his tips in Part 1 of our series on people and things that make London-area summers sizzle
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ONE MORE SHOT
Canadian soccer fans like Bryan Carey, above, didn't get the win or draw they were watching for at The Scot's Corner in London Wednesday, but their tournament hopes aren't done yet. Canada plays South Africa in the knockout round in L.A. Sunday.
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'It's a growing sense of inequity'
Passions ran high among politicians as council considered controversial development applications, with questions raised about fairness of planning decisions across neighbourhoods. As apartment projects were denied in Stoneybrook, approved in Old North...
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RC trustees nix $421M budget plan
London District Catholic school board trustees have rejected a proposed $421-million budget that would cut nearly two dozen positions, including 19 elementary school librarians. At a meeting Monday, all eight of the board's elected trustees said they...
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LIVING IT UP
Western Engineering student Ribal Zebian is ready to move in to a modular home he built in his parents' backyard in London to test its design. Zebian eventually hopes to mass-produce the homes for about $20,000 each to assist with the housing...
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HOT STUFF
On the road to Port Stanley, there's a landmark ice cream joint that's a must-go for beachgoers heading to or from Lake Erie. Located just a short drive from the lake, south of St. Thomas along Sunset Road, Shaw's Ice Cream dairy bar needs no...
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IS THIS THE JOB FOR YOU?
Middlesex-london paramedic Samantha Dakin hopes to inspire the next generation of first responders by giving children a close look at her career through community outreach programs and appearing on the Tvokids series Trading Skills. Check out her story...
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DEAR FUTURE ME
It's a walk down memory lane for graduating Stoney Creek elementary school eighth-graders Leanne Alghouti, left, Kelsie Tiessen, Layla Salman and Noran Kenani as they open letters they wrote to themselves in Grade 1 and share photos from the time.
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SO GLAD TO BE A GRAD
Marcia Barrett-myrie, one of about 6,000 Fanshawe College graduates expected to receive their diplomas at convocation ceremonies this week, can't contain herself as she walks across the stage at Canada Life Place in London.
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FILLING THE FUN GAP
Kylee Spindler and Aliyah Salawudeen make the most of the eagerly awaited new playground at east London's Ealing elementary school. The $32,000 play place, donated by city real estate developer Royal Premier Homes, meets a long-standing need in the...
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`It felt like it was an earthquake'
A vehicle crashed into a Goodlife Fitness gym at a northwest London shopping centre Friday morning, injuring seven women, including one who was pinned under the vehicle, London's police chief says. Speaking at a news conference at Sherwood Forest...
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Ontario facing slowest growth in the nation
Ontario's economy will grow at the slowest pace among Canadian provinces in 2026, with trade tensions with the United States continuing to play a key role in the province's muted performance, a new economic think-tank forecast says. Ontario's real...
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MAKING SCIENCE REAL
For Chris Schramek, a St. Andre Bessette Catholic secondary school teacher with Type 2 diabetes, the glucose monitor on his arm isn't just how he monitors his blood sugar — it's also a tool he uses to teach his Grade 12 science students about the...
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SIMPLY UNCANNY
Yes, that's Toronto's Rogers Centre, the Blue Jays' home field, modelled in canned and other nonperishable food by a team from Ellisdon — the London-founded firm that built the real stadium in 1989 — for the Canstruction contest benefitting London Food...
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HEARTACHE AND HOPE
Sometimes, hope seems to be all that's left for friends and family of so many — including, clockwise from top left, Shelley Desrochers, Jacqueline English, Kathryn Bordato, Donna Awcock, Garnet Michael Nelson and Lois Hanna — killed or vanished in the...
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Hot-button apartment proposal takes hit
A controversial apartment proposal in northeast London has been dealt a blow, with city staff recommending its refusal as hundreds of residents formally oppose the project and some politicians withdraw their support. Royal Premier Homes proposes an an...
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MOVING EXPERIENCE
Charlie Cleaver, left, of St. George's elementary school, celebrates after moving a plane with pals Katie Melville, centre, and Lucy Mcfadzean during girls in aviation day, which drew sxith- to eighth-graders from across the region Tuesday to London...
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Bank booms despite trade tension
Canada's economy may be on shaky ground amid trade tensions with the U.S., but that's done little to slow the growth of London-based Versabank, whose founder has been named executive of the year by the Canadian Lenders Association. Less than two years...
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April housing starts rise high
Housing starts in the London area are through the roof to start the year, bolstered mainly by apartment construction, with the region adding more than 800 such units in April alone, new data show. And while the breakneck pace of housing starts is...
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THEY WON'T LAST LONG
Tiffany Decker and children Thomas, 3, and Heidi, 6, check out tasty treats purchased during Scone Fest in Arva Flour Mill's Red River Cafe Friday. The 3-day, late May celebration of the small quick breads is on track to sell 300 dozen this year, up...
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Runaway pupil's mom raps funding
It's a parent's worst nightmare. A London mother says she fears for her five-year-old son's safety after he ran away from a south London public school onto a busy street before police found him at a bus stop last week. “I am terrified to get a phone...
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PUTTING HER ALL INTO IT
Gemma Carruthers of Kingston's Frontenac secondary school puts the shot at the 2026 Special Olympics Ontario school championships at Western University's Alumni Stadium. The event, which saw about 1,000 athletes compete in five sports Tuesday and...
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THE SPRAY'S THE THING
It's not opening week at the Stratford Festival without a champagne shower, and Ali Powell was in the spray zone as the fest rolled out the red carpet Monday to kick off its 2026 season in style with a performance of The Tempest, directed by Antoni...
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SOUNDS LIKE A PARTY
London Music Week 2026 kicks off early next week, says Mario Circelli, founder and chair of the Forest City London Music Awards. For a rundown of who's being honoured and what's happening and where during the annual celebration of city musical talent,...
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TRYING THEIR HAND
Regina Mundi's Nate Leblanc and Evander Harrison smooth a sand `sidewalk' Friday as Trades Awareness Week for local pupils and students continue at LIUNA Local 1059 Training Centre at 635 Wilton Grove Rd. Anyone interested in skilled trades, training...
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GIVING HIS ALL
Matthew Prestwich, of Oakridge secondary school, releases an attempt during the para boys shot put competition on Day 1 of the WOSSAA track and field meet at Western's Alumni Stadium on Thursday. More photos at
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A TINY TERROR
When Mark Pesci went KINGSTON to brush his teeth one morning in 2024, he felt water running down his chin. “I looked up in the mirror, and half of my face was paralyzed,” Pesci said in a recent interview. “Obviously your first instinct is, `Oh no, did...
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PUMP PAIN PUSHES UP INFLATION
Sahil Malik, 22, pays $1.94 a litre at the Shell station at Oxford and Waterloo streets, adding up to $80 to fill his tank. Malik says he will have to fill up again before reaching his destination. Higher gas prices amid the war in Iran pushed overall...
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FUN IN THE SUN
A volleyball player goes up for a spike as the summer-like weather draws crowds to the Grand Bend main beach for fun and relaxation on Monday to cap off the Victoia Day weekend. The spike in temperatures will last another day before cooler spring...
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Western `wilfully blind' to extent of AI cheating, health law instructor says
A Western University professor says he believes “a large number” of nearly 300 students cheated on their final exam in a course he taught and is refusing to count it toward their final mark. Associate professor Jacob Shelley also says Western...
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IN WET PURSUIT
Hallie Turpin of Woodstock Collegiate Institute, left, clears the water jump trailing a fast-starting Jaydin Askey of Mother Teresa in the girls 2,000-metre steeplechase before winning the event at the TVRA track and field meet Thursday at Western's...
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TRADITION INTERRUPTED
It was a weekly tradition for Woodstock's Lauretta Leone and sister Audrey Hunter, of Sarnia: hike at Komoka Provincial Park, then lunch at the Little Beaver Restaurant, where they were surprised to find a `closed until further notice' sign on the door...
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BACK TO BASICS
Farrell Tremblay, artistic director of Home County Folk and Art Festival, says they've stripped this year's 50th edition down to bare essentials, starting with their stage on the grass of Victoria Park instead of in the concrete surroundings of the...
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GETTING READY TO GROW
Rain Corner grabs another tray as she trims the flowers off of impatiens at London's Civic Garden Complex greenhouse on Springbank Drive Monday. Corner said they cut the flowers off to force more growth into the plant, so they can be ready for...
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SOMETHING SPECIAL FOR MOM
Chef Jeff Enwright of Asher's Restaurant and Patio at Spencer Hotel is getting ready for the Mother's Day rush, which is shaping up as their busiest brunch yet as families across the city gear up to celebrate mom Sunday. Their buffet is one of five...
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`I'VE LOVED EVERY MINUTE'
United Way Oxford executive director Kelly Gilson, a longtime champion of Oxford County hailed as a `visionary, effective leader,' is calling it a career after 23 years with the agency. She will retire in September
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IT'S ALL YOURS
Lily Doney-smith of Beal looks to pass as she's about to hit the turf after being stopped by Tiara Codrington of Saunders during a TVRA Varsity girls rugby game at the City Wide fields on Wednesday.
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`THEIR OWN SPACE'
Jaime Caan, executive director of Fresh Start Support Services, shows off the House of Homes, a $5.3-million, three-storey apartment building with 12 transitional units for pregnant women and single moms escaping homelessness or abuse in St. Thomas and...
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TRUE PATRIOT LOVE
Teacher Robert Ponzio shows off this year's art project featuring self-portraits of East Elgin secondary schoolers showing their Canadian pride. The mural, spurred by tariff and “51st state” jibes from the U.S., graces the Aylmer Legion on its 100th...
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INK ABOUT INK
Ned Burwell, of Dorchester, is writing a history of tattooing in Canada from 1899 to the present. An exhibition of his work, including a feature on Al Newcombe, London's Illustrated Man, is part of the Toronto Tattoo Show on May 1 to 3.
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IN-DEMAND SKILLS
Larry Oudekerk shows Isabel Rusek, a student at St. Thomas Arthur Voaden secondary school, how to work sheet metal at Jill of All Trades at Fanshawe College in London Thursday. The event, introducing young women to careers in skilled trades, featured...
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City OK'S $7.2M `multi-sport' plan
The City of London is partnering with Western Fair to turn a portion of the J-AAR Expo Centre, formerly known as the Agriplex, into a new multi-purpose sporting facility, city council heard Tuesday. The project, approved by politicians during a closed...
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Sarnia police chief describes quick end to 17-day hunt for accused killer
The arrest in London of a man charged with second-degree murder in a shooting at a college campus bar in Sarnia was quick and incident-free. “For the past two weeks, our investigators have been pursuing every lead,” Sarnia Police Chief Derek Davis...
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SWING INTO SPRING
Sean Thorup, 16, of Mother Teresa secondary school, left, chuckles as Thomas Pinheiro, 16, of Lucas watches his ball go straight up in front of them. The students were learning the golf swing at Tin Cup Driving range at Adelaide Street and Windermere...
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GREAT MEALS, GREAT DEALS
We asked London's mayor, some council members, a local MPP and our newsroom where to eat well in this city for less than $20. Mayor Josh Morgan's pick? Nooner's, the 40-year-old eatery at 436 Clarence St., where Katrina Wice, above, shows off a...
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BICENTENNIAL TIDY
Zaid Hourani, Thatcher Smith and Nolan Williams pick up trash on the median between the north- and southbound lanes of Highbury Avenue south of Commissioners Road Thursday. Municipal workers descended on the litter-strewn thoroughfare for the first in...
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IT SEATS TWO, TREE IN A PINCH
Jordan Feairs places two young trees in the passenger seat well of Sandeep Karnik's classic S2000 Honda, which bucked the trend of SUVS and pickups lined up to collect some of the 2,500 native trees city staff handed out free for Earth Day at the...
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Joy, excitement and trusting God
A new bishop is taking over the Diocese of London, which serves about 450,000 Southwestern Ontario Catholics. Pope Leo XIV has appointed Rev. Daniel Miehm as the 11th Bishop of London beginning in June, replacing Bishop Ronald Fabbro, who has held the...
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HEADS UP PLAY
Banting Broncos Henry Wernham goes up to cut off a deep ball during a TVRA Varsity boys soccer game against Saunders Sabres at Western University's Alumni Field Monday.
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BRAND NEW CANADIAN
Diya Vikas, 4, smiles and waves the flag as her mom, Sruthi Trivandrum Reghunathan Sreekumari, signs her Canadian citizenship papers, one of 79 who became citizens Friday in the first such ceremony at London's central library since the COVID-19 pandemic.
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`It's more than just a church'
One of London's only historic buildings with direct connections to the Underground Railroad, and the oldest black church in the city, could be at risk as the owners apply to the city to remove its heritage status as the lot goes up for sale. The Beth...
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IN FULL BLOOM
Omar Aljbory takes a selfie with Dhoha Hamja in front of the beds of daffodils in London's Springbank Park. “We walk here nearly every week, even in the harsh winter,” Aljbory said, but spring is their favourite time: “Everything is blooming, it's so...
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SPRING BREAK
City crews repair the damage Tuesday after an early morning water main break shut down and flooded the busy Huron Street and Highbury Avenue intersection. The same main broke at Highbury and nearby Jensen Road in December.
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Manhunt follows deadly pub shooting
Sarnia's top cop had this advice for a Londoner charged in a Sarnia student pub shooting that killed a 20-year-old Sarnia junior hockey player and injured two former teammates: “Turn yourself in.” “To Mr. Doe directly, I say that every time you go to...
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