​A best friend, a love-provider, and a furball full of fun are some of the different ways canine enthusiasts use to describe their dogs. Plus, everyone knows dogs offer unconditional love, so it's up to you as a dog owners to find new ways to show that love in return! Fortunately, the team at Railway City Tourism have formulated a list of the top things you can do with your pups in St. Thomas to do just that.

Being pack animals, it's no surprise that dogs love to socialize! So why not take your pooch out to meet some new friends? There are two great dog parks in the area to do just that!

• Lions Club Dog Park - 25 Talbot Street
• Kettle Creek Dog Park - 44070 Mapleton Line

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Do you have a pooch with boundless energy? Or one who just likes to get out and smell the fresh air? Either way, dogs love long walks. Try one of these two options to help you pup stretch their legs (and yours!).

• Dalewood Conservation Area
• Whistlestop Trail

It's a hard life being a dog. Our little furry friends need some extra love and care! Try one of the many options listed to help your pup be their best selves. 

• Pampered Pooch  Salon - 10 Elgin Street
• St. Thomas Pet Salon - 25 Wilson Ave
• Dog Days Pet Salon - 64 St. George Street
• Head to Tail Chiropractic - located in the Elgin Animal Hospital
• L'Or Canine Clips & Spaws - 368 Talbot Street 

Look as good as Sadie here! Why not hire a local photographer for some special photos of your special friend? There are many beautiful locations around to capture the inner light of your bestie. 
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Need we say more? Find some special doggy goodies at these two local businesses.

• Oh My Fur and Whiskers - 257 Talbot Street
• Chick Boss Cake - 381 Talbot Street

Inverlorne House is more than just a heritage home, it houses a wealth of cultural significance and is now a popular destination for intimate live music.

Inverlorne is the stately house at the corner of Wellington and Stanley street in St. Thomas, across from the courthouse. Built in 1878, the large mansion was designed and constructed with an obvious nod to the Scottish Baronial revival neo-classical style and draws on other Victorian-era architectural approaches. ​The remarkable edifice features elaborate masonry with oak leaves and acorn motif, pillars, and peaked turrets.

*please note: Inverlorne is currently privately owned and is only open to the public for special live music occurrences. If you would like to keep in the loop about upcoming shows, contact their facebook page here.

​Inverlorne received heritage designation under the Ontario Heritage Act in February 2014. The private residence’s designation means it is protected under Act. Any future construction or restoration projects must preserve the historical look and feel of the structure. The recognition isn’t meant to prevent change from happening but aims to regulate how changes will be made and what they will look like.

​​Receiving heritage designation involves:

1. Recognizing the importance of a property to the local community
2. Protecting the property’s cultural heritage value
3. Encouraging good stewardship and conservation
4. Promoting knowledge and understanding of the property

​Some other notable designated heritage properties in St. Thomas include the Old St. Thomas Church, CASO Station, and the Elgin County Courthouse.
More info: www.stthomas.ca/visiting_us/heritage_properties

This landmark at 1 Wellington Street was built by the educator, politician, and businessman, Archibald McLachlin, who immigrated to Canada from Scotland in 1847. McLachlin was mayor of St. Thomas, a founder of Alma College and the publisher of the Canadian Home Journal. He was also involved in the development of the Canada Southern Railway. ​

The McLachlin house now boasts a metal marker to signify its contribution to the social, cultural and architectural heritage of St. Thomas.

Set in the library at Inverlorne is a unique live music venue for intimate and other-worldly shows. Join Railway City Tourism on May 18th 2019 for the After Dark: Inverlorne Edition. 

​Nathan Bishop MacDonald was born and raised in Cape Breton, Nova Scotia and is an eclectic singer/songwriter/multi-instrumentalist. He performs traditional and contemporary folk music drawing on the Celtic roots of his native island and composes songs that mix folk with pop, roots rock, soul and blues.

​Nathan was the primary songwriter in the popular Ottawa Celtic group, Celtae. His song Merchant Marine has been covered by many other acts and was used as the theme song for the CBC Radio documentary On Convoy. Nathan released an AAA/Rock album under his middle name entitled Nathan Bishop - Lovers, Leavers and Believers. The album reached number 15 on iTunes Canadian male singer/songwriter chart and his song, Without You, featured on that album was a finalist in the Americana category of the International Songwriting Competition.

In both his songwriting and in his performing, the London, Ontario-based award-winning solo artist Ben Heffernan displays a maturity well beyond his 18 years of age. Over the past four years, Heffernan has worked hard to hone his performance skills, playing over 150 shows around Canada, sharing the stage with artists such as Justin Nozuka and Donovan Woods. His second EP “Home” was nominated for a Canadian Folk Music Award in September 2018. Heffernan then contributed a cover of Tom Petty's Angel Dream to the “Canada Covers Tom Petty” Spotify playlist, which featured artists such as Matt Mays, Terra Lightfoot, and Royal Wood.

​Join us for this exclusive and intimate evening in the Library of Inverlorne House. Take in live music from these talented artists starting at 7:00pm, tickets price includes entry and appetizers.

Saturday May 4th is FREE COMIC BOOK DAY and Downtown St. Thomas is ready to celebrate in Superhero style!
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Free Comic Books will be available* at Fan of the Sport, Railway City Tourism, St. Thomas Public Library, Dark Matter and Submariner Tales in St. Thomas and our friends at The Elgin County Library will have also have comics available at their branches.

Soar into Downtown with your PASSPORT from 10am - 2pm and visit participating businesses for treats or a contest draw. 

Visit at least 10 of the participating businesses to be entered to win one of three $50 prizes of Downtown Dollars! Passports can be left at your last stop or delivered to Railway City Tourism before 4 pm.

​Print your PASSPORT at home before heading out.

Dress up as your favourite superhero for added fun! You never know who you might run into downtown for photos opportunities!

Participating Businesses:

• Why Not Cookies - 373 Talbot St.
• ​Century Chocolates - 483 Talbot St.
• Submariner Tales - 488 Talbot St.
• Yurek Pharmacy - 519 Talbot St.
• Limitless Tattoo - 529 Talbot St.
• The Brow Boss...and all that Jazz - 529 Talbot St.
• St. Thomas Public Library - 153 Curtis St.
• Fan of the Sport - 571 Talbot St.
• Railway City Tourism - 605 Talbot St.
• Medlyn Studio - 643 Talbot St.
• Myrtle - 691 Talbot St. 
• CTP Computers - 707 Talbot St. 
• Bulk Barn - 730 Talbot St.
• Steamliners Espresso Bar - 767 Talbot St.
• Vesta Shop - 797 Talbot St.
• Ohtera - 797 Talbot St. Unit 3
• Dotsy's - 111 Ross St.
• Dark Matter Toys & Collectibles - 127 Ross St.
• Seed Confections - 159 Ross St.

​Follow along with the event page for more details and updates!
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Calling all foodies! Try a #tasteofstthomas...

This April, a time known in some circles as "pre-Spring Spring" we encourage all to engage in our Railway City Soup Challenge! We are lucky to have an amazing selection of local eateries that offer a variety of soups made from scratch. So before the weather gets too warm, why not try a few for a chance to win?

Print our passport, pick up at one of the eateries, or simply take photos of the soup you eat to show us! Slurping encouraged, but optional.

STREAMLINERS ESPRESSO BAR
Streamliners may be one of St. Thomas' leading coffee houses, but the team also offers a food based menu to its customers. Their soup options are crafted freshly from scratch daily. One example of their soup flavours is their potato bacon soup.

Visit Streamliners at 767 Talbot Street this April, open daily, for a chance to enter the challenge!
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HARVEST EATS
Harvest Eats is a local eatery with many delicious menu options, all made with the most local ingredients possible. They offer a different soup daily, one being their Broccoli Cheddar. Better yet, all soup options presented by Harvest Eats are completely made from scratch!

​Visit Harvest Eat’s at 481 Talbot Street Rear Unit Entrance on Hiawatha, during lunch hours Wednesday-Friday for a truly local taste!
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THE BISTRO
​The Bistro is a local restaurant with a menu designed to satisfy and their soups are no different. Their cheddar and ale soup stands out featuring locally brewed Railway City beer in the mix. Fresh ingredients, and a focus on starting from scratch is of the utmost importance.

Located at 625 Talbot Street, and open daily, be sure to try one of their soups for the challenge!
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RAIL CITY BISTRO
Rail City Bistro makes everything from scratch, including soup, using as many local ingredients as possible. Their soup of the day is always a surprise, but the creamy tomato and herb bisque that's always on the menu is fantastic.

​Find them at 599 Talbot Street, open Tuesday-Sunday and don't miss one of their soups for the Challenge!

April 1-6 | Patrick Thibert | St. Thomas Elgin Public Art Centre
April 1st | Elgin Writers Guild | St. Thomas Public Library
​April 12th | Sparks + Splatter Retreat | Wildflowers Farm
April 13th | Spring Flowers Watercolour | Romantic Designs
April 13-30 | 50 Years Selections | St. Thomas Elgin Public Art Centre
April 17th | Red Cardinal Acrylic class | Romantic Designs
April 22nd | Pouring With Ellie | Railway City Brewing
April 27th | April Showers class | Romantic Designs
April 25-28 | Maggie's Getting Married | Princess Ave Playhouse
April 27th | Fish Tails Sculpture class | Romantic Designs

April 2nd | Sourdough Bread Demonstration | Harvest Eats
April 5th (every Friday) | Bonjour & Yum | Railway City Brewing
April 6th | Seed Confections 1 year | Seed Confections
April 13th | Sourdough Bread Experience | Harvest Eats

April 1st | Tundra Swan line | 10594 Hacienda Rd, Aylmer 
​April 2nd (every Saturday) | Euchre Club ​| St. John's Anglican
April 3rd | Brewery Bootcamp | Railway City Brewing
April 4th | Ready Set Grow | CASO Station
April 4th | Lioness Quartermania | Port Stanley Arena
​April 6th | Shoot Out For Stigma | Joe Thornton Centre
April 7th | Mud Dog Run | Springwater Conservation
April 11th | Game of Thrones Trivia | Railway City Brewing
April 12th | Dirty Bingo | Railway City Brewing
April 12th | Spellbound | St. Anne's Centre
April 17th | Quarter Auction | St. John's Anglican

April 2nd (every Saturday) | Trole Brothers | Lotus Thai
April 5th | Rotary Music Festival Keynotes | Central United
April 5th | Open Mic Night | Streamliners Espresso Bar
​April 5th | Dave Gunning | Princess Ave Playhouse
April 6th | Chicago Transit | Port Stanley Festival Theatre
April 13th | Sarah Smith with guests The Marrieds | Princess Ave Playhouse
April 13th | Village Band Concert | Elgin Heritage Centre
April 19th | Bach Mass In B-Minor | Centre Street Baptist 
April 28th | Sunday Afternoon Concert Series | Central United

​April 2nd | Family Game Night | St.Thomas Public Library
April 19th | Easter Egg Hunt | Port Stanley Terminal Rail
April 20th | Kinsmen Easter Egg Hunt | Pinafore Park