​St. Thomas is the perfect place to shop farm to table essentials. The area has a wide variety of markets, stalls, and farms that offer fresh produce, baked goods, meat, dairy, and cupboard staples. Shopping locally is easier than you might think. Follow me through a day at the markets and see all the goods I pick up to create my own market basket composed of products that are $10 or less.

Try delicious foods from around the world this February.

Global Flavours returns for its sixth year, inviting the community to celebrate the incredible cultural diversity of St. Thomas and Elgin County. This month‑long culinary adventure, created in partnership with Railway City Tourism, Elgin County Tourism, and the St. Thomas-Elgin Local Immigration Partnership (STELIP), highlights the restaurants, bakeries, and cafés that bring global tastes to our region.

​One of Ontario’s most unique music festivals—where families and friends meet on the farm—returns for its fifth year this summer. Middle River Music Fest takes place Saturday, August 23, 2025, at Common Ground Farm, offering a day of local music, land-based connection, and family-friendly activities just outside of St. Thomas.

Described by past attendees as calming, comfortable, and the highlight of their summer, Middle River Music Fest celebrates local music and food systems. It's a festival where you’re not just in the crowd—you’re part of the community.

Founded by Amanda DeVries and Gabe Fontana, the festival began with a simple but powerful idea: to give artists a stage and bring something meaningful to this little corner of Southwestern Ontario. Five years later, that idea has grown into an annual celebration of music, local food, and togetherness—all held on a working organic vegetable farm operated by Amanda's husband, Chris DeVries.

Get ready to have your heart warmed and your community brightened! The DeafBlind Ontario Services (DBOS) yarn bombing initiative is back for another year — and it’s more vibrant than ever, thanks to a beautiful and growing partnership with the talented knitting and crocheting crew from Royal Oak Senior Living.

Try delicious foods from around the world this February. The community is invited to take part in “Global Flavours”, a joint initiative with the local tourism boards and the St. Thomas-Elgin Immigration Partnership. Visit participating cultural and/or immigrant-owned restaurants and check in using an app or a paper “passport”. If you visit at least two restaurants (or the same one twice), you’ll be eligible for the prize draw. When you can enjoy great food, support local restaurants, and win prizes, it's a win-win-win!

Global Flavours is celebrating its 5th year. It began as an initiative during the Covid-19 pandemic, when restaurants were hit particularly hard by the pandemic restrictions. February is a notably slow month for restaurants as it is, and with Covid-19, many were struggling even more. Simultaneously, we were seeing an increase in diversity in our region and wanted to celebrate the richness and vibrancy that a diversity of people (and foods) brings to our area. Thus, Global Flavours was born.

Designated as a Bee City, St. Thomas is dedicated to preserving and enhancing habitats for these essential creatures. This commitment is evident as you explore the city’s parks, gardens, and green spaces, each thoughtfully designed to support the delicate balance of our ecosystem.

Take yourself on a journey to uncover the hidden gems of pollinator habitats that dot this vibrant city, and discover how St. Thomas is leading the way in environmental stewardship and biodiversity conservation. There are incredible places to explore and discover more about the world of pollinators, how our community works to protect and expand habitats!

This self-guided exploration is definitely the most vibrant during the summer months, but taking the opportunity to visit some of your favourite spots throughout the season can offer new and different perspectives and understanding about biodiversity, local plants and pollinators.

Throughout this exploration, you'll learn more about the habitats needed for pollinators like birds, beetles, moths, bees and butterflies. These little creatures are responsible for one of every three bites of food we consume - so while they are small, they have a big impact on how we live our lives. They are vital to our food supply and need our help, and respect.

You'll also have the opportunity to learn more about native plants and why they are important to our local pollinators.  

The intention of this exploration is the highlight the implementation, conservation and restoration efforts of pollinator habitats around the community to expand understanding of these habitats and encourage exploration around the city while connecting to nature and recognizing the importance of pollinators to our ecosystems and ourselves. 

Let's go explore together!

The humble beginnings of the now “St. Thomas Cornhole league” began 6-7 years ago when some neighbors started playing in driveways and backyards. This quickly became a weekend addiction for a small group of friends on Ambleside Drive, which eventually led to Jim Dodge and myself, Jeff Halcovitch, approaching Railway City Brewery to see if they would be interested in hosting the league on Tuesday nights. We posted some ads on Facebook, and we had 15-20 players show up on the inaugural night.

Food tells us stories. Your favourite family recipe tells the story of your ancestors, passed down from generation to generation, perhaps brought from country to country, with each family member tweaking it a bit to suit their tastes and the accessible ingredients. Food also tells us stories on a broader, community level. The types of food available—the restaurants, the options in grocery stores, the crops grown in nearby fields—all tell a story about the people who live here and where they came from.

When we think about fall decor, the first thing that comes to mind is pumpkins, mums and cornstalks. Am I right? While these iconic fall pieces are lovely, there’s so much more to changing our homes for this new season than just front door displays. Our lifestyles in fall change as well and our homes can reflect that in ways that are comforting and useful.