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.

​The humble baked potato has been a comfort food staple for centuries. Simple, filling, and endlessly adaptable, it's the kind of meal that shows up across cultures in one form or another. For many of us, it is often loaded with cheese, bacon, and sour cream and served as a side at a backyard BBQ or steakhouse dinner. But these versatile, nutritious powerhouse plants take on an entirely different personality depending on where you enjoy them.

From Frozen Treats to Community Staple: The Evolution of The Ice Box

When The Ice Box opened its doors in 2020 on Ross Street, the goal was simple: bring high-quality frozen yogurt to St. Thomas. Fast forward a few years, and this small business has become something much bigger—an artisan ice cream maker and, now, the official concession operator for the City of St. Thomas. It’s been a journey filled with challenges, growth, and, most importantly, a deep connection with the local community.

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.

In the heart of downtown St. Thomas, nestled among the charming historic buildings of Talbot St., a new bakery has risen to the challenge of brick-and-mortar small business ownership--Honey Cake Pastry Shop. At first glance, it's a delightful haven of artful cakes and sweet aromas, but behind the counter is a story that's even more profound than its pastries.

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!

One of my dearest friends absolutely LOVES Rachel McAdams. This friend is from Los Angeles where it's not unusual to spot celebrities pumping gas or grocery shopping (they ARE just like us, after all), so when she flew in for a visit, I knew I had to come up with a fun way to show off Rachel's hometown and make the experience of exploring St. Thomas fun and meaningful—and so, the Unofficial Rachel McAdams Hometown Tour was born. 

While the tour is based on some of Rachel's known appearances and rumoured local lore - a lot of it is a tongue and cheek quest modelled around her movies and local sights and sounds visitors to St. Thomas and the area can enjoy - with a side quest or two thrown in for good measure.

Consider grabbing some popcorn and watching through Rachel's extensive film catalogue or toss on a playlist and get touring!
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​Pretzels have a long and storied history with legends dating back to the Middle Ages, but thanks to Opa's Pretzels arrival in St. Thomas, we no longer have to experience the Dark Ages as the traditional German style soft pretzel is experiencing a bit of a Renaissance.

One pretzel tale claims in 1614 Switzerland, royal couples used pretzels in wedding ceremonies as a similar practice to wishbones. In fact, many believe this may have led to the phrase "tying the knot."

Regardless of its origins, the pretzel quickly became a staple across Europe, beloved by peasants and nobility. It wasn't just a tasty snack but a symbol of good luck and prosperity. In some regions, it was customary for children to wear pretzel necklaces on New Year's Day for good fortune.

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.