TOWN DECLARES IPV AN EPIDEMIC PAGE
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St. Marys Independent
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St. Marys Independent 36 Water St. S., St. Marys ON | 519.284.0041 | info@stmarysindependent.com | www.stmarysindy.com
Issue #1301
Thursday, February 19, 2026
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Pictured from left to right are four of the six 2026 Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum inductees, Jim Baba, Devon White, Kate Psota and Stubby Clapp. Paul Runge and Bill Stoneman will round out the class of 2026.
SPENCER SEYMOUR
St. Marys council gets updated funding The Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum’s (CBHFM) class of 2026 will consist of six plan for Community Commons at 14 new inductees. Former Toronto Blue Jays centre fielder Devon Church Street White will be inducted alongside national team Independent Sports Reporter
GALEN SIMMONS Regional Editor
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programming space for the library, Friendship Centre, museum and early learning services, as well as permanent space for adult learning, shared social-connection areas and flexible rooms for service clubs, arts groups and youth programming. “We need programming space for social connection and we need programming space to meet our space deficits (across all departments). … We need to have space for social services and we just need to have space for people to drop in,” Kittmer said after discussing the town’s projected growth and how it can expand and diversify recreational, cultural, leisure and social programming that appeals to and is accessible to residents of all ages
legend and current St. Louis Cardinals coach Stubby Clapp (Windsor), former Women’s National Team star Kate Psota (Burlington) and early Montreal Expos ace and later executive Bill Stoneman. Longtime Baseball Canada executive director Jim Baba (Moose Jaw, Sask.) will also be inducted posthumously. The Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame’s veterans committee has also elected former major league umpire Paul Runge (St. Catharines). The Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame’s 2026 class will be honoured in a ceremony at the Hall of Fame grounds in St. Marys on June 20. “We look forward to celebrating the outstanding careers of this year’s inductees in St. Marys this June,” said Scott Crawford, CBHFM director of operations. “Each of them, in their own way, has made a tremendous impact on the game of baseball in our country.”
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CAO promises no impact on taxpayers and roughly $1 million in long-term debt to fund the project A long-discussed plan to transform 14 Church St. N. into a multi-use community hub initially dubbed the Community Commons took a significant step forward Feb. 10 as St. Marys council received a detailed financial analysis outlining how the project could proceed without increasing the burden on the town’s tax base. The report, presented by CAO Brent Kittmer, builds on council’s August 2025 decision to pursue a vision for the former Mercury Theatre building as a flexible community space serving all ages and interests. As outlined in Kittmer’s report to council, the vision includes
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