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PAGE MACQUEEN-SPENCE MAKES HISTORY Thursday, February 5, 2026
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 #1299
Thursday, February 5, 2026
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Number of residential dwelling units built increases in 2025
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A DEEP FREEZE
(WENDY LAMOND PHOTO)
Monday was not only groundhog day but was a beautiful winter morning in St. Marys. This view is looking South with mist rising up from the river.
St. Marys Fire Department to receive nearly $21,000 through provincial Fire Protection Grant Funds used to purchase additional protective gear
approved for the provincial grant for the Valentine’s GALEN SIMMONS second year in a row. Last year, West said Regional Editor the department received roughly half the Couples The St. Marys Fire Department will re- grant it will get this year, and that money Self Defense Workshop Protect the one you love — and yourself
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Building permits issued in 2025 by Town of St. Marys down from previous years
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ceive $20,900 this year through an Ontario Fire Protection Grant, which the department has allocated for the purchase of additional protective gear and equipment. At the Jan. 27 St. Marys council meeting, St. Marys Fire Chief Phil West told councillors the town’s fire department had been
was put toward equipment and gear aimed at protecting firefighters from exposures to cancer-causing chemicals. “We focused on some touch items, so we got an extra pair of gloves, a balaclava which is very big contact for firefighters where they
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Though the number of building permits issued by the Town of St. Marys dropped in 2025 compared to previous years, the town approved the construction of more residential dwelling units than it has since 2021. At the Jan. 27 St. Marys council meeting, town staff presented year-end statistics and reports for each of their departments. Town director of building and development Grant Brouwer presented an overview of his department’s building and planning work last year, telling council the town issued a total of 113 building permits. From those permits, 57 new residential dwelling units were built – seven single-family dwellings, nine townhouse units, seven accessory dwellings and 34 apartment units. “When you take a look at what happened on the building side, things were a little soft; everybody saw that, everybody knows that right across the province,” Brouwer said. “When you take a look at our housing numbers, our numbers were fairly consistent throughout the year, if not peaking above our five-year trend of 42 units a year.” While the 113 building permits issued by the town last year was the lowest number of permits issued in at least a decade, and the total
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