COUNCIL REFLECTS ON CANADA DAY PAGE
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PAGE LINCS GOLF TOURNAMENT St. Marys Independent Thursday, June 25, 2026
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St. Marys Independent 36 Water St. S., St. Marys ON | 519.284.0041 | info@stmarysindependent.com | www.granthaven.com
Issue #1319
Thursday, June 25, 2026
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Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame honours 2026 class
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SPENCER SEYMOUR Independent Sports Reporter
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CONGRATULATIONS CLASS OF 2026!
(SPENCER SEYMOUR PHOTO)
Pictured is the 2026 class of Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame inductees. From left to right are the children of Jim Baba, Melanie, Mitch and Jamie, Kate Psota, Stubby Clapp, Devon White, Paul Runge and Bill Stoneman.
FlixBus officially launches service in St. Marys with ribbon-cutting ceremony GALEN SIMMONS Regional Editor
St. Marys residents now have a new way to travel across southwestern Ontario and beyond. Town officials joined representatives from FlixBus and Stratford Mayor Martin Ritsma on June 22 for a ribbon-cutting ceremony marking the official launch of the intercity bus company’s new flag service in St. Marys.
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The service, approved by St. Marys council in May, connects the town to Stratford, Kitchener, Guelph, Toronto Pearson International Airport, Toronto Union Station and London through FlixBus’ growing Canadian network. As a flag service, buses stop in St. Marys only when passengers have booked tickets in advance. Mayor Al Strathdee called the launch an important milestone for the community. CONTINUED TO PAGE 2
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The eyes of the baseball world fell on St. Marys as the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum (CBHFM) hosted its annual induction weekend June 19-20. The first day saw the Hall of Fame Celebrity Golf Classic at the St. Marys Golf and Country Club, won by the team of Jake Watt, Kevin Thompson, Dave Shepley and Curtis Gricken with a score of 12-under-60. Those who played in the tournament then made their way to the hall of fame grounds for a dinner and banquet, with Mike Wilner, a Toronto Blue Jays writer and broadcaster, hosting discussions with the inductees. This year’s inductees included former Toronto Blue Jays centrefielder Devon White, as well as national team stalwarts Kate Psota and Stubby Clapp. Jim Baba was inducted posthumously with his family accepting the induction on Baba’s behalf. Former Montreal Expos pitcher Bill Stoneman and umpire Paul Runge rounded out the 2026 class. Hazel Mae received the 2025 Jack Graney Award, and the Randy Eklund Lifetime Volunteer Award was presented to Adam Stevens. Geoff Seto, senior manager of youth baseball development for the Toronto Blue Jays, presented a cheque for $120,000 to a delegation, including St. Marys Mayor Al Strathdee and hall of fame director of operations Scott Crawford, to refurbish local baseball diamonds in St. Marys. Read more about this year’s hall of fame induction ceremony starting on page 24 of this week’s Independent.
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