BLUE JAYS FEVER PAGE
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LINCS WIN WHEN IT MATTERS Thursday, PAGE October 30, 2025
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 #1286
Thursday, October 30, 2025
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St. Marys council approves downtown beautification plan during 2026 budget deliberations
SNOWBALL SCRAMBLE
Sat. Nov. 1st Tournament include 18 holes, cart, and lasagna dinner $60/ person
GALEN SIMMONS Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
THURSDAY NIGHT TRIVIA & WINGS for our last wing night of the season! Trivia starts at 6:30 p.m. CALL US FOR INQUIRIES AT
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SCARETACULAR IN STONETOWN
(EMILY STEWART PHOTO)
Angela Reid (left, as Luigi) with Jeff Hiscock, Scottie Hiscock, Leni Hiscock, Taegan Hiscock and Navy Hiscock during Scaretacular St. Marys. Turn to page 2 for a story and more photos.
Council and staff review 2026 draft capital and operating budgets in record time Proposed levy increase sits at just over four per cent after first budget meeting GALEN SIMMONS Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
ST. MARYS
THORNDALE
CHRISTMAS MARKETS BALTIC CRUISE ON DANUBE AUGUST 11-22, 2026 NOV. 26 – DEC. 5, 2026
A decision earlier this year by Mayor Al Strathdee not to use his provincially legislated Strong Mayor Powers to table his official draft 2026 budget for the Town of St. Marys until after staff proposed a draft budget and council had the chance to review it and make changes led to the most-efficient first budget meeting the town has seen for some time. Council held its first 2026 budget meet-
ing Oct. 21 and, after just under five hours, staff had presented all 79 proposed capital projects for next year, a review of the holdover projects from this year and a lineby-line examination of each department’s operational budget. By the end of the meeting, town CAO Brent Kittmer described the process that, prior to this year, often unfolded over several meetings across two to three months. “Congratulations, council. That’s the quickest in my 10 years that council’s ever CONTINUED TO PAGE 8
During St. Marys council’s first 2026 budget meeting on Oct. 21, councillors approved the first phase of a plan that will see further beautification of the town’s downtown streetscape beginning next year. Speaking to council amid capital project presentations, tourism and economic development manager Kelly Deeks-Johnson and public works director Jed Kelly described the proposed downtown beautification plan, a multi-year strategy to enhance the streetscape and public spaces in the downtown core and aimed at supporting a vibrant commercial environment and improving accessibility, walkability and visual appeal. “This is a very comprehensive report giving some history of the works that have been done for our downtown, basically since 2016 … and then also gives an indication of what we project we’ll need to do over the next 10 years in regards to service improvements and infrastructure upgrades that we want to invest in, such as new planters, some new lighting, some new seating, while trying to balance the operational costs and service levels that we are currently doing. “The recommended approach going forward is a phased implementation of our beautification projects, particularly in the downtown, with the flexibility to adjust based on budget and any grant funding coming in and overall community and BIA input.”
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