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Tillsonburg POST
MARCH 5, 2026
VOLUME 2 • ISSUE 22
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Coldest Night of the Year nears fundraising goal JEFF HELSDON Editor
There was excitement in the air in the Tillsonburg Community Centre Lion’s Auditorium as participants in the Coldest Night of the Year prepared to walk to raise money to aid homelessness locally. The third annual fundraiser, coordinated by United Way of Oxford in Tillsonburg, sees all proceeds going to Tillsonburg Lighthouse, a transitional housing initiative that helps the homeless. “What you’re doing here tonight will make a difference for your neighbours, your town and your community,” United Way of Oxford Executive Director Kelly Gilson told those in the audience before they set out. Oxford MP Arpan Khanna told the crowd there are 2.5 million Canadians who rely on food banks monthly, and there is a 10 per cent increase in homelessness. He said local initiatives like this help communities. “Every step you take, every dollar you raise is going to make someone’s winter a little warmer,” he said. Deputy Mayor Dave Beres continued on that theme, noting he woke up that morning in a warm house. “There’s more than 85,000 people that don’t have that luxury, just think about that,” he said. The real motivator was a man who was a resident of Tillsonburg Light House. He went four years without finding a job and was struggling before living in Tillsonburg Light House. “This program helped me so much, I’m getting back on my feet again,” he said. Gilson said since it opened in May 2023, 31 people have gone through Tillsonburg Light House. All who have finished have gone on to stable, independent housing and have been equipped with “everything they need to have an amazing future story.”
COLDEST NIGHT OF THE YEAR
(JEFF HELSDON PHOTO)
Sporting their toques as individual fundraisers who collected $150, participants in the Coldest Night of the Year set out on their walk on Saturday afternoon. The fundraiser for Tillsonburg Light House was only a few hundred dollars from its goal as of press time. Story on left and more photos on page 22.
Minor variance approved to allow McDonalds on Broadway JEFF HELSDON Editor
A minor variance for a McDonalds restaurant on north Broadway was approved by council with amendments after neighbouring residents raised concerns. The application from McDonalds Restaurants Canada was for relief from a bylaw restricting the restaurant's queue spaces from abutting a residential zone
at 693 Broadway. The 1.1-acre property currently contains a single-family dwelling. Council heard the application at its Feb. 21 meeting, where planner Amy Hartley explained the proposed design is for a drive-through wrapping around the building. She recommended a 2.4-meter noise barrier on the west and rear property lines to mitigate the noise. She also noted that the lights from the restaurant shouldn’t be an issue once the walls are up. CONTINUED TO PAGE 2
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