Plain language summaries of what St. Thomas city council decided this month, written from
the city's official meeting documents and reviewed, edited, and approved by our editor
before publishing. How our newsroom works →
Yarmouth Yards is the biggest infrastructure project this city has ever taken on, and council got a closer look at how it all gets paid for. The short version is that about $833 million is expected to come from outside sources, and current forecasts say your property taxes and utility rates should not need to go up to cover the debt payments. The new Dalewood Water Reclamation Facility alone is projected to cost around $440 million and should be done by 2030.
A new study projects your city's population will hit 79,500 over the next 30 years, and that means roughly 15,000 more housing units will be needed. To make room, the city is looking at adding about 283 hectares of residential land, which could mean expanding the settlement boundary. This work will feed into the Official Plan Update, so it shapes where new neighbourhoods actually get built.
Crime Is Down, and Your Transit Feedback Was Heard#
The city's Crime Severity Index dropped 6.1 percent in 2025 compared to the year before, which is a sign things are trending in the right direction on public safety. On transit, 244 residents filled out a survey this spring and the top asks were later evening service, more frequent routes, and better connections to London. A second survey is coming this fall where you can weigh in on what the actual service changes might look like.
City council is the elected body that sets the city's budget, decides what gets built where,
and passes the bylaws that shape daily life in St. Thomas. Regular meetings are held in the
Council Chambers at City Hall on the first, second and third Monday of each month at 5:00 p.m.,
with changes around holidays and a lighter schedule in the summer.
Meetings are open to everyone. Full agendas, staff reports and minutes are published on the
City of St. Thomas website,
and residents who want to speak to council about an issue can register as a delegation through
the City Clerk's office.
After each meeting the city publishes a Keeping Track highlights document. LocVox turns it into
the plain language summaries on this page, and every summary is reviewed and approved by our
editor before it appears here. More about how we work →
