
Katherine Medlyn
With 150 vendors, last weekend's St. Thomas Home, Garden & Outdoor Living Show (March 30 to April 1) was the perfect place to source a local supplier of goods and services for home or garden renovations. Even for visitors without an upcoming project in mind, the event was a showcase of many other community organizations, businesses, people and intriguing initiatives. Read more about a few of them…
The St. Thomas Downtown Development Board filled the Doug Tarry Room with downtown businesses, many with tasty food samples. The Board has lots of new ideas for stepping up interest in downtown. They were distributing their latest newsletter outlining 2011 accomplishments, future plans and upcoming events. City Wide Clean Up takes place on Saturday April 21. The challenge is out for the entire community to participate, and the group with the largest number of volunteers and trash pick up will be eligible for one of 3 prizes.
Katherine Medlyn of Medlyn Stained Glass & Jewellery picked up the award for Most Unique Display at the show. She was on hand to promote her downtown St. Thomas shop as well as a class she will be teaching in June at STEPAC, “Mixed Media Mosaic with Broken Keepsakes.”
Katherine Medlyn of Medlyn Stained Glass & Jewellery picked up the award for Most Unique Display at the show. She was on hand to promote her downtown St. Thomas shop as well as a class she will be teaching in June at STEPAC, “Mixed Media Mosaic with Broken Keepsakes.”
the art company is a fresh new idea for those looking to express creativity and find balance. It’s the vision of Jena Downen – her recently launched website tells you more about her plans to open a creative space in fall of 2012, offering individuals “space, tools and encouragement to find peace through creativity.” Find out more at http://www.artcompany.ca/.
On Saturday morning, Jena was joined at the show by Catherine Craig, working at the potter’s wheel. Catherine is a professional visual artist who has spent over forty years exploring the media of clay and fibre, and who loves to share the possibilities and fun of creative pursuits with others. Find out more at http://catherinecraigart.blogspot.com/.
On Saturday morning, Jena was joined at the show by Catherine Craig, working at the potter’s wheel. Catherine is a professional visual artist who has spent over forty years exploring the media of clay and fibre, and who loves to share the possibilities and fun of creative pursuits with others. Find out more at http://catherinecraigart.blogspot.com/.
Above, Jena Downen (left); Jena & Catherine Craig (right).

Georgia Sifton
You may have noticed bright patches of colour beginning to appear on barns dotting the near-by rural countryside. They are part of the Southwest Ontario Barn Quilt Trail. The decorative murals based on quilt block designs are on trails which run through the Counties of Middlesex, Elgin, Oxford, Norfolk and Brant as well as the City of Brantford. They tell the stories of the communities, families and events that comprise the region’s rich heritage. In Elgin, the trail follows the footsteps of Thomas Talbot – the first mural installed was the Irish Star at the Backus-Page House, in recognition of Col. Thomas Talbot’s first settlers who arrived near there in 1809.
The project has been spearheaded by the Association of Curators, Archivists and Directors in Elgin, Oxford and Norfolk. Georgia Sifton of the Elgin County Museum encouraged visitors at the Home & Garden Show to find out more about the trail in a newly launched brochure. You can also find info at http://www.barnquilttrails.ca/.
The project has been spearheaded by the Association of Curators, Archivists and Directors in Elgin, Oxford and Norfolk. Georgia Sifton of the Elgin County Museum encouraged visitors at the Home & Garden Show to find out more about the trail in a newly launched brochure. You can also find info at http://www.barnquilttrails.ca/.

Shelly Ally & Deborah Jarvis
The Elgin Military Museum has been very busy working to bring the Ojibwa Submarine to Port Burwell. Although they have been faced with the task of fulfilling a very long list of requirements and dealing with several setbacks, they have persevered. An idea of the vision they are working toward was depicted in drawings on display at the Home Show. Shelly Ally and Deborah Jarvis from the Elgin Military Museum answered questions about the museum and Project Ojibwa. Find out more about the museum, and frequent updates on the Ojibwa Project (including info about a June golf tournament where you can support the initiative) at http://www.elginmilitarymuseum.ca/.