(Prepared by your newsroom team: Brian Donlevy, Richard Robinson, Darrell MacInnis, Hal Rothenburg and John Wehrstein)
Tillsonburg -
Tillsonburg resident and Calgary Flames founder Harley Hotchkiss dies of cancer (June)
Premier Dalton McGuinty tours Siemens wind-turbine blade plant in August.
Siemens opens its wind-turbine blade plant in December.
The top three stories in Woodstock this year were:
The explosion and fire that rocked the south central core of Woodstock and took the lives of two residents. The reaction of the community to rally around residents and the outstanding service provided by every agency involved reminded townsfolk of the type of City Woodstock truly is.
After much arguing, an election battle and an attempt by the Mayor to sell the building to Fanshawe College, the Art Gallery in downtown Woodstock finally opened. Easy 101 and Country 107.3 broke the story that if the Mayor proceeded with plans to sell the building, the City would have to return more than $350,000 in infrastructure money it had received to the federal and provincial governments.
Christopher Saggau found not guilty of defacing the Victoria Park Cenotaph hours before the Remembrance Day ceremony in 2009. Justice Marietta Roberts ruled that the evidence being used by the Crown to try Saggau had been illegally obtained by Woodstock Police.
In the County:
Portraits of Heroes Tour comes to Bright. A monument in the memory of Bright native Private Tyler Todd was unveiled in front of the Bright Fire Hall.
Agreement reached on major renovations to Princeton Centennial Hall after a protracted battle over the design of the changes.
New service centre opens on eastbound 401 in South-west Oxford.
Planning started for new Emergency Services Centre in Beachville.
Taiwanese delegation visit Oxford County and Zorra Township to honour the 130th anniversary of a financial gift from the people of theTownship to Dr. G.L. McKay which he used to build Oxford College in Taiwan.
Approval was given for the Gunn's Hill wind turbine project to proceed in Norwich Township.
Renovations were completed on the Otterville pool.
New schools in Ingersoll and Mount Elgin.
Miss Canada IV leaves Ingersoll for restoration and a new home.
Oxford County school museum in Burgessville moving to Ingersoll.
Sewer and water service begins in Embro and Innerkip.
Construction complete on the five corners in Tavistock.
Regional top stories of 2011:
Other PC MPP's - Toby Barrett (Haldimand-Norfolk); Jeff Yurek (Elgin-Middlesex-London); Monte McNaughton (Lambton-Kent-Middlesex); Liberal MPP's re-elected include Brant's Dave Levac (now Mr. Speaker), Deb Matthews in London North Centre and Chris Bentley in London West. For the NDP, Teresa Armstrong was elected in London-Fanshawe.
