Business View Civil and Municipal | Volume 2, Issue 9

114 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 2, ISSUE 9 CENTRAL ELGIN, ONTAR IO major draw for people visiting the area. We’ve done a lot of work in the last few years on the waterfront which has made the walk around the harbor extremely attractive – that’s one of the exciting things we’re working on now.” The Municipality of Central Elgin was created in 1998 when Elgin County amalgamated the Township of Yarmouth and the Villages of Belmont and Port Stanley. Central Elgin now includes 13 unique communities that span from Port Stanley on the shores of Lake Erie to Belmont, more than 30 kilometres to the north. The City of St. Thomas is the largest urban centre near the municipality, the next closest is London, Ontario. Central Elgin is largely rural and agricultural- based, which makes it a great place to get fresh local fruit and veggies at one of many farmers’ markets. One big draw is the Quai Du Vin Estate Winery that brought a lot of people to their events before COVID, something they are hoping to continue again this fall. The population was last registered at about 12,000 people, but the municipality has had a boom in growth and Martyn thinks it’s now closer to 14,800 residents. Port Stanley is one of their largest communities with more than 2,000 permanent residents. The waterfront redevelopment project is one of Central Elgin’s top priorities, since the municipality procured more of the waterfront in Port Stanley from Transport Canada in 2010. Port Stanley used to be home to a large trade port where wood and other goods were shipped and received to and from the United States. Today the harbor supports a commercial fishery, sport fishing, and boating. The municipality has created a park on one side, called Papa’s Park, and will create another across the harbor connected by the waterfront trail. Central Elgin also spent more than $65,000 to bring the tourist lighthouse and pier up to code and make it safe for people to use after taking ownership of it from the federal government in 2016, which Serving Southern Ontario Since 1982 J-AAR EXCAVATING, AAROC AGGREGATES, CONCRETE FORMING 1980, DUTCH BROTHERS READY MIX, ORANGE ROCK DEVELOPMENTS AND AAROC EQUIPMENT. The John Aarts Group has become one of the largest construction products and services firms in the region and is proud to be celebrating its 40th Anniversary in 2022. The Group has a well-earned reputation as one of Ontario’s largest providers of integrated construction services, through its various divisions: J-AAR Excavating, AAROC Aggregates, CONCRETE FORMING 1980 and DUTCH BROTHERS READY MIX. Most importantly, the John Aarts Group is strongly committed towards health and safety as well as the protection of the environment on all projects. J-AAR Excavating has extensive experience in a variety of established services from excavating to paving and civil works and has achieved its success by establishing an unparalleled record of flexibility and dependable service. J-AAR Excavating holds a Certificate of Authorization for the provision of engineering services and have performed several design/ build development projects, with full responsibility for the design, approvals and permits for the civil components. CONCRETE FORMING works closely with developers and architects and specializes in multi-level residential and commercial buildings and is currently constructing the tallest building in London, Ontario at 40 stories high. DUTCH BROTHERS READY MIX has the largest mixer fleet and wet- batch concrete plant in the London area and specializes in large scale residential, commercial, or civil infrastructure to small DIY home projects. AAROC AGGREGATES is one of Ontario’s leading aggregate suppliers of aggregate products from large scale infrastructure developments to DIY projects. AAROC AGGREGATES has multiple locations in Southwestern Ontario, including one in Elgin County, and will celebrate its 35th Anniversary in 2022. Working together with City Engineers, Municipalities, Inspectors, Sub- Contractors, Residents and the Public, our focus is on completing projects in a timely, cost-efficient manner without sacrificing quality or customer service and delivering exceptional value to our customers and to our corporation. The John Aarts Group looks forward to continuing a strong working relationship with Central Elgin and all Ontario communities in assisting with their future growth and development. ...... For more information, please visit our website www.johnaartsgroup.com