With the onset of the new year just over a week distant, St Thomas Mayor Joe Preston is looking to revive a once-popular tradition in St. Thomas and elsewhere.
Not that many years ago, there used to be numerous New Year’s Levees held on Jan. 1.
They are social events on New Year’s Day, hosted by the Governor General of Canada, the lieutenant governors, military establishments, municipalities, and other institutions like the Royal Canadian Legion.
The first recorded levée in Canada was held on January 1, 1646.
Former St. Thomas Mayor and Elgin-Middlesex-London MPP Steve Peters fondly remembers attending as many as four levees on New Year’s Day.
Preston’s levee, to be known as the Mayor’s Winter Levee, will be held on Jan. 10 at the Horton Farmer’s Market and he tells myFM what he envisions at the event.
It’s the ideal time to reflect back on 2025 and look ahead down the road at St. Thomas in the new year, enthuses Preston.
Preston assures there will not be any formal speeches or presentations, it is simply an opportunity to meet with municipal representatives and speak with them in a casual setting.
The Mayor’s Winter Levee will run from 9:30 a.m. until noon, Jan. 10 at the Horton Farmer’s Market.
Light refreshments will be available from market vendors, while supplies last.
Written by Ian McCallum
