Consolidated Courthouse
On October 30, 2009, the Province of Ontario announced that the historic Elgin County Courthouse on Wellington Street, St. Thomas was chosen to be the site of the new and modern consolidated court facility.
The new courthouse brings together the Ontario Court of Justice and the Superior Court of Justice under one roof. The courts were previously located at 8 Wellington Street (temporarily moved to Silver Street) and at 145 Curtis Street, St. Thomas.
Highlights of the project include:
- A new multi-story building with space to accommodate eight courtrooms and three conference/settlement rooms
- Will be fully accessible to people with disabilities
- Will provide enhanced security and safety for court users
- Commitment by the government to meet the Canada Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Silver standard, incorporating environmentally sustainable construction practices and energy efficient design
- An extensively refurbished historic Elgin County Courthouse and former Land Registry Office will be incorporated into the new consolidated courthouse
- Reinstatement of heritage art and artifacts including the large and completely restored 1852 coat of arms in the heritage courtroom
Construction started in July 2011 and was completed in early 2014. The official reopening of the courthouse took place on March 18, 2014.
The Atrium inside the Courthouse
Photo Credit: Anthony Lue Tam, Architect, Ministry of the Attorney General, AFP Courthouse Projects Office
Exterior of the Courthouse
Photo Credit: Anthony Lue Tam, Architect, Ministry of the Attorney General, AFP Courthouse Projects Office
Heritage Courtroom
Photo Credit: Anthony Lue Tam, Architect, Ministry of the Attorney General, AFP Courthouse Projects Office
New Jury Courtroom
Photo Credit: Anthony Lue Tam, Architect, Ministry of the Attorney General, AFP Courthouse Projects Office
Ribbon Cutting
Left to right: Tori McKillop, Integrated Team Solutions; Jeff Yurek, MPP, Elgin-Middlesex-London; Dave Marr, Elgin County Warden; John Gerretsen, Attorney General; Heather Jackson, Mayor, St. Thomas; Joe Preston, MP, Elgin-Middlesex-London; Steve Peters, former MPP, Elgin-Middlesex-London and former Speaker of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario
Photo Credit: Aylmer Express
Time Capsule Committee
Left to right: Mike Lang, EllisDon; Steve Peters, former MPP, Elgin-Middlesex-London and former Speaker of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario; Mike Baker, Curator, Elgin County Museum; Wendell Graves, City of St. Thomas; Brian Masschaele, Committee Chair, County of Elgin; Melissa West, Ministry of the Attorney General and Carol Bradley, Ministry of the Attorney General.
Photo Credit: Aylmer Express
Placing the Time Capsule
Brian Masschaele placing the time capsule in the historic corner stone, with Jeff Yurek, MPP Elgin-Middlesex-London and John Gerretsen, Attorney General.
Photo Credit: Aylmer Express
Additional information and reading:
Archived News Release "Heritage Site Chosen for St. Thomas Consolidated Courthouse", October 30, 2009
Infrastructure Ontario (check bottom for additional PDF newsletters)
News Release St. Thomas Consolidated Courthouse Project June 15, 2011