More than 160 years of community newspapers from Elgin County are going online, making the stories, advertisements and images readily available to anyone curious to learn about days gone by.

Archivists have secured funding to digitize 36 different newspapers from St. Thomas, Alymer, Dutton, and places in between, with the first printed paper dating back to 1853.

The St. Thomas Weekly Dispatch, billed as Canada West's conservative newspaper, was published until 1876 and is the oldest offering now available online. The Rodney Mercury, another paper that first appeared in 1887, is another gem that showcases the past.

"I find it so interesting because you'll see a photograph, and then you can check the records and find out about a family. I'm also interested in the crime stories that you see," said Gina Dewaele, assistant archivist at the Elgin County Archives.

You can read more at: https://bit.ly/3CYbsWJ