St. Thomas (Ontario)

[[file:Arabic MixedGrill_banner.jpg|1280px|pgname=Halal Explorer to St. Thomas}} St Thomas City Hall National Historic Site of Canada - St. Thomas City Hall, designated a National Historic Site

St. Thomas is a city of about 39,000 people (2023) near London in Southwestern Ontario.

St. Thomas (Ontario) Halal Travel Guide

History

Europeans settled in the area in 1810. St. Thomas was named after Thomas Talbot who helped promote the development of this region during the early 19th century. The founder of the settlement that became St. Thomas was Capt. Daniel Rapelje, descendant of a Walloon family settled in New Amsterdam, now New York City, at its inception in the 17th century. In 1820, Rapelje, divided his land into town lots suitable for a village. Rapelje owned the New England Mill, and donated two acres of land for the building of Old St. Thomas Church.

In the late 19th century and early 20th century, several railways were constructed through the city, and St. Thomas became an important railway junction. 26 railways have passed through the city since the first railway was completed in 1856. In the 1950s and 1960s, with the decline of the railway as a mode of transportation, other industries began to locate in the city, principally primary and secondary automotive manufacturing.

In 1824, Charles Duncombe and John Rolph established the first medical school in Upper Canada, in St. Thomas, under the patronage of Colonel Thomas Talbot. Duncombe's house now forms part of the Elgin Military Museum complex.

St. Thomas' late 19th- early 20th century architecture includes the Elgin County Court House, Wellington Street public school, Balaclava St. School, Elmdale School and its city hall, most designated legacy properties and all designed by former resident Neil R. Darrach.

Travel to St. Thomas (Ontario)

St. Thomas is accessible via provincial Highway 3 and Highway 4 and the latter of which provides access to London, Highway 401 and Highway 402.

The nearest intercity bus and train stations are 30 kilometers away in London (Ontario), and there is no local bus service to St. Thomas.

The city is served by the St. Thomas Municipal Airport (YQS), just east in the Municipality of Central Elgin. There are no scheduled flights and the airport is used for general aviation only.

Get Around

Travel on a Bus in St. Thomas (Ontario)

St. Thomas Transit provides paratransit, and 6 routes of conventional bus service through the Central Transfer Point at 1063 Talbot Street (Wal-mart). Monday to Friday 7:15AM Monday - 6:45PM, and Saturday 9:15 AM Monday - 6:45PM. There is no transit service on Sundays or statutory holidays. The cash fare (exact change) is $2.75 (July 2018).

Best way to travel in St. Thomas (Ontario) by a Taxi

• Red Line Taxi, +1 519-631-1200
• Cox Cabs Ltd, +1 519-631-1800
• Dockside Cabs, +1 519-782-3855

What to See

Jumbo_St_Thomas - Life-sized Jumbo statue

• Jumbo the Elephant Monument - Jumbo_St_Thomas - 76 Talbot Street 42.7788830, -81.2081770 - Jumbo - Street Thomas is where the famous elephant, Jumbo, met his death in 1885, when he was hit and killed by a train - you can see the statue commemorating this even at the west end of town.
• The Old English Church - Walnut Street 42.7770427, -81.2058370 - The oldest church in the area. Surrounded by the graveyard, it sits in the older section of town, undisturbed by the modernization going on around it.
• The Elgin Military Museum

| 30 Talbot Street (corner of Pleasant St.) ☎ +1 519-633-7641 Opening Hours: Tuesday to Friday 1PM Monday - 5PM, Saturday 9AM Monday - noon & 1PM Monday - 5PM, Sunday 2PM Monday - 4PM (July 1 to Labour Day) Adults $5, children $1 - From 1812 to yesterday. The museum is easily accessed from Sunset Drive (old Hwy 4). The famous Jumbo the Elephant statue is a two-minutes stroll east of the museum.

• The Elgin County Railway Museum - @.org 225 Wellington Street - 42.77689, -81.18298 ☎ +1 519-637-6284 | Opening Hours: Late May to early September: Tuesday - Sunday 10AM Monday - 4PM; early September to md-October: W-Sa noon-4PM; mid-Oct to late May: Saturday noon-4PM or by appointment Adult $8, senior or student $7, child $3, child 3 and under free. Housed in the historic Michigan Central Railroad Shop. A massive model train layout simulating life in the mid 20th century. The display models the operations of Southern Ontario Railways between Windsor and Niagara Falls when steam, diesel, and electric railways were all competing. The museum collection to date comprises steam, diesel and electric engines, cabooses, baggage cars and wagons, jiggers, hand cars and thousands of pieces of railway ephemera. The museum is accessible to people with mobility needs - please reserve in advance.
• Canada Southern Railway Station and North America Railway Hall of Fame - 750 Talbot Street ☎ +1 519-633-2535 Opening Hours: Monday to Friday 9AM Monday - 4:30PM - Canada Southern Railway Station - Completed in 1873, it made St. Thomas part of a continent-wide rail system that brought growth and prosperity to this community. Tours will take you to the waiting rooms, dining room and second floor administrative headquarters. You will view artifacts of the station, learn about the station’s history, find out about some of its famous visitors, and learn about the North America Railway Hall of Fame inductees. Tours should be pre-booked and are on a donation basis. Gift shop is open Monday to Friday 9AM Monday - 4PM.

Things to Do

• Waterworks Park - 2 South Edgeware Road ☎ +1 519-633-7112 - 5000 plantings of flowering annuals among ornamental shrubbery surround the neatly-tended lawns, banks, and unique bridges. Kingfisher, Blue Heron, Osprey, Red-tailed Hawk, and American Kestrel are residents. Arched foot bridges join a chain of tiny islands where turtles, goldfish, and other wildlife are found swimming amongst exotic water lillies. A large playground, and a splash pad whoch is open in July and August. Nature and ski trails.

Elevated Park GPS 42.77820,-81.21173 get in from Pleasant Street ☎ |tollfree Elevated_Park_St_Thomas - hours= - free. The old railroad bridge has been converted into a park with plants, benches and sculptures

Muslim Friendly Shopping in St. Thomas (Ontario)

Giant Tiger - downtown Talbot Street GPS 42.77864,-81.18645. discount store

Halal Restaurants in St. Thomas (Ontario)

• Legends Tavern 600 Talbot Street GPS 42.7787571,-81.1912433 ☎ +1 519-637-1567 - Hours: Sunday - West 11AM Monday - midnight, Thursday - Saturday 11AM Monday - 2AM - $15 mains. Sports bar with solid pub food
• New Sarum Family Restaurant - 46230 New Sarum Line ☎ +1 519-773-3101 Opening Hours: Daily 8AM Monday - 9PM - Elgin County's oldest diner. Chicken, Steaks, ribs, Pasta. stir fry, burgers.
• Bella Jack's - 437 Talbot Street ☎ +1 519-637-6247 Opening Hours: Sunday - Thursday 11:30AM Monday - 9PM, Friday Saturday 11:30AM Monday - 10PM - Mexican.
• Le Cafe Siam - 392 Talbot Street ☎ +1 519-637-2287 Opening Hours: Monday to Friday 11AM Monday - 2PM and 5PM Monday - 9PM, Saturday 5PM Monday - 9PM - (Thai).
• Country Charm Cafe - 310 Wellington Street 42.7745546, -81.1751891 ☎ +1 519 633 8181 Opening Hours: Tuesday - Sunday 7AM Monday - 2PM - Breakfasts, lunches $10 Seniors' special including soup. Cash only.

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• Quai du Vin Grapes - 45811 Fruit Ridge Line ☎ +1 519-775-2216| Opening Hours: Wine store open year round Monday to Saturday 10AM Monday - 5PM, Sunday noon-5PM; tours available most Saturdays - call ahead - Just outside Street Thomas.

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• Railway City Brewing Company - 130 Edward Street 42.7863593 , -81.1693392 ☎ +1 519-631-1881 | Opening Hours: Tours: Tuesday West 4PM Monday - 6PM, Thursday - Friday 4PM Monday - 7PM, Saturday noon-6PM, Sunday noon-3PM Tour only $5 per person, organic juice samples (4 x 3oz pours) $8 per person, tour & samples $10 per person - Brewery tours available, with samples of their ales including Iron Spike Blonde, Iron Spike Amber, and Dead Elephant Ale.

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