Location
St. Thomas, Ont. is located in Southwestern Ontario – south of London, and between the Sarnia and Windsor U.S. borders and Toronto. The town is located along the provincial 401 highway.
Housing Market
In 2017, 901 homes were sold in the city of St. Thomas at an average price of $261,481. This is a 7 per cent increase from 2016 and a 49 per cent increase in the last five years. In total, there were 1,006 new residential listings to the St. Thomas area and it took an average of just over one month for each house to sell. At any given time, there was an average of 93 homes for sale in the area each month. The total value of homes sold in the region was over 235 million dollars.
History
The city of St. Thomas was settled in 1810 and incorporated in 1852. It has a population of 39,000. Since 1856, the railway has been a major part of the city’s history — so much so that St. Thomas is known as the “Railway Capital of Canada”. With 26 railways having passed through the region, the city created the Elgin County Railway Museum in 1988 to restore the railway heritage of the area.
Local Attractions & Culture
St. Thomas has a number of local attractions that bring in tourists year round. The Horton Farmers’ Market has been an integral part of the community since 1878 with local produce and artisans from across Elgin County.
The Elgin Military Museum commemorates the soldiers and battles that have affected the St. Thomas region over the past 200 years. Exhibits include the HMCS Ojibwa Tours where visitors can see what it was like during the Cold War and the Jumbo the Elephant showcase. The Jumbo the Elephant statue stands at the Talbot Street parking lot of the museum to commemorate the largest elephant to ever be held in captivity. Jumbo was killed in 1185 when he was struck by an unscheduled freight train, and the city of St. Thomas built the monument in 1985 — in the 100th year anniversary to remember the city’s beloved gentle giant.
St. Thomas has an astonishing 457 acres of space across 35 parks — two of the most notable being Pinafore Park and Waterworks Park. A number of festivals and activities including Music in the Park and Movies in the Park are hosted throughout the summer months.
Sports & Education
St. Thomas has four high school, Arthur Voaden Secondary School, Central Elgin Collegiate Institute and Parkside Collegiate Institute and St. Joseph’s High School. Fanshawe College has a satellite campus in the city as well. The St. Thomas Raceway Park is a drag racing course for both professional and amateur leagues.
If you’re interested in living in the St. Thomas area and are looking for local mortgage rates, be sure to reach out to me directly to discuss your options.
