2025 St. Thomas Seniors Got Talent Declares Winner by Peri Hayes The 2025 St. Thomas Seniors Got Talent was celebrated last month at the St. Thomas Seniors’ Recreation Centre, showcasing the array of talents embodied by members of the community aged 55+. Presented by Nurse Next Door, St. Thomas Seniors Got Talent recently donated $2,050 to Barrie Family Hospice of Elgin. Local resident, Tom Martin, was crowned the latest victor at this anticipated event. Proudly introducing his journey, he shares, “I participated in the competition last year and ended up in the top three.” This year, Tom decided to present his vocal performance of Bring Him Home from the Broadway musical Les Misérables, incorporating lovely piano accompaniment from Ronda Seed. Tom details his reasoning for this selection: “I wanted to sing a song that would resonate with the crowd. The theme was very much influenced by my family history in the First and Second World Wars. The song at this time of year, close to Remembrance Day, drew the crowd into the lyrics.” As Tom reveals, “Music came late in life for me – in the last ten years – and to hear an audience react to my vocals was most gratifying. For many years, I had wanted to sing -- but as a young child, I had been discouraged. I went to a one-room school for eight years, and there really was not much of an opportunity to pursue music.”
As he conveys with appreciation, this undeniable passion of Tom’s is incredibly supported by his family and friends: “It was fun to have my sisters, who live away, come to the event.” Moreover, Tom is involved in a ‘practice’ band, which ga- thers on a weekly basis. He is looking forward to continuing his creative exploration with musical companions, high- lighting, “Our band is led by Brian May from Studio Arts, and we have a lot of fun trying various different songs and genres of music.” As Tom humbly expresses about his fulfilling experience competing in the St. Thomas Seniors Got Talent: “I was overwhelmed by the crowd reaction, and to see some folks shed tears was an amazing occurrence -- one certainly to be remembered.”
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Boomers and Beyond – Elgin • December 2025 Page 7
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