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Modern approach, traditional values. 31 Elgin St. | St. Thomas 519-631-0570 shawnjacksonfuneralhome.com
31 Elgin St. | St.Thomas | 519-631-0570 shawnjacksonfuneralhome.com
Councillor’s Corner Vacant, Not Empty: Finding the Potential Within Unused Buildings by Morgaine Griffin Vacant buildings are on a lot of minds in Port Stanley right now, and for good reason. An unused building isn’t just an eyesore. It can be a safety hazard and a missed opportunity for housing or business in a community people want to be part of. So what can a municipality actually do? Two tools are worth understanding. The first is a vacant building registry. St. Thomas recently explored one, and the concept is straightforward: vacant properties get listed. This isn’t punitive; it’s practical. When our volunteer firefighters respond to a call, knowing whether a building is occupied or empty could save lives. A registry also helps distinguish between a cottage closed for winter and a building that’s been sitting neglected for years.
Not all vacancy is the same. The second tool is a vacancy tax. Where a registry identifies, a tax motivates; an owner choosing to leave a building unused would pay into a fund that could support downtown beautification and community improvement — meaning the neighbourhood benefits regardless of what that owner decides to do. In an ideal tax policy, I envision a tax that increases the longer a building remains vacant. What’s important is that these tools neither confiscate property nor dictate how an owner must use it. I’ve been in conversation with our fire chief about what a registry would look like for Central Elgin, and I have a motion prepared for the end of June meeting. To the many residents who shared their vacant building experiences and ideas with me, thank you for helping to get this conversation started.
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Port Stanley Villager • July-August 2026 • Page 5
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