This year’s London Cycle Link ride will go through six different neighborhoods, including two new additions: old south and SoHo Laura Galvis Daza said the organizer of the event.

“Our mission is to celebrate the bicycle,” Galvis Daza said. “To encourage active transportation and pedestrian-first and cycling infrastructure in London.”

The ride will also showcase major biking projects along Central Ave, Colborne, Ridout Street, and the newly opened Victoria Street Bridge, Galvis Daza said. As well to enjoy the historical infrastructures the city has to offer.

“Streets are meant for people. It’s pedestrians, cyclists, motorists, all abilities young and old, and we need to continue finding ways to share our streets” she said.

The idea for the slow roll began in 2022, when the Forest City Cycling Challenge approached London Cycle Link after seeing similar events in other cities and proposed a partnership.

London Cycle Link is a charitable organization that helps Londoners ride more. It was established in 2013, then launched a community bike repair shop in 2017, and added an education program in 2021. They advocate for safer streets at all levels of government and nurture a thriving cycling culture in London, Galvis Daza said.

“It’s a lot of work setting up an event like this, especially in downtown London. It took about seven months to organize,” said Galvis Daza.

First annual forest city slow roll event (Credit: Felix Longpre)

The event runs from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m., with the ride starting at 3 p.m. on Dundas Street between Ridout and Talbot Street.  Riders are encouraged to dress up. Food trucks, prizes, and activities will be available before and after for all those who register online.

Due to the amount of work involved, there is no rain date. Organizers say the event will proceed in all weather, with tents available if needed.

Currently there’s more than 300 participants with a capacity of 500 riders. Registration is free online for those interested.

Galvis Daza also thanked all sponsors, volunteers, vendors, and riders for making the event possible.

Twelve people have been displaced as a result of this week’s fire at a north London townhouse complex, firefighters said.

The blaze damaged three units from the complex on Silverbrook Drive, but could have been worse if not for working smoke detectors, the London  Fire Department (LFD) said in a post on social media.

Fire crews responded to multiple 911 calls early Wednesday morning, firefighters said. When they arrived around 1 a.m., firefighters saw multiple units flames and smoke pouring out of mutltiple unites in the back of one of the homes.

“Firefighters acted quickly to knock down the fire and successfully limit the extension to the adjacent units,” London Fire Department said in a post on X.

No civilians were reported injured, but one firefighter sustained minor injuries, LFD. The cause of the fire has not been determined but is under investigation, firefighters said.

“Today’s townhouse fire serves as an important reminder of the critical role working smoke detectors play in protecting lives,” they said in the post on X. “Early warning smoke detectors provides valuable time to escape – this is especially important in multi-unit dwellings were fire and smoke can quickly affect neighbouring units.”

Initially the damages were estimated to be over $1 million dollars, but since the initial statement the estimate has decreased to $800,000.

London crews fight a townhouse fire (Source: London Fire)

“I’m thankful, since winter was so cold it’s very nice to have this sun” said Jean whose been golfing for eight years.

Jeff and Sylvie Van Geel with there golf clubs (Source: Daniel Thuss)

“It’s beautiful out here, it was a slow start only on my seventh round this year, but great weather no humidity” said Jeff Van Geel a golfer for 42 years.

“Its very good weather considering the start of the season, but it’s very good” said Jeff’s wife Sylvie who has been golfing with him for 11 years.

Bitter cold winds and rain in the early spring always hurts the club house at the start of golf season, but it builds up the eagerness of the golfers to get out there.

“You never want a damp April because you’ll see a little dip in sales, but it builds the hunger for everyone once the weather turns” said Rob Vincent the professional supervisor at Fanshawe Golf Course.

Owners have been very lucky this year with how the weather is treating the golf courses. Even when it’s bad, diehard fans come out to fill up those spots.

“We have quite a few passholders between the two sites that are going to play rain or shine” Vincent said “But the diehards will play when it’s 2 C and raining.”

He added that golf as a whole has been growing in popularity at a rapid rate. After COVID-19 people who would normally play a couple times per week now come up to five times, and the dedicated golfers who were four times are coming almost everyday. Vincent has been with the city for 20 years watching the growth of golf first hand.

“When we were reopening the world all you could do was get gas, get groceries and play golf, there were no soccer leagues, couldn’t play tennis, and all the gyms were closed” Vincent stated. “2022 was a good year, I expected for numbers to go down, but it was the opposite. I think people saw how great the game is and they stuck around.”

Vincent has been golfing for nearly 35 years. He said golf relaxing for his mind, gets him away from screens, and meeting with your friends.

“This sidewalk is a reminder that we are walking on ground that is shaped by courage” said Joseph Pazzano, Executive Director of Student Wellbeing. It was revealed at the London campus’ annual flag raising ceremony on June 1.

“The sidewalk is near the flag poles at the London campus, and the regional campuses will have a framed pride flag to symbolize our strong commitment for the community” said Xieling Zhang the Centre for EDI’s Consultant at Fanshawe.

“We’re not just focusing on one campus but trying all the regional campuses.”

Xieling Zhang at the pride flag raising ceremony (Source: Daniel Thuss XFM News)

The ceremonies have taken place on June 1 and June 2 with London and Simcoe on the 1st, and St. Thomas and Woodstock on the 2nd.

“It’s a way for Fanshawe College to display that visible symbol and also a commitment to creating really safe, affirming and inclusive spaces for all students and employees” said Zhang.

The progress pride flag is the symbol of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community, the flag has changed a lot over the years adding colours for the trans, intersex, black, indigenous, and people of colour communities.

“Not only represents the strength and history that the queer community has, but it showcases the community that comes together regardless of gender, sex, love, all of that is more of those family vibes that the queer community brings together” said Veronica Royale a drag queen in London.

Royale has been performing as a drag queen in London for seven years, appearing in shows that support local charities such as Y.O.U. and St. Leonard’s. Through these performances, she helps raise funds for community organizations while also bringing greater visibility to drag culture and the broader queer community.

June 1 marks the start of pride month for the 2SLGBTQIA+ community that celebrates the pride and contributions of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community.

Pride flag raising group photo (Source Daniel Thuss XFM News)

Crews responded at about 1:30 a.m. Friday to the 300 block of Grey Street for a structure fire.

Firefighters encountered heavy smoke and flames on arrival.

Crews initially launched an offensive attack but were pulled back by command due to structural instability. Firefighters then switched to a defensive aerial attack.

This incident comes four days after a former church caught fire, that took place down the road on Wellington Street near Grey Street.

All crews have been cleared from the scene. No injuries were reported. Damage is estimated at more than $500,000.

London Fire crews on scene (Source: London fire department)

Fanshawe College has launched a new beekeeping program this summer.

The program works with the college’s apiary, located near the baseball diamonds on campus.

Fanshawe’s apiary is monitored by a dedicated beekeeper. Visitors are welcome but must obtain permission, as the area is fenced off.

The course consists of a mix of in-class learning and regular lectures that are highly interactive, along with time in the apiary, where students apply what they have learned in practice, said Graham Thompson, a professor in the program.

“I think a lot of people who are interested in beekeeping and might consider taking this course think that bees are interesting, or cute, or admirable, but it’s not exactly 100 per cent certain what that interest is,” said Thompson.

May 20 marks World Bee Day, which raises awareness of the important role bees and other pollinators play in the ecosystem and the challenges they face.

Students also learn about the biology and evolution of bees, as well as the cultures and history associated with beekeeping.

“Fanshawe is a little more thorough, with a lot of contact time spread out over the summer. There are classes starting in the spring, another group in June and another at the end of July. That’s meant to roughly capture the different seasons and the bee cycle,” said Thompson.

“When you learn how their societies function, I think that’s the jaw-dropper. People are sitting at the dinner table after the course saying, ‘You would not believe what I learned about bees today,’” he added.

Beekeepers’ hives not only produce honey, but are also used to pollinate crops at certain times of the year. These are called pollination services and play a major role for farmers.

“It’s not unusual to hear victims and survivors say that their phone or house is bugged and that they’re being surveilled or tracked,” said Rodger. Gender-based-violence workers have also heard about cases of “financial abuse,” which includes the perpetrator adding debt to a victim’s account, they said.

“These (tactics) all keep the abuser connected with the victim in some way,” they said. “It’s important to pay attention and to learn so we can keep up with how traffickers and perpetrators of violence are using new forms of technology control or violate the people that they’re abusing.”

The comments come amid concerns about sex trafficking in London. Earlier this month, police published the photo of a Scarborough man they’d arrested on human trafficking charges, saying they believe there may be additional victims in London.

In that case, London Police said they had been contacted by a woman who said she had been directed to provide sexual services to clients in multiple Ontario cities.

London has been called a “hub” for human trafficking because its location along Highway 401 between Detroit and Toronto makes it convenient to place and move women in and out of hotels. Police say perpetrators look for people who have specific traits and circumstances.

“They look for vulnerable people that are not happy in their current life or situation, offer them a better option, make it sound like they want to be friends and maybe a boyfriend situation and we call that a ‘Romeo Pimp’ where they buy them treats nice gifts, and take them on dates, which then transitions to the trafficking” said Det. Insp. Jennifer Noel with London Police Services.

Teens and young women especially should know there are people out there who may try to exploit them for sex trafficking, Noel said. “If something seems too good to be true, it probably is, she said.

“Human Trafficking often takes place throughout Ontario, people who exploit women in trafficking move from city to city frequently, sometimes without consent.”

LPS also works with other Ontario services with an integrated joint forces team with help from the Ontario government to make sure the other services work together with the constant moving of human trafficking.

If you or someone you know who is struggling with violence, trauma, or need support, call ANOVA’s help line open 24/7 at 519-642-3000

And you’ve probably noticed his billboard costumes are always changing, depending on what people are talking about or what holiday is coming up. One day he’s up there in a superhero cape, another day he’s sporting bunny ears or parodying your favourite reality TV show.

Until fairly recently, the mortgage broker focused his creativity and graphic design background on digital ads.

“Then I said, you know, why don’t we try something different,” he said.

 

The first billboard design for Mike Hattim.
(Credit: Mike Hattim / @mike.hattim on Instagram)

It almost didn’t happen. A few days before The Broker was scheduled to go up, Hattim called his rep at Pattison Outdoor Advertising Billboards to say he had buyer’s remorse. It was a terrible idea, he thought.

“She’s like, ‘no, no, it’s amazing,'” Hattim recalled. “You’re going to love it.”

The billboard got a lot of response after it was put up. And while not all responses were positive, he liked that people were talking.

“You got a guy selling cars, he’s got a car advertisement, you know, real estate, mortgages, you name the industry,” said Hattim, who has been a mortgabe broker for 23 years and works with Dominion Lending Centres. He started to ask, “If it’s a sales perspective, it’s how can I become a little bit more noticeable?”

The way Hattim gets more noticeable is by doing something that stands out; in more ways than one. For example, you can often see six identical versions of his latest billboard beside each other at Wortley Road and Stanley Street.

Mixed reactions for his billboards can be found all over social media.

“Mike Hattim, please chill,” said one thread on Reddit that shows the group of six billboards adorned by Hattim in a superhero cape.

“I am begging you to chill on the billboard ads. I cannot escape them,” wrote the user scorpio_sunshine98. “The love island-inspired ad you did last summer is etched into my mind in a bad way. . . It’s a lot to take in at 8am on the way to work. I urge you to dial it back.”

But while the thread drew 171 comments, many of them urged Hattim to continue.

“neverchill,” wrote one user. “You make me smile when I see these,” wrote another.

Mike Hattim, please chill
byu/scorpio_sunshine98 inlondonontario

Hattim said he does most of the work to come up wtih the billboards and Pattison’s team also helps.

Every year when Hattim restarts his billboard campaign, they brainstorm ideas of what to do. He makes sure to hit the holiday billboards including Christmas, Valentines day, and more related to special months.

Most of these designs are made in Photoshop by Hattim as he learned the software in school.

These are some more designs Mike used over the years:

Hattim’s biggest design was his parody on the show Love Island. According to his analytics, it had the biggest response through online activity.

According to Hattim, many of his designs don’t get noticed and not everything works.

He says some designs even don’t make the cut or they are on the edge of being implemented. Hattim says he gives it a shot anyways.

The cost of billboard advertising

While Hattim does have a presence on social media, he says the billboards have been the most expensive and the most successful option.

“It’s one of those options where you don’t go out and just do one for a few months and that’s the end of it,” said Hattim. “It’s a commitment long term, just like a commercial or a radio commercial or TV commercial, any of those things. You need long term viewership in order for it to start to maintain and bring back some value. So it’s a heavy initial investment.”

Hattim budgets around $10,000 a month, depending on the time of year and what is happening.

The budget is towards 15 to 20 billboards, ranging from month to month.

Hattim says he is now noticing the effect of the billboards to his business after nine years. People initially for a few years acknowledged the billboards and say something to Hattim.

Now when people book appointments with Hattim, He says 9 out of 10 people bring up these creative billboards. Many seeing them years in advance and contacting mike when they need him.

Who is Mike Hattim?

In addition to being a mortgage broker, Hattim is a proud supporter of the Humane Society. He was also an advocate for the most recent London location on Dundas Street, east of Highbury.

Hattim also supports the Cancer Foundation and local GoFundMe’s.

For those who have gone to Basha Lebanese Restobar on Hyde Park, you may have seen a drink on the menu called “The Mike Hattim.” The drink was named after him as his cousin owns the restaurant.

As a nod to his past, Hattim has an IMDB page for two movies he executive produced for. Mike says it was not glamourous as he had friends in the film industry and they were “more or less investments.”

The show marked the end of a nearly 50-year era for CIXX-FM, which launched in 1978 as Canada’s first licensed campus radio station dedicated to teaching broadcast radio and journalism students.

Last year, Fanshawe announced that it was suspending the station because it couldn’t afford to run it any longer. But earlier this year, the college accepted a proposal from a London community nonprofit named WeRise, which is now exploring ways to keep the station running.

For Fanshawe radio and media production students, Thursday’s morning show was emotional, marking the end of years spent learning live radio and building on-air experience.

Emily Slagter

“It’s become like a family to me,” said Emily Slagter, a graduating student in the program. “It felt like a space where I could be creative and understand how a real radio station works.”

Julia Seitz and Connor Brooks

Her peers Julia Seitz and Connor Brooks, who hosted the last live show, highlighted the challenges and learning moments along the way.

“A lot of firsts… launching songs, forgetting to turn on the mic, even making mistakes on air,” Seitz said.

Brooks said being part of the station’s history made the experience meaningful.

“I’m incredibly privileged to sit in a chair that so many other broadcasters have sat in,” he said.

Over the past 50 years, many producers, journalists and broadcasters have gotten their start behind the mic of 106.9 The X.

During the show, Brooks and Seitz thanked Fanshawe staff, instructors and listeners for their support throughout the program.

“None of this happens if you’re not out there listening,” Brooks said.

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