Oxford County housing program helps residents become homeowners

Residents of Oxford County are invited to take advantage of a program aimed at helping make home ownership more attainable.  

Oxford County will accept applications starting March 14 for the Home Ownership Program (HOP), which provides eligible home buyers with a down payment assistance loan of up to five per cent, on a home valued at $425,000 or less. Funding is limited and is available on a first come, first served basis.

The 20-year, interest-free loans provide low-to-moderate income households...

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OSA Nominee profile - John McRoberts

How stewardship projects support the business of farming

What helps the environment also helps John McRoberts. It’s a win-win for the East Zorra-Tavistock farmer who is continually improving his farmland to protect the soil where he grows corn, soybeans, wheat and other edible beans.

Since moving to the 83-acre farm on the 17th line 10 years ago, McRoberts has created a series of structural erosion control measures around the farm including water and sediment control basins. All of these...

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OSA Nominee profile - Teresa Piraino

How mixing work with pleasure is growing stewardship

A little goes a long way. That is the message Teresa Piraino wants to share as she and her husband Scott Gillingwater restore a piece of property in Blandford-Blenheim Township back to its natural state.

“We want to show people that even with a small corner of property you can do something beneficial for the local environment – like planting native plants that attract butterflies in a small garden by your house.”

Piraino and her husband both...

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OSA Nominee profile - Chris Lee and Family

How an ugly farm became a natural oasis

When Chris Lee and his wife Sonya bought a farm on Oxford County’s picturesque Old Stage Road, there was a lot to be desired.

Lee was quick to admit that, “It was a very ugly farm.”

The 50-acre property on the one side of the road was a mess of dead trees, flooded fields and a large portion of swampy land that was not farmable. Not only were the esthetics bad, but the design of the land was not environmentally friendly or conducive to proper drainage. 

“We...

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