Feel confident that your donation will make the biggest impact here in Oakville.

As holiday menus start taking shape across Oakville, three local butcher shops have earned top marks from residents in the 2025 Readers’ Choice Awards. Leading the pack with the Diamond Award is Dietrichs Butcher & Marketplace, a Speers Road staple known for its kabobs, quality meats, and convenient prepared foods. Just down the road, Florence Meats claimed Platinum, offering dry-aged beef and in-house smoked specialties built on 50 years of experience.

Monastery Bakery & Deli rounded out the winners with the Gold Award. Despite its bakery-first name, the Monastery Street shop serves up a full meat selection and even caters, for those skipping the stove this season. All three shops reflect the town’s appetite for quality and tradition, making them a solid bet for your holiday table.

Starting January 1, 2026, Halton’s Blue Box program will be managed by Circular Materials Ontario as part of a province-wide shift to make producers responsible for recycling. The change will expand what can be recycled and standardize the rules across Ontario.

Curbside pickup days and your current Blue Box stay the same, but questions about recycling will go to the new provider instead of the Region.

Downtown Oakville and Kerr Village came alive with festive cheer on November 15 as hundreds lined the streets for the town’s 77th Santa Claus Parade. Despite the snowless backdrop, this year’s theme, “Snow Much Fun,” rang true as families waved on dancers, floats, and local dignitaries making their way from Lakeshore and Reynolds to Kerr and Stewart.

Mrs. Claus led the parade alongside Grand Marshall Arundhati Shyam Krishnan, the young winner of the annual colouring contest. With Santa himself closing the show, the beloved tradition dating back to 1948 once again brought Oakville’s holiday spirit to life.

Bandology, the Oakville-based non-profit supporting young musicians, has received more than 60 musical instruments from the estate of longtime collector Michael Henry. The donation includes 31 brass and woodwind pieces, notably a wooden bassoon, a purple soprano sax, and an Appalachian dulcimer, all destined for Bandology’s free Instrument Lending Library.

This brings the library to over 100 instruments, offering even more access to students facing financial barriers. Bandology plans to service each item before lending it out, with donations now being accepted to help cover repair costs.

Wednesday, November 19
🌥️ Low clouds
High: 5°C | Low: -1°C

Thursday, November 20
☁️ Mostly cloudy
High: 6°C | Low: 0°C

Friday, November 21
🌦️ Mostly cloudy with a touch of rain
High: 9°C | Low: 1°C