The Town of Petrolia is turning to the people who know Petrolia best – the people who live there – to find a new slogan for the community.

Over the years, the town has used a number of pitch lines including Victorian Oil Town, The Cradle that Rocked the Oil Industry and most recently, the Greatest Town on Earth.

Earlier this year, the town began the process of looking at the “branding” of the community – the logos, lettering and pitch lines used on promotional and town materials.

So now the town’s branding committee is holding a contest to help develop a slogan Petrolia.

In a report to council, Richard Poore, director of the Performing Arts for Petrolia, says the branding committee will contact local schools to encourage students to participate in the contest. Town residents of every age will be encouraged to participate with boxes for submissions at the Oil Heritage District Community Center, Town Hall, the local arena and library. Ideas will also be accepted on Facebook and Twitter.

Mayor John McCharles thinks it is a good idea to ask residents for ideas. “When the process started, there had been some branding consulting going on but we decided we are capable of doing that ourselves; we don’t need a firm from Texas to do that,” says McCharles in a passing reference to the community branding exercise taking place now in Sarnia-Lambton lead by a US firm.

Poore adds the contest “celebrates the collective wisdom of the community.” Councilor Liz Welsh agrees adding “Someone probably has a really great idea.”

The slogan contest is open until Dec. 15 with the committee hoping to announce the results at the New Years’ Levee.

Councilor Mary-Pat Gleeson, who is part of the branding committee, says the new slogan is only part of what the group is doing; it is also putting together a “branding bible” containing everything from official colours for town materials, to fonts and logos.