Image

Heather Wright Photo

OPENING ALL THE DOORS   Lois Nantais of the Lawrence House Centre for the Performing Arts opens the door for Robert Tremain, general manager of cultural services for Lambton County. Lawrence House is one of 44 sites for this weekend’s Open Doors Lambton event. Victoria Hall in Petrolia and the new Camlachie Library and Museum are also on the tour.

 

 

Robert Tremain says Lambton County has proven it cares about its history.

The general manager of cultural services, speaking at the kick off to this weekend’s Open Doors Lambton event, said the community has stepped up to preserve important heritage buildings such as Petrolia’s Victoria Hall and Sarnia’s Thom Building which is now the county’s art gallery.

“The community rallied around these projects because we thought and believe in who we are, what we came from and what we can become,” Tremain told about 40 people at the event. “We don’t want to be part of the geography of nowhere, of mega malls and strip malls.”

Tremain says 80 per cent of Ontario’s buildings were constructed after the Second World War, so getting a chance to tour some of the buildings from the last century is a real treat.

This weekend, 44 sites will be open to the public to walk around and explore. Those sites include Victoria Hall, Lancey Hall and the Corey Room at CEE Hospital in Petrolia. Shetland residents will open the doors to Faith Trinity Church which started out as a log cabin in 1835, as will the people of Florence’s St. Matthew’s Church which opened in 1845.

Visitors in the Watford area can also tour Searson’s Sawmill which has been operation since 1875.

The event runs Saturday and Sunday. More information can be found at www.doorsopenlambtoncounty.ca.

Share This

Image
Front Page

Crocheting senior of the year

July 14, 2025

Heather Wright/The Independent When she was in her 30s, a neighbour offered to teach Ruth Anne Mater to crochet. It looked fun, so she picked up a hook. It seems to many as though her hands have not been idle since. Monday, Mater was honoured as Dawn-Euphemia’s Senior of the Year. Mayor Al Broad says Mater “has been a quiet

Read More

Image
Front Page

Wyoming’s Jackson taken by Yankees in MLB Draft

July 14, 2025

The Independent Core Jackson may be headed to the Big Apple. The Wyoming native was selected in the fifth round of the MLB Draft by the New York Yankees on Monday afternoon. Jackson has played college baseball at the University of Utah for the past two years. He slashed .364/.445/.641 with 12 home runs, 44 RBI, and 20 stolen bases

Read More

Image
Front Page

Information and Privacy Commissioner orders Petrolia to release 2021 letter from mayor banning town councillor

July 14, 2025

Heather Wright/The Independent Nearly four years, after Petrolia Mayor Brad Loosley banned a councillor from attending in camera meetings, the town has been forced to release the letter spelling out his reasons. In June 2022, while investigating a Code of Conduct complain against the mayor for the release of confidential information to The Independent, the investigator found Loosley had banned

Read More

Image
Front Page

Flyers sign veterans, Flags go with youth

July 13, 2025

Barry Wright/The Independent The Petrolia Flyers have reached into east Lambton for a pair of players for the coming season. Alvinston’s Joey Hayter and Ty Moffatt of Watford are both joining the PJHL team. Hayter, 19, has played the past two seasons with the Blenheim Blades including scoring 15 goals and adding 31 assists in 51 regular season and playoff

Read More