Image

Petrolia councillor doesn’t want to be re-elected

August 22, 2018

Her name will be on the ballot, but Petrolia Councillor Mary-Pat Gleeson says she doesn’t want the job anymore.
“Although my name will appear on the ballot, I will not be campaigning,” says Gleeson in a statement released Tuesday.
The three-term councillor said she recently came to the realization she wanted to focus her energy in other directions. By that time, it was past the July 27th deadline for candidates to remove their names from the ballot.
“I want to refocus my energy. I was in the middle of doing a lot of catch up reading on papers about health care, etcetera, etcetera and I thought ‘there is so much to do; I need to focus.’ And it took me quite some time to come to that conclusion.”

For more on this story, pick up your copy of The Independent in stores now!

Share This

Image
Front Page

Remembering Newell Hastings

June 14, 2025

Heather Wright/The Independent Sunday, Newell Hasting’s service to King and Country over a century ago was remembered in a peaceful church cemetery near Watford. Hasting was born in Petrolia and his family moved to Watford around the turn of the century. He signed up to serve in the miltia with Watford’s 149th Battalion before being called up for service. He

Read More

Image
Front Page

Sidewalk projects around First Ave this summer

June 13, 2025

Heather Wright/The Independent Sidewalks along First Street in Petrolia will be getting an upgrade once school is out for the summer. It’s part of the latest large project to improve the town’s sidewalk system. In 2023, BM Ross and Associates completed a study on Petrolia’s sidewalk system and found it lacking. It suggested $1.5 million in sidewalk construction was needed

Read More

Image
Front Page

Aamjiwnaang evacuates parts of community as INEOS decommissioning increases benzene levels

June 13, 2025

Leaders of the Aamjiwnaang First Nation are evacuating residents between Churchill Road and Tashmoo Ave after high levels of benzene have been detected in the area. Just before noon Friday, INEOS Styrolutions issued a notice saying hourly benzene emissions have been detected about 0.021 parts per million. The company is decommissioning the plant which is within eyesight of Aamjiwnaang’s band

Read More

Image
Front Page

St Philip’s student wins big at national fair

June 13, 2025

The Independent Ben Harper made a splash at the Canada-Wide Science Fair in Fredericton taking home a bronze medal. The Grade 8 student from St. Philip’s in Petrolia presented his climate-focused project called A Wavy Problem – Navigating the Surges of Climate Change last week and won a bronze medal in his division. The Petrolia student tested six different offshore

Read More