The Independent

The man who volunteered to design the Greenwood Recreation Centre and whose fingerprints are all over major buildings in Petrolia has died.

Gary Ingram died at the age of 91 at Charlotte Eleanor Englehart Hospital April 5.

Ingram came to Canada from New Zealand at 25. He came to Lambton in 1958 and with partner Jim Monteith created Monteith Ingram Engineering in Petrolia. It would later become MIG Engineering.

He moved to Petrolia in 1960 and began volunteering, according to his obituary. He designed and supervised the construction of the Petrolia Arena.
Ingram was also the designer of the clubhouse for the golf course. He later designed the curling rink there as well.

“In the 1970’s Gary was the principle in a company that purchased 330 acres by the existing golf course and donated the land to the town and club to build another nine holes, which he designed. Alongside the subdivision that was built in the area, land was donated to the Conservation Authority which was a vision of Gary’s from the initial purchase,” his obituary says.

Ingram also loved history and was the chair of the Petrolia Promotion Committee that recognized the town’s oil history was fading away. He was one of the people who shaped Petrolia Discovery.

Ingram was an active volunteer with the Petrolia Lions, the St. Andrew’s Society, was a member of the Lambton College Board of Directors and the St. Clair Region Conservation Authority.

Ingram loved to travel and was an avid sailor, and pilot.

A family funeral was held already and a celebration of life is yet to be held.