Buildings at Petrolia Discovery damaged by vandals

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Visitors walk through Petrolia Discovery in 2014. Over the weekend vandals damaged several of the restored buildings at the site.

Volunteers at Petrolia Discovery are discouraged after vandals damaged several buildings at the historic oil production site over the weekend.

Board Chair Liz Welsh says in a news release sometime between 4 pm Sunday and 7:30 am Monday, several buildings were vandalized and a small amount of cash was taken. Every building at the site had been “compromised.” Lambton OPP is investigating.

Welsh says there is no damage to the equipment or the artifacts but board members “are extremely disappointed that our volunteers and tradespeople, who have spent thousands of hours restoring buildings, equipment and artifacts and would be focusing their time on new projects at the site, will now be spending that time repairing and securing buildings.”

Welsh says volunteers have put long hours over seven years into improving the site and “it’s upsetting to see some of that undone and the disregard for our historic property.”

If you want to help support the repairs financially, Welsh asks you donate via e-transfer to [email protected] adding your contact information in the notes section of the transfer.