Strong Saturday afternoon storm leaves trail of damage along St. Clair River
No Sydenham River race in Shetland in 2025
February 4, 2025
Heather Wright/The Independent
The annual spring tradition of canoes racing down the Sydenham River in Shetland has been cancelled.
The St. Clair Region Conservation Authority Foundation holds the Ontario Canoe and Kayak Association sanctioned races. In the past few years, rainy weather, flooding and pandemic have halted the race.
But this year, insurance concerns have sunk the race.
In a letter to Dawn-Euphemia Township, the board of directors of the foundation said “There has been a number of changes to the safety and insurance requirements that we cannot adjust to in time to ensure that all participants remain safe.”
It’s not clear whether the race will return next year.
Councillors expressed surprise by the move.
The races have been a tradition since 1974. Last year, at least one family, the Craigs, marked 20 years of participating in the races unique to Lambton County.
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Strong Saturday afternoon storm leaves trail of damage along St. Clair River
July 19, 2026
Heather Wright/The Independent A fast-moving storm with high winds blew through Lambton County, taking down trees along the St. Clair River Saturday. Around 2:30 pm, a storm moved quickly across the St. Clair River with strong winds and reports of some hail. From Corunna to Courtright, trees took the brunt the of the damage. A tree blocked Lyndoch Street at
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Warwick Township inks $2.5M deal for municipal office
July 17, 2026
Move to save $100K a year Heather Wright/The Independent Warwick Township now owns its municipal building. The township moved into its new office in Watford on Nauvoo Road in April 2022. The Watford Investment Group which removed a block of old buildings in the downtown and erected a new plaza and home for Libro Financial. Council approved the construction and work
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Royal Canadian Legion turns 100 today
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The Independent The Royal Canadian Legion is 100 years old today. After the First World War, a number of associations serving veterans – Amputation Association of the Great War and the Tuberculous Veterans’ Association and the largest of the groups was the Great War Veterans’ Association – merged at the urging of Field Marshal Earl Haig, founder of the British Legion
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More cancellations, fire bans as wildfire smoke continues to blanket Lambton
July 17, 2026
Black Gold Fest in Oil Springs among cancellations The Independent If you’re heading out to an event this weekend, you might want to check to see if it is still on. A number of events have been cancelled for the weekend because of poor air quality in Lambton from wildfire smoke. In Petrolia, town officials have cancelled the Saturday morning
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