The Independent of Petrolia and Central Lambton has been nominated for nine awards in the Ontario Better Newspaper Competition.

The Ontario Community Newspaper Association host the awards for community weekly newspapers to recognize the outstanding quality of work produced each week newspapers.

The Independent was recognized for its stories about Mississauga developer York1’s plans to reopen the derelict Dresden landfill and the Chatham-Kent politicians who courted the developers since 2019 with a nomination for the Best Investigative News Series and the Best News Story. Wright also received an honourable mention in the Stephen Shaw Award for Reporter of the Year in part for that coverage.

“We’re very proud to be recognized for the work we did telling our community about the possibility of a mega dump on Lambton’s border,” says Publisher/Editor’s Heather Wright. “Our stories were the most comprehensive in the region. Because residents knew the plans from reading our articles, the community banded together to force a full Environmental Assessment on the project.”

The Petrolia newspaper has also been nominated for Best Editorial called Cyber Wake Up Call which called on all levels of government to invest in cyber security after a massive data leak at Bluewater Health.

Wright’s story about the impact changes to international student visas at Lambton College has been nominated in the Education Writing division.

Cathy Dobson and Glenn Ogilvie’s series Hungry in Lambton, which examined food insecurity in rural areas, has been nominated in the Best Feature/News Series.

A photo spread featuring the action at the Alvinston Pro Rodeo has been nominated in the Best Photo Layout category.

Tyler Viscount, a graphic designer who worked for The Independent in 2024, has been recognized for a two-page Christmas feature for the Petrolia Volunteer Business Association.

And The Independent’s Petrolia150, 1874 replica newspaper which was sent to every home in the town during its anniversary year, was also recognized in the Community Service category.

The winners will be announced April 11 in Niagara on the Lake.