Marking 150 years as the community of Arkona
Lambton wants to know what is your ‘ideal’ community
November 28, 2025
Heather Wright/The Independent
Lambton County wants to know what your ideal community looks like and how social housing fits into that.
The Housing Services department is doing a housing survey to better understand the current and future housing needs in the area. Part of that is a survey to find the public perspectives on what an ideal community looks like and what kind of housing is needed.
Lambton helps over 2,000 residents with housing, either through affordable apartments, cooperatives, rent supplements and affordable housing programs.
In 2023, Lambton politicians declared affordable housing its main priority. A number of projects are in the works, some, like the addition to Maxwell Park Place, have been bogged down in construction troubles. Others, like the new affordable housing units on Kathleen St. in Sarnia, are well underway.
The county is also planning a 50-unit supportive housing project on George Street in Sarnia with Indwell, a Christian agency which has several housing units for those desperate for housing and have addiction issues.
The survey also touches on how people feel about those projects
Melissa Johnson, manager of housing services, says the feedback will “help guide our future planning and decision making and ensure it reflects the values and priorities of the residents of Lambton County.”
The information will be part of a Housing Needs Assessment which will go to county council in 2026.
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Marking 150 years as the community of Arkona
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The Independent Arkona residents marked 150 years as a community last Saturday. Arkona was founded in 1836, built around a mill built by Henry Utter. Originally named Smithfield in 1851, the village was renamed Arkona in 1857 and officially incorporated as a village on June 10, 1876. The highlight of the 150th anniversary was the parade which attracted the Forest
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