Welcome Home: New Alvinston Legion officially opens
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Sarnia's Joe DiBatista and his mixed doubles partner, Bright's Grove native Angela Walker Marczak, who now lives in Pittsburgh, won gold at the Franklin US Open Pickleball Championships in Florida April 11-18, 2026.
Sarnia man brings home pickleball gold from world’s largest tourney
May 11, 2026
The Independent
A Sarnia senior has won big at the world’s largest pickleball tournament.
Joe DiBatista won three golds at the Franklin US Open Pickleball Championships in Naples, Florida in April. The tournament hosts over 3,750 amateur athletes from 53 countries.
DiBatista won in gold in his age bracket for singles, men’s doubles, with Chi Fai Cho of New Jersey, who he’d met at the tournament for the first time, and mixed doubles with Angela Walker Marczak, a Bright’s Grove native who now lives in Pittsburgh.
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Welcome Home: New Alvinston Legion officially opens
June 12, 2026
Blake Ellis/The Independent “I would like to welcome you to our new home,” said Alvinston Legion Branch President Jack MacDonald. After 56 years at its River Street location, the Alvinston Branch of the Royal Canadian Legion moved into its new home on Nauvoo Road at the beginning of 2026. The Branch 249 made it official with a grand opening celebration
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Plan calls for 1K of new affordable/supportive homes
June 12, 2026
Heather Wright/The Independent Lambton County needs 1,096 affordable and specialized housing units in the next 10 years. That from Org Code Consulting which presented a 10-year Housing Plan for the county at Wednesday’s county council meeting. “Affordability concerns are now affecting more people, with rents rising between 38 and 42 per cent since 2020 and deeply affordable housing is also
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Lancer trio place second in Novice Girls category at OFSAA
June 12, 2026
Heather Wright/The Independent The future of track and field at LCCVI is in good hands after three members of the Novice Girls’ Team placed second overall at the provincial championship. Kallee Elliott, Rayah Minten and Jaylen Helps scored 30 points with their four medals, just one point behind Scholard Hall from North Bay for the Novice Girls Team championship. Track
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LCCVI celebrates the Class of 2026
June 12, 2026
The Independent Parents and friends packed Bradshaw Hall at LCCVI to honour the Class of 2026 Thursday. About 200 students crossed the stage ahead of exam week during the two-hour ceremony. Principal Rhonda Leystra compared the graduates school experience to the growth of a tree, with the high school years as a time to grow and expand. “You have matured,”
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