$6.2M expansion planned at Forest school
File Photo
$6.2M expansion planned at Forest school
September 10, 2026
Heather Wright/The Independent
A big addition is planned at Forest’s Catholic elementary school.
The provincial government has approved a $6.2 million expansion at St. John Fisher Catholic School.
It will include new classrooms for 92 students and 18 new child care spaces according to a provincial government news release.
A report by the St. Clair District Catholic School Board shows this will be the sixth edition to the Forest school since it was built in 1960.
The building currently should house 282 elementary school students. Enrollment in 2025 was around 344 students. Portables were brought in to ease the overcrowding.
With the addition, the building will house 374 students.
In a news release, officials said there will be a six-classroom addition, two classrooms will be renovated for child care and a kindergarten class will be upgraded.
Officials hope the construction could start next summer and will continue while school is in session.
If all goes well, students will be in the new classrooms by 2028.
Front Page
Jaques joins hometown Petrolia Squires
September 10, 2026
Barry Wright/The Independent The Petrolia Squires have signed some homegrown talent. Andrew Jaques has signed with the senior club for the coming Ontario Elite Hockey League season. The 22-year-old Petrolia product amassed 219 points in 218 regular season and playoff games with the Strathroy Rockets and Petrolia Flyers over the past five seasons. The Lambton Jr. Sting grad had 26
Read More
Front Page
No injuries in three vehicle crash at Michigan/Waterworks corner
September 10, 2026
The Independent There was a lot of damage but no injuries in an accident at the corner of Waterworks Road and Michigan Line Thursday. Sarnia Fire Rescue officials were called to a three-vehicle accident this morning at the corner. One person had to be extricated from their vehicle but only minor injuries were reported. Officials said the intersection remains closed
Read More
Front Page
Patients evacuated after gas leak at Petrolia hospital
September 10, 2026
Dawson Currie/For The Independent Patients at Charlotte Eleanor Englehart Hospital in Petrolia were evacuated for a gas leak Wednesday night. Petrolia/North Enniskillen Fire Department was called to the hospital just before 8 pm for reports of a natural gas smell in the basement of the main building. Firefighters found hospital staff already working on evacuating patients from the Emergency Department
Read More
Front Page
OPP lay over 1,000 speeding charges Labour Day weekend
September 9, 2026
The Independent Over 1,000 speeding charges in southern Ontario during the Labour Day weekend. West Region OPP say officers targetted “The Big Four” bad driving behaviours; aggressive driving, failure to wear a seatbelt, distracted driving and impaired driving which are the leading contributing factors to death and injury on Ontario’s highways. From Sept. 4 to 7, 1,004 speeding charges were
Read More