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Cathy Dobson/The Independent The motor coaches delivering visitors to Victoria Playhouse Petrolia’s annual Starbright Christmas show this week, isn’t just a sign the musical powerhouse is back for its 20th year. It’s adding some jingle to the pockets of the owners of restaurants and local shops part of an annual Christmas economic boom. This year, 30 motor coaches from all

LCCVI graduate Rylee Kerr was one of four winners of the annual Gallery in the Grove Art Scholarship. The photographer will receive $1,000 toward her education in photography at Lambton College this fall. Awards were also presented to Samantha Guertin and Reese Waller of Northern and Lina Chanaga of St. Pat’s. Submitted phot

Thanks to the efforts of local historians, Hamilton Shew Leong’s colourful art will live on. Leong is the creator of the historical murals that have long graced the walls of the Oil Rig restaurant —depicting scenes from Petrolia’s oil boom history. According to Petrolia Heritage Committee member Dave Hext, members were concerned the murals would be lost when the restaurant

For the last 147 years, people of Scottish descent – and those who wish they were – have been getting together in Petrolia for St. Andrew’s Day. St. Andrew is the patron saint of Scotland and Nov. 30th became the time for the St. Andrew’s Society to meet and celebrate their roots. The tradition lives on in six communities in

Victoria Playhouse Petrolia is hoping a season of uplifting songs and comedy will let spirits soar. Artistic Directors David Hogan and David Rogers released the 2018 season line up recently and it includes the comedies Shirley Valentine and The Andrews Brothers. There are also four musical theatre offerings which includes everything from country gospel and music from Canada’s East Coast

Alvinston artist Liana Russwurm says as a child, she and her siblings were left to create their own fun. That she says may be part of her fascination with toys in her new exhibit, Out of the Tickle Trunk. It opened at First Friday in Sarnia. Russwurm was working on a series of masks and came to her marionettes and

People driving down Lasalle Line near Watford may have been spooked Saturday. Songwriters Neil Werden (at the right)and Paul Macguire collaborated on a song called Graveyard Dance and Saturday night, members of the Arts Council of East Lambton helped the pair shoot a video at Werden’s home. About 20 people dressed as Zombies spent a warm summer evening work on

Katherine Highgate says being from a small town has allowed her core values and ethics to shine through while competing in national pageants. The Dresden native who went to LCCVI as a teen and was a 2009 Nicol Scholar will be apart of this years Miss Universe Canada in Toronto. When she was younger Highgate was very shy, however when

Auction raises $30,900 For 26 years, people have opened their wallets and their hearts at the massive pie auction which opens the Brooke-Alvinston-Watford Fall Fair. But this year was unlike any other. And one special little pie started it all off. The auction started in 1991 and raised $2,800 for a little girl from Bright’s Grove who needed a heart

One of Lambton’s cultural centers is closing for renovations. Lambton Heritage Museum will be closed starting Oct. 16 for major renovations which includes removing walls, improving the heating and cooling system, new flooring and some new lighting. Corporate Cultural Officer Andrew Meyer says this is the final phase of a four-year renovation plan. While the museum near Pinery Park remained

It appears there is more support to build a new community centre in Watford than there is to renovate Centennial Hall. Earlier this year, a consultant told Warwick Council the 50 year-old community hall is not up to code and suggested it should be closed instead of sinking hundreds of thousands of dollars into it. He suggested community events could

The Independent Staff If you’re an artist, there are lots of opportunities to show your work in Petrolia in the next few weeks. A miniature art show is being held at the Petrolia Library. Artists can submit works in any medium – oils, watercolours, photography and mixed media – as long as they are no larger than 4×6 inches large.