All Front Page News

Image

Residents worry Lasalle dust could lead to accidents

June 26, 2026

Heather Wright/The Independent Lasalle Line residents may have a break from the dust being kicked up by traffic. But they shouldn’t expect the Brooke-Alvinston road to be paved anytime soon. Lasalle Line was turned back to gravel in 2024 when the cost of construction escalated. It’s remained gravel ever since. Twenty-three homeowners wrote to council concerned about the dust and

Read More

Image

Bluewater Health takes over family doctor recruitment in Central Lambton

June 26, 2026

Heather Wright/The Independent Bluewater Health and the Ontario Health Team in Sarnia-Lambton will be in charge of recruiting new doctors in all of Lambton County. That’s according to Rosanne Orcutt, a long-time Petrolia health care advocate and the now former head of the Central Lambton Recruitment Committee. Bluewater Health had always recruited for specialists in the hospital. The Blue Coast

Read More

Image

Petrolia passes its own Right of Access bylaw

June 26, 2026

The Independent Bylaw enforcement officers in Petrolia now have rights of access enshrined in a municipal bylaw. A Right of Entry by-law is used to authorize municipal authority to enter private property for specific, legally permitted purposes, such as inspections. Director of Legal Services, Mandi Pearson, in a report to council Monday, said the entry must be “reasonable, for a

Read More

Image

Rosters for Flyers, Flags taking shape

June 26, 2026

Barry Wright/The Independent Nathan Beer is the first signing announced for the coming PJHL season by the Petrolia Flyers. The 18-year-old left-shot forward played the past two seasons with the Burlington-based Blyth-Deerview Raiders prep team following two seasons with the U16 and U18 squads in Strathroy. Beer played one game with the Flyers in 2024 scoring in a contest against

Read More

Image

City is behind affordable housing proposal despite pushback from some neighbours

June 26, 2026

Cathy Dobson/The Independent Sarnia City/County Councillor Bill Dennis is the only member of Sarnia council against a new affordable housing project slated for a former church property on Cathcart Boulevard. “I have heard repeatedly from homeowners worried about the future of their neighbourhood and I understand why,” Dennis said at Tuesday’s council meeting. He doesn’t believe the county’s assurances that the

Read More

Image

Sports Briefs: Capes qualifies for World U20 Track and Field Championships

June 26, 2026

Barry Wright/The Independent Chase Capes is heading for World U20 track and field championships in Eugene, Oregon in August. He qualified by winning the national junior 1500-metre final last weekend in Ottawa. Fellow Sarnia Athletics Southwest club members Avery Norland and Duncan Smith also had top five finishes. Skarlit Worton, who announced her commitment to the University of Minnesota Monday,

Read More

Image

Heavy rain in storm rolls through Lambton

June 26, 2026

EF0 tornado touches down southeast of Alvinston Heather Wright/The Independent A major storm blew through Lambton Thursday dumping an estimated 15 to 75 mm of rain in the wake of its path. Around 4:20 pm Environment Canada issued a tornado warning saying a heavy band of storms would be passing through Marthaville, Wyoming and Petrolia. While there was rain, there

Read More

Image

Animal shelter and rescues big winners at this week’s Catch the Ace

June 26, 2026

Cathy Dobson/The Independent Hail, thunderstorms and several tornado threats didn’t deter thousands from lining up to Catch the Ace Thursday at the Sarnia Legion Branch 62.  And they’ll all be back to do it again next Thursday. The Legion’s Catch the Ace progressive raffle lottery is moving to week 43, generating a record $3.6 million prize board and massive weekly

Read More

Image

Grand Bend traffic will improve as bridge construction wraps up Thursday

June 25, 2026

The Independent The traffic in Grand Bend will be a lot better than anticipated over the Canada Day weekend. Earlier this week, the municipality said it would be July 3 before the work on the Ontario Street bridge at the corner of Main and Highway 21 would be open. But Thursday, Lambton Shores announced all traffic lanes on the bridge

Read More

Image

York1’s traffic plan shows 200 trucks per day going to Dresden site

June 25, 2026

Trucks coming from Sarnia are expected to go down Oil Heritage Road, through six Lambton communities Heather Wright/The Independent It appears York1 has scaled back the size of its project on the outskirts of Dresden. But Lambton County will still see increased traffic, particularly on Oil Heritage Line. The Municipality of Chatham-Kent held a public meeting in Dresden Wednesday to

Read More

Image

Ten custodians let go at Bluewater Bridge as contractor hired

June 25, 2026

The Independent Ten unionized custodians are out of work after the Federal Bridge Corporation replaced them with an independent contractor. Officials with the Public Service Alliance Canada – PSAC – say the employees, some with 20 years of service were let go June 15 and given just 10 minutes to leave the building. The union local President Matt Delaroche called

Read More

Image

Brigden firefighters take pride in historic pumper and brand new rescue unit

June 25, 2026

Heather Wright/The Independent In the world of firefighting, the Brigden department’s 1926 Model T pumper truck is rare. Not only is it in near mint condition and can travel the roads, it has been lovingly cared for by firefighters in the community for 100 years. Former Chief Roy Dewhurst and retired firefighter Ron Hayward say in the 1920s, the department

Read More