‘We’re here because you don’t have a voice anymore’ Rood says
All OIL SPRINGS News

‘We’re here because you don’t have a voice anymore’ Rood says
May 20, 2026
EDITORS’ NOTE: This article was editted May 20 to correct the name of the Conservative Co-Deputy Leader Melissa Lantsman. Blake Ellis/Local Journalism Initiative Lianne Rood says sitting Conservative MPs will give a voice to Sarnia-Lambton Conservatives abandoned by their MP. Hundreds of people from Sarnia and Lambton County and the surrounding region packed into the exhibition hall at the Plympton-Wyoming
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Taxes in Oil Springs up 4.25 per cent
May 18, 2026
Blake Ellis/The Independent There will be a 4.26 per cent property tax increase in Oil Springs. The Oil Springs Council passed a balanced $984,000 budget at its May 5 meeting. That’s up $49,000 from last year when the tax increase was 4.9 per cent. Among some of the larger projects the village will be undertaking this year including replacing guardrails
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Lambton-Kent board expects less cash next school year as enrolment drops
May 14, 2026
Blake Ellis/Local Journalism Initiative Lambton Kent District School Board will get about $3.5 million less funding in the next school year. That’s according to estimates provided to trustees by Associate Director of Corporate Services Brian McKay. Even though the amount to be received through core funding from the province has not been released yet, McKay is estimating there will be
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MP says threats led to charges of criminal harassment
May 13, 2026
Cathy Dobson/Local Journalism Initiative Newly-minted Liberal MP Marilyn Gladu says she continues to serve her constituents despite death threats and police charges related to someone accused of criminal harassment against her. “It’s not an easy time,” said Gladu, formerly the Sarnia-Lambton-Bkejwanong Conservative MP who crossed the floor and joined the Liberal government April 8. “That said, I’m doing lots of
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Sole person charged in 2021 double murder with ties to Oil Springs released
May 13, 2026
Heather Wright/The Independent A man charged after a body was hidden in Oil Springs over four years ago, has been released. Matthew Theriault plead guilty Monday to two charges related to the murders which took place in his Sarnia apartment. Theriault plead guilty before Superior Court Justice Russell Raikes to one count of accessory and one count of committing an
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Oil Springs administrators move to Dawn-Euphemia
May 10, 2026
Heather Wright/The Independent Dawn-Euphemia has hired a new clerk/administrator and deputy clerk and the move has left the Village of Oil Springs in a bit of a bind. Dawn-Euphemia’s top official announced her retirement earlier this year. The position of deputy clerk also opened up around the same time. Mayor Al Broad says two separate hiring committees were formed for
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More familiar faces declare for municipal election
May 9, 2026
Heather Wright/The Independent There are a lot of familiar faces, some in new places, as the first would-be politicians file their papers to run in the Oct. 26 municipal elections. The nomination period opened May 1. One of the first people to file was Joel Field. The long-time Petrolia councillor and now deputy mayor has thrown his hat into the
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$2.8M to connect 5,600 in Lambton to health care
May 8, 2026
Heather Wright/The Independent The head of the Sarnia-Lambton Ontario Health team says more doctors and health professionals will be hired to make sure 5,600 people have health care, thanks to an additional $2.8 million from the province. Sarnia-Lambton MPP Bob Bailey announced the funding April 30 saying both the Rapids Family Health Team and the new E-nangaabe-jig Health Services have
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BRIEFLY: Forest’s Case becomes new general manager for Blenheim Blades
May 8, 2026
Barry Wright/The Independent Forest resident Brett Case is the new general manager of the PJHL’s Blenheim Blades. He was hired after a season as assistant general manager with the Chatham Maroons. Case, born and raised in Watford, serves as the general manager of the Alvinston Killer Bees and he will continue in that role. ••• Plympton-Wyoming’s Pat Verbeek and his
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Gladu praises Liberal plans for trades training
May 1, 2026
Heather Wright/The Independent Sarnia-Lambton-Bkejwanong MP Marilyn Gladu is praising the Liberal plan to put more money into tradestraining. The Carney government released its fiscal forecast Tuesday with officials say there will be a $66.9 billion budget deficit instead of the projected $78.3 billion. The reduction comes from higher than projected revenue and cost cutting on the government operations. Gladu notes
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Gladu faces death threats, protected by armed guards, but at work
April 29, 2026
Heather Wright/The Independent Sarnia-Lambton-Bkejwanong MP Marilyn Gladu is keeping a lower profile after facing death threats and vandalism since becoming a member of the Liberal government. The long-time Conservative MP was welcomed into the Liberal fold April 8. While the Carney government had been wooing MPs, hoping to secure a majority government at the time, virtually no one expected Gladu,
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Lambton County records 50 per cent over run in snow budget
April 28, 2026
Heather Wright/The Independent Lambton County spent $1.14 million more than expected for winter maintenance in 2025. That’s 50 per cent more than officials budgeted. The cost over run was not a surprise. The county’s general manager of infrastructure and development said in February the $2.4 million snow budget was over by at least a million. Staff, in a report to
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