Sarnia news

• Non-profit, substance-free, transitional housing program opens in former high school

  31-07-2026 21:46 via theobserver.ca
  
  The Anchor, a non-profit and substance-free transitional housing program, has opened in space on the third floor of the former Sarnia Collegiate Institute and Technical Schoolin Sarnia.Chief executive Barry Bentley said his business, Hughes Intelligence, is currently funding the program, with cooperation from the building’s owner, GTA Lands Group.“This wouldn’t happen if the owners of this building didn’t see the need and have the confidence they can make a difference,&r
  
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• ‘Pathetic soul’: Sarnia drug dealer given three years for manslaughter in overdose death

  10-08-2026 20:43 via theobserver.ca
  
  Andrew Walsh recalled getting up early on May 2, 2024.The Sarnia truck driver went to pour a coffee around 5:20 a.m. that Thursday, but he noticed the back door was open. After going outside, he saw his daughter, Brandy McConnell, lying face down on the driveway of their Somerset Crescent home without any vital signs.“It was the most horrible event of my life,” he wrote in a victim impact statement.McConnell, 35, was pronounced dead at the scene soon after. Police saw signs of opioi
  
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• Sarnia Kids Funfest moving again

  10-08-2026 19:59 via theobserver.ca
  
  Sarnia Kids Funfest is moving back to Centennial Park Saturday.The free event has been held since 1996, showcasing local activities and services, and giving youngsters a chance to try things out.It moved to the Clearwater Community Centre in 2013, due to soil remediation work that closed Centennial Park for years.In 2023, it moved to Canatara Park , where other events occur.Moving back to Centennial is “trying to use some of our other great parks within the city for signature events,&rdqu
  
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• Collector brings 40 tractors to Western Ontario Steam Threshers show

  09-08-2026 21:39 via theobserver.ca
  
  Tom Laird says he’s been collecting tractors for 45 years.“They’re like potato chips: you can’t just have one,” said the Port Franks man, and chapter 20 president of the International Harvesters collectors club.It took him three days, multiple drives and trailer trips, but he brought 40 of his tractors to the Forest Fairgrounds for the Thursday-to-Sunday 69th Western Ontario Steam Threshers Association reunion show.He has 47, but kept a handful back to feed the hor
  
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• Motorcyclist seriously injured in crash

  09-08-2026 19:19 via theobserver.ca
  
  A 57-year-old man was airlifted to a London hospital with life-threatening injuries after a motorcycle crash Saturday in Port Lambton.The crash happened around 8:30 p.m. on St. Clair Parkway, police said.Police ask any witnesses to contact Lambton OPP or Crime Stoppers.On Friday, a transport truck rolled into a ditch around 7:30 a.m. on the off-ramp to Modeland Road from westbound Highway 402.The ramp reopened shortly after midnight Saturday. Don’t wait to report missing people Sarnia pol
  
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• Motorcyclist injured in 'serious' crash: OPP

  09-08-2026 19:19 via theobserver.ca
  
  A -57-year-old man with life-threatening injuries was taken to London hospital by air ambulance after a “serious” single-vehicle motorcycle crash Saturday in Port Lambton, police say.Local fire and emergency medical services personnel also around 8:30 p.m. responded to the crash on St. Clair Parkway, police said.The road was closed between West French Line and West Hold Line for several hours for investigation and cleanup, and reopened around 3 a.m. Sunday, police said.Collision wit
  
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• Bluewater Health welcomes two new physicians

  09-08-2026 16:43 via theobserver.ca
  
  Two new physicians have joined Bluewater Health’s professional staff.Orthopedic surgeon Hyder Ali Khan, who focuses on foot, ankle and lower extremity surgery, joined this month, while pathologist Syeda Qasim joined July 6, a hospital release said.Khan, from LaSalle, studied at Western University’s Schulich school of medicine and dentistry.“It was important for me to build my career in this region, where my wife and our families are located nearby,” he said. “I am
  
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• Bluewater Health announces new physicians

  09-08-2026 16:43 via theobserver.ca
  
  Two new physicians have joined Bluewater Health’s professional staff.Orthopaedic surgeon Dr. Hyder Ali Khan, who focuses on foot, ankle and lower extremity surgery, joined earlier this month, while pathologist Dr. Syeda Qasim joined July 6.Khan, from LaSalle, Ontario, studied at the Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry at Western University.“It was important for me to build my career in this region, where my wife and our families are located nearby,” he said in a news rel
  
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• Weather threat curtails pilot turnout at Sarnia airport fly-in

  08-08-2026 23:15 via theobserver.ca
  
  A poor weather forecast meant fewer pilots and planes at the return of a fly-in at Sarnia’s airport Saturday.“Unfortunately the weather around us isn’t the best, so the fly-in community just isn’t coming,” said Bruce Bond, one of the Sarnia Ontario Aviation Rally (SOAR) event organizers and a past president with Canadian Owners and Pilots Association (COPA) Flight 7.More than 100 were expected, but maybe six turned out, with the threat of rain, he said.Nevertheless
  
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• Sarnia airport fly-in a hit despite flyer-foiling forecast

  08-08-2026 23:15 via theobserver.ca
  
  A poor weather forecast meant fewer pilots and planes at the return of a fly-in at Sarnia’s airport Saturday.“Unfortunately the weather around us isn’t the best, so the fly-in community just isn’t coming,” said Bruce Bond, one of the Sarnia Ontario Aviation Rally (SOAR) event organizers and a past president with Canadian Owners and Pilots Association (COPA) Flight 7.More than 100 were expected, but maybe six turned out, with the threat of rain, he said.Nevertheless
  
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• Where's the beef? Lambton Cattlemen's Association hosts 42nd fundraising barbecue

  08-08-2026 01:17 via theobserver.ca
  
  The Lambton Cattlemen’s Association had some folks over for supper.More than 900, actually.The association of local cattle farmers held its 42nd annual beef barbecue Wednesday at the Brooke-Alvinston Arena, dishing out 1,000 pounds of beef along with baked potatoes, corn on the cob, beans, buns, coleslaw and pie.“It originally started small at a farm with hamburgers,” said Blair Williamson with the 400-member association. “Now we feed more than 1,000 people a year.&rdquo
  
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• Lambton College 'stair walk' memorial and fundraiser to mark 25th anniversary of 9/11

  07-08-2026 20:43 via theobserver.ca
  
  The 25th anniversary of 9/11 will be remembered at Sarnia’s Lambton College with an event tracing the steps of firefighters who climbed New York’s World Trade Centre on the morning of the attack.The Sept. 12 fundraiser for the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation and the Canadian Fallen Firefighters Foundation will see participants climb 2,200 steps in the bowl of the Progressive Auto Sales Arena, a distance equal to 110 storeys of the towers that fell Sept. 11, 2001 in terrorist
  
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• Sarnia charity amplifying provincial energy-bill relief program

  07-08-2026 19:18 via theobserver.ca
  
  People visiting the Inn of the Good Shepherd often don’t know about a provincial energy-bill relief program for lower-income households, says a charity spokesperson.So the Sarnia agency that runs a food bank, emergency shelters and facilitates other programs helping those in need is trying to get the word out about the Ontario Electricity Support Program (OESP), said Inn spokesperson Melissa Roushorne.Credits ranging from $35 to $75 are available through the 2016-started Ontario Energy Bo
  
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• Sarnia charity amplifies provincial energy-bill relief program

  07-08-2026 19:18 via theobserver.ca
  
  People visiting the Inn of the Good Shepherd often don’t know about a provincial energy-bill relief program for lower-income households, says a charity spokesperson.So the Sarnia agency that runs a food bank, emergency shelters and facilitates other programs helping those in need is trying to get the word out about the Ontario Electricity Support Program (OESP), said Inn spokesperson Melissa Roushorne.Credits ranging from $35 to $75 are available through the 2016-started Ontario Energy Bo
  
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• Wheels and Wells Car Show puts out call for vehicles

  07-08-2026 18:33 via theobserver.ca
  
  People have another chance to check out the Oil Museum of Canada grounds for free, after wildfire smoke cancelled a public event in July.The second annual Wheels and Wells Car Show, at the National Historic Site and home to North America’s first commercial oil well – where oil is still pumped from the ground today – is coming up Aug 22.People interested in showing off their vehicles can bring their rides to the grounds, for a donation, for the 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. event, also fea
  
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• Oil Museum hosting car show

  07-08-2026 18:33 via theobserver.ca
  
  People have another chance to check out the Oil Museum of Canada grounds for free, after wildfire smoke canceled a public event in July.The second annual Wheels and Wells Car Show, at the National Historic Site and home to North America’s first commercial oil well – where oil is still pumped from the ground today – is coming up Aug 22.People interested in showing off their vehicles can bring their rides to the grounds, for a donation, for the 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. event, also feat
  
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• Lambton County London Line roundabout project awaiting land acquisition

  07-08-2026 17:10 via theobserver.ca
  
  A repaving project on stretches of London Line and Forest Road will leave the intersection of the two Lambton County roads untouched, for now.The $1.8 million project to repave about seven kilometres of roadway began this week and is expected to be completed in mid-September, said Matt Deline, the county’s public works manager.The work includes a shorter section north of the intersection on Forest Road and a longer section on London Line beginning east of the intersection and continuing t
  
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• Sarnia-area home sales slowed in July

  06-08-2026 21:06 via theobserver.ca
  
  Home sales in the Sarnia area slowed in July, says the president of the Sarnia Lambton Association of Realtors.April Barnard said the 136 home sales last month locally were 6.7 per cent lower than in July 2025. The total value of those sales, $73.3 million, was down nearly 10 per cent from the same month last year.“It is slowing a little bit,” Barnard said. “But it’s still a balanced market” although one that is slightly in the buyer’s favour, she said. &ldqu
  
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• Germain Park splash pad opening soon

  06-08-2026 19:35 via theobserver.ca
  
  Sarnia is tripling its splash pads this year, with a new one set to open soon in Germain Park.“It’s splash pad season for sure,” said the city’s park and facility services manager Tom Burnard.A Tecumseh Park splash pad, renovated in 2022 , was Sarnia’s only option for years.In June, a memorial splash pad in Kenwick Park opened with $890,000 from the Pat and Val Gladwish Foundation.The $535,000 Germain Park addition, hopefully open in about a month, Burnard said, ha
  
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• No increase in cases of parasitic illness linked to Michigan reported in Sarnia area

  06-08-2026 18:32 via theobserver.ca
  
  A parasitic illness reported in the United States, including a large number of cases in neighbouring Michigan, hasn’t been showing up more often in the Sarnia area, says Lambton Public Health.The Windsor-Essex County Health Unit recently reported 24 cases so far this year of cyclosporiasis, an intestinal illness linked in recent U.S. cases to lettuce.The Windsor area typically sees about three cases a year, and public health officials there have identified travel to Michigan as a common e
  
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• Watford library closing for renovations

  06-08-2026 18:31 via theobserver.ca
  
  Watford’s library is closing for about two months for upgrades.The 3,450-square-foot (320-square-metre) building, Lambton’s sole remaining Carnegie branch , is closing Aug. 21 to Oct. 18 for renovations.It was built in 1885 and operated as a business before the township purchased it in 1913 and subsequently opened the library, according to a library system review report from 2023 that recommended facility updates.Warwick Township is adding new flooring, painting, and lighting to the
  
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• Applications accepted for this year's Lambton IPM 91 scholarships

  06-08-2026 17:03 via theobserver.ca
  
  A Lambton County scholarship created with local proceeds from the 1991 International Plowing Match is helping keep the spirit of community involvement alive and well.While the scholarship created 34 years ago by local organizers of the farm event held near Petrolia takes into account marks and financial need, volunteering and community involvement are half of the scoring criteria trustees use to select three annual recipients of the $2,000 awards.“The ideal applicant is very involved in t
  
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• Pat Stapleton Arena repair work estimated at $200,000

  05-08-2026 22:49 via theobserver.ca
  
  Sarnia’s Pat Stapleton Arena needs about $200,000 in repair work to address leaks and unanticipated water damage, city officials say.Wind out of the west during rain storms has been blowing water through gaps between the clad, blue-gray west wall of the Brock Street barn and the flat roof over the lower lobby area, and into a lobby bulkhead, said Adam MacDonald, Sarnia’s community services general manager.“Just age of the building,” he said.Exterior and drywall repairs a
  
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• Lawrence House literary blog seeking Indigenous contributors

  05-08-2026 22:37 via theobserver.ca
  
  An upcoming edition of Uproar, the Lawrence House Centre for the Arts online literary blog, is seeking submissions by Indigenous writers and artists.The edition, set for release Sept. 30, celebrates Indigenous writers and artists of all ages with an emphasis on local residents.“We’re trying to get a voice back for Indigenous people,” and literature and the arts are among the best places for that to happen, said Rhonda Melanson, a member of the literary committee at the Lawrenc
  
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• Criminal investigation of Sarnia police chief underway: Board chair

  05-08-2026 21:49 via theobserver.ca
  
  A criminal investigation related to a public complaint about Sarnia’s suspended police chief is underway, Sarnia’s police board chair says.Kelly Ash didn’t name the service conducting the investigation.“But I can tell you it’s another police service,” she said.Ash said she couldn’t specify the allegations against Sarnia police Chief Derek Davis or the number of people under investigation to protect privacy and the integrity of the investigation.“I
  
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• Copper wire, lightning rods stolen in St. Clair Township break-in: Police

  05-08-2026 19:02 via theobserver.ca
  
  Lightning rods and copper wire were stolen in a break-in at a business in St. Clair Township, Lambton OPP says.Someone cut a hole in a fence around a business on Rokeby Line between 5 p.m. on July 27 and 8 a.m. on July 28, police said in a news release.The stolen wire and lightning rods are valued at about $8,000, police said.Anyone with information about the incident, or footage from dash or security cameras, is asked to call 1-888-310-1122 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477. Thedford golf ca
  
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• More federal investment happening Sarnia-Lambton: MP

  04-08-2026 22:43 via theobserver.ca
  
  A decision to cross the floor and join the Liberals is paying off when it comes to community investment, says Sarnia-Lambton-Bkejwanong’s MP.“Every day I’m receiving emails . . . announcing funding,” said Marilyn Gladu.Then range from just a few thousand dollars to hundreds of thousands of dollars for local projects and initiatives, said the long-time Conservative who switched to the governing Liberals in April .“They’re not huge announcements, but they&rsquo
  
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• More federal investment happening in Sarnia-Lambton: MP

  04-08-2026 22:43 via theobserver.ca
  
  A decision to cross the floor and join the Liberals is paying off when it comes to community investment, says Sarnia-Lambton-Bkejwanong’s MP.“Every day I’m receiving emails . . . announcing funding,” said Marilyn Gladu.They range from just a few thousand dollars to hundreds of thousands of dollars for local projects and initiatives, said the long-time Conservative who switched to the governing Liberals in April .“They’re not huge announcements, but they&rsquo
  
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• Action needed to protect Line 5: MP

  04-08-2026 21:44 via theobserver.ca
  
  A Team Canada approach is needed to protect Enbridge’s Line 5 and the thousands of local jobs it supports, says Marilyn Gladu.“It’s a huge issue,” said the Sarnia-Lambton-Bkejwanong MP, speaking to Golden K Kiwanis club members in Sarnia Tuesday.Michigan’s Supreme Court Friday ordered state regulators to reconsider a permit that would allow Enbridge to upgrade the 1,038-kilometre Line 5 with a tunnel under the Straits of Mackinac.That means contentious tunnel const
  
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• Lambton College to offer wildfire prevention and emergency response program in fall 2027

  04-08-2026 21:28 via theobserver.ca
  
  Approval for Lambton College’s new wildfire prevention and emergency response diploma program arrived just days before smoke from Northern Ontario fires blanketed Sarnia and elsewhere.The timing of conditions supporting the need for the program “just worked out,” said Aaron Klooster, dean for the Sarnia college’s fire science programs.The advanced diploma program will launch in September 2027 and be offered in three semesters during two years for graduates of pre-service
  
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