Sarnia news

• Ontario's minimum wage increases to $17.95

  01-10-2026 19:16 via sarnianewstoday.ca
  
  Ontario's minimum wage has officially increased by 35 cents.It's now $17.95, the second-highest among provinces and fourth-highest when including the territories. Nunavut's minimum wage is the highest at $20.17, followed by the Yukon at $18.51, and British Columbia at $18.25.Alberta has the lowest rate at $15. The province's minimum wage hasn't changed since 2019.This is the ninth time Ontario's minimum wage has been raised over the past 10 years, with people back in 2016 earning $11.40.The prov
  
  Read more

• Candidates consider how they'd use strong mayor powers

  02-10-2026 19:33 via theobserver.ca
  
  As mayor, Bill Dennis says he’d make the city more business friendly, and suggested he’d use strong mayor powers to make it happen.“I’m going to be changing the culture at city hall,” said the two-term city councillor and candidate for mayor during a Blackburn Media-hosted debate at Sarnia’s Dante Club Thursday.“It’s going to be very, very pro business,” said Dennis, stressing his top priority is attracting new jobs and industries to the com
  
  Read more

• Ex-Sarnia boys’ coach guilty of more historical sex crimes

  02-10-2026 17:58 via theobserver.ca
  
  For the second time in two weeks, a Sarnia judge found a B.C. politician and newspaper editor guilty of historical underage sex crimes linked to when he coached youth basketball in Sarnia.James (Jim) Miller, who was a Sarnia Observer sports reporter at the time of the allegations, pleaded not guilty in late April to six charges linked to one complainant, a boy he coached in the 1980s or ‘90s. The complainant testified he first met Miller when he tried out for one of his elementary school-
  
  Read more

• OPP Auxiliary teaming up with local grocers to fight hunger

  02-10-2026 17:45 via sarnianewstoday.ca
  
  Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) Auxiliary members are trading in routine patrols for a food drive this weekend.On Saturday, October 3, officers will host Operation Full Plate, a provincewide initiative to restock community food banks.More than 500 volunteer members will be collecting non-perishable food and essential items for families in need.OPP Auxiliary Sgt. Paula Stokes said in Lambton County, donations can be dropped off at Heidi’s Independent Grocer in Petrolia , Chris’ No Fri
  
  Read more

• Advertisement

• Open houses begin at 2027 Dream Home (GALLERY)

  02-10-2026 17:43 via sarnianewstoday.ca
  
  Community members can begin touring the Bluewater Health Foundation's dream home in Camlachie, as open houses kick off this weekend.A ribbon-cutting ceremony was held on Thursday, October 1.Ribbon cutting for the Dream Home in Camlachie. October 1, 2026. (Photo by Natalia Vega)Valued at $1.19 million, the four-bedroom, three-bathroom bungalow is located at 3504 Paul Crescent.President of Iacobelli Construction Frank Iacobelli described it as a French Provincial style home."It turned ou
  
  Read more

• Annual golf tournament raises $48K for St. Clair Twp. food banks

  02-10-2026 17:35 via sarnianewstoday.ca
  
  Three food banks in St. Clair Township have received a helping hand after the 2026 Emergency Services Charity Golf Tournament raised $48,000 this past summer.Th event, organized by the St. Clair Township Fire Department with event sponsor CF Industries, was held in June at the St. Clair Parkway Golf Course in Mooretown.“We were so proud to host this event again alongside our friends at CF Industries,” said St. Clair Township Fire Chief Richard Boyes in a municipal media release. &ldq
  
  Read more

• Ontario police chief's association honours Sarnia's 'Officer Tyler'

  02-10-2026 16:47 via theobserver.ca
  
  Tyler Callander feels fortunate.The Sarnia constable has been the city police service’s Aamjiwnaang First Nation community officer since the role was created in 2023 and recently received a heroes beyond the badge award from the Ontario Association of Chiefs of Police for his work.“I just go and do my job every day,” he said. “Any accolades like this just validates you are doing good work in the community.”Heroes beyond the badge recognizes an individual or team in
  
  Read more

• Gallery exhibitions in Sarnia about time, perception

  02-10-2026 16:20 via theobserver.ca
  
  Alvinston artist Liana Russwurm’s Italian Baroque-inspired portraits look at first like they’re from another time, says Sonya Blazek.But slowing down to take a closer look, you see tattoos, modern clothing and technology that give the Homme exhibition pieces away as contemporary, said the Judith and Norman Alix Art Gallery curator.“So, there’s this very interesting tension that’s happening,” Blazek said.Time, perception, and their affect on things such as mem
  
  Read more

• Advertisement

• Employers encouraged to hire people facing barriers

  02-10-2026 15:21 via theobserver.ca
  
  Finding the right fit for job openings has been a struggle of late for many Sarnia-Lambton employers, says a local chamber of commerce spokesperson.“Finding staffing, hiring, there are some gaps in the community,” said Nicole Crosby.About 60 employers signed up for an event Tuesday at the Sarnia Golf and Curling Club, designed to help recognize a potentially underutilized talent pool in the community, said Stacey Mullen, Ontario Works manager in Lambton.The Lambton Works Centre, Cir
  
  Read more

• Mayoral candidates debate issues at Sarnia News Today forum

  02-10-2026 12:19 via sarnianewstoday.ca
  
  Sarnia's mayoral candidates squared off in a debate Thursday night, hosted by Blackburn Media at the Dante Club.Incumbent Mayor Mike Bradley, City/County Councillor Bill Dennis, Carrie McEachran and Scott Molson were all on hand, while George Stanko withdrew from the race earlier in the day.Each answered questions drafted by Sarnia News Today reporters, based on input from citizens of Sarnia, in front of a crowd of just over 200. The Sarnia News Today mayoral debate at the Dante Club - Oct. 1/26
  
  Read more

• Harmony's haunted house returns for another year

  02-10-2026 12:05 via sarnianewstoday.ca
  
  Harmony for Youth is kicking off its annual haunted house this weekend.The all-ages event will run every weekend throughout the month of October."Our haunted house is one of our best and most fun fundraisers that we do in a year," said Harmony for Youth Board President Paul Carney. "We go into a place we could look around to see what we can find, hopefully for free. But we've been so honoured that Unifor 914 is giving us the space this year. It's absolutely fantastic for us. We go in, we build b
  
  Read more

• Petrolia military history event returns this Saturday

  02-10-2026 12:04 via sarnianewstoday.ca
  
  History is set to come alive this Saturday in Petrolia!The Petrolia Discovery Foundation is hosting the second annual Military History in Action event on October 3 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.Visitors can step back in time to experience Canada’s military past with live World War One demonstrations, military vehicles, cavalry displays, heritage exhibits, and even an aviation flyover.Interactive activities and food options will be available on site throughout the day.Admission is $10 for adul
  
  Read more

• Scoreboard, Oct. 2

  02-10-2026 12:00 via sarnianewstoday.ca
  
  MLBWild CardAtlanta 6 Philadelphia 2(Atlanta wins 2-1)---OHLNiagara 2 Barrie 1 OTPeterborough 4 Erie 0Windsor 3 North Bay 2---GOHLLondon 7 Sarnia 6St. Catharines 5 Welland 1---PJHLNorth Middlesex 4 Petrolia 3 OT---NHLNew Jersey 3 Philadelphia 2 OTColumbus 6 Buffalo 3NY Rangers 5 Tampa Bay 1Minnesota 3 Nashville 1Seattle 6 Calgary 1Utah 6 Chicago 0Edmonton 9 Vancouver 7San Jose 4 Florida 3 OT---NFLCleveland 27 Pittsburgh 24 ---WNBA PlayoffsLas Vegas 94 Indiana 83(Las Vegas wins 2-1)------Friday's
  
  Read more

• Sarnia-area Dream Home Lottery grand prize ready for visitors

  01-10-2026 22:17 via theobserver.ca
  
  Bluewater Health Foundation’s 32nd Dream Home is officially open.Foundation representatives and the home’s builders gathered at 3504 Paul Cres., near Camlachie, Thursday to cut a ribbon on the four-bedroom, three-bathroom grand prize for this year’s fundraising lottery.Volunteers will begin hosting weekend open houses Saturday and Sunday, 1 p.m. to 4 p.m., and sales so far have been promising since Dream Home lottery tickets went on sale in mid-September, said Kathy Alexander,
  
  Read more

• Funding private health care in Ontario costs more and leads to longer waits

  01-10-2026 22:05 via theobserver.ca
  
  Amid belt-tightening at Sarnia’s hospital, and others in Ontario, provincial investment in for-profit clinics has been on the rise, a new study says.The result is not a reduction in procedure wait times, as touted when Queen’s Park expanded private clinic investment in 2023 , said Andrew Longhurst with the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives.Instead, the median wait times for eight of 12 publicly funded priority procedures in Ontario, including MRI scans, cataract surgeries, and
  
  Read more

• Accused heroin smuggler pleads to possessing opium, draws $1K fine

  01-10-2026 20:46 via theobserver.ca
  
  The case of a trucker accused of smuggling heroin into Canada via the Blue Water Bridge took an unexpected turn this week.Harwinder Singh, 29, of Toronto, was arrested at the twin-span bridge connecting Michigan and the Sarnia area on Dec. 29, 2024, and charged with importing heroin and possessing heroin for trafficking, court records showed.Such drug-smuggling cases typically lead to weeks-long trials at the Sarnia courthouse and, if an accused person is found guilty, decades-long prison sente
  
  Read more

• Feds declare new pipeline a national interest project

  01-10-2026 20:04 via sarnianewstoday.ca
  
  Prime Minister Mark Carney has declared a new pipeline from Alberta to British Columbia's (B.C.) coast a project of national interest.He was in Fort McMurray on Thursday with Alberta Premier Danielle Smith, sharing more details on the pipeline project that's been in the works for months.By declaring the project a national interest, it will avoid red tape by proceeding through the Major Projects Office (MPO), a single federal regulatory review process."Canada has a once-in-a-generation opportunit
  
  Read more

• Provincial funding shrinks Bluewater Health deficit projection

  01-10-2026 19:56 via theobserver.ca
  
  A projected 2026/27 deficit at Bluewater Health is down to $6 million, from $9.5 million, thanks to more provincial funding.But more is needed to get to balanced, hospital group president and CEO Paula Reaume-Zimmer said.“We’re going to have to continue to work with the (Health) Ministry and look at the funding model and our base funding,” she said.“Certainly the hospitals throughout Ontario, that’s the message that we’ve been sharing for the past couple of y
  
  Read more

• OPP arrest driver after vehicle hits hydro pole

  01-10-2026 19:50 via sarnianewstoday.ca
  
  A 20-year-old from Kettle and Stony Point First Nation has been charged with dangerous and impaired driving after a car struck a hydro pole on Lakeshore Road near Fuller Road.Lambton OPP officers responded to the crash just before 1 p.m. on September 26.The driver was transported to hospital by Lambton County Emergency Medical Services with non-life-threatening injuries.His licence was suspended for 90 days and the vehicle was impounded for a week.The accused was released from police custody and
  
  Read more

• Lambton County concerned about impact of Dresden-area dump proposal

  01-10-2026 18:45 via theobserver.ca
  
  Lambton County wants its residents’ concerns heard when the province considers environmental approvals for a Toronto-area company’s plan to reopen a landfill site just over the county line near Dresden.York1 Environmental Waste Solutions has said it plans to reopen a landfill and operate a recycling and waste facility at 29831 Irish School Rd., about two kilometres from the border with Lambton.The county’s concerns include the impact of trucks travelling south from Highway 402
  
  Read more

• Midway, games, contests set for Brooke-Alvinston and Watford Fall Fair

  01-10-2026 17:45 via sarnianewstoday.ca
  
  Organizers are hoping for good weather as the Brooke-Alvinston and Watford Fall Fair takes place this weekend.The fair is scheduled to take place Friday and Saturday, but the midway will open a day early.Brooke-Alvinston Agricultural Society President Chris Bryans said new this year, the midway will open on Thursday, October 1, from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m."When the kids are up there dropping off their exhibits, they have a chance to check out the rides and take them for a spin," Bryans said. "They
  
  Read more

• Annual 'Jordan’s Run the Runway' returns to Sarnia's Chris Hadfield Airport

  01-10-2026 17:40 via sarnianewstoday.ca
  
  A unique charity event is hitting the runway at Sarnia's Chris Hadfield Airport this week.Jordan’s Run the Runway, presented by Siskinds LLP, is a one-of-a-kind five kilometre run, walk, roll, and pole that raises funds to send kids to YMCA camps."It's our third annual Run the Runway. It's a 5K run, walk, roll, or pole. Meaning, you can show up, and you can just walk it. You can push the little ones in the stroller. You can use the Nordic poles that you see folks doing these days to help y
  
  Read more

• Field narrows to four ahead of Thursday’s Sarnia mayoral debate

  01-10-2026 12:50 via sarnianewstoday.ca
  
  Blackburn Media and Sarnia News Today is hosting a live mayoral debate Thursday at the Dante Club. Doors open at 6:30 p.m., with the discussion kicking off at 7:00 p.m. and running until 8:30 PM.The stage will look a bit different than originally expected. Candidate George Stanko has officially withdrawn from the race. In an email to Sarnia News Today, Stanko confirmed he is terminating his campaign for mayor due to personal family reasons.That leaves four candidates vying for the city's to
  
  Read more

• Point Edward municipal election: All-candidates meeting set for Oct. 5

  01-10-2026 12:04 via sarnianewstoday.ca
  
  Residents of the Village of Point Edward will have an opportunity to engage directly with local political hopefuls next week, ahead of the upcoming municipal election.The Point Edward Optimist Club is hosting an all candidates meeting on Monday, October 5, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Point Edward Community Hall.Candidates running for the positions of mayor and council have been invited to participate and present their platforms.Current Mayor Bev Hand is one of 11 individuals seeking one of four
  
  Read more

• Lambton County seeking local initiatives for Creative County Grant

  01-10-2026 12:03 via sarnianewstoday.ca
  
  Applications are now open for the 2027 Creative County Grant program.The program funds projects and events around the county that bring people together."Lambton County provides approximately $75,000 every year towards the grant, and it's divided. The county is divided into four quadrants, so each has an allotment of $10,000. Then there is one grant that is for $35,000 for a project that involves the whole county," said Creative County Committee Chair Tracy Kingston. "The grant really is to
  
  Read more

• Wallaceburg man charged in child exploitation investigation going to trial

  01-10-2026 11:00 via sarnianewstoday.ca
  
  A Wallaceburg man will have his day in court after being charged by the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) with luring a minor.Kevin McCord, 49, will be tried on July 5 and 6, 2027 in Chatham court.The OPP Child Sexual Exploitation Unit searched a home in Wallaceburg on March 5 as part of a child sexual exploitation investigation and seized several electronic devices from the home.McCord was arrested and charged with luring a person under 18 and luring a person under 16.
  
  Read more

• Scoreboard, Oct 1

  01-10-2026 11:00 via sarnianewstoday.ca
  
  MLBWild CardPhiladelphia at Atlanta, 2 p.m.(Series tied 1-1)Chicago White Sox 7 Houston 3(Chicago wins 2-0)Boston 2 NY Yankees 9 (New York wins 2-0)Chicago Cubs 1 San Diego 4(San Diego wins 2-0)---GOHLKomoka 6 LaSalle 3Strathroy 2 London 3---PJHLLakeshore 1 Wheatley 2Aylmer 6 Lucan 3Exeter 3 Thamesford 5---NHLPittsburgh 7 Philadelphia 0NY Islanders 1 Toronto 2Los Angeles 4 Colorado 8---WNBAPlayoffsAtlanta 93 Washington 75(Atla
  
  Read more

• Sudden death prompts lengthy road closure

  30-09-2026 22:40 via sarnianewstoday.ca
  
  Lambton OPP closed a section of Tecumseh Road for several hours on Wednesday while officers investigated a sudden death.Motorists were asked to avoid the area between Petrolia and LaSalle Lines.Cst. Tyler Campbell told Sarnia News Today the incident was not suspicious in nature and out of respect for those involved no further information would be released.
  
  Read more

• Lambton College honours Truth and Reconciliation Day

  30-09-2026 21:15 via sarnianewstoday.ca
  
  Lambton College hosted a special gathering Wednesday to mark Truth and Reconciliation Day.The event included remarks from local First Nation leaders as well as an Indigenous business vendor market."Today's a really critical day every year for Lambton College. We obviously work towards truth and reconciliation every day, but today's a day where we can really profile it and really have some hard but important discussions on what the truth looks like, what that history looks like, and then wha
  
  Read more

• Sarnia Every Child Matters walk marks Day for Truth and Reconciliation

  30-09-2026 21:02 via theobserver.ca
  
  Indigenous communities are still healing from the impact of Canada’s residential schools, Elizabeth Plain told those taking part Wednesday in an Every Child Matters march in Sarnia.The Aamjiwnaang First Nation resident spoke at Sarnia’s waterfront after the march from the Sarnia-Lambton Native Friendship Centre on Lochiel Street.Many wore orange shirts as they marched behind an eagle staff and drummers to the waterfront at Paul Blundy Park.Canada’s first National Day for Truth
  
  Read more

Follow @Sarnia_News on Twitter!