This Month in Lambton - December 2020

The December edition of This Month in Lambton includes the following news, service updates, programs and events:

• Council elects 159th Lambton County Warden
• Lambton Circles thanks Seaway Kiwanis Club
• Lambton County Library adjusted holiday hours
• Sarnia Library now open for curbside pickup service
• Borrow snowshoes from Lambton County Library
• Winter travel preparedness
• Holiday craft kits from Lambton Heritage Museum
• Creative County Committee announces 2021 funding
• Tourism Sarnia-Lambton launches Win Your Holiday Shopping contest
• Canatara Cabin on the move

Council elects 159th Lambton County Warden

Enniskillen Mayor Kevin Marriott has been elected the 159th Warden of Lambton County.

Warden Marriott was elected to the position by his peers on Lambton County Council on December 2, 2020. The County Warden is the Head of Council for The Corporation of the County of Lambton.

Warden Marriott, a cash crop farmer, has served on Enniskillen Township Council for the past 26 years, including seven years as Deputy Mayor and the last nine years as Mayor.

Additionally, Point Edward Mayor Bev Hand was elected to the position of Deputy Warden. Deputy Warden Hand joined Point Edward Council in 2006 and has served as Mayor of Point Edward since 2016. Also of note, Deputy Warden Hand's mother, Barb Horner, served as the first female Warden of Lambton County in 1984.

Lambton Circles thanks Seaway Kiwanis Club

Lambton Circles is incredibly grateful for ten years of ongoing support from the Seaway Kiwanis Club.

When receiving this year's annual donation, it was with great pleasure and gratitude that Bill Weber, Warden (2017-2020) presented the Seaway Kiwanis Club with a donor recognition plaque, recognizing the Club for their ongoing support of Lambton Circles.

Photo Caption: From left to right, Kim Godin, Lambton Circles Coordinator; Melissa Fitzpatrick, Manager of Homelessness Prevention and Children's Services, County of Lambton; Bill Weber, Lambton County Warden (2017-2020); Donna Kelso, Lieutenant Governor, Kiwanis International; and Tom Booth, Former President, Seaway Kiwanis Club.

Lambton County Library adjusted holiday hours

Lambton County Library will be adjusting its hours for contactless curbside pickup and schedule appointments over the holiday season.

In addition, Lambton County Library will be closing its material return boxes from Thursday, December 24, 2020 to Monday, December 28, 2020. Please plan your visit to drop off returns in advance and do not return your items during this time of closure. Late fines will not accrue during this four-day time period.

Hours will be adjusted on the following dates for the listed locations:

Sarnia Library now open for curbside pickup service

Lambton County Library’s downtown Sarnia location is now offering contactless curbside pickup service seven days a week.

Sarnia Library’s curbside pickup service hours are:

• Monday to Friday, 10:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m.
• Saturday, 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
• Sunday 1:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.

To reserve materials and use contactless curbside pickup at Sarnia Library, cardholders can:

1. Use the library’s catalogue at lclibrary.ca or the Iguana Library Mobile App;
2. Call one of the 16 participating locations to reserve a specific title; or
3. Use the Lambton County Library Readers’ Advisory Service to have library employees choose items based on the cardholder’s preferences. Cardholders can access this service by filling out the form found at lclibrary.ca/curbside-pickup or calling 519-337-3291 or 1-866-324-6912 during opening hours.

Several parking spaces are reserved on Christina Street in front of the library for the use of the curbside pickup patrons. Watch for the blue signage.

In addition, the Sarnia Library Theatre is once again available for rental for digital recordings, broadcast of live performances, and practice and instructional purposes, during operating hours only, and with no audience access. To reserve the theatre call 519-337-3291 ex. 5900 or email Sarnia Library Theatre.

Borrow snowshoes from Lambton County Library

Are you looking for activities to do outdoors this winter? Snowshoes are a great way to remain physically distanced while enjoying the outdoors this winter. Snowshoes are available in both adult and children’s sizes for a 7-day loan period.

You can place holds on snowshoes for contactless curbside pickup through lclibrary.ca, the Iguana Library app, or by calling your local library. Please note that only two pairs of snowshoes can be borrowed per library card.

Winter travel preparedness

Many winter collisions occur because drivers are travelling too fast for road and weather conditions. If you encounter blowing snow and snow-covered roads while driving this winter, slow down and leave yourself extra space between vehicles.  Sometimes the safest decision is to change your travel plans and wait until conditions improve.  To help you plan ahead, the Ministry of Transportation provides information about road conditions through its website, where you can also view camera feeds from certain provincial highway locations.

Before the next snowfall, read about winter safety tips and Ministry of Transportation resources by visiting EmergenciesLambton.ca.

Holiday craft kits from Lambton Heritage Museum

Are you looking for a fun, physically distanced activity to enjoy with your household this holiday season? Lambton Heritage Museum is offering a special promotion for Museum visitors!

Until December 19, museum visitors will receive a free Holiday Craft Kit as part of their museum admission. These kits contain three crafts guaranteed to spread holiday cheer and entertain the whole family. The kits are designed for school-aged children and include interesting information about the history behind the holidays.

All of the crafts come with printed instructions, but if you prefer a visual experience, visit lambtonmuseums.ca/holiday-crafts and follow along with our craft assembly videos.

For those who prefer to stay at home, two of the crafts can be completed with basic supplies you may already have. A complete list of supplies and instructions can be found at lambtonmuseums.ca/holiday-crafts.

Book your visit today at heritagemuseum.ca/bookyourticket. The Museum is open Wednesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays from 11:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m., and Thursdays from 11:00 a.m. until 8:30 p.m. The Museum will be closed December 20, 2020 to January 1, 2021. Museum admission is $15.00 for families, $5.00 for adults, $4.00 for seniors and students, and $3.00 for children. Children three and under are free.

Creative County Committee announces 2021 funding

Lambton's Creative County Grant Program has approved 9 projects for the 2021 program year, representing an investment of $37,500 in funding.

The Creative County Committee adjusted its application criteria for the 2020-21 grant period to allow for the reimbursement of expenses to meet safety requirements that allow cultural events to proceed, or support innovative approaches to ensuring the safe re-opening of cultural destinations. At a recent meeting, the Creative County Committee approved the following:

• $2,500 to PM Entertainment Group and Foundation to support the Rocking the Runway drive in concert.
• $2,500 to the International Symphony Orchestra (ISO) for the ISO Digital Chamber Series.
• $10,000 to The Young Canuckstorian Project: Lambton Hometown Heroes for the website and videos series production. 
• $2,500 for the Centre Communautaire Francophone de Sarnia-Lambton for the production of Franco Ontarian Cultural Videos.
• $2,500 to the Friends of the Gallery in the Grove for Gallery in the Grove 2020 & Beyond!
• $2,500 to the Grand Bend Historical Walk Committee for the Grand Bend Historical Project.
• $5,000 to the Kiwanis Club of Forest for program delivery.
• $5,000 to the Village of Oil Springs for the development and delivery of Family Fun Movie Nights.
• $5,000 to the Petrolia Business Association for the 'Shop Like Charlotte' program.

It is estimated that this funding will leverage a total of $202,631 in local cultural investment by applicant organizations and their respective partners in 2021, based on the total estimated project costs submitted by applicants.

The next application intake is scheduled for the fall of 2021, and will support initiatives taking place during the year 2022. For more information about Lambton's Creative County Grant Program, visit lambtononline.ca/creativecounty.

Tourism Sarnia-Lambton launches Win Your Holiday Shopping contest

From December 1 to 25, Tourism Sarnia-Lambton is rewarding shoppers with a daily chance to win up to $200 of your local holiday shopping, plus all participants will be entered into the Discover Sarnia-Lambton $1000 Gift Card Grand Prize Draw.

To enter the contest, submit a copy of your receipts along with your contact information into the ballot boxes located at:

• Lambton Mall (Guest Services) in Sarnia
• The Shores Recreation Centre in Forest
• Town Hall in Petrolia
• Tourism Sarnia-Lambton in Point Edward

Shop, play, eat and stay local this holiday season to support local businesses throughout Lambton County.

Contest winners will be selected daily and posted on our Tourism Sarnia-Lambton: Ontario’s Blue Coast Facebook and Instagram pages.

Tourism Sarnia-Lambton Holiday Gift Cards that can be redeem by over 275+ Sarnia Lambton Local Businesses are also available by visiting or contacting Tourism Sarnia-Lambton.

Canatara Cabin on the move

The City of Sarnia and the County of Lambton have finalized details to move a historic log cabin from Canatara Park to Lambton Heritage Museum, and see its restoration supported by the fundraising efforts of a local volunteer group. 

This will be the third move for the resilient, square log structure, which has a fascinating history of moving to different locations over its nearly 200 year history. It was originally built in Huron County, where it served as a private residence. It was purchased by the Hanna/Spaulding family in the 1930s and moved to their property on Lakeshore Road in Sarnia. For this move, the cabin was dismantled and floated down Lake Huron, then rebuilt. It was used as a family cottage for many years until the Hay family acquired the building and eventually donated it to the City of Sarnia in the early 1970s. It was moved to Canatara Park in May 1971, where it has served as a community gathering place for the last 49 years. Now, it is making a final journey to Lambton Heritage Museum.

Once it arrives at the Museum, the cabin will require significant restoration work to ensure its heritage elements will be preserved for future generations. This restoration is being supported by the “Save the Canatara Cabin” group, a committee of dedicated volunteers who have been spearheading a movement to save the cabin from demolition.

Working in partnership with the Save the Canatara Cabin group, Lambton Heritage Museum has raised $11,510 in the first week of fundraising in support of the Canatara Cabin Restoration Project. The campaign was formally launched on Friday, November 27, and the fundraising goal is $100,000. To learn about this fundraising initiative and to contribute, visit lambtonmuseums.ca/canatara-cabin.