This Month in Lambton - July 2024

The July 2024 edition of This Month in Lambton includes the following news, service updates, programs and events:

• Stay up to date on road closures
• Meet the new Community Health Integrated Care Team
• Upcoming Lambton Works Centre events
• 2023 Consolidated Financial Statements now available online
• Local Immigration Partnership partners with Latin Fire Dance Company for Art in the Streets
• Lambton Through the Lens
• Summer Reading Challenge ends Sunday, August 11
• Lambton 175 Show & Tell events
• Lambton Heritage Museum hosts travelling exhibit Hockey from Canadian Museum of History
• Canatara Cabin reconstruction phase underway
• Discover Lambton history with digitized resources from Lambton County Archives
• Be Prepared: Power Failures

Stay up to date on road closures

Temporary closures and detours on County Roads are required due to seasonal construction and other events, like severe weather or emergency road work.

Did you know the County posts information on planned and upcoming road closures at lambtononline.ca/roadclosures? Also included on this page is a real-time map from Municipal511 that includes upcoming and current planned closures, as well as emergency road closures from the County and local municipalities.

Check your route before you go!

Meet the new Community Health Integrated Care Team

The Ontario government has invested in a three-year pilot program to launch a new mobile crisis response team in Lambton County that pairs a paramedic with a crisis response worker to support individuals experiencing homelessness and/or mental health and addictions crisis.  Lambton EMS has partnered with Bluewater Health to launch the new Community Health Integrated Care (CHIC) team, who are able to meet people where they are, in encampments, shelters and homelessness resource programs, to build relationships, assess health needs, treat wounds, offer harm reduction outreach, do wellness checks, and provide education and referrals to community agencies and primary care. The new CHIC program is staffed 7 days per week, from 10 a.m. and 10 p.m.

Lambton’s CHIC team is one of three new innovative pilot programs in Ontario that use mobile crisis response teams to expand access to specialized addictions care in the community, avoiding unnecessary visits to emergency departments and police involvement.

The CHIC team officially hit the streets in Lambton County on June 7 with an early focus on building trusting relationships, identifying local needs, and connecting with community partners.  The CHIC team is working in close partnership with community outreach workers, the Housing & Homelessness Resource Hub, Lambton Public Health, the Inn of the Good Shepherd, Canadian Mental Health Association Lambton-Kent, Sarnia Police Impact and MHEART teams, Sarnia-Lambton Mobile Care Bus, Bluewater Health, Lambton OPP, and the Sarnia-Lambton Ontario Health Team. 

The CHIC pilot program is an opportunity for Lambton County to reimagine community-based care by creating easier ways for our most vulnerable populations to access healthcare, when and where they need it the most.

Upcoming Lambton Works Centre events

The Lambton Works Centre is hosting several drop-in events with local employers and organizations this August. Learn more through the links below:

• Contact North @ the LWC
  August 7, 2024 - 1:00 - 4:00 p.m.
• School Within A College @ the LWC
  August 14, 2024 - 1:00 - 4:00 p.m.
• Canadian Coast Guard @ the LWC
  August 15, 2024 - 10:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.
• John Howard Society @ the LWC
  August 28, 2024 - 1:00 - 4:00 p.m.

2023 Consolidated Financial Statements now available online

The Corporation of the County of Lambton's Consolidated Financial Statements for the year ended December 31, 2023 have been completed and audited.

Copies of the Financial Statements are available from the Finance, Facilities and Court Services Division by calling 519-845-0801, toll free 1-866-324-6912 or online at lambtononline.ca/budget.

Local Immigration Partnership partners with Latin Fire Dance Company for Art in the Streets

The Sarnia-Lambton Local Immigration Partnership has partnered with Latin Fire Dance Company to host a family friendly celebration of cultures in Sarnia-Lambton.

Upcoming Arts in the Street events will take place on August 2, 16, and 30 from 6 p.m. until 9 p.m. on Lochiel Street in Sarnia.

View the Arts in the Street event poster

Lambton Through the Lens

Attend the Lambton Through the Lens exhibit at the Judith & Norman Alix Art Gallery on Friday, August 2 as part of Sarnia's First Friday events. The Gallery will be open until 9:00 p.m.

Come and view the winning entries from the Teen Photo Contest and works by renowned photographer Jane Hinton. TheL exhibit will be displayed from August 2 to October 12, 2024.

Summer Reading Challenge ends Sunday, August 11

Register for the Summer Reading Challenge online or at any Lambton County Library during regular opening hours. Kids, teens, and adults can win prizes for reading and completing challenges until Sunday, August 11.

For programs and events and to learn more about the Summer Reading Challenge visit lclibrary.ca/SRC

Lambton 175 Show & Tell events

Do you own journals, letters, diaries, or artifacts connected to Lambton’s past? Come to a Lambton 175 Show & Tell event and share your local history items.

A team from Lambton County Museums will digitize and photograph your local history items to preserve their stories for future generations. Learn about donating historical items and explore local history displays. Join us in celebrating 175 years of Lambton County’s rich history!

Upcoming Lambton 175 Show & Tell events:

• Sarnia Library Theatre
  August 13 - 3:00 to 5:00 p.m.
• Camlachie Library
  August 17 - 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
• Oil Museum of Canada
  August 22 - 6:00 to 8:00 p.m.

Lambton Heritage Museum hosts travelling exhibit Hockey from Canadian Museum of History

Get ready to dive into the heart and soul of Canada’s favourite pastime with Hockey, a one-of-a-kind travelling exhibition from the Canadian Museum of History! Now on display at Lambton Heritage Museum, this interactive exhibit showcases the high points of the sport from both yesterday and today, exploring its importance and influence over the past 100 years through profiles of professional and amateur participants.

But that’s not all! Lambton Heritage Museum has curated a special addition to the exhibit. Discover local artifacts and hear stories with deep ties to Lambton County, offering a glimpse into how hockey has shaped our own community and highlighting its local significance. Join us in celebrating the passion, history, and community spirit of hockey, a sport that holds a special place in the hearts of Canadians everywhere!

Canatara Cabin reconstruction phase underway

Lambton Heritage Museum is thrilled to announce that the reconstruction phase of the Canatara Cabin Restoration Project has begun and is moving steadily along.

In late June, gravel and soil were added to the concrete pad at the future cabin site to create a berm that will enclose the foundation of the restored cabin. The disassembled logs were then moved in layers from the Transportation Exhibit Hall and placed on the updated foundation. As our contractors moved along, they reinforced and braced the logs in anticipation of the chinking that will be added later to seal the logs together. The second floor was secured in place with the assistance of a crane, and it is anticipated the roof will be ready for installation soon.

As we continue this journey, we are still seeking donations to reach our fundraising goal of $100,000. Your support is crucial in achieving the completion of this project and forever preserving this piece of Lambton County history. Please visit the Canatara Cabin page at heritagemuseum.ca to learn more about this historic building and donate today.

Discover Lambton history with digitized resources from Lambton County Archives

Are you researching Lambton history this summer? There are several resources you can access online from the Lambton County Archives’ website, including our newly digitized Jones Family Diaries collection. Discover diaries from three members of the Jones Family, including Henry John Jones Sr. and his two children, Julia Maria Jones and Henry John Jones Jr. Dive into personal accounts of the Jones Family and explore a period of Lambton County history from the early 1800s.

You can also browse the Archives’ online collection, an array of virtual books, and links to other online resources that can assist with genealogical research. Uncover the rich heritage of our community today at lambtonarchives.ca.

Be Prepared: Power Failures

A heavy reliance on equipment such as air conditioners can put a significant demand on Ontario's power grid during prolonged heat waves. Summer storms can also lead to power outages.

Be prepared:

• Store flashlights with fresh batteries in several places throughout your home and check them regularly.
• Acquire an external battery pack for your cell phone or tablet in order to extend its use and use your device sparingly. Note that wireless service may also be lost during an extended power outage.
• Try to keep your car's gas tank at least one quarter to half-full. Many gas stations may not be in operation during a power outage

During an outage:

• Listen to a battery-powered or “crank” radio tuned to a local station to find out what is happening.
• Do not call 9-1-1 to report power outages. If you need to report an outage, contact your local electricity provider.
• Cell phone towers may be tied up with calls. You may however be able to text friends or family because texting requires less data.
• Do not open your fridge or freezer unless absolutely necessary. Discard any thawed food that has been at room temperature for more than two hours.
• Check on elderly or disabled neighbours.

For more tips, visit EmergenciesLambton.ca.