9th Annual Petrolia Pizzafest Returns to Victoria Park on June 4
Petrolia – Petrolia Pizzafest returns to Victoria Park, Petrolia on June 4, 2022. After a pair of online events in both 2020, and 2021, the 9th annual pizza-lovers event will be an in-person celebration of the cheesiest annual event the town has to offer.
Petrolia is not short on pizza restaurants looking to fill hungry bellies, and event organizers are pleased to boast 7 participants for 2022 – Bud’s Family Pizza, Godfathers Pizza, Helen’s Hideaway Family Restaurant, Johnny G’s Premium Pizza, Petrolia Pizza & Subs, Pizza Hut, Petrolia, and Wise Guys Inc.
Known for the pizza, this event packs a whole lot of fun in to one day. For kids – bouncy castles, and games! For families, pizza, a Lambton Central Petrolia Optimist BBQ, cold non-alcoholic drinks, and Petrolia Scouting offering freezies and ice cream, and live entertainment all day! There is even a beer garden for those that can’t resist the famous combination of pizza and cold beer!
We are pleased to welcome back fan-favourite musicians including The Twang Bsds., Vinyl Revival and The Geoff Masse Band!
The event has been generously sponsored by Bluewater Power, Riverside Print & Signs, Bourque Renovations, Courtney Hind- IG Wealth Management, Baysar Business Solutions, MIG Engineering, Rick and Barb Charlebois, BrokerLink, and Holland Cleaning Solutions.
“There’s nothing like Pizzafest to bring families together for the first big event of the summer. We like to see just how many slices we can sell during the day. Our highest total ever was just over 7,500 slices in 7 hours, and that’s pretty cool!” Said Dave Menzies, Director of Facilities and Community Services. He added that, “This is one of our favourite events each year, what’s not to love? Pizza, family, friends, and lots of fun!”
The participating pizza restaurants are facing increased expenses but have chosen to hold the pizza ticket price at $2.50 for the event citing that they “…Would like to show our community just how much we have appreciated their extra support over the past two years. It has been a difficult time for all of us in one way or another, and the support from our community has been paramount in our ability to stay open and remain viable.” Said John McFadden of Wise Guys Inc.
Echoed by neighbours Amy and Cody Ewing, when they added “…It’s a nice price point for families to enjoy a day in the park and enjoy a variety of pizza. We’re excited to be back, it’s a great day spent doing what we love best – making pizza!”
The event runs from noon until 7:00 p.m. on Saturday, June 4, 2022, in Victoria Park, Petrolia.
“These events are not possible without a tremendous team of volunteers, we are so grateful to the Community Services Advisory Committee, our Service Clubs, and our community members that step-up year after year to support our community events and activities.” Said Thera Wagner, Special Events Associate.

Time to Play Outside! – Petrolia Introduces Parks Passport
Petrolia – Petrolia is challenging families to get out and visit the local parks, where youth can complete a passport to get a prize!
After two years of decreased recreation, the Community Services Department at the Town of Petrolia thought of a creative way to encourage physical activity and to promote drawing and writing skills in young people. The idea of the Parks Passport takes families on a journey to each park in Petrolia and asks questions about what they find, and sometimes asks them to get creative and submit a drawing of what they see. The prize? Well, that’s a secret, but each youth participant that returns a passport will receive one!
“Recreation is an important aspect for a healthy lifestyle, and for young people it is an excellent outlet for stored energy, and to teach the value of physical activity. We looked at this Parks Passport as a creative way to encourage families to “stay outside until the streetlights come on” like we did when we were growing up, and to experience outdoor play in our many parks.” Said Dave Menzies, Director of Facilities and Community Services. He added that, “…the prizes are just for youth, but the benefits for a family completing the passport together are many.”
Petrolia is known for the abundance of green space available for recreation and for passive enjoyment. Several community groups, most notably, Parents for Parks, have fundraised a complete replacement and development of a new playground in Greenwood Park that will come to fruition for families to enjoy this summer. A volunteer committee has been working with staff on the re-development of the Bridgeview Trail System, and recently a wetlands area has been added to Bridgeview Park South. Memorial benches are celebrated throughout the community and provide a nice place to stop and enjoy nature. Staff continue to work with community groups on the development of a splash pad, dog park and more, and as these details are finalized plans will be shared.
The Parks Passport will be available for families to pick up at the Petrolia Municipal Office from Monday through Friday between the hours of 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. and starting Saturday, May 21 at the Petrolia Farmers’ Market (396 Fletcher Street) every Saturday from 7:30 a.m. until noon. Completed Passports are asked to be returned to the Petrolia Municipal Office, where it will be exchanged for a prize.
PETROLIA OPENS J. H. FAIRBANK FIRE TRAINING CENTRE
Petrolia – Jay Arns, Chief of the Petrolia and North Enniskillen Fire Department was pleased to be able to officially open the J. H. Fairbank Fire Training Centre this morning in Petrolia.
Special guests were Charlie Fairbank and Pat McGee of Oil Springs, that graciously allowed the Training Centre to be named after Petrolia’s former fire chief and oil pioneer Mr. John Henry Fairbank – great grandfather to Mr. Charlie Fairbank.
Members of the Fire Management Committee, and of the Petrolia and North Enniskillen Fire Department were on site for the opening which included a fire hose “ribbon” cutting, and tours of the facility.
Chief Arns said, “I am glad to have this facility available for training. Our department prides itself in being at the forefront of safety and rescue training and this facility offers us the space we need for most of that.”
Acting Mayor, Grant Purdy stated the importance of support our first responders and said, “…Resident safety is paramount. Anything that our department can do to remain ahead of the training requirements and continue to enhance their skills is a benefit to Petrolia and area. On behalf of Council, we thank them for their dedication to training and upgrading their skills.”
The J.H. Fairbank Fire Training Centre is located adjacent to the Wastewater Treatment Plant at 541 Maude Street in Petrolia.

Petrolia Proud Recipient of $11.9M in Federal & Provincial Funding for Water Treatment Plant Intake Project
Petrolia – The Town of Petrolia, Township of Enniskillen, Township of Dawn-Euphemia, and Village of Oil Springs will benefit from a funding announcement of $11.9 million by the federal government and the Province of Ontario. The current estimate cost for this project is $16.2M.
The announcement comes after an application to the 2021 intake of the Green Infrastructure funding stream of the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program (ICIP) was approved at both the Federal and Provincial level.
MPP Bob Bailey said, “I am extremely pleased that the federal and provincial governments are teaming with our local municipalities to modernize the critical water infrastructure in rural Lambton. This investment is part of the provincial government’s plan to create sustainable communities with resilient infrastructure for residents today, and for generations to come.”
The project will take place at the Brights Grove Water Treatment Plant (WTP) that is owned by the Town of Petrolia and operated by Ontario Clean Water Association (OCWA) on behalf of the Town. The project includes:
- replacement of the existing 400 mm diameter cast iron intake pipe with a new 600 mm diameter “open” gravity intake system connected to a new intake wet well equipped with 3 submersible low lift pumps.
- Installation of a new in-lake passive intake screen with a protective crib structure
- Frazil ice and zebra mussel control systems
- Piping connections from the new intake pipe onshore to the intake wet well and from the intake pump station to the WTP
- Process / pre-filtration upgrades to improve the performance-based capacity of the WTP and prevent uncontrolled plant shut-downs during storm and/or water quality events associated with climate change.
The intake replacement project will restore treatment capacity at the Bright’s Grove WTP and maintain a long-term sustainable safe drinking water supply system to over 11,200 residents in the Town of Petrolia, Townships of Enniskillen and Dawn-Euphemia and Village of Oil Springs.
Mayor of Petrolia, R. Brad Loosley said, “…Of all the critical infrastructure items in a Municipality, access to safe drinking water is the absolute, single most important component to a healthy community. I would like to thank our neighbours in the Township of Enniskillen, Township of Dawn-Euphemia, and Village of Oil Springs for their support of this project. Further, I would like to thank MPP, Bob Bailey and MP, Marilyn Gladu for their continuous support, and the provincial government and the federal government for the funding to make this project a reality.”
Mayor of Enniskillen Township, Kevin Marriott said, “We are pleased to work together with our neighbours to see this project through to completion. This is a key project for our community also. We are grateful to the senior level governments for their vision and support.”
Mayor of Dawn-Euphemia, Alan Broad said, “We would like to express our gratitude to the province and the federal government for this funding, and to our neighbours for the partnership to see this project through. This important infrastructure component will serve our communities well into the future and maintain our extremely high-quality drinking water.”
Mayor of Oil Springs, Ian Veen said, “Oil Springs is proud to be a part of this project and identifies the high importance of safe drinking water for our community. We would like to extend our thanks to the province, the federal government and to our neighbouring communities, for once again working together to benefit a large part of rural Lambton.”

Photo L-R:
Sam Smith – OCWA
Stuart Winchester – CIMA+
Petrolia Mayor – R. Brad Loosley
MPP – Bob Bailey
Dawn/Euphemia Mayor – Alan Broad
Enniskillen Mayor – Kevin Marriott
Petrolia CAO/Treasurer – Rick Charlebois
Absent: Mayor of Oil Springs – Ian Veen and MP Marilyn Gladu (she is presently in Ottawa).
2022 GREEN LEADER PROGRAM Recipient Announcement
In partnership with Waste Management of Canada and the Town of Petrolia
April 22, 2022
The Green Leader Program is part of Waste Management and the Town of
Petrolia’s ongoing efforts to encourage the development of local community
engagement and environmental solutions that build sustainable communities. The program
is centered around a grant opportunity that is available to applicants living,
working, and learning in the Town of Petrolia or benefitting Petrolia and its
residents.
Waste Management and the Town of Petrolia are pleased with the number of businesses, organizations, and institutions that applied for this funding opportunity in the 2022 intake. The program is designed to support initiatives that highlight the following sustainability goals:
Environmental Goal:
- The Green Leader program supports organizations and initiatives that preserve and/or enhance natural resources and/or help reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Community Goal:
The Green Leader program focuses on local initiatives that support employees, enhance our environment, promote education, and improve the safety and livability of our communities.
Each year, a committee of community members look over the applications and grade each application on the above criteria and rank the applications with assigned dollar value recommendations. There is an available funding amount of $15,000 available for the projects. Each applicant may request up to $15,000 in program/project funding. This funding is a one-time, non-repayable, fully funded grant. Applications are due each year on March 30. Waste Management and the Town of Petrolia would like to thank our volunteers for their assistance in the selection of this year’s recipients.
“Earth Day is the perfect day for this annual announcement as it brings community attention to the issues facing the earth and through this program, it is a nice opportunity to do our part. Residents are encouraged to visit earthday.org to learn more about what they can do for our planet. We are very grateful for this partnership with Waste Management for the betterment of our community and for our earth.” Said, Chief Administrative Officer/Treasurer Rick Charlebois.
2022 Successful Projects:
Hillcrest Public School (School Council) – $5,000
Project Summary
Outdoor gardens and compost stations are elements planned as part of a larger multi-phase schoolyard beautification project that includes the addition of outdoor classroom spaces, new playground equipment and a walking path. The vision for the current project is to create an applied learning environment that provides teachers and students with a hands-on learning opportunity for select scientific curriculum and to increase students’ food literacy (i.e., understanding the impact of food choices on one’s health, environment, and economy).
The funds requested will be used to build 5 garden boxes, create a composting station in the school yard, in addition to, the purchase of necessary tools to tend and maintain the gardens (e.g., watering cans, small spades, seeds, stakes for taller plants, etc.). This will create a natural field-based learning opportunity for teachers and students for delivering several science curriculum topics, including “growth and changes in plants,” “energy in our lives,” “daily and seasonal changes,” and “soils in the environment.” In partnership with Hillcrest staff, School Council also plans to develop a food waste program as part of Hillcrest’s compost system and will utilize funds to also purchase compost bins for the school. Working in partnership with the administrative and teaching staff, education will be delivered alongside the program to increase students’ food literacy. More specifically, increase students’ awareness and understanding on how reducing their “food-print” (e.g., the amount of food they put in the landfill) helps the environment (e.g., reduces greenhouse gas emissions, which contributes to the warming of the planet).
The Rotary Club of Petrolia – $5,000
Project Summary
On property owned by the town, just south of their works yard on Centre Street, last year work was started to prepare some land for a community garden. This initial phase has been designed with 12 plots available to community members and groups to utilize on a seasonal basis to grow and harvest fresh vegetables. Besides citizens that have applied for a plot, L.C.D.S. will have a plot this year to help support their clients.
The plan is to erect a shed for the gardeners to store some of their garden tools, provide a watering system as well as a compost facility for the site. Soil preparation will be critical this spring to get things moving in the right direction so investing to topsoil and compost type materials is on the to do list.
Petrolia Heritage Advisory Committee – Special North Street Cemetery Project – $2,500
Project Summary
Re-forestation has a big impact on enhancing this natural site, and will not only beautify the area, but it will reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and welcome native trees back to a previously cleared property.
This application is to assist with the re-forestation of the North Street Heritage Cemetery. This funding would permit the planting of native trees along the historic roadway at the site.
IODE Margaret Stokes Chapter – $2,500
Project Summary
The plan is to enhance the natural area in Bridgeview Park by adding a nature trail so that we can be a part of the preservation of the area and participate in tree planting and other projects that will reduce greenhouse gas emissions. We will encourage the trail to be a learning opportunity for area schools with signage also.
We would like to develop or upgrade, and dedicate a trail to the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee year, running from Bridgeview Park up through the woods to end at The Petrolia Discovery.
A sign would be placed at the beginning of the trail, and we would like to include smaller signs throughout the trail to describe some of the history of the area. A bench would be placed halfway through the trail, as well as boardwalks where necessary.
Previous Successful Applicants:
2021
The Petrolia Discovery Foundation Inc. – approved for $10,000
The Petrolia and Area Kiwanis Club – approved for $5000
2020
Parents For-Parks – approved for $15,000
St. Clair Conservation Authority – approved for $10,000
The Petrolia and Enniskillen Agricultural Society– approved for $5,000
PARENTS FOR PARKS AND SUPPORTERS BREAK GROUND ON PLAYGROUND PROJECT IN PETROLIA
Parents for Parks were joined by Mayor R. Brad Loosley, Chief Administrative Officer/Treasurer Rick Charlebois, Town staff, representatives from the Lions Club of Petrolia, the Petrolia and Enniskillen Agricultural Society, and the Petrolia Community Foundation as they officially broke ground on the playground project at Greenwood Park today.
Work will begin immediately to transform the space into an accessible, family-friendly playground and more. Emily Bright, one of the representatives for Parents for Parks said, “Thank you to everyone that helped us get here today – we can hardly wait to see families enjoying the new playground!”
An official grand opening of the playground will take place this summer.
Petrolia Crossing Guard Retires Her Vest and Stop Sign
Petrolia families will notice that the Petrolia Line Crossing located at First Avenue looks a little different. Patty Powell, a familiar and friendly face in the town of Petrolia has retired.
For more than 30 years, Mrs. Powell has been a welcome addition to the Town of Petrolia team as both crossing guard but also for her time spent maintaining the grounds at Hillsdale Cemetery.
Mayor R Brad Loosley said, “On behalf of Council, I would like to thank Mrs. Powell for her dedication, and for bringing a smile to everyone she met. We wish her the very best in her retirement. “
Mrs. Powell plans to retire in Petrolia, and her supervisor, Jay Arns, Fire Chief/Director of Public Safety said that he was, “…glad to hear that she will remain living in a town whose residents love her. I am pleased to offer my sincere gratitude for her service and appreciate her love of the job and her care for our residents.”
CONTACT US
411 Greenfield Street, Petrolia, ON N0N 1R0 | TEL: (519)882-2350 | petrolia@petrolia.ca
The Corporation of the Town of Petrolia 2016 | PRIVACY POLICY
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