PETROLIA COUNCILLOR TAKES LEAVE
Please be advised that Councillor Ross O’Hara will be taking a leave of absence from his duties as Municipal Councillor effective April 13, 2026.
During this time, Councillor O’Hara will not be attending council meetings or participating in official municipal responsibilities.
Council operations will continue as scheduled, and all inquiries will be addressed through the Mayor and appropriate municipal channels.
On behalf of Council and staff, we wish Councillor O’Hara all the very best.
PETROLIA MAYOR CELEBRATES VOLUNTEERISM FOR 2025
Petrolia, ON- Mayor R. Brad Loosley was pleased to honour all Town volunteers tonight at the annual Volunteer Appreciation Dinner. More than one hundred and twenty volunteers were present to celebrate their accomplishments in 2025. This annual event celebrates volunteers from the previous year with dinner and awards.
Service Club members, Town Committees, Victoria Playhouse Petrolia volunteers, and many other groups were recognized at the event. The evening culminated with Mayor Loosley awarding the Volunteer of the Year Awards to four individuals. Listed below are the recipients with a few high-level accomplishments, where their efforts have made a lasting impact.
Town of Petrolia – Volunteer of the Year 2025 – Community Partner – Debra Walker (will be presented at Petrolia Council on March 23, 2026)
- Royal Canadian Legion Br. 216
- Community Refrigerator
- CEE Hospital Auxiliary
- IODE
- Signature Community Events
- Victoria Playhouse Petrolia
Town of Petrolia – Volunteer of the Year 2025 – Community Service – Joy Smith
- CEE Hospital Auxiliary
- Victoria Playhouse Petrolia
- Signature Community Events
Town of Petrolia – Volunteer of the Year 2025 – Culture & Recreation – Pam Bradshaw
- Victoria Playhouse Petrolia
- Signature Community Events
- The Victoria Playhouse Petrolia Foundation
- The Order of the Eastern Star
Town of Petrolia – Volunteer of the Year 2025 – Youth – Tatiana Brophy
- Victoria Playhouse Petrolia
- Signature Community Events
- SORT (Special Operations Response Team)
Mayor R. Brad Loosley couldn’t thank each volunteer enough and stated, “It is an honour to recognize the volunteers for the Town of Petrolia each year. We are very fortunate to have so many people that are very giving of their time and expertise to make Petrolia a connected, inclusive and engaged community.”
Each of the honouree’s was awarded a framed certificate from the mayor, and a bouquet of flowers.
2026 Green Leader Program
Exciting news for Petrolia residents, businesses, and organizations!
The Green Leader Program, a collaboration between WM Canada and the Town of Petrolia, is back to support local environmental projects and community initiatives. This partnership is all about working together to create a cleaner, more sustainable future right here in Petrolia.
The program offers grants to fund projects that focus on:
- Environmental Conservation: Efforts that help protect natural resources and preserve and/or enhance renewable resources.
- Environmental Education: Initiatives that make our community a cleaner, better place to live and learn.
- Community Vitality: Projects that improve the safety and sustainability of our neighbourhoods, making them better for everyone.
In 2025, we saw some amazing projects come to life, including trail expansions, LED lighting upgrades and hedgerows. These were just a few examples of what this funding can support.
Now, it’s your turn. You can apply for up to $15,000 in funding to bring your idea to life. This is a one-time, non-repayable grant. Whether you’re a business, organization, or institution working in or benefiting Petrolia, this is your opportunity to make a lasting impact.
Applications are reviewed by a committee, and the successful projects will be announced on Earth Day, April 22, 2026.
Have questions? Reach out to us at:
Let’s continue to make Petrolia a leader in sustainability—together!
The application can be found here: https://town.petrolia.on.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/WM-Grant-Application.pdf
Please be advised that the Town of Petrolia is aware of a methane flare that is visible at the former Petrolia Landfill site located at site 4052 Oil Heritage Road, Petrolia.
This poses no risk to residents, and although it may appear that the flame is close to the ground and a potential hazard, it is, in fact, placed a safe distance from the ground.
Should you have any questions or concerns, please contact Waste Management at 519-882-4288.
Petrolia, ON – The Town of Petrolia, in partnership with the Township of Enniskillen are proud to confirm the receipt of both a Federal contribution in the amount of $1,347,802 from the Canada Housing Infrastructure Fund (CHIF) Program and funding of more than $2 million dollars from the Government of Ontario through the Municipal Housing Infrastructure Program’s Housing-Enabling Water Systems Fund (MHIP-HEWSF).
The CHIF program was designed to increase housing supply and support community growth by investing in the water and solid waste infrastructure needed to deliver essential services.
CHIF aims to accelerate the construction and upgrading of housing-enabling drinking water, wastewater, stormwater, and solid waste infrastructure, directly supporting the creation of new homes and increasing densification. This investment is part of the Government of Canada’s commitment to address the impacts of the housing crisis on communities of all sizes across Canada.
The Housing-Enabling Water Systems Fund under MHIP helps municipalities develop, repair, rehabilitate and expand critical drinking water, wastewater and stormwater infrastructure. The program supports the province’s growing population by ensuring communities have the necessary water infrastructure to support the building of new homes.
The Petrolia Line capital project includes replacing the existing 200mm watermain with a 300mm watermain from the east side of Bear Creek to Oil Heritage Road, then south to Oil Heritage Road. The new watermain will extend beyond its current boundary to the future development entrance on Oil Heritage Road. This critical infrastructure upgrade will unlock more than 1,000 new homes, representing a 40% increase in Petrolia’s housing supply.
The Honourable Gregor Robertson, Minister of Housing and Infrastructure and Minister responsible for Pacific Economic Development Canada said, “Through the Canada Housing Infrastructure Fund, our government is helping communities like Petrolia and Enniskillen build the critical infrastructure needed to unlock more housing. Reliable water and wastewater systems are the foundation of sustainable growth, and this investment will support over a thousand new homes for local families. By working together with our provincial and municipal partners, we’re ensuring that communities across Ontario have the tools they need to grow and thrive.”
“Investing in local infrastructure is part of our government’s plan to protect Ontario, strengthen the economy and create more jobs,” said Ontario’s Acting Minister of Infrastructure, Todd McCarthy. “The Watermain Upsizing on Petrolia Line project is part of our government’s $4 billion investment in critical infrastructure that will make new housing possible. For the Town of Petrolia and the Township of Enniskillen, this project will help enable more than 1,000 new homes.”
Deputy Mayor Joel Field said, “I am so pleased to see this project moving forward with the support of the Government of Canada and the Province of Ontario. I would like to extend our thanks to MP Marilyn Gladu and MPP Bob Bailey for their continued advocacy, and for their unwavering support for Petrolia. The Council of the Town of Petrolia are strong advocates for working together with developers and our Federal and Provincial partners to build homes in Petrolia.”
Mayor Kevin Marriott added that, “Another excellent opportunity for our communities to work together for the betterment of all. The Council of the Township of Enniskillen are pleased to be a part of this initiative to help build more homes faster and are aligned with the provincial goalposts. We extend our thanks to both MP Marilyn Gladu and MPP Bob Bailey also, as they are both excellent supporters of our Township.”
The upsizing is expected to take 6 weeks and started in mid-September.
Petrolia Water Treatment Plant in Brights Grove Kicks Off a Multi-Year, $16.2M Intake Project
The Town of Petrolia, Township of Enniskillen, Township of Dawn-Euphemia, and Village of Oil Springs will benefit from the intake replacement project, as it will restore treatment capacity at the Bright’s Grove WTP and maintain a safe drinking water supply system to over 11,200 residents in the Town of Petrolia, Townships of Enniskillen and Dawn-Euphemia and the Village of Oil Springs.
The current estimate cost for this project is $16.2M. A funding announcement of $11.9 million was made in 2022 by the federal government and the Province of Ontario. 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.
At the kickoff to the project, Stuart Winchester, P.Eng. from CIMA+ addressed those in attendance with some information about the project and some timelines.
• The Works were tendered publicly on 18 February 2025. Bids for the works were received from five (5) pre-qualified firms, with the lowest acceptable bid submitted by Stone Town Construction Limited of St Mary’s, Ontario at a Total Tender Price of $12,512,773.50 plus HST.
• The Contract was Awarded to Stone Town Construction Limited on 15 April 2025, with an anticipated in-service date of 30 September 2026.
• On-site works to proceed through 2025 and early 2026. In-water works scheduled for spring/summer of 2026.
The Works include:
o Construction of a new Low-Lift Pump Station with a rated capacity of 12.0 MLd (Million Litres daily).
o Construction of a new 600mm intake pipeline extending approximately 380m into Lake Huron. The new intake pipeline will be constructed using HDPE pipe.
o Pre-treatment facility installed upstream of the existing membrane filters, to remove grit and turbidity from the raw water and protect the membrane filters.
The design was prepared based on 20-year population projections and included provisions for future upgrades depending on growing demands in the service area.
MP Marilyn Gladu said, “This is a project that is integral to the future of Petrolia, and to their neighbours in Enniskillen, Dawn-Euphemia and Oil Springs. The importance of clean and sustainable drinking water can not be underscored enough, and I am very pleased to be a part of this project.”
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 Agency (OCWA) on behalf of the Town.
The project includes:
- replacement of the existing 400mm 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.
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.”
Warden of the County of Lambton, and 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.”
The project is expected to take eighteen (18) months to complete. The Town of Petrolia wishes to give thanks to CIMA+, Stone Town, and OCWA for their efforts and support of this sizeable project.
