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.
Freedom of Information Act Appeal Successful
The Town of Petrolia advises residents that through application and appeal through the Freedom of Information Act, that information regarding a letter from Mayor R. Brad Loosley, barring former Councillor Marty Souch from In-Camera Meetings in response to the former Councillors defiance of the Town of Petrolia Confidentiality Policy and for his actions violating the Council Code of Conduct, has been released to the public.
Following our policies at the Town of Petrolia, this information was protected under the employee confidentiality policy. The release of this information is pursuant to the decision of the Adjudication Review Officer from the Information and Privacy Commissioner of Ontario.
There will be no further comments from the Town of Petrolia in relation to this matter.
Petrolia Mayor Returns Several Strong Mayor Powers to Members of Council and Administration
Following the Provincial announcement that several new communities would see Strong Mayor Powers come to their community as of May 1, 2025, Mayor R. Brad Loosley has spent some time reviewing the new role and how he would like to proceed for the balance of his term in Petrolia.
Following an in-depth Council Education Session provided by Integrity Commissioner, John Mascarin, and after reviewing the new powers and guidelines, Mayor R. Brad Loosley has chosen to delegate the following Strong Mayor Powers to both Council and Administration respectively.
These include:
• The Establishment of Committees and Functions to Council
• Organizational Structure and Hire and Dismiss Certain Senior Staff to the CAO
• Delegate Recruitment and Dismissal of CAO to Council
Those powers that Mayor R. Brad Loosley has retained cannot be delegated.
Full details of the Strong Mayor powers as provided by the Province of Ontario can be found here https://www.ontario.ca/document/ontario-municipal-councillors-guide/10-strong-mayor-powers-and-duties.
“…The biggest takeaway from all of this is that this is a broad, sweeping change for us, and that I strongly felt that a detailed review was important before I made a quick decision. I trust our administrative staff, and I value the input of Council and the role that we all play in the continued betterment of the Town of Petrolia for our residents and visitors.” Said Mayor R. Brad Loosley. He then added that, “I appreciate the time I have spent with staff to review the Strong Mayor powers, and for the opportunity to understand how we can continue to proceed with open and accountable governance in the Town of Petrolia.”
Petrolia Canada Day Family Fishing Derby Lots of Fun!
Petrolia – The annual Canada Day family fishing derby returned this year, and organizers were very pleased to welcome families to try their skills at catching a fish in Petrolia’s Little Lake in Bridgeview Park.
The annual fishing derby brought many families to the park and lots of first-time anglers had success in catching their first fish!
We are pleased to announce the winners this year:
4 & under
1st place- Hallie Deelstra – 29” Carp
2nd place- Max Rainsberry – 12” Catfish
3rd place – Miller Hollingsworth – 6” Catfish
5–6-year-olds
1st place- Sadie Deelstra – 26” Carp
2nd place- Charlie Kitson – 21” Carp
3rd place- William Simone – 14” Catfish
7–9-year-olds
1st place- Wyatt Deelstra – 19” Catfish
2nd place- Lily Rankin – 15.5” Sucker
3rd place- James Jasmin – 15” Catfish
10–12-year-olds
1st place- Madison Butler – 23” Catfish
2nd place- Weston Piggott – 22” Catfish
3rd place- Archer Weed – 16” Sucker
13+
1st place- Jadin Vandenberghe – 31” Carp
2nd place- Tie Richards – 19” Catfish
3rd place- Chloe Reid- 18” Catfish
Some quick statistics:
- 55 fish caught and released
- 1 root mass
- 1 snapping turtle
Director Parks, Recreation and Facilities, Julie Bullock said, “It was great to see so many young anglers out for the annual Canada Day Family Fishing Derby, the banks of Little Lake were packed with families. The weather was perfect, and the fish were biting – you can’t ask for better than that!”
We would like to extend a huge thank you to The Outdoorsman, CUPE Local 2393 and to the Lambton Central Petrolia Optimist Club for their sponsorship of the prizes, and to our volunteers that made the measuring look easy. Thank you to all participants, please visit the Town of Petrolia, Ontario Facebook page to view a complete album of the winners.
Photo: Age 4 & Under – 1st place- Hallie Deelstra – 29” Carp with Lambton Central Petrolia Optimist Club President Sandra Haines, and CUPE Local 2393 member, and long-time Town employee Todd Woolaver.
TWELFTH ANNUAL PETROLIA PIZZAFEST A CHEESY GOOD TIME!
Petrolia, ON – Petrolia Pizzafest organizers are celebrating a resounding success following Saturday June 7’s event in Victoria Park, Petrolia. Six pizza vendors were in the park and served a staggering amount of pizza. Line ups were stretching across the park, at times, while attendees waited for a slice from the vendor of their choice, and empty pizza boxes could be seen piling up between deliveries.
More than 6,500 slices were sold at the event, that started at noon and wrapped up at 7:30 p.m. Proceeds from the event were presented to the Petrolia Community Fund at the June 23, 2025, Town Council meeting. The Petrolia Community Fund awards grants to Petrolia organizations that support the town’s goals and initiatives for a safe and healthy community.
Petrolia is not short on pizza restaurants looking to fill hungry bellies, and event organizers were pleased to host six participants for 2025 – Domino’s Pizza, Godfather’s Pizza, Johnny G’s Premium Pizza, Petrolia Pizza & Subs, Pizza Hut, Petrolia, and Wise Guys Inc.
Four bands, including Smoke Break Duo, Speed Wobble, 402 West Band and Leave Those Kids Alone rocked the TD Stage in Victoria Park all day as part of the free entertainment; residents enjoyed the music from the comfort of their lawn chairs set down in the shade of the giant maples throughout the park. The First Petrolia Scouts sold cold treats, the Petrolia Lions Club tempted visitors with fries, burgers and more, The Rotary Club of Petrolia sold 50/50 tickets, Petrolia and Area Kiwanis Club members sold candy and snacks, and the Lambton Central Petrolia Optimist Club offered cold drinks. Young people were able to bounce and play all day in the bouncy houses.
Julie Bullock, Director of Parks, Recreation and Facilities estimates that, “More than 2,500 people enjoyed the pizza, family fun and ice cream.” The estimated economic impact in Petrolia for an event such as this is around $126,700.00 for the seven-and-a-half-hour event using the TREIM model.
The event was generously sponsored by TD Bank, Bourque Renovations, Rick and Barb Charlebois, and Crimestoppers. The crowd was well cared for by the Support Operations Response Team (SORT).
“Events like this don’t happen without a very long list of volunteers.” Said Mayor R. Brad Loosley, who added that “…We are so fortunate to have so many passionate people in our community who participate and make the community signature events a huge success!”
To pre-order a t-shirt please click the link below. Preorder will be accepted until July 10th.