by Phil Egan Special for The Sarnia Journal He arrived by way of London and the old Errol Road, driving a team of oxen and a cart filled with goods he intended to sell. His destination was the collection of log shanties huddled together at “The Rapids.” He was 28 [...]
by George Mathewson for the Sarnia Observer (2003) Of all the strange things that abound in the pages of The Observer, the Fenian scare must rank near the top. By the mid-1860s, Sarnia was a bustling little community. Citizens were puffed up over the discovery of oil, the arrival of [...]
by George Mathewson for the Sarnia Observer (2003) Froome and Field Talfourd were not your typical pioneers when they ventured into the wilderness of Southwestern Ontario on horseback. The road came to an end at Warwick, so the brothers from England followed a trail blazed through forest and swamp to [...]
by George Mathewson for the Sarnia Observer (2003) Malcolm Cameron was already an energetic member of the Upper Canada legislature when he moved to Sarnia in 1834 in search of new opportunities. The 27-year-old quickly found them. Before he was through, Cameron helped launch the Observer, named Lambton County, built [...]
by Karen Robinet for the Sarnia Observer (2003) “I have always held those political opinions which point to the universal brotherhood of man, no matter in what rank of life he may have taken his origin.” Alexander Mackenzie, Canada’s first Liberal prime minister and editor of the Lambton Shield newspaper, [...]
by Paul Morden for the Sarnia Observer (2014) William and Maud Hanna was a Sarnia power couple when the community celebrated becoming a city a century ago. William Hanna was born in Adelaide Township in 1862 but moved with his family in 1871 to a farm in what was then [...]
by Cathy Dobson for the Sarnia Journal (2010) As special features go, Mulberry House is a gem. Few houses have front steps made from discarded headstones, and intricate stone carvings over the front windows. Canada’s second Prime Minister, Alexander Mackenzie, reputedly built the house at 197 London Road years ago. [...]
by George Mathewson for The Sarnia Journal (2015) With its graceful spire and 37 stained glass windows, Our Lady of Mercy Church has been one of Sarnia’s finest buildings since its inception 137 years ago. But to my mind, one of its nicest features is the warm, yellow brick from [...]
by Tara Jeffrey for the Sarnia Observer (2014) The city of Sarnia has been shaped by number of notable politicians, from familiar figures like former prime minister Alexander Mackenzie, to long forgotten names like 19th century mayor Thomas George Johnston. Some notable names from the history books include: Cameron was [...]
by Dan McCaffery for the Sarnia Observer (2003) There were statesmen and scoundrels, war veterans, a noted investor and even a football hero. In fact, included among the 63 men who have sat in the mayor’s chair during Sarnia’s history have been some of the most colourful characters ever to [...]
