2014 - Written by George Mathewson for The Sarnia Journal. With the arrival of the new Refined Fool Brewing Company in May, a colourful 150-year tradition will have returned to Sarnia. George Russell founded Sarnia’s first brewery in 1862, an act for which grateful residents named a street in his honour. [...]
(2014) By Cathy Dobson from The Sarnia Journal Original Story here. Some people are born to cook. Neither Carmelo nor Luisa Restivo is a trained chef but they are the reason for the success of Sicily Restaurant and Pizzeria. For 30 years, they have cooked side-by-side, rarely saying a word [...]
(2017) Randy Evans & Gary Shrumm for The Sarnia Journal Original story found here In March of 1920 Sarnia’s first Imperial Theatre opened its doors downtown with great fanfare. Tyron Power Sr., a huge theatre and film star of the day, took the stage before a packed first night audience, [...]
By Randy Evans and Gary Shrumm for The Sarnia Journal, 2017-03-12 The old Sarnia Jail was the site of three executions namely Thomas Cleary ( 1862), Elizabeth Workman ( 1873) and Stephen Kiyoshk ( 1941 ). The fate of each was consequent upon a Sarnia jury finding of guilt on a murder [...]
An Olympus microscope similar to this one was a gift from grateful Japanese general. Submitted Photo (2017) Phil Egan @ The Sarnia Journal Some interesting facts and stories are often churned up by history-lovers in Sarnia responding to my columns. One of the more intriguing arose from my story about [...]
Richard Cobden, left, and John Bright. (2017) Tom St. Amand @ The Sarnia journal If, as author Philip Wylie suggests, “Our history is every human history,” then Sarnia’s street names provide a rich connection to the past. Tom St. Amand Take, for example, Cobden Street and Bright Street. Richard Cobden [...]
(2017) Phil Egan @ The Sarnal journal While sorting through some papers recently, I stumbled across my Grade 10 school yearbook from 1961-62. Leafing through its pages brought back memories of the now-disappeared St. Patricia’s High School on Bright Street. Phil Egan The most interesting part was looking at the [...]
Gertrude Stefkovic, third from right, grew up in what would later become East Germany. Submitted Photo (2017) Phil Egan @ The Sarnia Journal In May, The Sarnia Journal published a photo from John Helle’s family album photo showing Adolf Hitler touring a small village in a jeep, his arm extended [...]
Mel Scharfe, aka Valley Boy, makes short work of his targets with this lever-action rifle. Troy Shantz (2017) Troy Shantz @ The Sarnia JournalOnce a month, a dusty posse of cowpokes meet at a firing range to affirm who’s the fastest gunslinger in the west. Well, west Lambton, anyway. Cowboy [...]
This ship anchor from an ocean-going “saltie” is a resident of Centennial Park. Journal Photo (2017) Tom St. Amand @ The Sarnia journal When the second Blue Water Bridge was completed in July of 1997 local residents were anxious to see the new addition to their famed riverfront. And they [...]
