By Dan McCaffery for the Sarnia Observer He introduced a form of 'workfare' more than half a century before Ontario Premier Mike Harris came up with the same idea. Homer J. Lockhart, who was elected our 50th Mayor in 1933, headed the Council that forced unemployed people to work for [...]
By Dan McCaffery for the Sarnia Observer Six decades before Prime Minister Jean Chretien introduced a national "infrastructure program" in a bid to combat high unemployment, Sarnia Mayor Arthur Kirby was doing the same thing at the local level. Born in Yorkshire, England, Kirby came to Canada as a four-year [...]
By Dan McCaffery for the Sarnia Observer William J. Scott's main claim to fame is that he played a role in the development of Ipperwash Provincial Park. Scott, who was elected our 46th Chief Magistrate in 1928, talked senior government officials into creating the popular – and controversial – North [...]
By Dan McCaffery for the Sarnia Observer James F. Newton wasn’t the type to let a little thing like the Great Depression stop him from moving Sarnia ahead economically. Newton, who was in the Mayor’s chair when the stock market crashed in 1929, found an innovative way to keep the [...]
By Dan McCaffery for the Sarnia Observer If all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy, Sarnians can be grateful George Galloway was elected Mayor in 1926. That's because our 44th Chief Magistrate was a sports-minded politician who helped develop both Norm Perry and Tecumseh Parks. Born in [...]
By Dan McCaffery for the Sarnia Observer He was arguably Sarnia's greatest Mayor. James C. Barr, who served two terms as the Head of Council, played a key role in the establishment of Canatara Park – the crown iewel of the City's parks system. He also pushed through a motion [...]
By Dan McCaffery for the Sarnia Observer Six years after he helped defeat the Red Baron and his cohorts, George Andrew was called upon to shoot down Sarnia's economic troubles. Andrew, who served in the Royal Flying Corps during the First World War, was elected our 42nd Mayor in 1924. [...]
By Dan McCaffery for the Sarnia Observer He was an environmentalist half a century before anyone even heard of that term. George Crawford, who served as Sarnia's 40th Mayor in 1921 and 1922, was the Chief Magistrate who helped preserve the City's most treasured wilderness area. Born in Kingston on [...]
By Dan McCaffery for the Sarnia Observer William Nisbet led what may have been the most unpopular Council in Sarnia's history. In fact, eight of his nine Councillors were swept from Office by angry voters fed up with high taxes. Nisbet, who was elected our 39th Chief Magistrate in 1919, [...]
By Dan McCaffery for the Sarnia Observer In 1996, when Sarnia Councillors voted to impose special fees on automatic teller machines, they were accused of setting a dangerous precedent. In fact, Mayor Mike Bradley and his Aldermen faced so much criticism from the banking community that they quickly reversed themselves. [...]
