Lambton County Archives

10/16/2026

As darkness falls across Lambton County this upcoming Halloween, the quiet cemeteries of our communities take on an eerie new atmosphere. For today's , we take a deeper look.

By day, they are peaceful places filled with history. But after sunset, the shadows grow longer, the trees seem to whisper, and the old headstones cast ghostly silhouettes beneath the moonlight.

Who walks these grounds after dark?

Behind every weathered stone is a name, a life, and a story from Lambton County’s past. Some stories have been carefully preserved in the archives. Others have faded with time, leaving only rumours, legends, and unanswered questions behind.

So, the next time you pass an old cemetery on a chilly October evening, take a second look.

Was that just the wind rustling through the leaves… or was someone whispering your name?

This Halloween, remember: some stories refuse to stay buried and we like to keep them alive at the Archives!

10/15/2026

Check out this week's X-files!

Comprised of photographs from newspapers, family albums, and assorted donations, the X-files are stored in a dozen numbered binders and known only by their number and whatever is written on the back.

Can you identify any of these smiling scouts? If so, let us know in the comments below!

10/15/2026

What stories from Lambton County deserve to be preserved, explored or shared?

Applications open October 1 for the Creative County Grant Program, supporting new and expanding arts, culture and heritage initiatives taking place in Lambton County in 2027.

If your organization has an idea for bringing local history or heritage to new audiences, funding may be available for up to 50% of project costs.

Applications are now open for the Creative County Grant Program.

Planning an arts, culture or heritage project in Lambton County for 2027? The Creative County Grant Program supports new and expanding initiatives that strengthen our creative community and enrich life in Lambton County.

Eligible applicants can apply for funding to cover up to 50% of project costs.

📅 Applications open: October 1 at 9:00 a.m.
📅 Deadline: November 9 at 4:00 p.m.

Learn more and apply online: lambtononline.ca/creativecounty

10/13/2026

Stop by the Archives station for a sweet treat and maybe a spooky tale about some of Lambton's historic homes at the upcoming Fright Night at Cana-SCARE-A Park.

We are dying to see you there!

Who’s ready for a spook-tacular evening of free Halloween fun for the whole family?

Fright Night at Cana-Scare-A Park returns October 24, 2026 from 5 to 9:30 p.m. to the Animal Farm area of Canatara Park with an array of self guided haunts with varying fright levels to suit all ages.

New this year:
🎃Pumpkin carving demonstrations
🧛‍♂️Halloween-themed strolling entertainment
🍬Trick or treat stations hosted by local organizations
🗝️Clown’s Dressing Room Escape Room

The event takes place after dark and participants are reminded to consider safety and visibility when picking costumes.

We’re still seeking a few more event volunteers, so if you want to get in on the frightful fun, we invite you to apply.

All the details at www.sarnia.ca/FrightNight

10/08/2026

Check out this week's X-files!

Comprised of photographs from newspapers, family albums, and assorted donations, the X-files are stored in a dozen numbered binders and known only by their number and whatever is written on the back.

Can you identify any of the basket beholders in this photo? If so, let us know in the comments below!

10/07/2026

Looking for some haunted heritage to make your hair stand on end?

Explore some of Lambton County's unexplainable events with our previous Heritage Hour presentation "Lambton's Haunted History" available on Youtube.

View at your own risk here: https://loom.ly/Ng-ScrA

This Heritage Sarnia-Lambton panel presentation was hosted by museu...

10/06/2026

Long before it became one of Lambton County's best-known waterfront hotels, this , the Guildwood Inn, was part of the evolving story of the Sarnia/Point Edward St. Clair River shoreline.

The hotel opened its doors in 1955, becoming an important destination for visitors travelling to Sarnia area. Located along Venetian Boulevard in Point Edward, the hotel offered guests beautiful views of the St. Clair River and a convenient location near the Blue Water Bridge.

With its distinctive mid-century design, waterfront setting, restaurants, swimming pool and event spaces, the Guildwood quickly became more than just a place to stay—it became a gathering place for the community.

Music and dancing were an important part of the hotel's atmosphere. The Guildwood featured an Imperial Dining Room and Lounge where live musical entertainment helped make the hotel a destination for an evening out, not simply a place to spend the night.

For an era when hotel lounges, dining rooms and dance floors were important parts of the local social scene, the Guildwood offered the kind of night out that could begin with dinner, continue with drinks and live music, and end with dancing. The combination of music, food, elegant surroundings and the waterfront setting helped make the hotel a memorable gathering place for generations of Sarnia-area residents and visitors.

For generations of Lambton County residents, memories of the Guildwood are tied to dances, dinners, graduations, weddings and summer evenings along the river. For others, it may have been the music that stands out, the band or musician playing in the lounge, the sound of a dance floor filling up, or a night spent with friends at one of Sarnia's best-known hotels.

Do you have memories of the Guildwood Inn? Let us know in the comments below!

10/03/2026

The people of Lambton’s past have shaped the community we know today, often in quiet, meaningful ways that ripple across generations. Today, we’re taking a closer look at one of those people: Charlotte Jane (Vidal) Nisbet.

What did Sarnia look like before familiar ponds, streams and even an entire lake disappeared from the landscape?

Charlotte Nisbet knew that Sarnia firsthand.

Born in Sarnia in 1855 to Alexander Vidal and Catherine Louisa Wright, Charlotte was the daughter of some of Lambton County’s earliest settlers. In 1876, she married Thomas William Nisbet, a Sarnia banker, and together they raised their family in the community.

Charlotte was also an avid historian. For several years, she recorded her memories of early Sarnia and Lambton County, sharing stories of the people, places and landscapes she remembered through articles published in The Sarnia Canadian Observer.

One of those articles, published on August 14, 1937, looked back at something that had already largely disappeared: the ponds, streams, wetlands and forests that once shaped the Sarnia area.

Charlotte recalled places where local children swam and skated, a stretch of road they called the “bears den,” Lake Chipican when it was larger, and the long-vanished Lake Wawanosh.

Of Lake Wawanosh, she wrote:

“Having been asked about it I can say, certainly I can remember seeing Lake Wawanosh. I remember the thick woods all about the north part…”

The lake was reportedly about two miles long and more than half a mile wide. By the time Charlotte wrote her account, drainage and agricultural development had transformed the area so completely that she observed:

“Today there remains no trace of either lake nor forest.”

Charlotte died in 1948 at the age of 93 and is buried beside her husband in Lakeview Cemetery.

Her writings leave us something especially valuable: a firsthand glimpse of a Lambton landscape that had already vanished within her own lifetime.

10/02/2026

For today's we look at farmers across Lambton County busy bringing in the harvest.

For generations, fall has been one of the busiest and most important times of the year in our rural communities. From fields of wheat, corn and beans, to orchards, gardens and livestock, harvest season meant long days of work and often a whole community coming together to get the job done. Before modern machinery transformed farming, harvesting could involve entire families, neighbours and crews working together from sunrise to sunset.

Historic photographs in the Lambton County Archives capture these moments: farmers working in the fields, horses pulling wagons, threshing crews gathering for the harvest, and families proudly posing with the fruits of their labour.

Harvest was also a time for celebration. Fall fairs, community suppers, and harvest gatherings gave neighbours a chance to come together after the hard work of the growing season.

Today, modern equipment may make the work look very different, but the sights and sounds of harvest remain an important part of Lambton County's agricultural heritage.

10/01/2026

Check out this week's X-files!

Comprised of photographs from newspapers, family albums, and assorted donations, the X-files are stored in a dozen numbered binders and known only by their number and whatever is written on the back.

Can you identify this sweetie on their noble steed? If so, let us know in the comments below!