This Month in Lambton - January 2020

Ice Safety

Lambton County residents are reminded to practice proper ice safety when enjoying time outdoors this winter.

Residents should know the ice.

Generally, clear blue ice is considered the strongest; white, opaque ice (or snow ice) is half as strong as blue ice; and grey ice is considered the most unsafe (greyness indicates the presence of water).

The following ice thicknesses may be used as a guideline to determine ice safety for certain activities:

• 15 cm is safe for walking or skating alone.
• 20 cm is safe for skating parties or games.
• 25 cm is safe for snowmobiles.

If you fall through the ice:

• Try not to panic. Call for help loudly and clearly.
• Resist the urge to climb back out where you fell in. The ice is weak in this area.
• Use the air trapped in your clothing to get into a floating position on your stomach and face the shore.
• Slowly reach forward onto the ice – do not push down on it.
• Kick your legs to slowly push your torso onto the ice.
• Crawl on your stomach or roll away from the open area with your arms and legs spread out as far as possible to evenly distribute your body weight.
• DO NOT stand up. Look for shore and make sure you are going in the right direction.
• Get medical help immediately.
• If you can’t climb onto the ice, float in the water and continue calling for help.

For more information on ice safety, including the unpredictability of ice thickness and rescuing someone who has fallen through the ice, visit EmergenciesLambton.ca.

Live-Streaming Council and Committee Meetings

The County is now live-streaming Committee meetings in addition to Council meetings. You can access these live-streams through the County website, lambtononline.ca, by clicking "Streamed Council Meetings" on the right hand side of the homepage.

The next Council Meeting will take place on Wednesday, February 5, and the next Committee Meeting will take place on Wednesday, February 19.

Lambton Circles Christmas Dinner

During the week of December 17, Lambton Circles distributed over 81 presents of pajamas, books, socks, chocolates and Christmas stockings to all Lambton Circles children.

Theresa Powers from Exit Reality led the pajama and book collection initiative from community donors and Temple Baptist Church donated the stockings. Lambton Circles is so grateful for our very caring community and their generous contributions.

Cannabis as Medicine with Dr. Pearson, MD

Lambton County Library is hosting Dr. Blake Pearson, a medical expert in using cannabis as medicine. On Tuesday, February 4, 2020 from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., Dr. Pearson will be at the Petrolia Library to discuss the benefits of medical marijuana for pain management, uses for other medical conditions and current research in this field.

Dr. Pearson is a member of the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario and is an American Board of Family Medicine-certified family physician. He is a recognized expert in the field of cannabinoid-based medicine and has treated thousands of patients with a range of complex conditions including multiple chronic pain diagnoses, sleep disorders, multiple sclerosis, anxiety and chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting.

If you would like to attend this session, please visit or call the Petrolia Library at 519-882-0771 to pre-register.

Valentines for Seniors

Lambton County Library is partnering with Community that Cares to spread love throughout Lambton County for Valentine's Day. The goal of this program is to promote an inclusive and connected community and to support, enrich and enhance the lives of those in Lambton County.

Visit any Lambton County Library between January 4 and February 4 to write a valentine that will be distributed to long-term care homes around Lambton County for Valentine's Day.

One Book Lambton

Lambton County is coming together to celebrate Canadian authors and their storytelling with their new initiative, One Book Lambton.

In its inaugural year, One Book Lambton will focus on the book The Reason You Walk by Wab Kinew.

In his book, The Reason You Walk, Kinew tells the emotional story of how his estranged father was diagnosed with terminal cancer, and the year they spent reconnecting. Brilliantly navigating a painful past, renewed hopes, and dreams for the future, Kinew shares conversations with his father and learns of his traumatic childhood in a residential school. Through charismatic storytelling, Kinew gifts his readers with an inspiring story about cross-cultural forgiveness, father-son relationships, and sparks important conversations about the future of aboriginal peoples.

One Book Lambton will be hosting Barry and Deb Milliken from Kettle and Stony Point at the Forest Library on Saturday, February 22 from 10:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Barry and Deb will lead traditional storytelling, drumming and singing, and share cultural knowledge.

Book discussions surrounding themes in The Reason You Walk will be happening at various Lambton County Library locations beginning in March. For dates and locations visit www.onebooklambton.ca.

Visit your local library today to borrow The Reason You Walk.

Learn to create personal budgets with Lambton County Library

Lambton County Library cardholders are now able to learn practical money skills through Lynda.com.

Lynda.com is an online learning site where users can access courses covering a variety of topics and software that can help them pursue personal and professional goals. These courses are delivered by expert instructors and feature searchable transcripts that make it easy to find quick answers to questions. They also feature Certificates of Completion that can be uploaded to a LinkedIn profile.

Start the year off by getting your finances organized and take courses like The Five Pillars of Financial Harmony (for couples/families), Money as a Trigger: Managing Personal Cash Flow, and Steps in Creating a Personal Budget.

A typical, personal subscription to Lynda.com costs $34.99 / month, but Lambton County Library cardholders are able to access Lynda.com free of charge. Visit www.lclibrary.ca for instructions to use the Lynda platform, or visit a Lambton County Library location near you.

Routes to Roots – Scrapbooking the Past

Lambton County Archives members are invited to participate in a Scrapbooking seminar with Assistant Archivist Colleen McLean on February 11, 2020 from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m.

Keeping historical family documents organized can be a challenge. This workshop shares tips on how to keep your family history organized and easy to read.

Pre-registration is required to attend. Members can pre-register by calling Lambton County Archives at 519-845-5426. Not a Lambton County Archives member? Visit the Lambton County Archives website to learn more about our memberships and fees.

Lambton Heritage Museum PA Day Event: Get Medieval!

Lambton Heritage Museum is inviting local students and their families to join us for our first PA Day Event of 2020, Get Medieval!

For one day only, drop in and experience the fascinating world of medieval times. Discover what it was like to live in the Middle Ages and learn about lords, ladies, castles, and knights through a variety of self-guided crafts and activities.

The program is open from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on Friday, January 31, 2020. Regular museum admission rates apply. Admission is $5.00 for adults, $4.00 for seniors and students, $3.00 for children and $15.00 for families. Children four and under are free.

Oil Museum of Canada PA Day Event: Meet Our Wild Neighbours!

Join the Oil Museum of Canada on Friday, January 31, 2020 from 11:00 a.m. until 3:00 p.m. for family-friendly activities and an interactive presentation with Heaven's Wildlife Rescue. The presentation will give visitors a chance to meet Oil Springs Ollie, our famous weather-predicting groundhog, and some critters from Heaven's Wildlife Rescue.

Visitors will learn about groundhogs and other critters that frolic around Oil Springs and how they benefit the local environment. Heaven's Wildlife Rescue will discuss some current dangers to wildlife, solutions to reduce these dangers, and ways we can help local wildlife in our everyday lives. A 30-minute question and answer session will take place following the presentation, at approximately 11:30 a.m.

After the presentation, we invite visitors to take part in family-friendly activities at the Museum like story time and critter crafts. We are hoping Oil Springs Ollie does not predict an early spring, because we will have snowshoes available for guest to trek the Museum grounds and look for animal tracks in the snow.

Mindful Meditation Workshop

This February, join Lambton Heritage Museum and Expedition Inner Wisdom Inc. for a Mindful Meditation Workshop, taking place at the museum.

In this workshop you will learn a variety of mindfulness tools and techniques to aid in overall wellness and relief from symptoms of anxiety and depression. It is a great way to beat the winter blues!

This workshop is lovingly designed and delivered by Linda Weir, a registered and certified yoga instructor with Expedition Inner Wisdom Inc.

The session will take place on Wednesday, February 5, 2020 from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. The cost is $45 at the door or $35 if purchased prior to January 20, 2020. Payment is cash only and will be collected at the yoga room door inside the museum.

Pre-registration is not required, but if you choose to pre-register, you can take advantage of the discounted rate. You can pre-register at the front reception desk of Lambton Heritage Museum or by calling 519-243-2600.

No experience is necessary. You can participate in the workshop from the comfort of a chair, on mats or on pillows - all equipment is provided.