Petrolia | |
|---|---|
| Town of Petrolia | |
 | |
| Nickname: Canada's Victorian Oil Town | |
  Petrolia  Petrolia | |
| Coordinates:42°53′N82°08.5′W / 42.883°N 82.1417°W /42.883; -82.1417 | |
| Country |  Canada |
| Province |  Ontario |
| County | Lambton |
| Settled | 1866 |
| Incorporated | 25 December 1866 |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Brad Loosley |
| • Federal riding | Sarnia—Lambton |
| • Prov. riding | Sarnia—Lambton |
| Area | |
| • Land | 12.68 km2 (4.90 sq mi) |
| Population (2016)[1] | |
• Total | 5,742 |
| • Density | 452.8/km2 (1,173/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC-5 (Eastern (EST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (EDT) |
| Postal code | N0N 1R0 |
| Area code(s) | 519 and 226 |
| Website | town.petrolia.on.ca |
Petrolia is a town in southwesternOntario, Canada. It is part ofLambton County and is surrounded byEnniskillen Township. It is billed as "Canada's Victorian Oil Town" and is often credited with starting theoil industry in North America, a claim shared with the nearby town ofOil Springs.[2]
Lambton Central Collegiate & Vocational Institute (LCCVI) is located in Petrolia.
In 1857,James Miller Williams ofHamilton began distilling some of the "tar" lying aroundOil Springs (located a few kilometers south from Petrolia), after buying the property rights fromCharles Nelson Tripp. In July or August 1858, he struck an oil deposit in Oil Springs while digging a shallow well, sparking the oil drilling industry. In 2008, the 150th anniversary of the discovery,Canada Post issued a stamp commemorating this first commercial oil well, featuring portraits of Charles Tripp and Williams.[3] However, these early wells resulted in a large amount of wastage fromgushers, estimated at 5 million barrels (790,000 m3) of oil in 1862 alone.[4][5]
Petrolia got its start in 1866 when a major gas well was found, resulting in an oil boom that caused many to abandon Oil Springs in favour of this new settlement. The place separated fromEnniskillen Township and was incorporated as a town on 25 December of that same year.[6]
Oil production went through several boom periods in Petrolia; one was in 1898 and another in 1938. Some wells sunk in 1938 were initially producing 100 barrels per day (16 m3/d) at a price of $2 per barrel. This output, however, often lasted only a few weeks, falling to less than a barrel a day.[7]
Oil men from Petrolia travelled to the far reaches of the world (Gobi Desert,Arctic,Iran,Indonesia, United States, Australia, Russia, and over 80 other countries) teaching others how to find and extract crude oil. Those born and raised in Petrolia are referred to as "Hard Oilers", paying tribute to the toughness of their ancestors. Petrolia is also home to the Petrolia Discovery museum. Some oil fields in the area are still operational.
Petrolia is home to Victoria Hall, aNational Historic Site of Canada.[8] Originally a fire hall, municipal office, police hall, jail and opera house, it was completed in 1889 for a total cost of $35,000. In January 1989, a fire caused extensive damage. It was subsequently restored, and re-opened in 1992. Currently it houses the town hall and Victoria Playhouse.[9]
Directly adjacent to Victoria Hall is Petrolia's Victoria Park, which hosts the annual 'PizzaFest' food festival as a collaboration between the town and their five local pizza restaurants.[10]
Until September 2013, The Petrolia Topic was the sole newspaper in the town of Petrolia. It is owned byOsprey Media. In September 2013, The Independent[11] of Petrolia & Central Lambton began publication.
The Oil Heritage District Community Centre was opened in Petrolia in 2006. It serves rural and town residents in centralLambton County.
| Climate data for Petrolia (1981–2010) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 15.0 (59.0) | 21.0 (69.8) | 26.5 (79.7) | 31.5 (88.7) | 33.5 (92.3) | 39.5 (103.1) | 38.0 (100.4) | 38.0 (100.4) | 35.0 (95.0) | 29.4 (84.9) | 23.3 (73.9) | 18.5 (65.3) | 39.5 (103.1) |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | −1.3 (29.7) | 0.6 (33.1) | 5.8 (42.4) | 13.0 (55.4) | 19.8 (67.6) | 25.2 (77.4) | 27.7 (81.9) | 26.4 (79.5) | 22.6 (72.7) | 15.3 (59.5) | 8.0 (46.4) | 1.6 (34.9) | 13.7 (56.7) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | −5 (23) | −3.5 (25.7) | 1.1 (34.0) | 7.6 (45.7) | 13.8 (56.8) | 19.1 (66.4) | 21.7 (71.1) | 20.7 (69.3) | 16.9 (62.4) | 10.4 (50.7) | 4.3 (39.7) | −1.8 (28.8) | 8.8 (47.8) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | −8.6 (16.5) | −7.5 (18.5) | −3.6 (25.5) | 2.1 (35.8) | 7.7 (45.9) | 13.0 (55.4) | 15.7 (60.3) | 15.0 (59.0) | 11.1 (52.0) | 5.5 (41.9) | 0.6 (33.1) | −5.1 (22.8) | 3.8 (38.8) |
| Record low °C (°F) | −30.0 (−22.0) | −27.0 (−16.6) | −25.0 (−13.0) | −13.0 (8.6) | −2.5 (27.5) | −1.7 (28.9) | 5.6 (42.1) | 2.0 (35.6) | −2.0 (28.4) | −7.2 (19.0) | −17.2 (1.0) | −22.0 (−7.6) | −30.0 (−22.0) |
| Averageprecipitation mm (inches) | 66.2 (2.61) | 56.6 (2.23) | 62.5 (2.46) | 86.9 (3.42) | 87.0 (3.43) | 90.1 (3.55) | 75.7 (2.98) | 81.8 (3.22) | 107.3 (4.22) | 81.7 (3.22) | 89.3 (3.52) | 75.5 (2.97) | 960.6 (37.82) |
| Average rainfall mm (inches) | 26.9 (1.06) | 31.4 (1.24) | 44.6 (1.76) | 83.6 (3.29) | 87.0 (3.43) | 90.1 (3.55) | 75.7 (2.98) | 81.8 (3.22) | 107.3 (4.22) | 81.6 (3.21) | 83.5 (3.29) | 49.3 (1.94) | 842.7 (33.18) |
| Average snowfall cm (inches) | 39.2 (15.4) | 25.2 (9.9) | 17.9 (7.0) | 3.3 (1.3) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.1 (0.0) | 5.8 (2.3) | 26.2 (10.3) | 117.8 (46.4) |
| Average precipitation days(≥ 0.2 mm) | 16.4 | 12.7 | 13.7 | 15.5 | 13.0 | 11.8 | 11.3 | 11.5 | 12.0 | 13.5 | 15.3 | 15.0 | 161.5 |
| Average rainy days(≥ 0.2 mm) | 6.3 | 6.3 | 9.5 | 14.8 | 13.0 | 11.8 | 11.3 | 11.5 | 12.0 | 13.5 | 13.9 | 9.3 | 133.2 |
| Average snowy days(≥ 0.2 cm) | 11.3 | 7.9 | 6.0 | 1.6 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.08 | 2.1 | 7.8 | 36.8 |
| Source:Environment Canada[12] | |||||||||||||
| Year | Pop. | ±% |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 4,598 | — |
| 1996 | 4,908 | +6.7% |
| 2001 | 4,849 | −1.2% |
| 2006 | 5,222 | +7.7% |
| 2011 | 5,528 | +5.9% |
| 2016 | 5,742 | +3.9% |
| [13][14][1] | ||
In the2021 Census of Population conducted byStatistics Canada, Petrolia had a population of6,013 living in2,460 of its2,524 total private dwellings, a change of4.7% from its 2016 population of5,742. With a land area of 12.46 km2 (4.81 sq mi), it had a population density of482.6/km2 (1,249.9/sq mi) in 2021.[15]
| 2021 | 2016 | 2011 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 6,013 (+4.7% from 2016) | 5,742 (3.9% from 2011) | 5,528 (5.9% from 2006) |
| Land area | 12.46 km2 (4.81 sq mi) | 12.68 km2 (4.90 sq mi) | 12.68 km2 (4.90 sq mi) |
| Population density | 482.6/km2 (1,250/sq mi) | 452.8/km2 (1,173/sq mi) | 435.8/km2 (1,129/sq mi) |
| Median age | 42.8 (M: 40.4, F: 45.6) | 43.0 (M: 41.5, F: 44.7) | |
| Private dwellings | 2,460 (total) | 2,323 (total) | 2,223 (total) |
| Median household income | $72,741 |
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Places adjacent to Petrolia, Ontario | |
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| International | |
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| National | |
