Lambton County | |
|---|---|
| County of Lambton | |
 Flag  Seal | |
 Location of Lambton County | |
| Coordinates:42°54′N82°06′W / 42.900°N 82.100°W /42.900; -82.100 | |
| Country |  Canada |
| Province |  Ontario |
| Formed | 1849 |
| County seat | Wyoming[1] |
| Municipalities | List
|
| Area | |
| • Land | 2,999.93 km2 (1,158.28 sq mi) |
| Population | |
• Total | 128,154 |
| • Density | 42.7/km2 (111/sq mi) |
| Demonym | Lambtoneer |
| Time zone | UTC-5 (EST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (EDT) |
| Website | www.lambtononline.ca/ |
Lambton County is acounty inSouthwestern Ontario, Canada. It is bordered on the north byLake Huron, which is drained by theSt. Clair River, the county's western border and part of theCanada-United States border. To the south isLake Saint Clair andChatham-Kent. Lambton County's northeastern border follows theAusable River and Parkhill Creek north until it reachesLake Huron at the beach community ofGrand Bend. The county seat is in theTown of Plympton-Wyoming.
The largest city in Lambton County isSarnia,[4] which is located at the source of the St. Clair River at Lake Huron. The twoBlue Water Bridges cross the river at Sarnia, connecting it toPort Huron, Michigan. The bridges are one of the busiest border crossings between the two countries. The river is also traversed by one passenger ferry further south, and a rail tunnel, also at Sarnia, runs underneath it. The CN rail tunnel accommodates double stacked rail cars. Along with Sarnia, the population centres in Lambton County are: Corunna, Petrolia, Grand Bend, Wyoming, Forest, and Watford.
Lambton County started as a part of theDistrict of Hesse. The district of Hesse included British territories west ofLong Point (practically all of western Ontario). The district was later divided and renamed using English district names (Essex, Suffolk, Kent, etc.). Lambton was part of Kent county. In 1849 districts were abolished and the County of Lambton was formed. Lambton and Kent first shared the capital city of Sandwich (since renamed asWindsor, Ontario). In 1852 the partnership was dissolved and Lambton become a full county. It is named in honour ofJohn Lambton, 1st Earl of Durham, who visited the area in the late 1830s.[5]
Lambton County consists of 11 municipalities (in order of population):
Independent of the County, but located within the Lambton census division, are three First Nations reserves:
As acensus division in the2021 Census of Population conducted byStatistics Canada, Lambton County had a population of128,154 living in55,205 of its60,322 total private dwellings, a change of1.2% from its 2016 population of126,638. With a land area of 2,999.93 km2 (1,158.28 sq mi), it had a population density of42.7/km2 (110.6/sq mi) in 2021.[3]
| 2021 | 2016 | 2011 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 128,154 (+1.2% from 2016) | 126,638 (0.3% from 2011) | 126,199 (-1.6% from 2006) |
| Land area | 2,999.93 km2 (1,158.28 sq mi) | 3,002.25 km2 (1,159.18 sq mi) | 3,002.07 km2 (1,159.11 sq mi) |
| Population density | 42.7/km2 (111/sq mi) | 42.2/km2 (109/sq mi) | 42.0/km2 (109/sq mi) |
| Median age | 46.4 (M: 44.8, F: 48.0) | 43.9 (M: 42.8, F: 44.8) | |
| Private dwellings | 60,322 (total) 55,205 (occupied) | 54,480 (total) | 58,243 (total) |
| Median household income | $83,000 |
| Year | Pop. | ±% |
|---|---|---|
| 1996 | 126,829 | — |
| 2001 | 123,611 | −2.5% |
| 2006 | 124,600 | +0.8% |
| 2011 | 124,623 | +0.0% |
| 2016 | 123,399 | −1.0% |
| 2021 | 128,154 | +3.9% |
| Statistics Canada:[3] | ||
Total employment for Lambton County is 66,370. Of those, 9,760 (14.7%) are employed in manufacturing; 7,545 (11.4%) in retail trade; 5,080 (7.7%) in accommodation and food services; and 3,155 (4.8%) are employed in agriculture.[citation needed]
Petrochemical and refining is the largest manufacturing sector in Lambton County's economy. Established duringWorld War II, Sarnia and the area along the St. Clair River is home to a major processing centre for oil fromAlberta.
In late 2010 and early 2011 a number of companies announced plans to provide ethane from the Marcellus Shale in the United States to Lambton County industries, providing a potential new feedstock for the production of ethylene in Lambton County.
Lambton County is the site of North America's first drilled commercial oil well atOil Springs in 1858.
Tourism is another important industry in Lambton County, especially along the lake and river. The community ofGrand Bend and thePinery Provincial Park are especially popular tourist destinations, attracting thousands of people each week throughout the summer to their long, uninterrupted beaches. The part of Lambton County along Lake Huron known asLambton Shores depends almost entirely upon the seasonal industries of tourism and agriculture for its well-being. There are also popular conservation areas along the St. Clair River, and a conservation area namedRock Glen Falls near Arkona along the Ausauble River internationally known for itsDevonian period fossils.
Lambton County has 2,346 farms with a total of 592,793 acres. The largest single use of farmland in Lambton is crop production, with 85% of total farmland reported as land in crops. Over the last 20 years, soybeans, wheat, and grain corn have accounted for over 80% of total area crop production in Lambton. The fourth and fifth leading crops are sugar beets and hay. Oats, barley and mixed grains are also produced. Top animal production includes dairy, beef, hog, and poultry.[9]
Highway 402 ends inSarnia at theBlue Water Bridge, where it meets at the U.S. border and connects with
I-94 /I-69.The County of Lambton Emergency Medical Services (EMS) provides land ambulance services to the residents of Lambton County. The County of Lambton EMS has stations inBrigden,Corunna,Forest,Grand Bend,Petrolia,Thedford,Watford, and two stations inSarnia. Lambton EMS has ten ambulances and employs approximately 150 full- and part-timePrimary Care Paramedics.[10]
Policing is provided by theOntario Provincial Police (OPP), which has detachments inGrand Bend,Petrolia,Corunna, andPoint Edward. The area ofKettle & Stony Point which is one of three native reservations in Lambton County, is policed by theAnishinabek Police Service (APS) but dispatched by the OPP.Walpole Island, another first nations reservation has its own police service, the Walpole Island Police Service. The remaining first nations reservation,Aamjiwnaang First Nation, which falls geographically within theCity of Sarnia, is covered by the Sarnia Police Service.
Places adjacent to Lambton County | |
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