Hello everyone,

As we head into April, here's to hoping the recent blast of winter was the last of it for the year!

April is an exciting month, and not just because it means warmer weather. For me, one of the best parts about April is the annual celebration of National Volunteer Week. Lambton Shores is home to so many incredible volunteers. Each year, the Municipality marks the beginning of National Volunteer Week by opening nominations for our Volunteer Recognition Awards. If you know someone that deserves recognition, I hope you will submit a nomination. The 2022 nomination period will be open from April 24 to June 17.

You will also find several seasonal updates in this month's newsletter, including the spring leaf pick up program, the compost site reopening, and water turn on services. All great signs of spring!

Lastly, the last few weeks have been a unique time of transition. With several public health measures being lifted by the Province and Lambton Public Health, please remember that everyone has different comfort levels. Remember to always show compassion and be kind to those around you.

I would like to send a sincere thank you to everyone for looking after one another and supporting local businesses as much as possible over the last two years. We continue to grow stronger because of our caring community and the shared pride in supporting local!

As always, up-to-date information about COVID-19 can be found on the Lambton Public Health website, the Province of Ontario website, and our local Municipal page.

Stay safe,

Mayor Bill

Several public health measures have been lifted by the Ontario Government and Lambton Public Health, including masking requirements in certain settings and proof of vaccination.

In accordance with these announcements, proof of vaccination and masking are no longer required for entry into Municipal recreation facilities. Please remember that everyone has different comfort levels and to try and maintain physical distancing when possible.

As always, do not attend a facility if you are feeling unwell.

As of Wednesday, March 30, 2022 a total of 269,674 doses of a COVID-19 vaccine have been administered in Lambton County, with 80% of those ages 5+ now considered fully vaccinated.

Lambton Public Health continues to offer appointments for first, second, and third dose vaccinations. For more information or to book a vaccine, please visit GetTheVaccine.ca

National Volunteer Week takes place April 24 to 30! This year's theme is "Volunteering is Empathy in Action", which reaffirms the strong connection between volunteerism and empathy.

We want to send a thank you to every Lambton Shores resident who volunteers their time to the many organizations and causes within our communities. Thank you for everything you do to make our community great!

To help kick off National Volunteer Week, nominations for the 2022 Volunteer Recognition Awards open on April 24.

If you know a volunteer or group in our community that should be recognized for their contributions, we hope you will nominate them! Once the nomination period opens, more information will be posted on our website.

Lambton Shores Fire and Emergency Services (LSFES) is currently recruiting part time/on call firefighters for all Lambton Shores fire stations (Arkona, Forest, Grand Bend, Northville, and Thedford).

To learn more about the opportunity, LSFES will be hosting two online information sessions:

To register for an information session, please send an email indicating the timeslot you plan to attend.

The deadline to apply is April 29, 2022. More information about the recruitment process can be found online.

The Compost Site is scheduled to reopen for the season on April 13, 2022. The compost site is operated by the Municipality and is located at 7550 Brush Road, near the Forest Wastewater Treatment Plant.

The Compost Site will operate Wednesdays and Saturdays from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. throughout the season.

The 2022 spring leaf pick up program will run from April 25 to May 27. During this period, bagged leaves left at the curb will be picked up as long as they meet the requirements listed on our website.

The County of Lambton, in conjunction with Clean Harbours Canada Inc., hosts Household Hazardous Waste Days at 4090 Telfer Road in St. Clair Township on the last Saturdays of March, April, May, June, September, and October.

The next drop off day is Saturday, April 30, 2022.

Learn more about the Household Hazardous Waste Depot.

With the warmer weather on the way, Lambton Shores is once again offering water turn on services for those who had their water turned off at the road.

To submit a request for this service, please use the Report It Portal on our website and select "Seasonal Water Turn Off/On" from the Issue/Request Type drop-down menu.

Parking permits for Grand Bend will be available beginning April 15, 2022. Permits will be available using a new online portal through HotSpot.

More details will be posted on our website on April 15.

Please note that our offices will be closed on Friday, April 15 and Monday, April 18. Staff will return to the office on Tuesday, April 19 to respond to any emails or phone calls.

Garbage and recycling collection will not be affected.

The Ontario Street Reconstruction Project is continuing to make progress. Thank you to everyone for their patience as the project team continues their work.

The project team continues to provide updates as progress is made. Updates can be found on our website or you can sign up to receive the updates by email.

The Council Highlights from March's Council meeting is now available.

The next scheduled Council meeting takes place on April 5, 2022 at the Legacy Centre in Thedford. The public is invited to view the meeting in person or online using our Council meeting livestream.

As the Province continues to ease restrictions, our local businesses and restaurants continue to need our support.

For local business listings, please check out the links below:

  

Looking for community events this month? Take a look at the local event calendars below:

To get in touch with someone at the Municipality, please visit our

Staff Directory.