North America's first commercial oil well was located in Oil Springs, Lambton County
Oil Springs, Lambton County - In 1858 Oil Springs (originally known as Black Creek) became the site of the North America's first commercial oil well. (Heritage Video) A Hamilton asphalt producer, James Miller Williams, purchased land in this area because its gum beds. The thick and gooey substance could be used in the making of asphalt, as a product to waterproof ship hulls, and to produce kerosene for lighting oil. He was digging a water well on his property when at 14 ft below the surface he discovered 'black gold'. His find launched a oil rush and soon the town's population swelled to 4,000. By 1861 400 wells had been dug or drilled in the area. Today the population of Oil Springs sits at about 800. Visitors can tour the Oil Museum of Canada, a National Historic Site, which features a replica of the first oil well, and you'll find oil wells beside the museum that are still producing today. About 11 km north of Oil Springs is Petrolia, where another oil gusher was found in 1866. This town went on to become the oil capital of Canada for 40 years. Here you can visit The Petrolia Discovery, a heritage conservation site with a working 19th-century oil field. Photo: Tourism Sarnia Lambton and the Lambton Heritage Museum
Where: Oil Springs is about a 40-minute drive from Sarnia, in Lambton County, in the heart of an area known as the Oil Heritage District. Lambton County is a region of small towns, farms and beautiful beachs. Quick Tips: You'll find a wonderful big, busy beach, family activiites, and often spectacular sunsets at Grand Bend, and you can enjoy beach life and beautiful sand dunes and camp nearby in the very popular Pinery Provincial Park. Visit this region in late March and you may catch the migration of the Tundra Swans. This is their first stop along their 3000 km route from Chesapeake Bay to the Arctic. Up to 10,000 may be able to be seen at one time. A good place to view them is behind the Lambton Heritage Museum.
Lucy Izon
Canada Cool is produced by award-winning Canadian travel writer & speaker Lucy Izon. Her travel stories & reports have appeared in numerous leading North American publications including the Los Angeles Times, Chicago Tribune, Toronto Star, Globe and Mail, and Chicken Soup for the Traveler's Soul. Bio page
Canada’s Coolest:
Welcome to a new feature on Canada Cool. I'll be presenting different 'Coolest' lists with my favorites and I encourage you to nominate suggestions from your own experiences. You can Twitter @CanadaCool or email Lucy@CanadaCool.com. Let me know what makes your suggestion exceptionally cool. Remember, by contributing your comments you are giving Canada Cool permission to quote you. Only a selection of submissions will be included, but all comments and submissions are greatly appreciated!
The first feature is: Canada's Coolest Single Day Scenic Drives
Here are some of my favorites...
The Icefields Parkway, Jasper National Park, Alberta - This 229 km (142 mi) Rocky Mountain route from Banff/Lake Louise to Jasper passes 100 frozen rivers and nudges the base of the Athabasca Glacier - the most accessible glacier in the world. You can stop and explore it. It spills down from the Columbia Icefield, an area of ice so massive that you could fit the entire population of North America on it with each person getting at least a square metre of space.
The Corridor, Algonquin Park, Ontario – this 56-km stretch of Hwy 60 cuts through the southwest section of Algonquin Park. Less than three hours north of Toronto the park is a nature-lover's paradise with 7,725 km of lakes, rivers, forest, trails, camping, comfortable lodges and 2000 km of canoe routes. Offers hiking trails to stop and enjoy, but what makes it really cool is that it’s one of the best places in North America to spot moose (especially in May and June). And, on Thursday nights in August up to 600 cars will gather to listen to wolves howl.
The Cabot Trail, Cape Breton, Nova Scotia – Driving this 303 km (187 mile) route is like riding a roller-coaster: the road snakes around hairpin turns, rises to heights over 365 metres (1200 ft), weaves around headlands revealing spectacular coastal scenery, and plunges down to sea level taking you into the heart of small fishing communities. The most dramatic scenery is between the Cape Breton Highlands National Park entrance near Cheticamp and Pleasant Bay, so go slow. And, plan some flexibility into your schedule, so you can drive it on a clear day.
And here are some of your nominations for 'Canada's Coolest Single Day Scenic Drives'...
More from Canada’s Coolest
'Canada's Coolest' topics we'll be publishing in the future:
- Golf Course Features
- Haunted Hotels
- Hotel Special Services
Send your suggestions to lucy@CanadaCool.com
Recent 'Canada's Coolest' topics:
