The Oil Museum of Canada in Oil Springs has cancelled Black Gold Fest, the annual celebration of Lambton County’s oil heritage, because of poor air quality from wildfire smoke. The event was set to happen on Saturday, July 18, but organizers called it off on Friday, July 17, putting the health of everyone involved first.
Andrew Meyer, Deputy CAO and General Manager of Cultural Services with the County of Lambton, said the safety of patrons, community partners, volunteers, and staff was the top concern. “While we are disappointed to cancel this year’s event, we believe this is the responsible course of action based on current air quality conditions and public health recommendations,” Meyer said in a statement, adding that he looks forward to welcoming everyone back next year.
The decision lines up with an Orange Air Quality Warning issued by Environment Canada for Sarnia-Lambton. The warning means the Air Quality Health Index is expected to reach 10 or higher, a level considered very high risk because of wildfire smoke. The smoke is drifting from roughly 135 active wildfires burning in northwestern Ontario.
Black Gold Fest, which started in 2012, normally brings about 400 visitors to the museum. It features live music, heritage demonstrations, children’s activities, food vendors, and a look back at the area’s oil history at the site of North America’s first commercial oil well.
The cancellation is part of a wider wave of event shutdowns across Sarnia-Lambton this week. The Rotary Club Mackinac Race Pancake Breakfast in Point Edward, the Petrolia Farmers Market, the Saturday in the Park music event, and several Inn of the Good Shepherd Mobile Market stops were also scrapped because of the smoky conditions. Several local fire departments, including those in Petrolia, Plympton-Wyoming, and Point Edward, have put open-air burn bans in place to keep more smoke out of the air.
