What are Discoveries That Matter?
Past, Present and Future of Lambton County’s Industries
When you hear of a “discovery that matters” you probably think about some historic event, like Jacques Cartier sailing across the ocean and landing in Canada. Or maybe you think of a discovery like when Alexander Fleming, working away in a laboratory, accidentally discovered Penicillin. This type of thought is understandable. We often think that the greatest discoveries are things that have happened in the past. The truth is that the best discoveries are happening every day and some of them are taking place in our backyard.
That is why the brand Discoveries that Matter was created, because Lambton County is home to some of the best discoveries in Canada.
Past: The Discovery of Black Gold
Lambton County’s “claim to fame” comes from a discovery over 150 years old. In 1858 James Miller Williams accidently discovered the first commercial oil well in North America, creating our economic base for the next century. This is one of the most influential discoveries that matter, but it is not the only one.
Lambton County’s prime location along the Great Lakes has allowed for opportunities of discoveries, from the easiest ways to ship goods using the interconnected waterways, to the best soils for a large array of agricultural crops. Our natural landscape has always been a discovery that matters and it continues to be a defining element of the place we call home.
Present: Going Green for Industry
In the last decade there has been more effort placed on finding alternative fuel sources and reducing energy consumption and greenhouse gasses worldwide. The resourcefulness and ingenuity of Lambton County residents, and industries, has led to some unique partnerships that are helping pave this global social effort.
In St. Clair Township there is a partnership between an industrial facility and a greenhouse, in which the leftover CO2 and steam is used to heat the greenhouse as well as feed the plants, making for a carbon negative facility. Their partnership has led to the equivalent reduction in greenhouse gas as taking 6 500 cars off the road each year. Now that is a discovery that matters!
Bioindustrial Innovation Canada has also been making efforts to form unique partnerships between clean-tech companies and local farmers. The formation of these partnerships means that Lambton County has begun paving the way for sustainable energy production.
Future: Infinite Possibilities
With the continued efforts towards innovative industrial techniques, Lambton County’s future looks bright. Sarnia is home to the Sarnia-Lambton Western Research Park, where the newest and brightest discoveries are being developed and tested. It is with the efforts of these young ingenious residents that Lambton County will continue to uphold the moniker of “having the right chemistry for discoveries that matter.”
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