Charlie Srokosz

In 1955, Charlie Srokosz bought 120 acres on Walker Road in what is now Lambton Shores. He was an accomplished farmer from the marsh at Erieau. He became one of the first to farm the area known as the Thedford Bog. Formerly a large wetland of over 17,000 acres including a series of inland lakes called Smith, George, and Burwell, the area was drained by the 1950s. When Srokosz bought the land, only 20 acres of the rich, black soil had been cleared for cultivation. Within a few years, he cleared 90 more acres of dead wood, stumps, and vegetation.

By the 1960s-70s, Srokosz was one of Canada’s premier onion growers. He also grew potatoes, carrots, and celery. In addition, Srokosz experimented with crops like turnips, spinach, and asparagus to see what grew best. In the 1970s-80s he grew all the celery used to made V8 juice at the plant in Chatham. He made a good livelihood selling his produce (and that of his neighbours) through the Erie James Company of Blenheim and Leamington.

In 2002, Srokosz was granted a lifetime achievement award from the Ontario Fruit and Vegetable Growers’ Association (OFVGA). Over the years he was Onion Section chairman, executive member (1967), and president (1969). He travelled to Britain with the Government of Ontario marketing boards and spoke about increasing produce exports.

Srokosz was active beyond the agriculture community. He was a Councillor of Bosanquet Township in 1975 and Reeve in 1978, a position he held for many years. In this capacity he was involved in the founding of Lambton Heritage Museum. In a 1977 newspaper article he was quoted as saying “It’s quite a feather in our cap to get the museum here.”

He was inducted into the Order of Alhambra in 1972 and served as member, fundraiser, and president until his death in 2018. Srokosz was a founding member of the Lake Smith Conservationists, a group that worked towards improving the environment and heritage of the Thedford Bog area. He served on boards of Lambton County Catholic schools and the Lambton District Health Council.

Srokosz had a broad, contagious, and authentic smile. He had an incredible ability to connect with people. He was married to Marie Delrue for sixty-four years. Together they raised three children: Cathy, Cindy, and Mark. In his spare time, Srokosz enjoyed comic strips, waterskiing, fishing, and many other pursuits. In the 1980s, Srokosz moved to Southcott Pines where he served as president of the Southcott Pines Association of Homeowners. His son Mark took over his farming activities.

Community Contributions:

• Ontario Fruit and Vegetable Growers’ Association (OFVGA) Onion Section Chairman, executive member (1967), president (1969), and OFVGA lifetime achievement award winner (2002)
• Founding member of the Lake Smith Conservationists
• Councillor for Bosanquet Township, 1975
• Reeve of Bosanquet Township for many years beginning in 1978
• Inducted into the Order of Alhambra in 1972 and served until his death in 2018
• Served as president of the Southcott Pines Association of Homeowners
• Served on boards of Lambton County Catholic schools and Lambton District Health Council

This home video footage was taken by the Srokosz family in 1959. It shows Charlie's farmland partway through the process of being cleared. You can see the rich, black soil of the Thedford Bog and the remnants of vegetation that was being pulled.