Oil Boom and Bust

The story of Canada's oil pioneers begins in Lambton County, located in Southwestern Ontario, where the first commercial oil well in North America was dug by James Miller Williams in Oil Springs in 1858. The resulting discovery of oil in the region set off a frenzy of activity as men from all over North America came to Lambton County to test their luck in the oil business. Some of the amazing local achievements include the first refinery, the first petroleum company, and the first oil gusher among others. As quickly as the oil boom began, the falling price of oil led to a recession in the mid-1870s, leaving many experienced oilmen unemployed.

At a time when the American oil industry was rapidly expanding, the Canadian oil men were quickly picked up by international oil companies to develop oil fields abroad. Equipped with the Canadian pole-tool drilling method, these Lambton men had the skills, experience, and knowledge necessary to open pioneer oil fields and were in demand all over the world. Over the course of 70 years, from the mid-1870s to the mid-1940s, more than 800 International Drillers brought Canadian expertise and equipment to nearly 90 countries worldwide. Thanks to their high wages, some of these men put their savings back into the oil fields of Lambton County and as a result, many of these properties are still in operation today in the Oil Heritage Conservation District.

Early Oil History: International Drillers

Video clip. A dramatic recreation telling the story of why the Lambton County men went to drill for oil in foreign lands.

Duration - 02:23 minutes - Transcription

To learn more about the fascinating history of oil exploration in Southwestern Ontario and the rest of Canada where the International Drillers learned their trade, select from the topics on the left.