Sarnia
—  City  —
Walking trail next to the St. Clair River in Sarnia.
Motto: Sarnia Semper (Latin for "Sarnia Always")
Sarnia
Coordinates: 42°59′58″N 82°18′32″W / 42.99944°N 82.30889°W / 42.99944; -82.30889Coordinates: 42°59′58″N 82°18′32″W / 42.99944°N 82.30889°W / 42.99944; -82.30889
Country	Canada
Province	Ontario
County	Lambton County
Settled	1830s
Incorporated	June 19, 1856 (town)
Incorporated	May 7, 1914 (city)
Government
• City Mayor	Mike Bradley
• Governing Body	Sarnia City Council
• MPs	Pat Davidson (CPC)
• MPPs	Bob Bailey (OPC)
Area[1][2]
• Land	164.71 km2 (63.59 sq mi)
• Metro	799.87 km2 (308.83 sq mi)
Elevation	191 m (627 ft)
Population (2011)[1][2]
• City	72,366
• Metro	89,555
Postal code span	N7S, N7T
Area code(s)	519 and 226
Website	www.sarnia.ca

Sarnia is a city in Southern (Southwestern) Ontario, Canada (2011 population 72,366; Urban Area population 79,526; Census Agglomeration population 89,555)^[3]. It is the largest city on Lake Huron and in Lambton County. It is located where the upper Great Lakes empty into the St. Clair River, across the border east of Port Huron, Michigan.

The city's natural harbour first attracted the French explorer La Salle, who named the site "The Rapids" when he had horses and men pull his 45-ton Barque "Le Griffon" up the almost four knot current^[4] of the St. Clair River on 24 August 1679. This was the first time anything other than a canoe or other oar-powered vessel sailed into Lake Huron^[5]. La Salle's voyage led the way for commercial shipping on the Great Lakes^[6]. The Archaeological and Historic Sites Board of Ontario considers this voyage worthy of note, as shown by the photo.

The Sarnia port remains an important centre for lake freighters and oceangoing ships (known as "salties"^[7]) carrying cargoes of grain and petroleum products.

The natural port and the salt caverns that exist in the surrounding areas^[8], coupled with the oil discovered in nearby Oil Springs in 1858^[9] led to the massive growth of the petroleum industry in this area. Since Oil Springs was the first place in Canada and North America to commercially drill for oil, the knowledge that was acquired there and strengthened in Sarnia led to Sarnians traveling the world teaching other nations how to drill for oil.^[10] The complex of refining and chemical companies, called Chemical Valley and located south of downtown Sarnia, once adorned the back of the Canadian ten-dollar bill. Sarnia has the highest level of particulates air pollution of any Canadian city.^[11] Forty-five percent of this comes from Chemical Valley,^[12][13][14] and the rest comes from the neighbouring United States.^[15]

History[link]

Name[link]

The name "Sarnia" is Latin for Guernsey, and that Channel Island has been called Guernsey since 1635 when John Selden penned the Mare Clausum. Selden's 1635 work definitively states--"That a possession and Dominion of this Southern Sea hath been held also of by the Kings of England, is not a little manifest by the dominion of those islands that lie before the shore of France. For 'tis generally known that, after King John and Henry III were driven out of Normandy itself, that the isles of Caesaria and Sarnia (which we call Jersey and Guernsey), Ameney, and some other neighboring isles lying near the shores of Normandy and Bretaign, yea and situated within that creek of sea which is made by the shore Bretaign on the one side and Normandy on the other, have in the following ages, both now and heretofore, remained the Dominion of England.^[16]" The Channel Islands lie between Southern England and Northern France, as indicated by Selden.

Claims that Sarnia is instead the older name of Sark are incorrect, as shown by Berry's 1814 treatise on the History of Guernsey. In this work, Berry shows that Sark's previous name was Sarmia, with an "M" instead of an "N." Berry further states that "...and thus applying Sarnia to Guernsey...".^[17] Since ancient Gaul was a Celtic society and the channel islands were disputed from 933 to 1635 by Duke of Normandy (see Sark), it is at least possible that the name Sarnia is of Celtic etymology, as well.

From "The Rapids" to "Port Sarnia" to "Sarnia", the city has undergone many changes^[18]—from a First Nations hunting ground to an up-and-coming settlement and an industrial centre. In 1821, Sir John Colborne was appointed Governor of the Isle of Guernsey, one of the Channel Islands. Colborne served in that capacity from 1821 to 1828^[19]. In 1829, he arrived in York to become Lieutenant Governor of Upper Canada^[19]. Also in 1829, Sarnia and Moore were surveyed by Boswell Mount, and named by Sir John Colborne, who first visited "The Rapids" in 1835^[18] when the village was composed of 44 taxpayers, 9 frame houses, 4 log houses, 2 brick dwellings, 2 taverns and 3 stores^[20]. Previous to his visit, the villagers had decided that a change of name was necessary, but found it impossible to agree on a new name. The English settlers favoured the name "Buenos Aires" and the Scottish "New Glasgow". To break the deadlock, Sir John Colborne suggested Port Sarnia and on January 4, 1836, the name was formally adopted by a vote of 26 to 16^[18].

Early History[link]

First Nations peoples have lived, hunted, and traveled across the area for as many as six-thousand years as shown by archaeological evidence on Walpole Island. These peoples were drawn from an amalgamation of Ojibwa, Ottawa, and Potowatami, clans, forming the Three Fires Confederacy, also called the Council of Three Fires. These clans came together through common links in both language and culture, developing a self-sufficient society where tasks and responsibilities were equally shared among all members.^[21] The Three Fires Confederacy helped shape the development of North America throughout the 18th Century, becoming a center of trade and culture.^[22] When war came to the new continent, the peoples of the Three Fires fought against the British in the Seven Year's War and on the side of the British in the War of 1812. Despite breaking numerous treaties with the United States prior to 1815, the The Three Fires Confederacy finally signed the Treaty of Springwells in September of that year and ceased all hostilities directed at the United States.

After the War of 1812, the first European settlers were French loyalists who moved north from Detroit. They successfully traded with the Three Fires Confederacy to contribute to the growth of the area.^[23] Sarnia grew further throughout the 19th Century, and on 19 June 1856, the residents passed the Act to Incorporate the Town of Sarnia and the name Port Sarnia was officially changed to Sarnia effective 1 January 1857. The Act mentioned 1,000 inhabitants in three wards. The wealth of adjoining stands of timber, the discovery of oil in nearby Oil Springs in 1858 by James Miller Williams, and the arrival of the Great Western Railway in 1858 and the Grand Trunk Railway in 1859 all stimulated Sarnia's growth. The rail lines were later linked directly to the United States by the opening of the St. Clair Tunnel under the St. Clair River at Sarnia in 1890 by the Grand Trunk Railway, which was the first tunnel ever constructed under a river^[24]. The tunnel was an engineering marvel in its day, achieved through the development of original techniques for excavating in a compressed air environment. The Paul M. Tellier Tunnel, named after the retired president of CN in 2004, was bored and began operation in 1995. Accommodating double-stacked rail cars, it is located next to the original tunnel, which has been sealed^[25].

Alexander Mackenzie, a stonemason by trade, came to Sarnia in 1846.^[26] He founded and then edited the Sarnia Observer for many years, and had many editorial battles with a Sarnia timber cutter named Malcolm Cameron. Mackenzie finally got the upper hand by printing an article showing Cameron had dealt unfairly with the Three Fires Confederacy. Although Cameron served two terms in Parliament, his further ambitions were thwarted because of the scandal. Mackenzie went on to serve as the second Prime Minister of Canada. He died in Toronto in 1892, aged 70, from a stroke related to a fall and was buried in Sarnia.^[26]

Canada Steamship Lines formed in 1913 from many previous companies that plied the waters of the St. Clair River. One of these companies was Northwest Transportation Company of Sarnia, which was founded in 1870^[27]. By 20 April 1914, when the residents passed Act to Incorporate the City of Sarnia, the population had grown to 10,985 in six wards. Sarnia officially became a city as of 7 May, also adopting the title "The Imperial City" because of the visit of Canada’s Governor General, H.R.H. the Duke of Connaught, and his daughter Princess Patricia.^[28]

The city became a prominent deep water port during the 1920s when many of the shipping facilities that exist today were constructed. Sarnia’s port and harbour facilities regularly accommodate ships from all over the world. The waterway between Detroit and Sarnia is one of the busiest in the world with 100 million tons of shipping passing along this route each year. Ships pass up and down the river at the rate of about one every seven minutes during the shipping season.^[29] One of the largest grain elevators in Canada rises above the harbour, and next to it is the slip for the numerous bulk carriers that are part of the 100 million tons of shipping passing up and down the St. Clair River annually.

While there had been a petroleum industry in the Sarnia area since 1858, the establishment of the Polymer Corporation in 1942 to manufacture synthetic rubber during World War Two was the first step in establishing Sarnia as a major petrochemical centre. Because of Sarnia's importance in this industry, it became one of the primary targets of the Soviet Union's Anti-Energy strike strategy during the Cold War.^[30]

Modern History[link]

On 1 January 1991, Sarnia and the neighbouring town of Clearwater were amalgamated as the new city of Sarnia-Clearwater. The amalgamation was originally slated to include the village of Point Edward, although that village's residents resisted and were eventually permitted to remain independent of the city. On 1 January 1992, the city reverted to the name Sarnia^[18].

Sarnia has been in decline since the late 1960s as the population ages and younger people move out of the city to other areas^[31]. The April 2010 report "Sarnia-Lambton's Labour Market" states: "Large petrochemical companies are the community's main economic drivers. Over the recent past, several plants have shutdown, and of those still in operation, increased automation and outsourcing has lead to significantly fewer workers" ^[32]. These shutdowns and the resulting loss of jobs, and therefore population as workers search for employment elsewhere, have contributed to the decline. In fact, one August 2011 study shows that the population will decline by 17% over the next twenty-five years^[33]. The Monteith-Brown study cited outlines a plan for restructuring the city based on hybrid zoning areas, which will bring work opportunities closer to the neighborhoods where people live. The City of Sarnia and Lambton County are also implementing an economic development plan with an emphasis on bioindustries and renewable energy.^[34] In the same article, Mayor Mike Bradley jokes that he'll attract new developers by giving them a ride in his vintage Mustang and providing them with a plate of Sarnia's world famous fresh cut fries under the Bluewater Bridge^[35].

Geography[link]

Sarnia is located where Lake Huron empties into the St. Clair River. Most of the surrounding area is quite flat, and clay comprises most of the soil. Despite this, the soil is remarkably rich for growing and planting since the entire area was submerged prior to the Ice Age and plant and animal matter formed many layers of sediment as they settled after the waters receded. During the Ice Age, glaciers covered most of the area as evidenced by the existence of the Great Lakes. The terminal moraines dumped even more nutrients into the already very rich soil. Sarnia is not part of the Canadian Shield, being just beyond its southernmost reaches. The Canadian Shield itself has been largely untouched by water since long before the seas covered Sarnia. Sarnia is located 280km West of Toronto and 90km North of Detroit^[36].

Neighbourhoods[link]

Sarnia comprises many neighbourhoods. Wiltshire Park, Woodland, Oak Acres, Wees Beach, Oakwood Corners, Woodrow Shores, and Blackwell, are part of the more affluent North End, which begins immediately north of Ontario Highway 402 and terminates at the shore of Lake Huron. Coronation Park, Heritage Park, College Park, The Tree Streets, and Sherwood Village are some of the neighbourhoods south of the highway. ^[37] One Sarnia neighbourhood no longer exists: all that remains is a historical marker. The village of Bluewater was built to house workers and their families during the construction of Polymer Corporation and at one point had over 2300 residents, many of them French-Canadian. In 1961 all the residents were relocated, mostly to the North End, to make way for expansion of the chemical industry.^[38]

Climate[link]

The climate of Sarnia is considered mild by Canadian standards. Winters are cool but not very cold, spare for a few short-lasting Arctic air masses that dip far enough south and bring with them daily high temperatures lower than −10 °C (14 °F) ^[39]. Sarnia is located in a snowbelt and sometimes receives large quantities of lake-effect snow. A Windsor Star article printed 15 December 2010 states the following: "Snowbelts, like the one that stretches from the south of Sarnia through London to Woodstock, are created by lake effects—largely defined by water and wind" and "Making matters worse for this storm is extreme wind. (Environment Canada Senior Climatologist David Phillips) said Sarnia collected between 30 and 40 centimetres of snow, combined with sustained winds of more than 40 km/h, gusting up to 80 km/h. The wind sculpted massive snow drifts and reduced visibility to near zero, making travel impossible."^[40]. Otherwise, as also shown by the National Climate Data and Information Archive, Sarnia has very little regular snowfall, a result of its position at the southern tip of Lake Huron. Lake Huron moderates the city in several ways. It creates a seasonal lag: compared to the rest of Canada and to inland Ontario, Sarnia has a noticeably longer warm period following summer^[41]. However, cooler temperatures tend to prevail for longer after winter. Lake Huron can also create large temperature differences within the city in spring and early summer, particularly on hot days in late May, early June. Finally, extreme temperatures, particularly lows, are rarely ever seen. Weather in the Great Lakes Region tends to be more predictable than any other non-coastal area of the continent. Summers are warm to hot and usually humid. Humidex readings can be very high at times from late May to late September. In fact, Sarnia has the second greatest number of high humidex days at or above 35 °C (95 °F) (with 21.67 days on average per year) and humidex days at or above 30 °C (86 °F) (with 59.13 days on average per year) in Canada, both after Windsor, Ontario. Thunderstorms can become quite severe from April to September^[42]. Destructive weather is very rare in the area but has occurred, such as the tornado event of 1953.

Demographics[link]

In the 2011 Census, the City of Sarnia had a population of 72,366, an increase of 1.3% from the 2006 Census. With a land area of 164.71 km² (63.59 sq mi), it had a population density of 439.354/km² (1,137.92/sq mi) in 2011^[52].

In 2006, Sarnia had a predominately white population; only 6.13% were non-European. Of those, 34.06% were aboriginal^[53]. In 2006, 85.32% of Sarnians counted English as their mother tongue, 3.11% listed French, 0.29% counted both of those languages, and 9.76% counted another language as their mother tongue^[54]. The median age in Sarnia is 43.2 which is older than the Canadian median of 40.95^[55], indicative of Sarnia's aging population.^[56] According to the most recent data on religion (2001 Census), Sarnia is predominately Christian as 32.8% of the population were Catholic, 45.94% were Protestant, 3% were of other Christian faiths, 0.37% were Muslim, 0.19% were Jewish, 0.81% were other faiths. 16.86% professed no religious preference or were atheists^[57].

The median income in Sarnia (all census families, 2006) is $69,731 which is roughly the same Ontario as a whole with a median income of $69,156^[58]. The median cost of a home in Sarnia of $175,214 (2006) is much lower than Ontario with a median value of $297,479^[59].

Economy and Infrastructure[link]

The petrochemical industry is the main economic force in Sarnia. The Sarnia-Lambton Workforce Development Board states in its March 2011 Labour Market Report that: "Even though employment in both the petrochemical and agricultural industries has declined significantly in recent years, these two industries remain central drivers of the Sarnia Lambton economy."^[60]

When World War Two threatened tropical sources of natural latex for rubber, Sarnia was selected as the site to spearhead development of synthetic petroleum-based rubbers for war materials, and Polymer Corporation was built by Dow Chemical at the request of the Government of Canada.^[61] Large pipelines bring Alberta oil to Sarnia, where oil refining and petrochemical production have become mainstays of the city's economy. Shell Canada, Imperial Oil, and Suncor Energy (Sunoco) operate refineries in Sarnia. Large salt beds found under the city became a source of chlorine and other significant ingredients in the success of Chemical Valley. Chemical companies operating in Sarnia include NOVA Chemicals, Bayer (Lanxess and H.C. Starck), Imperial Oil, Royal Group Technologies, Cabot Corporation and Ethyl Corporation.

Dow ceased the last of its operations at its Sarnia site in 2009.^[62] The plant was decommissioned, and the land has been sold to neighbouring TransAlta Energy Corporation. TransAlta produces power and steam for industry, and is the largest natural gas co-generation plant in Canada. TransAlta has created the Bluewater Energy Park on the former Dow site.

Lanxess is the sole producer of approved food-grade butyl rubber, which is used to make chewing gum, and its Sarnia facility is the only one which currently makes the material.^[63] Lanxess has created the Bio-industrial Park Sarnia within the boundaries of its Sarnia plant.

Chemical Valley and the surrounding area are home to sixty-two facilities and refineries.^[64] These industrial complexes are the heart of Sarnia's infrastructure and economy. They provide thousands of jobs, not only in the plants and complexes themselves, but also in surrounding businesses. The huge industrial area also causes many environmental problems with both air and water pollution (see separate section).

Sarnia is the location of Enbridge's Sarnia Photovoltaic Power Plant. The facility went into full commercial operation in December 2009, with 20 mW of power. As of September 2010, the plan was the largest photovoltaic (PV) solar power generation facility in the world, putting out 97mW^[65]

The University of Western Ontario established a Research Park in Sarnia as part of its expansion. "The 80-acre Western University Research Park, Sarnia-Lambton Campus was established in 2003 as a joint initiative of the County of Lambton, the City of Sarnia, and Western University."^[66] The Research Park is also the location of the Bioindustrial Innovation Centre, Canada’s centre for the commercialization of industrial biotechnology.^[67]

Retail and Hospitality[link]

Sarnia has two large malls: Lambton Mall has seventy-two stores, and the Bayside Centre, which has fourteen stores, including an art gallery, and houses several government and medical services.^[68][69] Combined with several smaller shopping centres, major discount stores, dollar stores, convenient stores, and a collection of antique and specialty stores, they offer a wide range of shopping experiences^[70][71]. Travellers can choose from ten branded and many family-owned hotels and motels.^[72]

Transportation[link]

Bluewater Bridge from above 402 in Sarnia

Sarnia is a border city, on the Canadian side of the Bluewater Bridge linking Sarnia's neighbouring village of Point Edward to the city of Port Huron in the United States of America. The Blue Water Bridge spans the St. Clair River, which connects Lake Huron to Lake St. Clair. The original three-lane span, which was opened in 1938, was twinned on 22 July 1997,^[73] making the bridge the fourth busiest border crossing in Ontario.^[74] The Bluewater Bridge border crossing makes use of both the NEXUS (frequent traveler program) and the Free and Secure Trade (FAST) program. Today linking Ontario Highway 402 with the US I-94 and I-69, the bridge is one of the most important gateways on the north/south truck routes as part of the NAFTA Superhighway.^[75]