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Sarnia is a city in Southwestern Ontario, Canada (population 70,876 in 2001). It is the largest city on Lake Huron, and is located where the three upper Great Lakes empty into the St. Clair River. The city's natural harbour first attracted the French explorer La Salle, who named the site "The Rapids". The name "Sarnia" was the Latin name for Guernsey in the Channel Islands just off the coast of Normandy, France. The Sarnia port is still an important centre for lake freighters and "salties" carrying cargos of grain, ore, and petroleum products. It is the largest community in Lambton County.

The Name

From the Rapids to Port Sarnia to Sarnia, the City has undergone many changes - from an Indian hunting ground to an up-and-coming settlement to an industrial centre. In 1812 Sir John Colborne was appointed Governor of the Isle of Guernsey, one of the Channel Islands, the Roman name for which was "Sarnia".

In 1829, the area was surveyed and the Townships of Sarnia and Moore were surveyed by Boswell Mount, and named by Sir John Colborne. In 1835, Colborne paid his first visit to what is now the City of Sarnia, then known as "The Rapids". 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.

A year previous to the adoption of the name Port Sarnia, the village was comprised of 44 taxpayers, 9 frame houses, 4 log houses, 2 brick dwellings, 2 taverns and 3 stores. An Act to incorporate the Town of Sarnia was assented to on June 19, 1856. The name Port Sarnia was officially changed to "The Town of Sarnia" effective January 1, 1857. The population of the Town was mentioned in the Act at upwards of 1,000 inhabitants and there were three wards.

An Act to Incorporate the City of Sarnia was assented to on April 20, 1914. The name Town of Sarnia would be officially changed to "The Corporation of the City of Sarnia" effective May 7, 1914. This day was marked by the visit of Canada’s Governor General, H.R.H. the Duke of Connaught, and his daughter Princess Patricia. It was also on this day that Sarnia adopted the title of "The Imperial City". The population of the City was mentioned at 10,985 in the Act, and there were six wards.

On January 1, 1991, The Corporation of the City of Sarnia and the Corporation of the Town of Clearwater (formerly the Township of Sarnia) officially became "The Corporation of the City of Sarnia-Clearwater". The new City would consist of four wards.

On January 1, 1992, the name of The Corporation of the City of Sarnia-Clearwater was changed to "The Corporation of the City of Sarnia".

History

Early in the 1830s, the first settlers arrived in the Sarnia area and established a community known as "The Rapids". In 1836, the name "Port Sarnia" was adopted, and the community grew steadily over the years being incorporated as a town in 1856 and, finally, as the "City of Sarnia" on May 7th, 1914.

The City of Sarnia and the neighbouring Town of Clearwater amalgamated on January 1st, 1991, to become the "City of Sarnia-Clearwater". The new community has a population of 70,000 and a total land mass of 44,000 acres.

On January 1st, 1992, the name became "City of Sarnia."

The early growth of Sarnia was stimulated by the wealth of adjoining stands of timber, by the discovery of oil nearby and by the arrival of The Great Western Railway in 1858 and the Grand Trunk Railway in 1859. These rail lines were later linked directly to the United States by the opening of a rail tunnel under the St. Clair River at Sarnia in 1889. A convenient link for vehicular traffic was provided when the Bluewater Bridge was opened in 1938.

Sarnia became a prominent deep water port during the 1920s when many of the shipping facilities that exist today were constructed, including the winter harbour, the elevator slip and the large grain elevators.

While there had been a petroleum industry in the Sarnia area since the mid-1800s, the establishment of the Polymer Corporation in 1942 to manufacture synthetic rubber during World War II was the first step in establishing Sarnia as a major petrochemical centre.

Development

The growth of the city received a major boost when North America's first oil discovery was made at nearby Petrolia in the 1850s. In 1938, the Blue Water Bridge was built to join Sarnia with Port Huron, Michigan; in 1997, the bridge was twinned. 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. This bridge to the United States had been preceded by the construction of the St. Clair tunnel in 1891 — the first rail tunnel ever to pass under a river. The tunnel was an engineering marvel in its day, achieved through the development of original techniques for excavating in a compressed air environment.

When World War II 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. Large pipelines bring Alberta oil to Sarnia, where oil refining and petrochemical production have become mainstays of the city's economy. Large salt beds found under the city became a source of chlorine and another significant ingredient in the success of the "Chemical Valley".

While industry expanded south along the St. Clair, Sarnia's population tended to move out eastward along the Lake Huron shoreline. The sandy fresh water beaches are a popular tourist attraction, while the sheltered harbour houses marinas for recreational sailing. Since 1925, the 250-mile Mackinac race from Sarnia/Port Huron to Mackinac Island, at the north end of the lake, has been the highlight of the sailing season, drawing more than 3000 sailors each year.

Government

Sarnia City Council consists of nine elected members, including the Mayor, four City and County Council members, and four City Council members.

City and County Council members are elected to serve on both the City of Sarnia and Lambton County Councils, along with the Mayor. City Councillors serve on City Council only.

All Council members are elected for 3 year terms.

The current Mayor, Mike Bradley, has held the position since 1988 and is the longest serving person in this position. He was subsequently elected in 1991, 1994, 1997, 2000, and 2003.

Education

The Lambton Kent District School Board is responsible for the 13 elementary and 4 secondary public schools (Northern, Alexander MacKenzie, SCITS, and St. Clair) located within Sarnia's boundaries. The St. Clair Catholic District School Board is responsible for the city's 7 elementary and 2 secondary Catholic schools (St. Christopher's and St. Patrick's). Both boards also provide French immersion education. The French Catholic School Board - the Conseil Scolaire de District des Ecoles Catholiques du Sud-Ouest, represents the French Catholic schools in the city. As well as two french public schools from the Conseil Scolaire de District du Centre Sud-Ouest (CSDCSO) with its only elementary school, École Les Rapides and only secondary school, École Secondaire Franco-Jeunesse, which in the 2005-2006 school year, 38 students attended the school. Fronco-Jeunesse is located in the Northern high-school.

Lambton College is one of Ontario's 21 Colleges of Applied Arts and Technology. It has a full time enrollment of 2,500 and a part-time enrollment of about 8,000.

In 2005 The University of Western Ontario opened a Research and Development Park in Sarnia to work on a variety of research innovations.

People connected with Sarnia

Famous people from Sarnia include:

Media

Radio

Television

Sarnia does not have any originating television stations of its own, although the city does have rebroadcasters of several television stations originating in other markets, as well as being able to directly receive stations from Windsor, Ontario/Detroit, Michigan.

As in all Canadian cities, Sarnia has a community channel on Cogeco Cable service in the city.

Newspapers

The city's main daily newspaper is the Sarnia Observer, owned by Osprey Media.

Sarnia Sun is a free daily paper aligned with the Quebecor-owned Sun Media chain, which features local news and sports. Sarnia Sun this Week is a weekly paper, which also distubutes the advertising publication Penny Saver.

Sarnia Facts

  • Scenes from the 1994 film Renaissance Man were filmed at the Blue Water Bridge.
  • Scenes from the 2000 film Bless the Child were also filmed at the Blue Water Bridge. The original Blue Water Bridge was shut down at the time for repairs after the new Blue Water Bridge opened. Scenery shots of New York City were inserted into the background for the car crash scene.
  • Sarnia is no longer the kissing capital of the world as of 2003. The Chilean capital, Santiago ousted Sarnia in 2003. On February 14, 2004, the Filipino capital of Manila claimed the title and is now the official kissing capital of the world.
  • Lambton College is the only post-secondary school located in Sarnia.
  • Sarnia is home to the Sarnia Sting, an Ontario Hockey League team. Dino Ciccarelli, a former NHL player, is a part owner of the team.
  • During the Christmas season, The St. Clair Parkway hosts the annual Celebration of Lights in Centennial Park. It was originally run by Centre by the Bay and Telus, however, both organizations are no longer affiliated with the event.
  • Bayfest, which began in 1995 as "Festival by the Bay", is an annual concert event featuring rock bands, typically during the third weekend of July. The 2006 edition will feature country & western artists with Brooks & Dunn, Gretchen Wilson, and Keith Urban leading the bill.
  • In 2002, Michael Moore filmed segments of his documentary Bowling for Columbine in Sarnia. He interviewed residents outside the local Taco Bell, the plaza beside it, the Famous Players' Lambton 9 movie theater and at a gun show in nearby Point Edward. Additionally, in the summer of 2004, Sarnia mayor Mike Bradley (who was also interviewed in the film), named Moore an honorary citizen of Sarnia.

Demographics

1996 Population: 72,738
2001 Population: 70,876

Census Data

According to the 2001 Statistics Canada Census:
  • Population: 70,876
  • % Change (1996-2001): -2.6
  • Median Age: 40.5 years
  • Median Income (persons over 15): $22,145
  • Dwellings: 30,859
  • Density (persons per km²): 430.5
  • Area (km²): 164.62

Communities


North: Lake Huron
West: Point Edward, Port Huron, USA
Sarnia East: Plympton-Wyoming
South: Aamjiwnaang First Nation, St. Clair

External links

Coastal towns in Canada | Sarnia, Ontario

Sarnia (Ontario) | Sarnia (Ontario) | Sarnia

 

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the "Sarnia, Ontario".

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