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Sarnia, Ontario
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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 and an industrial centre. In 1812, Sir John Colborne was appointed Governor of the Isle of Guernsey, one of the Channel Islands. In 1829, the area and Townships of Sarnia and Moore were surveyed by Boswell Mount, and named by Sir John Colborne.
Previously thought to be the Roman name for the Isle of Guernsey, it has now been found that the name Sarnia has a Celtic origin.
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.
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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 and an industrial centre. In 1812, Sir John Colborne was appointed Governor of the Isle of Guernsey, one of the Channel Islands. In 1829, the area and Townships of Sarnia and Moore were surveyed by Boswell Mount, and named by Sir John Colborne.
Previously thought to be the Roman name for the Isle of Guernsey, it has now been found that the name Sarnia has a Celtic origin.
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 composed 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".
HistoryEarly 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 7, 1914.
The City of Sarnia and the neighbouring Town of Clearwater amalgamated on January 1, 1991, to become the "City of Sarnia-Clearwater". The new community has a population of 70,000 and a total land area of 44,000 acres (180 km²).
On January 1, 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.
NeighbourhoodsThe city includes the neighbourhoods of Blackwell, Brights Grove, Bunyan, Fourth Line, Froomfield, Lucasville, Mandaumin, Mitton Village, Robertsville and Vyner.
Climate
The climate of Sarnia is considered a mild climate for Canadian standards. Winters are mild to cold and summers are warm to hot/humid. Lake Huron can create large temperature differences within the city in spring and early summer. Humidex readings can be quite high at times from late May to late September. Thunderstorms can become quite severe from April to September. The area enjoys a longer growing season than cities at similar latitudes, such as London, Ontario; Madison, Wisconsin; or Lansing, Michigan due to the lake influence. The mild climate of Sarnia is one of the reasons that Sarnia has attracted retirees.
Development The growth of the city received a major boost when North America's first oil discovery was made at nearby Oil Springs, Ontario 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, and Polymer corporation was built by Dow Chemical at the request of the Government of Canada. 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 operate refineries in Sarnia. Large salt beds found under the city became a source of chlorine and another significant ingredient in the success of the "Chemical Valley". Chemical companies operating in Sarnia include NOVA Chemicals, Bayer (LANXESS and H.C. Starck), Imperial Oil, Dow Chemical, Royal Group Technologies, Cabot Corporation and Ethyl Corporation. Dow has announced plans to leave the area permantly by the end of 2008 .
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 (400 km) 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.
Film industryPortions of several films have been shot in Sarnia. Scenes from the 1994 film Renaissance Man and the 2000 film Bless the Child were both filmed at the Blue Water Bridge.
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. In the summer of 2004 Sarnia mayor Mike Bradley (who was also interviewed in the film), offered to name Moore an honorary citizen of Sarnia. In his 2007 film Sicko, Michael Moore returned to Sarnia to film and interview his relatives at Sears and in the Marina restaurant at the former St. Clair Parkway site.
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 4 year terms (as of November 2006 elections).
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, 2003, 2006.
On the provincial level, Sarnia is located within the Sarnia—Lambton provincial electoral district which is currently represented by Bob Bailey.
On the federal level, Sarnia is located within the Sarnia—Lambton federal electoral district which is currently represented by Patricia Davidson.
Education The Lambton Kent District School Board is responsible for the 13 elementary and 5 secondary public schools], , , , and ) 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. Both boards also provide French immersion education. The French Catholic School Board - the Conseil scolaire de district des écoles catholiques de Sud-Ouest, Saint-Francois-Xavier and Saint Thomas d'Aquin represents the two 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 elementary school, École Les Rapides and secondary school, École Secondaire Franco-Jeunesse. Franco-Jeunesse is located in the Northern high-school.
There are also 3 independent Christian elementary schools in Sarnia: , , and . A new Christian highschool, will open in September 2007.
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. It is the city's only post-secondary school.
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:
- Richard Beland, photographer
- Andy Brandt, former city alderman and mayor, former head of the Ontario Progressive Conservative party, and former chairman and CEO of the LCBO
- Shawn Burr, NHL hockey player who played 878 career games and finished with 181 goals and 440 points
- Jim Chevalier, Juno Award-winning musician
- David Chilton, author of The Wealthy Barber
- Dino Ciccarelli, NHL hockey player who played 1232 career games, scored 608 goals and is eligible for the Hockey Hall of Fame
- Susan Clark, actress
- Jack Dennahower, Environment Canada meteorologist
- James Doohan, actor, "Scotty" on Star Trek, also attended
- Graig Earle, Juno-nominated and Danish Music Award-winning jazz bassist
- Marian Engel, author
- Lance Evers, professional wrestler known as Lance Storm
- Kerry Fraser, NHL referee
- Ted Garvin, NHL and AHL coach winner of the Turner Cup
- Mike Gardiner, MLB baseball player with the Seattle Mariners, Boston Red Sox, Montreal Expos, and the Detroit Tigers.
- David Greene, CSC, (Filmmaker - Cinematographer) winner of Genie, Gemini and American Spirit Award
- Chris Hadfield, astronaut for whom Sarnia's airport is named. He was the first Canadian to walk in space.
- Peter Henderson, veteran radio personality
- Sunny Leone Model and actress in the adult entertainment industry.
- Alexander Mackenzie, the second Prime Minister of Canada for whom one of Sarnia's high schools is named, is buried in Sarnia's Lakeview Cemetery.
- Dave Madden, actor; Reuben Kincaid from The Partridge Family
- Cameron Mathison, All My Children actor
- Pauline Mills McGibbon, 22nd Lieutenant Governor of Ontario
- Tony McKegney, NHL hockey player who scored 20 or more goals in 8 seasons of his 900+ game career
- Wayne Merrick, NHL hockey player who played 774 career games
- Kim Mitchell, rock musician
- Steve Molitor, boxer, International Boxing Federation (IBF) super bantamweight champion
- Harry Neale, CBC hockey commentator
- George Andrew Olah, winner of 1994 Nobel Prize for chemistry
- Marie Prevost, actress
- Patricia Rozema, film director
- Norman "Red" Ryan, notorious criminal, who died in a liquor store robbery in Sarnia on May 23, 1936
- R. Murray Schafer, composer
- Mike Stapleton, former NHL player and son of Pat Stapleton
- Pat Stapleton, former NHL player and current owner of the Strathroy Rockets Junior 'B" hockey Team.
- Mike Stevens, legendary harmonica virtuoso, regular on the Grand Ole Opry
- Keegan Connor Tracy, actress, born Tracy Armstrong
- Pat Verbeek, NHL hockey player
- Mike Weir, PGA Tour golfer, winner of the 2003 Masters
- John Wing, Jr., comedian and frequent Tonight Show with Jay Leno guest
Media
Radio
TelevisionSarnia 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, Detroit and London.
- Cable channel 3 / UHF channel 29 — CIII-29, Global
- Cable channel 8 / UHF channel 68 — CBLFT-17, Radio-Canada
- Cable channel 13 / UHF channel 42 — CKCO-3, CTV (maintains an office in Sarnia, and a permanent reporter, Rick Smith)
- Cable channel 17 / UHF channel 51 — CHCH-2, E!
- Cable channel 18 / UHF channel 34 — CBLN-2, CBC
As in all Canadian cities, Sarnia has a community channel, TV Cogeco, on Cogeco Cable.
NewspapersThe city's main daily newspaper is the Sarnia Observer, owned by Osprey Media. The community publications Sarnia This Week, Lambton County Smart Shopper and Business Trends are owned by Bowes Publishing. The monthly business oriented newspaper First Monday is owned by Huron Web Printing and Graphics.
Weather InformationEnvironment Canada's local weather recording can be heard by phoning (519) 464-5121. Environment Canada also has a 24 hour broadcast that can be heard over Weather Radios and many two-way radios and scanners.
Transit Sarnia Transit provides public transportation within the City of Sarnia. This includes conventional bus transit; transportation of people with disabilities (Care-A-Van) ; transportation support for major events; charter services.
Sarnia is also served by private cab companies, Canadian Red Cross and Lambton Elderly Outreach.
Events During the Christmas season, the city of Sarnia 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. As of 2006, The St. Clair Parkway has been shut down and is no longer involved with the event either. Rogers Communications now helps with sponsorship.
Sarnia Bayfest, which began in 1995 as "Festival by the Bay", is an annual concert festival that featured rock bands, typically during the third weekend of July. The festival has included big name acts such as Bon Jovi, The Black Crowes, Motley Crue,Kid Rock, Aerosmith, Def Leppard, Our Lady Peace, David Lee Roth, The Foo Fighters, The Guess Who, Blink 182, Sum 41, ZZ Top, Collective Soul, among many others. Bayfest has since added Country and Western acts as it headlined Gretchen Wilson, Keith Urban and Brooks and Dunn with great success.
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.
Demographics1996 Population: 72,738
2001 Population: 70,876
2006 Population: 71,419
Census DataAccording to the 2006 Statistics Canada Census:
- Population: 71,419
- % Change (2001-2006): +0.8%
- Median Age: (not yet published)
- Median Income (persons over 15): (not yet published)
- Dwellings: 31,610
- Density (persons per km²): 433.8
- Area (km²): 164.63
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