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Sarnia

Coordinates: 42°58′N 82°24′W / 42.967°N 82.400°W / 42.967; -82.400
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Sarnia, Ontario
Motto(s): 
Sarnia Semper
(Latin for "Sarnia Always")
CountryCanada
ProvinceOntario
CountyLambton
Establishedas The Rapids
RenamedPort Sarnia in 1836
Government
 • City MayorMike Bradley
 • Governing BodySarnia City Council
 • MPsPat Davidson (CPC)
 • MPPsBob Bailey (OPC)
Area
 • City164.63 km2 (63.6 sq mi)
Elevation
191 m (627 ft)
Population
 (2006)
 • City71,419
 • Density433.8/km2 (1,123.5/sq mi)
 • Metro
88,793
 • Metro density111/km2 (290/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
 • Summer (DST)UTC-4 (EDT)
Postal code span
N7S, N7T
WebsiteCity of Sarnia website

Sarnia is a city in Southwestern Ontario, Canada (city population 71,419, census area population 88,793, in 2006). 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 and petroleum products. It is the largest community in Lambton County.

The aforementioned natural port and the salt caverns that exist in the surrounding areas, coupled with the oil discovered in nearby Oil Springs lead to the massive growth of the petroleum industry in this area. Since Oil Springs was the first place in 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. What is now known as the Chemical Valley, located down river of Sarnia proper, once adorned the back of the Canadian ten dollar bill.

Sarnia was once the kissing capital of the world, but 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.[citation needed]

Since 1938, Sarnia has been the Canadian side of one of busiest U.S.–Canada border crossings. The Blue Water Bridge (also known as the "Sarnia Bridge") links Sarnia's neighbouring village Point Edward to the city of Port Huron, Michigan.

Name

Walking trail next to St. Clair River

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".

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 7, 1914. For many years Alexander Mackenzie was an editor of the Sarnia Observer. He had set off to Sarnia during the year of 1845, when he had met a lord's daughter and set up a buisness. He had died in 1892, Aged 70, from a stroke related to a fall. He was buried in Sarnia, having died in Toronto.

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.

Neighbourhoods

The city includes the neighbourhoods of Blackwell, Brights Grove, Bunyan, Fourth Line, Froomfield, Lucasville, Mandaumin, Mitton Village, Robertsville, Sherwood Village, Whiltshire, Twin Lakes 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.

Polymer Rubber Corporation plant, October 1943

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[1]. 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 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 [1].

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 industry

Portions 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.[2][3]

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 (Northern Collegiate Institute & Vocational School (N.C.I.V.S.), Alexander MacKenzie Secondary School, Sarnia Collegiate Institute & Technical School (S.C.I.T.S.), Lambton Central Collegiate & Vocational Institute (L.C.C.V.I.), and St. Clair Secondary School) 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 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: Sarnia Christian School, Temple Christian Academy, and Bluewater Lighthouse Christian Academy. A new Christian highschool, Patmos College 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:

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, 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.

Newspapers

The 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.

Magazines

Sarnia's only lifestyle magazine, LIVING, is owned by iMedia Worldwide Inc.

Weather Information

Environment 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

Main article: Sarnia 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.

Demographics

1996 Population: 72,738
2001 Population: 70,876
2006 Population: 71,419

Census Data

According 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

References

  1. ^ Brandt, E.N. (1997). Growth Company: Dow Chemical's First Century. East Lansing, MI: Michigan State University Press. ISBN 0-87013-426-4. {{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  2. ^ CTV.ca News Staff (2004). "Filmmaker Moore targeted over election remarks". CTVglobemedia. Retrieved 2007-02-25.
  3. ^ CBC News (2004). "Michael Moore broke election law, alleges young Tory". CBC. Retrieved 2007-02-25.
  4. ^ "Lakeview Cemetery & Crematorium Burial Database". Retrieved 2006-11-28.
  5. ^ "Dictionary of Canadian Biography Online: Mackenzie, Alexander". Retrieved 2006-11-28.

42°58′N 82°24′W / 42.967°N 82.400°W / 42.967; -82.400

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