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Sarnia is all about chic urban condos and charming hamlets – stop by and discover why ‘Bluewaterland’ is so popular
The community’s original name was The Rapids. It was named Port Sarnia in 1836, then shortened to Sarnia in 1857.
The name Sarnia has Celtic origins and is linked to the Island of Guernsey in the Channel Islands.
Alexander MacKenzie, a stonemason and Canada’s second prime minister, represented Sarnia and is buried there. A concerted effort beginning in the 1970s to preserve the waterfront for the public has paid off handsomely for the citizens of Sarnia.
Today, this city of 71,000, the largest urban centre on Lake Huron, controls an unbroken area stretching along the St. Clair River through the downtown core, and enjoys significant holdings along its lakeshore.
Nicknamed Bluewaterland for the sky-blue shades of the lake on whose southern tip Sarnia sits, the city’s civic strategy has long been to develop and maintain the waterfront as the main recreational and cultural focal point. Developers are not allowed to build right at the water’s edge, but rather behind a border of publicly owned property that follows the riverfront.
Along the lake, much of the land has been built up with private homes, but there are several parks and the city has improved public access to the water at the ends of several roads that run to the water’s edge.
Highrise condos offer downtown living with a view
Several apartment condos sit next to the public waterfront space, strategically located to take advantage of the river and lake views. And in the village of Point Edward, which is tucked into the corner where the St. Clair River empties from Lake Huron and surrounded on two sides by the city, a seaside-type community is built around a marina.
Sarnia is a significant gateway to the U.S. and has long been an important port for lake freighters and salt-water ships carrying grain and petroleum products.
Originally linked to the lumber trade, Sarnia’s economy took off in the latter days of the 19th century, after the discovery of petroleum a few miles away in Oil Springs and Petrolia. Oil refineries were built along the St. Clair River south of the city’s downtown and, in 1942, when there were fears that rubber manufacturing would be jeopardized by the Second World War, Polymer Corp. was established in Sarnia, ushering in the petrochemical era.
Today, Sarnia is supplied its crude oil by pipeline from Alberta and, in an area dubbed Chemical Valley, it still represents the largest concentration of refineries and petrochemical plants in the country. Few visitors can help but be impressed by the array of tubes, towers and tanks, festooned in lights, as they glitter brilliantly after dark. Chemical Valley was formerly featured on the back of the $10 Canadian bill.
Passing ships a beloved sight here
Sarnia’s environmental engineering expertise is widely known in the field, based on a distinct industrial service sector in planning, designing, building and monitoring systems to protect the environment.
As it flows out of the lake, the St. Clair River soon opens up into Sarnia Bay. This natural harbour was visited by the French explorer LaSalle in 1670. In the 1920s, new facilities, including a wintering harbour and grain elevators, assured its reputation as an important deep-water port and today, 100 million tonnes of shipping pass through annually.
The passing ships, and the wintering over of several in the harbour, have drawn spectators for decades. Sarnia has capitalized on that by creating a linear park from the downtown to the harbour, where entertainment and recreational facilities have been built. Plans call for the extension of the linear park south of the core, into what was once CN Rail lands at the northern extremity of Chemical Valley.
The city is endeavouring to maximize the economic development potential of the downtown waterfront and promote it as a destination for major tourism draws, development, celebrations and events. Already, there are places for seating, picnicking and fishing, with children’s play areas, and more are planned.
Don’t miss the Sarnia-Port Huron Mackinac sailing race
The city would like to attract a “display ship” that might be used for a restaurant/bar, bed and breakfast, or an interpretive centre, where topics might be themed on the Great Lakes, shipping or the city’s industrial history. Sarnia is unusual in that a First Nation reserve exists within the city limits and that, too, could provide a subject for interpretation.
Recognizing that Point Edward sits in a strategic spot where the Blue Water Bridge enters Canada, Sarnia is working with the village to link up their respective attractions. Partnerships could also be created with the City of Port Huron, the American community on the other side of the international bridge.
Already, Sarnia and Port Huron sponsor the annual 400-kilometre Mackinac sailing race, which draws more than 3,000 participants. Inaugurated in 1925, the race begins in Port Huron and Sarnia and ends at the northern tip of Lake Huron. Thousands line both banks of the river to watch the boats sail beneath the Blue Water Bridge.
The bridge has been seen in at least two feature-length Hollywood films, Renaissance Man and Bless the Child. Michael Moore filmed parts of Bowling for Columbine in Sarnia, then returned to get footage for his film on the American medical system, Sicko.
Festivals, cruises keep waterfront hopping
Built in 1938 and twinned in 1997, Sarnia’s Blue Water Bridge is the second-busiest border crossing between Canada and the United States. Today, it links Highway 402 with the U.S. Interstate system.
Canada and the U.S. are also linked under water: The first railway arrived at Sarnia in 1858 and, in 1891, a rail tunnel was constructed under the St. Clair River to Michigan, the first time a rail tunnel had been constructed beneath a river. A tunnel opened in 1995 accommodates double-decked rail cars.
The riverfront has undergone a huge transformation over the past four decades. Where piles of coal once sat, the Dow People Place Entertainment Centre stands, featuring local entertainers throughout the summer months.
Other events take place in the riverfront parks. Festivals include the Celebration of Lights in Centennial Park and the Sarnia BayFest Summer Rock Concert in July, which has featured performers such as Bon Jovi, Kiss, ZZ Top, Mötley Crüe and Aerosmith. A cruise ship offers charters and scheduled lunch and dinner tours from Sarnia Bay.
To the north on Lake Huron sits the 200-acre Canatara Park. Part of it has been maintained in its natural state, while other areas are designated for public use and recreation. It includes Lake Chipican, a sandy beach on the lakeshore, a children’s petting farm, historic log cabins and public open space often used for large celebratory events.
Vibrant arts and culture scene
The ships, however, will always be a part of the local waterfront. Recognizing the importance of shipping-related activities to the economy and the attraction they have for visitors and residents, Sarnia has no intention of chasing these away. Instead, the city explicitly includes grain elevators, winter docking and repair in its Waterfront zoning designation and encourages more display and tour boats to use the area. Other permitted uses include hotels, restaurants, boutiques, open space and recreation.
Downtown, the art deco Capitol movie theatre has been transformed into the Imperial Oil Centre for the Performing Arts, which hosts live entertainment. Also downtown, a grand old mansion has been turned into the Lawrence House Suncor Centre for the Arts, and is available for art exhibits and children’s programs. The RBC Centre, home to the city’s Junior A hockey team, is also available for concerts and other events.
On the gambling front, Sarnia has the Hiawatha Horse Park and Slots, while Point Edward has a charity casino. For golfers, there are more than 20 courses in the area to choose from. Mike Weir launched his career in the city.
In health care, the Bluewater Health hospital maintains two sites in Sarnia and one in Petrolia.
In education, Lambton College is a school of applied arts and technology, with 2,500 full-time and 8,000 part-time students. It has become a national leader in information technology programs and, in co-operation with the University of Windsor, it offers bachelor’s degrees and post-graduate programs.
Local airport honours astronaut Hadfield
The college has recently welcomed a neighbour, the Bioindustrial Innovation Centre Sarnia-Lambton Research Park. It is hoped the centre will become Canada’s most important centre for the development and commercialization of large-scale industrial biotechnology, such as biofuels, bioenergy and biochemicals. The centre is credited with attracting new alternative-energy companies to the city.
The local airport is named for astronaut Chris Hadfield, a Sarnia native. The city has a public transit system and is served by VIA Rail.
On the real estate front, recently listed waterfront property in Sarnia included a one-bedroom, one-bath apartment condo on the St. Clair River for $124,900 and a two-bedroom, two-bath condo on the river, downtown, for $299,000. At the higher end of the budget, $879,950 would buy you a lakeside estate with four bedrooms, 100 feet of private sandy beach and a gazebo from which you could watch those fabulous Lake Huron sunsets.