Things to Do in Sarnia, Ontario, Canada
Created | Updated Oct 20, 2010
As I read through the h2g2, I see entries about different Ontario cities (London, Hamilton, etc.), I see there is no entry for Ontario's most important, but forgoten, municipalities - Sarnia.
<P>
<H2>The Basics and History of the Area</H2>
<P>
The biggest little city in the southwest is located about 70 miles west of London, Ontario and about 60 miles north northwest of Detroit Michigan, right were Lake Huron and the St. Clair River meet, in the county of Lambton. The population is 73,000 and is run by Mayor Mike Bradly, who has served office for almost 15 years.
<P>
Sarnia, in a nutshell, owes it's entire exsitance to oil. Long before the Barnes and the Ewings names found fame on TV's Dallas, those families farmed for oil in Lambton County. It was here the first commercial oil well in North America was dug. It was found in Oil Springs and Petrolia, Ontario (both 20-30 miles south of Sarnia), both of which are a fair distance inland from the bank of the river and the lake. So they built a road out of wood planks (because of the rather muddy landscape Lambton County has) leading up to Sarnia (known to residents as Plank Road) and the soon to be oil refinaries of the new city. Today, companies such as Bayer, Dow, Shell and Sinoco have all made homes in Chemical Valley. Soon, Sarnia's place in the industrial world will expand with the creation of a automotive assessories plant in the future.
<P>
<P>
<H2>Things to See and Do in Sarnia</H2>
<P>
It's become a issue amoung the teenage population of Sarnia: this is one boring city! That was, until 1999.
<P>
In 1999, the Sarnia City Council made a point to promote Sarnia more in terms of tourism - and have they done a great job so far! In one summer, Sarnia was transformed from a retirement communty to a jumping city!
<P>
Throughout the year, many festivals and celebrations take place. Here are some of the most important:
<P>
<H4>Winter (November-March)</H4>
<BLOCKQUOTE>
<u>Celebration of Lights</u> (Novemeber-January)<BR/> More than 160 displays light up Sarnia's waterfront!
<P>
<u>Sarnia Kinsman Santa Clause Parade</u> (December)<BR/> Annual parade of lights, marching bands, clowns & Santa! Largest evening parade in Southwestern Ontario with over 50,000 in attendance. "Parade of lights" with over 80 floats and bands.
<P>
<u>Christmas on the Farm</u> (December)<BR/> Old fashioned Christmas with Historical Society, crafts, caroling, hay rides, light display, etc. @ Animal Farm
<P>
<u>Snowfest</u> (January)<BR/> International snow carving competition where sculptors from around the world turn 8 ft. blocks of snow into wonderful pieces of art. There are many family activities such as sleigh rides, 3-man skis, kid sized igloos & refreshments.
</BLOCKQUOTE>
<P>
<P>
<h4>Spring (April-May)</H4>
<BLOCKQUOTE>
<u>Easter in the Park</u> (April)<BR/> Visit with the Easter Bunny! Main activity - Easter Egg Hunt! Egg, basket and bonnet decorating contests.
<P>
<u>Salmon and Trout Durby</u> (May)<BR/> Great for Fishers!
</BLOCKQUOTE>
<P>
<h4>Summer (June-Augest)</h4>
<BLOCKQUOTE>
<u>Canada Day Celebrations</u><BR/> June 30 - Centennial Park - displays and general entertainment. July 1 - Parade to Canatara, ethnic food booths, car displays, entertainment. Later in day entertainment and festivities swing over to Centennial Park, Fireworks at 10 P.M. One of the largest festivals in Canada.
<P>
<u>Air Show Sarnia</u> (July)<BR/> Vintage warbirds, vintage jets & modern military aircraft in both flying and static display, configurations, helicopter rides! Food and sanitation facilities on site. Flying display 1:30 P.M. daily.
<P>
<u>BayFest</u> (July)<BR/> Music event - suitable for ALL Ages - American and Canadian Acts! (Note from author: saw this last year: Fantastic!!)
<P>
<u>Mackinac Race</u> (July - in conjuntion w/Pt. Huron, Mi)<BR/> Annual Pt. Huron, Mi. to Mackinac Island Sailboat Race. 250-280 Sailboats expected.
<P>
<u>Ribfest</u> (July)<BR/> Rib Vendors competing for best ribs, etc. other vendors, children rides, entertainment, licensed area available.
<P>
<u>Antique and Classic Boat Show</u> (July)<BR/> The general public is invited to view and cast their ballot from the many wooden antique and classic boats in the water at the marina.
<P>
<u>Classic Car Show & Dance</u> (July)<BR/> View classic and antique cars displayed on the grounds of the Marina.
<P>
<u>Hobbyfest</u> (July)<BR/> Over 45 community groups converge on the Park to demonstrate and display their leisure interests. Event for the whole family to enjoy! Held in conjunction with Ribfest.
<P>
<u>Community Fun Days for Kids</u> (Augest)<BR/> Children's games, dunk tank, displays (i.e. Fire Dept.), hot dogs pop and prize for each child.
<P>
<u>Diverse Cities Sarnia/Pt. Huron Gay Pride</u> (Augest)<BR/> Sarnia and Port Huron's very own Gay Pride Parade. Not as bad as you would think!
<P>
<u>Sarnia Highland Games</u> (Augest)<BR/> Supreme Highland Games with highland dancing competitions; individual piping & drumming competitions; professional heavy events; competition; North American Haggis Hurling Championships. Celidh Tent.
<P>
<u>Sarnia Dragon Boat Festival</u> (Augest)<BR/> Dragon Boat racing is great fun for young and old at any level of fitness. Extremely high on the "Fun, Fitness & Friendship" scale it is visually spectacular with split second finishes. Our regional event attracts mixed teams from corp.'s, clubs, businesses & public service groups. Held in Sarnia Bay. Free to the Public.
<P>
</BLOCKQUOTE>
<H4>Fall (September-October)</H4>
Note to Readers: In this section, I am going to expand a little. Most of the next few events take place in the smaller villages and towns in Lambton County. Why mention them? Well, these events are some of the funnest in the region!
<P>
<BLOCKQUOTE>
<u>Labour Day Parade,</u> Sarnia (September, Labour Day Weekend)
<P>
<u>Art in the Park,</u> Bright's Grove (September)<BR/> There will be 100 artists and crafts people who will enter this show. There is a home baking & preserves booth and a food booth that serves hamburgers & hotdogs also drinks. This is a very well attended event & is FREE!
<P>
<u>The Bayer Championship,</u> Bright's Grove (September)<BR/>Canadian Professional Golf Tour. 156 of the top players on the tour to complete!
<P>
<u>Plympton-Wyoming Fall Fair,</u> Wyoming (September)<BR/> Annual Fall Fair
<P>
<u>Forest & District Fall Fair,</u> Forest (September)<BR/> Annual Fall Fair
<P>
<u>Brooke, Alvinston, Watford Fall Fair,</u> Alvinston (September)<BR/> Annual Fall Fair. One of oldest in area.
<P>
<u>Brigden Fair,</u> Brigden (October)<BR/> Local entertainment, crafts, quilts, flowers, fruits, display buildings, livestock shows, Hell Drivers Stunt Drivers, farm olympics with 4-H participation, Regional 4-H Shows and achievement and midway. Largest and most annicipated in area!
</BLOCKQUOTE>
<P>
<P>
<H3>Not Just Festivals and Fairs</H3>
Sarnia is quite the interesting place that includes many interesting points of interest and entertainment venues. Here are the most popular:
<P>
<BLOCKQUOTE>
<u>Bluewater Bridge</u><BR/> Located in Point Edward, a village in the northwest corner of Sarnia, these twin bridges link Port Huron, Michigan to Canada. It is one of the bussiest border-crossings in North America. On the Canadian side, you can take a breather by just lounging in the near by park or right under the bridge. Chip trucks are regulars during the spring, summer and fall.
<P>
<u>The Beaches</u><BR/>
The north coast of Lambton county is part of the longest streach of freshwater beaches in the world. And the nice part about them? Well, it get so hot here in the summer, that they provide one of the best cool-off facillities in the world! Tip: if you want the best beaches, drive up to Grand Bend! Remember Guys: it is legel for women to go topless on the beaches in Ontario...
<P>
<u>Sarnia Sports and Entertainment Center</u><BR/>
The SSEC is Sarnia's pride and joy! It is a world-class facillity that has attracted everybody from world-class figure skating shows to
international hockey games. It is the home of the Sarnia Sting of the Ontario Hockey League. Throughout the year, it has been host to many different concerts and celebrations. And if there is one thing everybody is really proud of: the SSEC is the location of were Sarnia got into the Guiness Book of World Records. Yes, Sarnia is the Kissing Capital of the world!
<BLOCKQUOTE>(From <A HREF="http://www.guinnessworldrecords.com">www.quinnessworldrecords.com"</A>)<BR/> "The Big Kiss", as the attempt at the world record was titled, was organized by Radio Sarnia Lambton of Ontario, Canada. Taking place on February 11, 2000, there was inevitably a Valentines Day theme running throughout, with vendors at the event selling flowers, chocolates and other gifts. There was also live music provided by the Montreal-based group See Spot Run, amongst others, and couples taking part entered a draw to win a trip for two to Montreal. Entrance to the event was free, but people were urged to bring food for the area’s local food banks, and in doing so managed to amass over two tonnes of donations. The 1,588 couples kissed for 10 seconds, breaking the city’s own previous record. Adelle Richards, Director of Community Relations for the radio station and coordinator of The Big Kiss, said, “I knew we could do it. There was a huge demand to make the Big Kiss an annual event. We did it last year, we did it again this year - and breaking the record proves we are the kissing capital of the world!”</BLOCKQUOTE>
<P>
<u>Musems and Historical Sites</u><BR/> Some of the musems that can be found in Sarnia and it's surrounding areas are:
<ul>
<li>Lambton Heritage Museum - features the human and natural history of Lambton. (Grand Bend)
<li>Arkona Lions Museum & Information Centre - In Rock Glen Conservation Area, find some of North America’s best Devonian fossils (Arkona)
<li>Forest Lambton Museum - A pioneer home setting with family heirlooms from North Lambton residents displayed in early Forest home. (Forest)
<li>Discovery House Museum - Set in a beautifully restored 1890 Victorian home, Discovery House contains a room-size model depicting the Sarnia waterfront in the 1920s complete with a model railroad plus a marine room reflecting Sarnia’s history as a major port on the Great Lakes and Lake Huron’s largest city. There are travelling displays from the renowned Royal Ontario Museum of Toronto and other museums, which are changed on a regular basis. (Sarnia)
<li>Lawrence House/Suncor Centre for Sarnia’s Heritage - (Sarnia)
<li>Moore Museum - Explore the past of a riverside township with glimpses of pioneer living, Great Lakes shipping, the Victorian era & more. (Mooretown)
<li>Petrolia Discovery - A 19th Century public oil field with 19 producing wells. (Petrolia)
<li>Oil Museum of Canada - uncover the stories behind some of the people that created the first oil boom(Oil Springs)
<li>Uncle Tom’s Cabin - Rev. Josiah Henson established a colony for escaping slaves and became popular as a main character in Harriet Beecher Stowe's novel Uncle Tom's Cabin. (Dresden)
<P>
</BLOCKQUOTE>
<h2>And So, In Conclusion:</h2>
Sarnia: not just your average Canadian city!
<P>
For more informatin, please visit <A HREF="http://www.tourism-sarnia-lambton.com">www.tourism-sarnia-lambton.com</A>
<P>
<H2>The Basics and History of the Area</H2>
<P>
The biggest little city in the southwest is located about 70 miles west of London, Ontario and about 60 miles north northwest of Detroit Michigan, right were Lake Huron and the St. Clair River meet, in the county of Lambton. The population is 73,000 and is run by Mayor Mike Bradly, who has served office for almost 15 years.
<P>
Sarnia, in a nutshell, owes it's entire exsitance to oil. Long before the Barnes and the Ewings names found fame on TV's Dallas, those families farmed for oil in Lambton County. It was here the first commercial oil well in North America was dug. It was found in Oil Springs and Petrolia, Ontario (both 20-30 miles south of Sarnia), both of which are a fair distance inland from the bank of the river and the lake. So they built a road out of wood planks (because of the rather muddy landscape Lambton County has) leading up to Sarnia (known to residents as Plank Road) and the soon to be oil refinaries of the new city. Today, companies such as Bayer, Dow, Shell and Sinoco have all made homes in Chemical Valley. Soon, Sarnia's place in the industrial world will expand with the creation of a automotive assessories plant in the future.
<P>
<P>
<H2>Things to See and Do in Sarnia</H2>
<P>
It's become a issue amoung the teenage population of Sarnia: this is one boring city! That was, until 1999.
<P>
In 1999, the Sarnia City Council made a point to promote Sarnia more in terms of tourism - and have they done a great job so far! In one summer, Sarnia was transformed from a retirement communty to a jumping city!
<P>
Throughout the year, many festivals and celebrations take place. Here are some of the most important:
<P>
<H4>Winter (November-March)</H4>
<BLOCKQUOTE>
<u>Celebration of Lights</u> (Novemeber-January)<BR/> More than 160 displays light up Sarnia's waterfront!
<P>
<u>Sarnia Kinsman Santa Clause Parade</u> (December)<BR/> Annual parade of lights, marching bands, clowns & Santa! Largest evening parade in Southwestern Ontario with over 50,000 in attendance. "Parade of lights" with over 80 floats and bands.
<P>
<u>Christmas on the Farm</u> (December)<BR/> Old fashioned Christmas with Historical Society, crafts, caroling, hay rides, light display, etc. @ Animal Farm
<P>
<u>Snowfest</u> (January)<BR/> International snow carving competition where sculptors from around the world turn 8 ft. blocks of snow into wonderful pieces of art. There are many family activities such as sleigh rides, 3-man skis, kid sized igloos & refreshments.
</BLOCKQUOTE>
<P>
<P>
<h4>Spring (April-May)</H4>
<BLOCKQUOTE>
<u>Easter in the Park</u> (April)<BR/> Visit with the Easter Bunny! Main activity - Easter Egg Hunt! Egg, basket and bonnet decorating contests.
<P>
<u>Salmon and Trout Durby</u> (May)<BR/> Great for Fishers!
</BLOCKQUOTE>
<P>
<h4>Summer (June-Augest)</h4>
<BLOCKQUOTE>
<u>Canada Day Celebrations</u><BR/> June 30 - Centennial Park - displays and general entertainment. July 1 - Parade to Canatara, ethnic food booths, car displays, entertainment. Later in day entertainment and festivities swing over to Centennial Park, Fireworks at 10 P.M. One of the largest festivals in Canada.
<P>
<u>Air Show Sarnia</u> (July)<BR/> Vintage warbirds, vintage jets & modern military aircraft in both flying and static display, configurations, helicopter rides! Food and sanitation facilities on site. Flying display 1:30 P.M. daily.
<P>
<u>BayFest</u> (July)<BR/> Music event - suitable for ALL Ages - American and Canadian Acts! (Note from author: saw this last year: Fantastic!!)
<P>
<u>Mackinac Race</u> (July - in conjuntion w/Pt. Huron, Mi)<BR/> Annual Pt. Huron, Mi. to Mackinac Island Sailboat Race. 250-280 Sailboats expected.
<P>
<u>Ribfest</u> (July)<BR/> Rib Vendors competing for best ribs, etc. other vendors, children rides, entertainment, licensed area available.
<P>
<u>Antique and Classic Boat Show</u> (July)<BR/> The general public is invited to view and cast their ballot from the many wooden antique and classic boats in the water at the marina.
<P>
<u>Classic Car Show & Dance</u> (July)<BR/> View classic and antique cars displayed on the grounds of the Marina.
<P>
<u>Hobbyfest</u> (July)<BR/> Over 45 community groups converge on the Park to demonstrate and display their leisure interests. Event for the whole family to enjoy! Held in conjunction with Ribfest.
<P>
<u>Community Fun Days for Kids</u> (Augest)<BR/> Children's games, dunk tank, displays (i.e. Fire Dept.), hot dogs pop and prize for each child.
<P>
<u>Diverse Cities Sarnia/Pt. Huron Gay Pride</u> (Augest)<BR/> Sarnia and Port Huron's very own Gay Pride Parade. Not as bad as you would think!
<P>
<u>Sarnia Highland Games</u> (Augest)<BR/> Supreme Highland Games with highland dancing competitions; individual piping & drumming competitions; professional heavy events; competition; North American Haggis Hurling Championships. Celidh Tent.
<P>
<u>Sarnia Dragon Boat Festival</u> (Augest)<BR/> Dragon Boat racing is great fun for young and old at any level of fitness. Extremely high on the "Fun, Fitness & Friendship" scale it is visually spectacular with split second finishes. Our regional event attracts mixed teams from corp.'s, clubs, businesses & public service groups. Held in Sarnia Bay. Free to the Public.
<P>
</BLOCKQUOTE>
<H4>Fall (September-October)</H4>
Note to Readers: In this section, I am going to expand a little. Most of the next few events take place in the smaller villages and towns in Lambton County. Why mention them? Well, these events are some of the funnest in the region!
<P>
<BLOCKQUOTE>
<u>Labour Day Parade,</u> Sarnia (September, Labour Day Weekend)
<P>
<u>Art in the Park,</u> Bright's Grove (September)<BR/> There will be 100 artists and crafts people who will enter this show. There is a home baking & preserves booth and a food booth that serves hamburgers & hotdogs also drinks. This is a very well attended event & is FREE!
<P>
<u>The Bayer Championship,</u> Bright's Grove (September)<BR/>Canadian Professional Golf Tour. 156 of the top players on the tour to complete!
<P>
<u>Plympton-Wyoming Fall Fair,</u> Wyoming (September)<BR/> Annual Fall Fair
<P>
<u>Forest & District Fall Fair,</u> Forest (September)<BR/> Annual Fall Fair
<P>
<u>Brooke, Alvinston, Watford Fall Fair,</u> Alvinston (September)<BR/> Annual Fall Fair. One of oldest in area.
<P>
<u>Brigden Fair,</u> Brigden (October)<BR/> Local entertainment, crafts, quilts, flowers, fruits, display buildings, livestock shows, Hell Drivers Stunt Drivers, farm olympics with 4-H participation, Regional 4-H Shows and achievement and midway. Largest and most annicipated in area!
</BLOCKQUOTE>
<P>
<P>
<H3>Not Just Festivals and Fairs</H3>
Sarnia is quite the interesting place that includes many interesting points of interest and entertainment venues. Here are the most popular:
<P>
<BLOCKQUOTE>
<u>Bluewater Bridge</u><BR/> Located in Point Edward, a village in the northwest corner of Sarnia, these twin bridges link Port Huron, Michigan to Canada. It is one of the bussiest border-crossings in North America. On the Canadian side, you can take a breather by just lounging in the near by park or right under the bridge. Chip trucks are regulars during the spring, summer and fall.
<P>
<u>The Beaches</u><BR/>
The north coast of Lambton county is part of the longest streach of freshwater beaches in the world. And the nice part about them? Well, it get so hot here in the summer, that they provide one of the best cool-off facillities in the world! Tip: if you want the best beaches, drive up to Grand Bend! Remember Guys: it is legel for women to go topless on the beaches in Ontario...
<P>
<u>Sarnia Sports and Entertainment Center</u><BR/>
The SSEC is Sarnia's pride and joy! It is a world-class facillity that has attracted everybody from world-class figure skating shows to
international hockey games. It is the home of the Sarnia Sting of the Ontario Hockey League. Throughout the year, it has been host to many different concerts and celebrations. And if there is one thing everybody is really proud of: the SSEC is the location of were Sarnia got into the Guiness Book of World Records. Yes, Sarnia is the Kissing Capital of the world!
<BLOCKQUOTE>(From <A HREF="http://www.guinnessworldrecords.com">www.quinnessworldrecords.com"</A>)<BR/> "The Big Kiss", as the attempt at the world record was titled, was organized by Radio Sarnia Lambton of Ontario, Canada. Taking place on February 11, 2000, there was inevitably a Valentines Day theme running throughout, with vendors at the event selling flowers, chocolates and other gifts. There was also live music provided by the Montreal-based group See Spot Run, amongst others, and couples taking part entered a draw to win a trip for two to Montreal. Entrance to the event was free, but people were urged to bring food for the area’s local food banks, and in doing so managed to amass over two tonnes of donations. The 1,588 couples kissed for 10 seconds, breaking the city’s own previous record. Adelle Richards, Director of Community Relations for the radio station and coordinator of The Big Kiss, said, “I knew we could do it. There was a huge demand to make the Big Kiss an annual event. We did it last year, we did it again this year - and breaking the record proves we are the kissing capital of the world!”</BLOCKQUOTE>
<P>
<u>Musems and Historical Sites</u><BR/> Some of the musems that can be found in Sarnia and it's surrounding areas are:
<ul>
<li>Lambton Heritage Museum - features the human and natural history of Lambton. (Grand Bend)
<li>Arkona Lions Museum & Information Centre - In Rock Glen Conservation Area, find some of North America’s best Devonian fossils (Arkona)
<li>Forest Lambton Museum - A pioneer home setting with family heirlooms from North Lambton residents displayed in early Forest home. (Forest)
<li>Discovery House Museum - Set in a beautifully restored 1890 Victorian home, Discovery House contains a room-size model depicting the Sarnia waterfront in the 1920s complete with a model railroad plus a marine room reflecting Sarnia’s history as a major port on the Great Lakes and Lake Huron’s largest city. There are travelling displays from the renowned Royal Ontario Museum of Toronto and other museums, which are changed on a regular basis. (Sarnia)
<li>Lawrence House/Suncor Centre for Sarnia’s Heritage - (Sarnia)
<li>Moore Museum - Explore the past of a riverside township with glimpses of pioneer living, Great Lakes shipping, the Victorian era & more. (Mooretown)
<li>Petrolia Discovery - A 19th Century public oil field with 19 producing wells. (Petrolia)
<li>Oil Museum of Canada - uncover the stories behind some of the people that created the first oil boom(Oil Springs)
<li>Uncle Tom’s Cabin - Rev. Josiah Henson established a colony for escaping slaves and became popular as a main character in Harriet Beecher Stowe's novel Uncle Tom's Cabin. (Dresden)
<P>
</BLOCKQUOTE>
<h2>And So, In Conclusion:</h2>
Sarnia: not just your average Canadian city!
<P>
For more informatin, please visit <A HREF="http://www.tourism-sarnia-lambton.com">www.tourism-sarnia-lambton.com</A>
