Sarnia

History

The word "Sarnia" is Latin for Guernsey, a British Channel Island. In 1829 Sir John Colborne, a former governor of Guernsey, was appointed Lieutenant Governor of Upper Canada. In this capacity, he visited two small settlements in 1835 that had been laid out on the shores of Lake Huron. One of these, named "The Rapids", consisted then of 44 taxpayers, nine frame houses, four log houses, two brick dwellings, two taverns and three stores. The villagers wanted to change its name but were unable to agree on an alternative. The English settlers favoured the name "Buenos Aires", and the ethnic Scottish favoured "New Glasgow". Sir John Colborne suggested Port Sarnia. On 4 January 1836, the name was formally adopted by a vote of 26 to 16, and Colborne also named the nearby village Moore after British military hero Sir John Moore. Sarnia adopted the nickname "The Imperial City" on 7 May 1914 because of the visit of Canada's Governor General, the Duke of Connaught, and his daughter Princess Patricia. Ethnic French colonists, who came from Detroit, were the first European colonizers of what became Sarnia in about 1807–1810; their role is marked by a historic plaque installed by the Ontario Heritage Society. They were fur traders with the Huron and Three Fires Confederacy. At this time, the French Jesuits also established a mission near the Huron village on the river's east bank. Later, the men established farms, attracted other settlers, and stimulated growth in the area. The township was surveyed in 1829, and in the early 1830s, a wave of Scottish immigrants settled in the area. They became dominant as English speakers and, for decades, claimed to have founded the city. Port Sarnia expanded throughout the 19th century; on 19 June 1856, Parliament passed An Act to Incorporate…

Geography

Sarnia is located on the eastern shore of Lake Huron at its extreme southern point, where it flows into the St. Clair River. Most of the surrounding area is flat, and the elevation ranges from above sea level. The soil mainly comprises clay. Despite this high percentage of clay, the soil is remarkably rich for cultivation. Wiltshire Park, Woodland, Oak Acres, Wees Beach, Oakwood Corners, Woodrow Shores, and Blackwell are part of the North End of Sarnia, which begins immediately north of Ontario Highway 402 and terminates at the shore of Lake Huron. Blackwell, Bright's Grove, and the western part of Huron Heights are in the northeast part along the shores of Lake Huron. Coronation Park, Fourth Line Heritage Park, College Park, Lucasville, Bunyan, Froomfield, The Tree Streets, Mitton Village, and Sherwood Village are some of the neighbourhoods south of the highway. The village of Blue Water was built to house workers and their families in Chemical Valley during the construction of Polymer Corporation; at one point, it had nearly 3,000 residents. In 1961, all the residents were relocated, mostly to the North End, to make way for the expansion of the chemical industry. The village was demolished, and all that remains is a historical marker at the corner of Vidal Street and Huron Boulevard. This neighbourhood was largely forgotten until historian Lorraine Williams wrote two books about it. She was instrumental in gaining approval for the historical plaque. Sarnia has a humid continental climate (Köppen climate classification Dfb), verging on the hot summer subtype Dfa. Winters are cold with a few short-lasting Arctic air masses that dip far enough south and bring with them daily high temperatures below . Conversely, cooler average daytime temperatures tend to prevail…

Most-observed species

• Northern Cardinal

  Cardinalis cardinalis (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  13,227
• Canada Goose (canadensis Group)

  Branta canadensis (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  12,802
• American Crow

  Corvus brachyrhynchos C.L.Brehm, 1822 · Aves
  12,416
• Blue Jay

  Cyanocitta cristata (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  12,350
• Mourning Dove

  Zenaida macroura (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  12,111
• American Robin

  Turdus migratorius Linnaeus, 1766 · Aves
  11,483
• American Goldfinch

  Spinus tristis (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  9,929
• Black-capped Chickadee

  Poecile atricapillus (Linnaeus, 1766) · Aves
  9,845

Most recent

• M 2.5 — 2022-05-23
  2 km NNW of Corunna, Canada
• M 2.6 — 2017-05-14
  18 km ENE of Leamington, Canada
• M 3 — 2011-02-23
  18 km NE of Leamington, Canada