Sarnia, Industrial port city in Southwestern Ontario, Canada
Sarnia is a city in southwestern Ontario that stretches along the shore of Lake Huron and the St. Clair River, where several oil refineries and chemical plants operate. The city forms a continuous urban area with Port Huron on the opposite side of the river in Michigan, connected by the Blue Water Bridge.
La Salle arrived here in 1679 and described the rapids in the river, while the first permanent settlement did not begin until after 1807. The oil discoveries in the 1850s near Petrolia transformed the area into an oil industry center and led to the construction of several refineries.
The first theatre in the region was built here in the mid-1800s and drew touring companies from across the United States. Canatara Park, with its long sandy beach and old-growth Carolinian forest, remains a favorite gathering place where families swim and picnic on warm summer days.
The waterfront boardwalk and bike trails run for several kilometers along the river and offer views of ship traffic. Most attractions are concentrated on the northern part of the city near the waterfront, while the industrial facilities sit farther south.
The chemical plants along the riverfront are visible from the Michigan side at night and glow like a small skyline. An underground salt deposit beneath the city has supplied raw materials to the chemical industry for over a century.
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