On the border with Michigan and just two hours away from Toronto and Detroit, Sarnia has all the right logistical conditions as a hub for oil and natural gas production. Large energy sector facilities from companies like Imperial Oil, Lafarge, and Suncor dominate the landscape of the south side of Sarnia. Huge oil tanks in front of steaming smokestacks power the economy of the city.

Some of Sarnia’s infrastructure is by the oil and gas facilities as a network of freight rail that crosses the border through a tunnel, but most of it is by Point Edward in the form of road and river facilities. Sarnia Harbor has huge storage tanks to load and unload energy to and from ships that traverse the Great Lakes while Blue Water Bridge connects road traffic.

Downtown, Sarnia has an art gallery and a natural history museum with dinosaur bones. I guess there are so many dinosaur bones that even small cities like Sarnia get their fair share of the fossils. Centennial Park just north of downtown Sarnia features three manmade hills that are perfect for sledding. No pesky rules like those in Ottawa, just don’t hit a tree.

Lake Huron