Sarnia is like any city. People who live here and have never been to a big city think it’s horrible I’ve been to every capital in Canada and can say only one place matched my home and it was Burnaby BC. We are surrounded by beaches and clean water. Have the plants for high income jobs and it’s an amazing place to raise a family yes we got drug addicts and bums in tents in a park but it is not dangerous at all lol. Our crime is actually not high for a border city and if you average it. But unno some ppl hate it cause they ain’t ever left
I agree Sarnia is beautiful especially in the Summer. Winter can be boring as not alot to do but the weather is usually mild.
Only an hour to London or 1 hr over to Detroit.
This is pretty spot on and honest in my opinion. Moved here a year ago after living out west for the last 10 years. Biggest thing I miss is the camping - I find it much better out west (especially in the mountains). I also find that a lot of places aren't open too late, but it's not too bad - you just need to be mindful of what you need and what the time is.
I moved into Sarnia last month for a temporary stay until September, and here’s my impressions as someone who’s pretty new to the area.
Jobs: depending on your skills and background the chemical plants offers plenty of decent opportunities, unsure about anything beyond that.
Aesthetics: really nice town right by the water during the summer. Not staying till the winter but I’ve heard it gets slightly more depressing then.
Homelessness: south side of the city seems to have a higher homeless population and you’ll definitely see some tents littered across Rainbow Park. They seem to mostly keep to themselves and not much unprovoked danger to the usual passerby. This is a common issue across Ontario cities and I don’t think it’s any worse than, say, Toronto (where I usually live).
Food / shopping / entertainment: one thing I miss about Toronto is the wide variety of options when it comes to this stuff which Sarnia slightly lacks. But it’s close enough to the US and London so these things can be found as well.
Of course there is homelessness and crime (it's sort of everywhere right now..) but of all the places I've lived, I chose to come back to settle here for the water, the beaches, the trails, and the smaller-town communities (hobby-based groups are the best!) Opportunity depends on what you want to do -- I work in a pretty niche field and there's not many jobs for me here, but I can work remotely, from the States, or drive to London if I wanted more choices.
You're going to find it very similar to St. Catharines, if I can use that as a reference point. I've never lived there, but have friends there and visited there often when I lived in the GTA.
Both have iffy but OK downtowns and a suburban shopping area. Both have nice areas and somewhat iffy areas. I think Sarnia has fewer of the latter, but it's not hands down. Both are split by a highway.
Beaches here are phenomenal. Great park system. Easy to ride a bike anywhere. There's maybe 5 streets I won't ride on.
Homelessness is an issue, but I understand that to be an issue everywhere these days.
Detroit is close by for pro sports and entertainment, easier and closer than Toronto is to St.C.
Shopping harder than St.C just because it's more isolated here. You have the advantage of Hamilton and Toronto not far away. But Amazon delivers.
Less traffic here. Far, far, far less traffic.
Less entertainment options, because less population density. You're part of a 3-4 million megalopolis. This is 70k, next Canadian city is London, 500k, 60 minutes away.
I knew Sarnia well when I lived in the GTA. I knew St.C less well but it was a target to move to if I needed to.
I was going to write a long reply but as I don't live in Sarnia yet I'll let the locals answer. I will say, having lived in a number of different cities/rural areas in Ontario and the states, my wife and I are excited to move to Sarnia next year. I think a lot of the appeal depends on where you are in life.
I actually have a question for locals (sorry not trying to hijack the thread, op might be interested in the answer too), how often do yall grocery shop in Port Huron? I know grocery prices are up in the states but it still seems quite a bit cheaper, especially for larger shopping trips. Most of the people I know in Sarnia don't seem to go very often.
Re: port Huron groceries;
Not nearly as often as the before times (~10 year ago). Between the exchange rate and the price of gas you only come out a little ahead now, to the point where it's generally not worth going through customs for typical weekly items.
You can definitely find deals, and a variety greatly beyond our own that makes absolutely worth going over, but it isn't quite the lifehack it used to be for the weekly grocery run
That makes perfect sense. It seems like a good idea from afar but in practice it doesn't look like it's all that common. My wife is a dual citizen so it makes it a little easier, but the exchange rate kind of kills the idea. Thanks.
My sister bulk shops over there for certain things and finds she comes out ahead, but not incredibly so. You need to factor in the crossborder tools too, around 8 bucks CAD for the round trip.
I've lived here all my life and Sarnia is ok. Unless you want to work as a PSW or going in the plants, it's difficult to find a job here. To me, it's a great place for families and elderly people, not much room for the younger people. The waterfront is really nice. I don't like it here all that much but it's just my perspective.
If you like the beach and hate shoveling snow, you will love sarnia! As others have said, there's not much t9 do in terms of activities or shopping, but there's stunning beaches, a yacht club, bowling, axe throwing, a couple breweries, etc. The Refined Fool does a decent job of highlighting and running community events, like a cornhole league and a running club. It's easy to cross the border for target, hobby lobby, etc, and London is also only an hour away for Costco and "real" shopping lol. I moved away from sarnia last year and I miss it every day!
There is a lot of nice areas in Windsor Essex. I was born and raised in Sarnia, it’s changed a lot since I lived there. Glad I don’t live there now and have not since 1996. It’s not a really progressive city, no decent cycle lanes and the infrastructure seems to be lacking. Could be the result of a basically unchanged city hall politics. I still get to go there to visit family, but would not choose it to live there. I have lived in five other Canadian cities/towns so that’s what I base it on.
I am 33 years old and I love it. Small town community with nearby big-city amenities. There are a lot of high income jobs here in the trades and Chemical Valley, and the housing is still cheap (in comparison to other larger cities). We have the best of MANY worlds when you compare to other places in Canada. I'm not saying housing is cheap, but it is in comparison to other places in Canada.
Beautiful beach and waterfront. Small town vibe, people know you and people are pretty well-natured here. A lot of retirees and older people, and it is a great place to settle down and have a family OR retire. Not a huge night life, which leaves room for the EATING and COFFEE crowd which is kick-ass. We have many hidden gem restaurants, you just have to know where to eat.
If you are looking for somewhere even quieter--Bright's Grove, Forest, Watford, Wyoming, Petrolia. :)
We have the same crime, drugs, homelessness issues that any Canadian city has.
Born and raised in Sarnia and have lived in Toronto for 7 years. I love Toronto but I know I will hit a point when I’m ready to move back to Sarnia. It’s so ~quiet~. My partner lived in Toronto all his life and he loves Sarnia when we come to visit my family. I’d say it just depends where you are in life and what you prioritize. For now, I love the big city living and having plenty of restaurants and places to visit. But I look forward to the day where we move here and I have a yard and more than a one bedroom space to call my home
Seconded for other towns in Lambton. Petrolia, Bright’s Grove, Wyoming, and Corunna are all great options for smaller towns outside but still near to Sarnia
I’ve lived in both and they’re similar. In Niagara region you have more to do within a 20 minute drive. Aside from the travelling events like Rib Fest (just happened) Sarnia has basically given up any most events. We have a decent beach but Port Dalhousie is better from what I remember.
Jobs: I’d say comparable.
Homelessness/ crime- Sarnia is getting pretty bad. Our downtown is becoming a ghost town because it’s being overrun by homelessness and just nobody wants to be dealing with that while you’re trying to have a fun time. Because Sarnia is smaller than Niagara, there are fewer pockets and nothing really seems off limits.
Food/ shopping: Niagara is significantly better
Both are equally close to the border.
What’s making you want to move from Niagara to Sarnia? That will probably be you deciding factor
I wouldn't say Sarnia has given up on events. The pandemic changed things, but there's some new music events holding ground as they grow, plus the summer concert series every weeknight. First Friday is still trucking and worth a wander. The pop culture show is bigger than ever. Kids funfest is happening again in Canatara. Bunch of art show and sales as usual.
There's no bayfest or artwalk, but if you look out for smaller things, we have a lot going on.
Agree completely, moved to Sarnia in 1988 from St. Catharines, Sarnia in a great city to raise a family, great location for beach’s and river, lovely parks and generally friendly people, home prices are relatively affordable in comparison to Niagara, made a trip back to Niagara last year saw the home I grew up in was for sale, 3 bedroom bungalow built in the late 1950’s, looked up the listing it was for sale for $800, 000, kitchen and both bathrooms needed to be upgraded and to my amazement it still had an oil furnace. Sarnia is more isolated then Niagara, London 1 hr away, makes for a nice drive though. Shopping is better in Niagara, St, Catharines being larger offers more, the Falls, Welland, Fort Erie and even Hamilton are close for more options.
I’m certainly not running down Sarnia it’s home and we have no intention of moving it’s just that there are differences. Others have commented on crime and homelessness and they are correct but I’ve seen the same issues in Niagara as with other cities so I think it’s subjective.
My 2 cents.
Respectfully disagree on two points.....Sarnia has tons of events! Every week there is something going on l...more than I can handle this year with border fest, reverse, the first Fridays etc....so I 100% disagree there....also if you think 20 tents in Rainbow park is bad and our homeless is bad I say take a trip out of Lambton County. It is only " bad " at the park. Two or three tweekers at the library is not 'over run'
There is a drug and homeless issue akin to all big cities in Ontario currently.
Some pros though are the waterfront, summer events/festivals/concerts, low traffic, lots of sporting facilities nearby, border town, friendly locals, low snow fall in winter (we don’t get lake effect snow as much as 20 min north), snow removal is ok on side streets, shouldn’t need a snow blower.
Some cons are homeless encampment in public parks, drug issues, needles found in public, stuff is not safe on property (lock or hide away), city council don’t seem to be stable mentally, police are so so.
Stay more north and east and you will see less of the cons, downtown area and southwest of city is bad.
If you like a boring city with very little entertainment it's perfect. The same 10 bands play the same 12 cover songs at every bar every weekend. Other than the 2 main festivals, it's boring. That being said, boring is good. Pretty easy going city with your typical restaurants, serving the same food as every other restaurant. So if you're a food you'll need to leave the city to find food.
the crime and homelessness problem keeps getting so much worse. there were multiple murders on my street last year and the homelessness downtown and by rainbow park is getting insane. not to mention prices here. I'd stay away if you are able to. I'm moving out to Newfoundland to finally get away in 2 weeks and I'm thrilled
Andrew chute was murdered two years ago. the owner of cowboys and Indians was murdered semi recently, someone on kathleen was murdered with a hammer a few years back, and there were numerous other murders in the past 3 or 4 years too
Sorry I'm wrong you are right it was Andrew. Not sure why I thought it was Dylan. I'm really sorry he was your friend he was very young and that's awful what happened to him.
Sarnia is like any city. People who live here and have never been to a big city think it’s horrible I’ve been to every capital in Canada and can say only one place matched my home and it was Burnaby BC. We are surrounded by beaches and clean water. Have the plants for high income jobs and it’s an amazing place to raise a family yes we got drug addicts and bums in tents in a park but it is not dangerous at all lol. Our crime is actually not high for a border city and if you average it. But unno some ppl hate it cause they ain’t ever left
I agree Sarnia is beautiful especially in the Summer. Winter can be boring as not alot to do but the weather is usually mild. Only an hour to London or 1 hr over to Detroit.
Yes that’s a fact but I mean that’s when we all plan a trip south for a week and it’s all gone after aha
This is pretty spot on and honest in my opinion. Moved here a year ago after living out west for the last 10 years. Biggest thing I miss is the camping - I find it much better out west (especially in the mountains). I also find that a lot of places aren't open too late, but it's not too bad - you just need to be mindful of what you need and what the time is.
I moved into Sarnia last month for a temporary stay until September, and here’s my impressions as someone who’s pretty new to the area. Jobs: depending on your skills and background the chemical plants offers plenty of decent opportunities, unsure about anything beyond that. Aesthetics: really nice town right by the water during the summer. Not staying till the winter but I’ve heard it gets slightly more depressing then. Homelessness: south side of the city seems to have a higher homeless population and you’ll definitely see some tents littered across Rainbow Park. They seem to mostly keep to themselves and not much unprovoked danger to the usual passerby. This is a common issue across Ontario cities and I don’t think it’s any worse than, say, Toronto (where I usually live). Food / shopping / entertainment: one thing I miss about Toronto is the wide variety of options when it comes to this stuff which Sarnia slightly lacks. But it’s close enough to the US and London so these things can be found as well.
Of course there is homelessness and crime (it's sort of everywhere right now..) but of all the places I've lived, I chose to come back to settle here for the water, the beaches, the trails, and the smaller-town communities (hobby-based groups are the best!) Opportunity depends on what you want to do -- I work in a pretty niche field and there's not many jobs for me here, but I can work remotely, from the States, or drive to London if I wanted more choices.
If you like small buissnesses and the sound of sirens you will love Sarnia
You're going to find it very similar to St. Catharines, if I can use that as a reference point. I've never lived there, but have friends there and visited there often when I lived in the GTA. Both have iffy but OK downtowns and a suburban shopping area. Both have nice areas and somewhat iffy areas. I think Sarnia has fewer of the latter, but it's not hands down. Both are split by a highway. Beaches here are phenomenal. Great park system. Easy to ride a bike anywhere. There's maybe 5 streets I won't ride on. Homelessness is an issue, but I understand that to be an issue everywhere these days. Detroit is close by for pro sports and entertainment, easier and closer than Toronto is to St.C. Shopping harder than St.C just because it's more isolated here. You have the advantage of Hamilton and Toronto not far away. But Amazon delivers. Less traffic here. Far, far, far less traffic. Less entertainment options, because less population density. You're part of a 3-4 million megalopolis. This is 70k, next Canadian city is London, 500k, 60 minutes away. I knew Sarnia well when I lived in the GTA. I knew St.C less well but it was a target to move to if I needed to.
I was going to write a long reply but as I don't live in Sarnia yet I'll let the locals answer. I will say, having lived in a number of different cities/rural areas in Ontario and the states, my wife and I are excited to move to Sarnia next year. I think a lot of the appeal depends on where you are in life. I actually have a question for locals (sorry not trying to hijack the thread, op might be interested in the answer too), how often do yall grocery shop in Port Huron? I know grocery prices are up in the states but it still seems quite a bit cheaper, especially for larger shopping trips. Most of the people I know in Sarnia don't seem to go very often.
Re: port Huron groceries; Not nearly as often as the before times (~10 year ago). Between the exchange rate and the price of gas you only come out a little ahead now, to the point where it's generally not worth going through customs for typical weekly items. You can definitely find deals, and a variety greatly beyond our own that makes absolutely worth going over, but it isn't quite the lifehack it used to be for the weekly grocery run
That makes perfect sense. It seems like a good idea from afar but in practice it doesn't look like it's all that common. My wife is a dual citizen so it makes it a little easier, but the exchange rate kind of kills the idea. Thanks.
My sister bulk shops over there for certain things and finds she comes out ahead, but not incredibly so. You need to factor in the crossborder tools too, around 8 bucks CAD for the round trip.
Some areas of town are certainly worse than others. Just make sure you keep your car doors and bikes locked up 🤷♀️
I've lived here all my life and Sarnia is ok. Unless you want to work as a PSW or going in the plants, it's difficult to find a job here. To me, it's a great place for families and elderly people, not much room for the younger people. The waterfront is really nice. I don't like it here all that much but it's just my perspective.
If you like the beach and hate shoveling snow, you will love sarnia! As others have said, there's not much t9 do in terms of activities or shopping, but there's stunning beaches, a yacht club, bowling, axe throwing, a couple breweries, etc. The Refined Fool does a decent job of highlighting and running community events, like a cornhole league and a running club. It's easy to cross the border for target, hobby lobby, etc, and London is also only an hour away for Costco and "real" shopping lol. I moved away from sarnia last year and I miss it every day!
There is a lot of nice areas in Windsor Essex. I was born and raised in Sarnia, it’s changed a lot since I lived there. Glad I don’t live there now and have not since 1996. It’s not a really progressive city, no decent cycle lanes and the infrastructure seems to be lacking. Could be the result of a basically unchanged city hall politics. I still get to go there to visit family, but would not choose it to live there. I have lived in five other Canadian cities/towns so that’s what I base it on.
I am 33 years old and I love it. Small town community with nearby big-city amenities. There are a lot of high income jobs here in the trades and Chemical Valley, and the housing is still cheap (in comparison to other larger cities). We have the best of MANY worlds when you compare to other places in Canada. I'm not saying housing is cheap, but it is in comparison to other places in Canada. Beautiful beach and waterfront. Small town vibe, people know you and people are pretty well-natured here. A lot of retirees and older people, and it is a great place to settle down and have a family OR retire. Not a huge night life, which leaves room for the EATING and COFFEE crowd which is kick-ass. We have many hidden gem restaurants, you just have to know where to eat. If you are looking for somewhere even quieter--Bright's Grove, Forest, Watford, Wyoming, Petrolia. :) We have the same crime, drugs, homelessness issues that any Canadian city has.
Born and raised in Sarnia and have lived in Toronto for 7 years. I love Toronto but I know I will hit a point when I’m ready to move back to Sarnia. It’s so ~quiet~. My partner lived in Toronto all his life and he loves Sarnia when we come to visit my family. I’d say it just depends where you are in life and what you prioritize. For now, I love the big city living and having plenty of restaurants and places to visit. But I look forward to the day where we move here and I have a yard and more than a one bedroom space to call my home
Look outside Sarnia. Lots of small towns with all the amenities.. .
Seconded for other towns in Lambton. Petrolia, Bright’s Grove, Wyoming, and Corunna are all great options for smaller towns outside but still near to Sarnia
I’ve lived in both and they’re similar. In Niagara region you have more to do within a 20 minute drive. Aside from the travelling events like Rib Fest (just happened) Sarnia has basically given up any most events. We have a decent beach but Port Dalhousie is better from what I remember. Jobs: I’d say comparable. Homelessness/ crime- Sarnia is getting pretty bad. Our downtown is becoming a ghost town because it’s being overrun by homelessness and just nobody wants to be dealing with that while you’re trying to have a fun time. Because Sarnia is smaller than Niagara, there are fewer pockets and nothing really seems off limits. Food/ shopping: Niagara is significantly better Both are equally close to the border. What’s making you want to move from Niagara to Sarnia? That will probably be you deciding factor
I wouldn't say Sarnia has given up on events. The pandemic changed things, but there's some new music events holding ground as they grow, plus the summer concert series every weeknight. First Friday is still trucking and worth a wander. The pop culture show is bigger than ever. Kids funfest is happening again in Canatara. Bunch of art show and sales as usual. There's no bayfest or artwalk, but if you look out for smaller things, we have a lot going on.
Agree completely, moved to Sarnia in 1988 from St. Catharines, Sarnia in a great city to raise a family, great location for beach’s and river, lovely parks and generally friendly people, home prices are relatively affordable in comparison to Niagara, made a trip back to Niagara last year saw the home I grew up in was for sale, 3 bedroom bungalow built in the late 1950’s, looked up the listing it was for sale for $800, 000, kitchen and both bathrooms needed to be upgraded and to my amazement it still had an oil furnace. Sarnia is more isolated then Niagara, London 1 hr away, makes for a nice drive though. Shopping is better in Niagara, St, Catharines being larger offers more, the Falls, Welland, Fort Erie and even Hamilton are close for more options. I’m certainly not running down Sarnia it’s home and we have no intention of moving it’s just that there are differences. Others have commented on crime and homelessness and they are correct but I’ve seen the same issues in Niagara as with other cities so I think it’s subjective. My 2 cents.
Respectfully disagree on two points.....Sarnia has tons of events! Every week there is something going on l...more than I can handle this year with border fest, reverse, the first Fridays etc....so I 100% disagree there....also if you think 20 tents in Rainbow park is bad and our homeless is bad I say take a trip out of Lambton County. It is only " bad " at the park. Two or three tweekers at the library is not 'over run'
There is a drug and homeless issue akin to all big cities in Ontario currently. Some pros though are the waterfront, summer events/festivals/concerts, low traffic, lots of sporting facilities nearby, border town, friendly locals, low snow fall in winter (we don’t get lake effect snow as much as 20 min north), snow removal is ok on side streets, shouldn’t need a snow blower. Some cons are homeless encampment in public parks, drug issues, needles found in public, stuff is not safe on property (lock or hide away), city council don’t seem to be stable mentally, police are so so. Stay more north and east and you will see less of the cons, downtown area and southwest of city is bad.
If you like a boring city with very little entertainment it's perfect. The same 10 bands play the same 12 cover songs at every bar every weekend. Other than the 2 main festivals, it's boring. That being said, boring is good. Pretty easy going city with your typical restaurants, serving the same food as every other restaurant. So if you're a food you'll need to leave the city to find food.
the crime and homelessness problem keeps getting so much worse. there were multiple murders on my street last year and the homelessness downtown and by rainbow park is getting insane. not to mention prices here. I'd stay away if you are able to. I'm moving out to Newfoundland to finally get away in 2 weeks and I'm thrilled
wow, thats' especially crazy that muptiple murders happened on just your street, since I dont thin there were any murders in Sarnia in 2023.
i messed the year up. I live on kathleen lol. everyone knows it's a rough street
Andrew chute was murdered two years ago. the owner of cowboys and Indians was murdered semi recently, someone on kathleen was murdered with a hammer a few years back, and there were numerous other murders in the past 3 or 4 years too
It was Dylan chute and he was murdered in petrolia.
it was Andrew lol I knew him. Petrolia is pretty much sarnia anyway
Sorry I'm wrong you are right it was Andrew. Not sure why I thought it was Dylan. I'm really sorry he was your friend he was very young and that's awful what happened to him.