He named the site "The Rapids" on 23 August 1679, when he had horses and men pull his 45-ton barque Le Griffon north against the nearly four-knot current[5] of the St. Clair River.

[8] Located in the natural harbour, the Sarnia port remains an important centre for lake freighters and oceangoing ships carrying cargoes of grain and petroleum products.

[21][22] 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.

[23][24] 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.

[39] During the Cold War, the United States Government included Sarnia on its list of possible targets for a Soviet nuclear strike because of its petrochemical industry.

[41] An April 2010 report "Sarnia-Lambton's Labour Market" states: "Large petrochemical companies are the community's main economic drivers.

Over the recent past, several plants have shut down,[sic] and of those still in operation, increased automation and outsourcing has led to significantly fewer workers.

"[42] These shutdowns and the resulting loss of jobs, and therefore of population as workers search for employment elsewhere, will contribute to a general decline as forecast by an August 2011 study.

[43] The Monteith-Brown study cited outlines a plan for restructuring the city based on hybrid zoning areas, which will bring work opportunities closer to the neighbourhoods where people live.

[46] The Toronto Sun reported that the increased murder rate was drug-related, with local youth unable to find opportunities for themselves in the city.

[51] 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.

[55] Conversely, cooler average daytime temperatures tend to prevail for longer after winter breaks, through the late Spring and early Summer as compared to further inland.

[85] Large salt beds found under the city became a source of chlorine and other significant ingredients which contributed to the success of Chemical Valley.

[87] Dow Chemical ceased operations at its Sarnia site in 2009, with the plants after that decommissioned and the land sold to neighbouring TransAlta Energy Corporation.

Dow returned to Sarnia in 2019, when it took ownership of a former Dupont production site on Albert Street in Corunna that modifies polyethylene and polypropylene.

The Canada Wide Daily Standard for airborne particulate matter and ozone pollution, regulation PM2.5, is 30 micrograms per cubic metre.

As of September 2010[update], the plant was the largest photovoltaic (PV) solar power generation facility in the world, putting out 97 MW.

[104] PlantForm Corporation, a Canadian biotech startup company producing ultra-low-cost therapeutic antibody drugs, opened an office at the Western University Research Park in 2011.

[112] Canadian composer and music educator Raymond Murray Schafer was born in Sarnia and developed his radical schizophonia techniques there.

Musicians and groups such as Aerosmith, KISS, Keith Urban, Jon Bon Jovi and Rascal Flatts have played at the event.

The event was created in 1984 by Wills Rawana and a committee funded by the retail chain Hudson's Bay, and the national telecommunications company Telus.

[123] From modest beginnings, the event has garnered numerous awards as it has grown, including second place in the 2002 Canadian Government's Canada WinterLights competition.

[125] As a memorial to Canadian aviators who died in World War II, one of the remaining Canadair Sabres in Canada is on display in the park.

The Great Lakes Waterfront Trail connects 114 communities and hundreds of parks and natural areas, including wetlands, forests, and beaches.

[137] The city's sandy freshwater beaches are a popular tourist attraction, while the sheltered harbour houses marinas for recreational sailing.

[139] Realizing the popularity of Sarnia's chip trucks, the Ontario Medical Association includes them in a campaign to have fries and other junk food labelled for being dangerous in the same manner as cigarettes.

[141] Former Sting player Steven Stamkos was selected first overall in the 2008 NHL Entry Draft by the Tampa Bay Lightning, and was followed by Nail Yakupov in 2012.

The team is the successor to the Sarnia Legionnaires (1954–1970), who won five Western Jr. 'B' championships and four Sutherland Cups during 16 seasons in the Ontario Hockey Association.

[153][154][155][156] The Blue Water Bridge links Sarnia and its neighbouring village of Point Edward to the city of Port Huron in the United States.

[175] The community publications Sarnia This Week, Lambton County Smart Shopper and Business Trends are owned by Bowes Publishing.