Sarnia

[flar]

These were taken sometime last fall. The Bluewater Bridge is technically in Point Edward, which has somehow managed to avoid amalgamation with Sarnia (good for them!). Downtown Sarnia has been small and weak for as long as I can remember even though Sarnia overall is doing okay. The downtown Eaton's mall used to be decent but it's been dead for a while now. There are some nice areas of Sarnia like Canatara Park and Lakeshore Rd. along Lake Huron (not pictured, imagine big lakefront homes). The last couple photos show a glimpse of the Chemical Valley that stretches south of Sarnia along the St. Clair River. It was on the old ten dollar bills.

 

[ShonTron]

I was in Sarnia Sunday, and drove up the St. Clair Parkway. So cool driving through chemical alley (maybe I'll piggyback on this thread to post some pics).

The downtown isn't doing that great (damned bust Eaton Centre/Bayside, Lambton Mall and big-boxes out at 40 and 402), but it's still better than Cornwall, and at least the economy is doing much better than most in far west Ontario.

I also don't quite understand how a tiny village like Point Edward remained separate while Harris forcefully joined towns left right and centre, even in Tory strongholds like Grey/Bruce and Victoria County. (Others that should have made more sense, like amalgamating LaSalle, Tecumseh, etc with Windsor; or Sarina and Point Edward were spared).

 

[flar]

^^By all means, post your pics. The Chemical Valley is fascinating, I visit the Sarnia area frequently but hardly ever take pictures. Incidentally, I drank water drawn downstream of the Chemical Valley for 17 years.

 

[Lone Primate]

I don't think I've ever been to Sarnia. The bridges are gorgeous; very graceful. I like that odd-shaped building, too; the vaguely elliptical highrise.

 

[JasonParis]

Nice shots! Thanks for sharing a city I've yet to get to.

BTW, this building...

...reminds me a bit of this one....

...in Ottawa.

 

[Ronald]

Thanks for the pictures. Loved to see Sarnia, I've never seen anything of it before. A longtime friend of our family has lived there for some 15 years. He moved back to Holland (to The Hague) in the 80s due to personal circumstances. He still misses Sarnia (and Canada overall) a lot, he really liked it there.

 

[Long Island Mike]

Sarnia,Ontario

Flar: Good Sarnia pics! I have been on both sides of the river on different trips myself-riding VIA rail there in 1985 and in Port Huron in 1995-but I have never crossed the Blue Water bridge. LI MIKE

 

[migtree]

A few years back, when Syriana and The Chronicles of Narnia were playing in theatres, a bootlegger on Yonge street got confused, and offered to sell me "The Chronicles of Sarnia".

 

[flar]

I guess these are the chronicles of Sarnia

Thanks for looking

 

[TKTKTK]

A few years back, when Syriana and The Chronicles of Narnia were playing in theatres, a bootlegger on Yonge street got confused, and offered to sell me "The Chronicles of Sarnia".

Something of a related sidenote:

Final Fantasy (Owen Pallet) has a song called "The Chronicles of Sarnia"

 

[Karalia]

Wow! nice pictures..

 

[Millstone]

I was in Sarnia Sunday, and drove up the St. Clair Parkway. So cool driving through chemical alley (maybe I'll piggyback on this thread to post some pics).

St. Clair Pkwy was the original Hwy 40 alignment all the way to Chatham. It entered Sarnia via Vidal St and continued up Christina St. Hwy 40 was later realigned off the lakeshore and southeast of the city to Modeland Rd when the 402 was completed to London. The More You Knowâ„¢