Sarnia residents have a chance to help shape a new plan that would offer financial incentives to businesses across the city. Sarnia City Council is holding a public meeting on Monday, June 22, 2026, to hear feedback on the proposed Economic Development Community Improvement Plan (EDCIP).
The meeting starts at 1 p.m. in Council Chambers at Sarnia City Hall, 255 Christina Street North. People can attend in person or online, but those wanting to speak must register ahead of time.
The draft EDCIP is a city-wide program aimed at strengthening the local economy by keeping businesses here, attracting new industrial companies, and boosting tourism. It was developed by Monteith Brown Planning Consultants at a cost of $63,000, following a recommendation in the city’s 2025 Economic Development Master Plan.
That master plan was adopted by council on June 16, 2025, as a 10-year strategy. One of its key suggestions was creating this plan to close a competitive gap: Sarnia-Lambton has not offered the industrial incentives—like tax breaks or grants—that other communities use to draw investment.
The EDCIP is meant to change that. Unlike the city’s existing improvement plans that focus on downtown and Mitton Village or affordable housing, this new plan would apply anywhere in Sarnia.
Anyone who wants to submit written comments must get them in by noon on Friday, June 19, 2026. Under Ontario’s Planning Act, people who do not speak at the meeting or send written comments before the plan is adopted lose their right to appeal the decision to the Ontario Land Tribunal.
The draft plan is available on the city’s Speak Up Sarnia website. Kelly Provost, the city’s director of economic development, is the staff lead on the project.
