Sarnia is a city in Southwestern Ontario, Canada (city population 71,419, census area population 88,793, in 2006). It is the largest city on Lake Huron and is located where the three upper Great Lakes empty into the St. Clair River.
The city's natural harbour first attracted the French explorer La Salle, who named the site "The Rapids". The name "Sarnia" was the Latin name for Guernsey in the Channel Islands just off the coast of Normandy, France. The Sarnia port is still an important centre for lake freighters and "salties" carrying cargos of grain and petroleum products. It is the largest community in Lambton County.
The aforementioned natural port and the salt caverns that exist in the surrounding areas, coupled with the oil discovered in nearby Oil Springs lead to the massive growth of the petroleum industry in this area. Since Oil Springs was the first place in North America to commercially drill for oil, the knowledge that was acquired there and strengthened in Sarnia led to Sarnians traveling the world teaching other nations how to drill for oil. What is now known as the Chemical Valley, located down river of Sarnia proper, once adorned the back of the Canadian ten dollar bill.
Sarnia was once the kissing capital of the world, but the Chilean capital, Santiago ousted Sarnia in 2003. On February 14, 2004, the Filipino capital of Manila claimed the title and is now the official kissing capital of the world.
Since 1938, Sarnia has been the Canadian side of one of busiest U.S.–Canada border crossings. The Blue Water Bridge (also known as the "Sarnia Bridge") links Sarnia's neighbouring village Point Edward to the city of Port Huron, Michigan.
