Business Attraction & Red Tape

Business Attraction & Red Tape

Sarnia needs to attract business to our city. Presently, the City pays to be part of the Sarnia Lambton Economic Partnership. SLEP looks for opportunities and businesses to invest in Sarnia. The County of Lambton provides 1.5 million dollars annually in core funding to SLEP. Sarnia taxpayers cover a substantial portion of this amount as Sarnia makes up the largest municipal tax base in the county.

I believe the first thing we need to do is ask SLEP to come and talk to our new council. Sarnia needs to find out what we can do to help SLEP succeed in attracting business.

I know for a fact that Strathroy has attracted manufacturers to their sites, just off 402. Strathroy has invested in fully serviced industrial greenfield sites. When someone comes to talk to them about building there, Strathroy is ready for them to move in. Strathroy has the advantage of two 400 series highways close by, and they are only 30 minutes from London; but I think having sites ready to sell or rent has given them a huge advantage.

Sarnia should have some vision to get spaces ready to go, instead of saying we will build and service after the fact. I feel that this would be a good investment. Once one is sold, then move to a second, then a third.

Another resource we have is the Sarnia Lambton Industrial Alliance. The city should ask this group's members for advice on how to augment their products and businesses here in Sarnia. These existing companies, I am sure, have ideas about how we, as a city, could use their downstream products to attract business to our city.

The bottom line is that I think we need to lean on, work with, and support the existing resources we have to move us forward immediately.

Yes, there are many other ideas and ways to attract businesses; however, we are already paying a county-funded organization to work for us. Let’s do this first.

The other issue is the red tape and obstacles that the City has for setting up a business.

A recent example is the BACE sports complex, which illustrates this problem. This not-for-profit organization approached council with a proposal to build a world-class sports facility. A 2022 City study had already identified the need for such a facility and estimated the cost at more than $25 million, likely to exceed $30 million today. The BACE initially asked for $10 million but later reduced the ask to $7 million. Council voted in a majority to give them this money, as involving this outside organization would probably save the city $20 million in initial costs and save significant money in ongoing costs and maintenance. Also, having this sports complex will attract a lot of money to Sarnia on an ongoing basis through sport tourism!

I have been at recent council meetings where city council has said to go back to staff, and then staff says to go back to council. It really seems that even after council voted to give the go-ahead, someone is trying to delay this project. I hope to help strong projects such as this one, which align with the city's strategic plan, move ahead. This project ultimately saves the taxpayers' money compared to if the city embarked on the project themselves, which the 2022 feasibility study indicated they needed to do. In the meantime, do we risk groups like this giving up and walking away?!"

Once Council approves a project, there should be a clear, speedy path for it to get underway. Professional staff should not have to bring an agreement back to Council. Doing so only constitutes delay!