Sarnia
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This article describes the city in Canada. Sarnia was also the name of the Romans for the Channel Island of Guernsey.
Sarnia is a city in Canada in the southwestern part of the state of Ontario on the border with the United States. It has a population of 71,594 as of 2016. Its population in 2011 was 72,366. It is the largest city on the shore of Lake Huron in Lambton County. Sarnia is located on the eastern shore of the St. Clair River between Lake Huron and Lake Erie, immediately at the outlet of Lake Huron into the St. Clair River. Across the river is Port Huron, Michigan, USA. The town's natural harbor appealed to the French explorer La Salle when he first visited it on April 23, 1679. Because of the river and lakes that form a knot there, he had some difficulty navigating his ship Le Griffon. This was the first time anything other than a canoe or other oar-powered vessel had ventured onto Lake Huron, and so his journey germinated in him a desire to advance commercial navigation on the Great Lakes.
History
In the early 1830s, early settlers established a place called "The Rapids" in the area. In 1836, the place name was changed to Port Sarnia. In 1856, the town was granted municipal status; in 1914, the official name was changed to the City of Sarnia.
In 1991, the two towns of Sarnia and nearby Clearwater were merged to form the City of Sarnia-Clearwater. On January 1, 1992, the name of the merged city was again changed to City of Sarnia.
Location and climate
Sarnia is located on the eastern shore of Lake Huron at its southernmost point, which empties into the St. Clair River. The surrounding area is relatively flat, ranging from 169 to 281 metres above sea level. The city is not part of the Canadian Shield. The city is located approximately 290 kilometres west of Toronto and approximately 106 kilometres north of Detroit. Across the river is the US city of Port Huron.
The city has a warm climate due to its southern location. Average temperatures are -1 and 11 degrees Celsius between January and April, 18 to 26 degrees Celsius between May and July, 14 to 25 degrees Celsius between August and October, and between 1.1 and 7.6 degrees Celsius at the end of the year. As a rule, summers are hot and dry. Thus, it is not uncommon for temperatures to reach well over 30 degrees during the summer months.
