The City of Sarnia currently offers the following support programs for Sarnia businesses and investors.
The Neighbourhood Revitalization Project (NRP) kicked off in the fall of 2023 and runs until summer 2025. It aims to enhance the areas of Downtown and Mitton Village by identifying opportunities for improvements to public space, marketing and promoting the areas, and providing business development services.
The City of Sarnia's Downtown and Mitton Village Community Improvement Plan focuses on improving public spaces and private properties in Downtown Sarnia and Mitton Village. There are currently four financial incentive programs that are accepting applications for projects that support redevelopment and improvements to private properties in these areas. For more information on these incentive programs and how to apply, visit https://www.sarnia.ca/community-improvement-plan/. To see what properties are eligible, please consult the CIP Designated Areas Map.
The Affordable Housing Community Improvement Plan was approved by Sarnia City Council in February 2024. It supports the development of affordable housing units within the city's geographic limits. There are currently seven different incentive programs available:
For more information and to learn what constitutes as "affordable housing", please visit the CIP program webpage.
This program applies to all lands located in the Community Improvement Plan Designated Areas. The City will provide up to a 50% reduction of planning application and building permit costs until December 31, 2026.
The My Main Street Local Business Accelerator Program focused on revitalization of Sarnia's Downtown and Mitton Village areas by utilizing market research and deep data analysis to to help identify growth and expansion opportunities for new and existing businesses. Under this program, 10 businesses received up to $10,000 to support starting or expanding their business based on customized market research. For more information, visit the project page or the My Main Street website. This program is closed and no longer accepting participants.
