Ontario Construction News staff writer
The City of Sarnia’s 2026 budget has been adopted, balancing affordability with the need to support infrastructure projects.
Inflation-driven cost increases continue to place pressure on operating costs, alongside the need to invest in the renewal of critical infrastructure that enables travel, water/waste-water delivery and recreation.
The $196.4 million operating budget includes a 4.21 per cent increase to tax-supported operating expenses.
Councillors say they prioritized mitigating increases to property tax by limiting some capital expenditures, including a proposed $91.1 million new station for the Sarnia Police Service, while at the same time reducing transfers to reserves.
While some capital projects have been deferred, the budget will continue an infrastructure renewal strategy. Over the previous five years more than $262 million was allocated for capital projects, a 34 per cent increase in capital spending, including record setting road resurfacing, shoreline protection, flood mitigation, recreation facility renewal, a new fire station, combined sewer separation, harbour facilities, transit terminal improvements and more.
The 2026 budget includes $65.5 million for infrastructure renewal and improvements, including:
$3.6 million for recreation spaces and facilities
- $4.1 million for road resurfacing
- $1 million for shoreline protection
- $11 million for the extension of Wellington Street to facilitate growth in the east end of the community
- $2.1 million in transit fleet expansion and replacement
- $10.9 million in combined sewer separation to protect the water system against extreme weather events
- $2 million for flood mitigation
- $7.8 million in sewer/water/road reconstruction on Copland Road and Kathleen Avenue
- $4.5 million on St Andrews Street Treatment Plant rehabilitation and process improvements
- $2 million for the Bright’s Grove Library
