Ontario's Oil Refining Industry

Photo by Alan L Brown - Posted September, 2004

Plaque Location

The County of Lambton
The City of Sarnia
At the very south end of Christine Street South at Clifford Street

Coordinates: N 42 57.301 W 82 24.888

Plaque Text

Stimulated by the discovery of significant oil deposits in Enniskillen Township, Ontario's first commercial refineries were erected in 1857-62 at Sarnia, Oil Springs, "Petrolea" and Hamilton. The industry, developed to produce coal-oil and lubricants, was plagued by explosive fires, market fluctuations and problems of refining. In 1880, to counter growing American competition, several companies joined to form Imperial Oil. In 1898, however, seeking expansion capital, it sold a majority interest to Standard Oil, an American refining company. The following year, Imperial brought its operations here to the lakeside. Although other cities had refineries in operation by 1907, Sarnia's access to the higher grade of Ohio oil, the new demand for gasoline and from 1942, the location here of major petro-chemical industries established Sarnia as Ontario's principal refining centre.

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