I have a friend who lives in Hamilton, and when they were starting a project, the building inspector showed up and told them about something called a Say Yes Mandate. The idea is simple: they want to help citizens find the best way to get done what they want to get done. Instead of finding reasons to regulate and make it harder, they look for ways to say yes and work with people to solve problems.
That mindset makes all the difference.
When we started Refined Fool, we experienced the opposite. The building inspector at the time wasn’t sure what to do with us. Sarnia didn’t have any examples of small breweries, so instead of helping us figure out how to move forward, they called London—a city with a massive industrial brewery Labatt.
That’s where things got ridiculous. The direction we got was based on industrial zoning guidelines meant for one of the biggest breweries in Ontario. They told us we’d need to build an entire fire separation wall between our 300-liter brewing tanks (where we boiled water) and the tasting area. For context: 300 liters is roughly what a group of friends would boil up for a backyard maple syrup party.
This wasn’t about safety. It was about defaulting to a set of rules without considering the reality of the situation. And if we hadn’t pushed back—if we hadn’t challenged how absurd it was to be held to the same standards as Labatt—it would have cost us thousands of dollars and delayed us indefinitely. That’s the kind of thing that kills small businesses before they even get started.
I know a number of people who have given up entirely. It’s sad to see so many good ideas stopped by the city’s red tape before they even get started. The arbitrary rules, the hoops you have to jump through—it all adds up. And Sarnia doesn’t have to be this way.
Here’s the thing: this isn’t about cutting corners. It’s about shifting the approach so the city becomes a partner, not an obstacle. It’s about recognizing that regulations exist to guide development, not to punish creativity.
That kind of shift doesn’t happen overnight. It’s a cultural mindset change that starts with city council. Leadership sets the tone, and that tone works its way through city staff. When council prioritizes collaboration, problem-solving, and a commitment to helping projects move forward, it creates a ripple effect. Staff start looking for solutions, not roadblocks. Businesses feel supported instead of punished.
If Sarnia adopted a Say Yes Mandate, we’d see more businesses opening their doors, fewer empty buildings, and a lot less frustration from people trying to do something good for this city. It would mean inspectors working alongside entrepreneurs to navigate problems instead of throwing up barriers. It would mean fewer people being held to ridiculous standards because “that’s how it’s always been done.”
Imagine how many businesses would be up and running by now if the city approached things differently—if inspectors worked to help people get it done instead of stopping them at every turn. Sarnia doesn’t lack ambition or creativity. It just needs a mindset that works for its people, not against them.
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