There’s been a lot of talk recently about the potential for a Business Improvement Area (BIA) in downtown Sarnia. The idea keeps coming up, and the city recently released another report that highlights its benefits. Mayor Mike Bradley, who has expressed support for a BIA in the past, made it clear that “BIA’s are created by the Business or Property Owners in a prescribed area. If a request is made to Council with support, then the process under the Municipal Act would start for the votes by the people eligible in the prescribed area.”
That’s all well and good, but here’s the thing: the BIA process doesn’t start with the downtown community, no matter how much support they show. It starts with leadership from the mayor or a city councillor. Without that motion in council, nothing happens. This is outlined directly in the Municipal Act, 2001: a local municipality can only designate an area as a BIA once a motion has been introduced to council. After that, we can move forward with consultation and the formal steps outlined by the Act.
In other words, the downtown community can’t just get this going on its own. Yes, their input and support are critical, but the process is stalled until the leadership at City Hall steps up and initiates it. It’s a bit of a catch-22—downtown businesses need a BIA to create a unified voice and structure, but they can’t formally organize until the council makes the first move.
In 2019, we got close. A motion was brought forward in council, and there was enough interest to conduct a vote among downtown property owners. The support was there, but then COVID-19 hit, and like a lot of things, it was put on hold. Eventually, the second vote didn’t get enough backing, and the BIA proposal was shelved. Since then, the conversation has been stuck in neutral. The need for a unified voice and a coordinated strategy downtown is as strong as ever, but we’re waiting for someone to make the first move again.
The challenge right now is that Mayor Bradley’s comments put the responsibility on the downtown community, but he’s hiding behind the bureaucracy instead of leading us through it. His reluctance to make the motion needed to get the BIA process started isn’t just a procedural delay—it’s a lack of leadership. The Municipal Act makes it clear that a motion from council is the first step. No motion, no progress. So while the mayor points to the community to lead, it’s his job—and council’s job—to take that first step. Without it, we can’t move forward, no matter how much support there is.
A BIA can be a game-changer for downtown Sarnia. It’s not just another tax or bureaucratic layer. It’s a tool that allows business and property owners to pool their resources for the betterment of the area. It can support marketing, host events, improve public spaces, and ensure that the area is promoted in a way that benefits everyone. Right now, everything is piecemeal—volunteer efforts, individual businesses doing their own thing. We’re doing okay, but there’s no coordinated, professional effort to push downtown Sarnia to the next level. A BIA could change that.
But here’s the reality: without leadership from the mayor or city council, the downtown community can’t bring this forward on their own. No amount of meetings, support, or feedback will move this process forward without that first motion.
The downtown businesses can’t organize under a BIA without leadership from the mayor or a councillor to get this going. We can’t keep spinning our wheels on this. The mayor needs to stop hiding behind the process and start using it to help downtown Sarnia take the next step forward.