As the city makes significant investments in renewing Germain Park this coming year, it is also transforming its management of public lands, prioritizing an ecological approach. In their 2025 budget, the Sarnia City Council approved the hiring of an in-house ecologist to act as the Manager of Public Park Lands.
The city’s current service model for managing public lands focuses on day-to-day operations but does not consider land a habitat for wildlife or plant species. The ecologist position, identified at the request of Council, will provide leadership and ecological expertise for implementing plans for public lands, including the Germain Park Master Plan.
In 2025, over $600k will be spent implementing the initial phase of the Germain Park Master Plan, which includes an accessible playground, splash pad, pavilion, interconnecting walkways for access to the space, multi-court sports courts, and upgraded and relocated dog park.
These traditional uses of the public land will now also be viewed from an ecological standpoint, considering important habitat components and supporting biodiversity across the community.
Germain Park, known for its manicured gardens and the Royal Canadian Air Force Memorial that features an F-86 fighter jet, is centrally located in Sarnia and is one of its largest areas of parkland.
The Germain Park Master Plan adopted in 2023 recognizes the vital importance of parks in our communities as pieces of “green infrastructure” with significant social, health, economic, and environmental benefits. It identifies many ways that parks can be designed to be more environmentally sustainable and resilient to climate change. These include naturalization initiatives, planting of native species, tree canopy targets, reduction of grass cutting, bioswales, rain gardens, pollinator gardens, habitat restoration, biodiversity initiatives, and programs that educate about local natural heritage features.
The plan envisions Germain Park as Sarnia’s “Central Park,” a vibrant and welcoming green space that offers something for everyone. It also quotes the American City Parks Alliance, saying “Urban parks are not luxuries – they make cities more livable, environmentally resilient, attract business and jobs, increase economic competitiveness, and create new revenue streams – all while saving billions on traditional infrastructure costs.”
The new ecologist position, Manager of Public Park Lands, will also provide leadership in the implementation of the Climate Change Action Plan adopted in 2021, the Waterfront Master Plan adopted in 2022, and the first-ever Urban Forestry Master Plan that is currently being developed.
Though it passed Council, the introduction of this management position at a cost of approximately $185k a year was not unanimously supported, with Mayor Mike Bradley voting against it for financial reasons, and Councillor Bill Dennis calling it “a luxury position.”
Councillor Terry Burrel believes the position is essential because of the numerous issues that arise out of all the parkland that Sarnia has, and said it “will save us money in the long run.”
With funding approved, however, the City will move forward with recruitment for the position, following standard practices. An exact timeline for recruitment has not yet been identified, but once initiated will be posted to the City’s employment page on its website.