A strong local economy and successful local businesses are the foundation of a healthy and sustainable community. Creating and supporting a growth-driven environment for small- and medium-sized businesses to succeed has a compounding effect that ripples through our entire community.
That is why collaboration and communication between the Municipality and local businesses is so important to us. This section of our website will help local business owners navigate and discover the supports that are available to them as they operate and grow their business in Lambton Shores.
On this page:
Local and Regional Resources
There are several resources and organizations ready to support you! Here are some of the local and regional resources available:
| Workforce training, retention, and other resources |
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The Sarnia-Lambton Workforce Development Board (SLWDB) is a community-directed not-for-profit corporation dedicated to leading Sarnia-Lambton in its approach to workforce development and labour market planning. They lead several market research initiatives with regular publications. View their website to learn more about their workforce training and resources. |
| Business incentives and financial resources |
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The Municipality of Lambton Shores offers several different financial incentives, in the form of a grant for eligible costs, to owners of businesses in the targeted commercial core areas identified by the Community Improvement Plan. Grant and Incentive Programs include:
View the Community Improvement Plan Brochure for additional details about each grant and incentive program. Community Futures Lambton (formerly the Sarnia-Lambton Business Development Corporation) helps small business owners in Lambton County succeed. Their goal is to reduce small business failures and empower business owners to succeed by providing access to the funding and resources they need to build stable work environments and sound business plans. Visit their website to learn more about their services, which includes loans and financing options. Additional Financial Resources Through partner organizations and funding opportunities at all levels of government, there may be additional sources of financial support available to you. Explore the following programs and tools to see which opportunities are relevant to you: |
| Business development and counselling services |
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The Sarnia-Lambton Economic Partnership (SLEP) is an economic development agency for the Sarnia-Lambton area. Funded by the County of Lambton, they have a focus on promoting the distinct advantages that Sarnia-Lambton proudly offers companies and residents. Their focus is fostering new business creation, helping ensure that established organizations remain and grow here, and work to attract growing businesses to the area. Visit their website to learn more about their services, which includes extensive business counselling through the Sarnia-Lambton Business Enterprise Centre. The Sarnia-Lambton Business Development Corporation can also support businesses with free business counselling services. View their website for more information. |
| Grant information and writing support |
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Sarnia-Lambton Economic Partnership offers support for small businesses looking to learn more about incentives, grants and funding opportunities. Their services can also help owners prepare for interactions and applications with lenders and investors. View their website to learn more. |
| Employment services |
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The WorkPlace Group offers free employment services to both job seekers and business members throughout Sarnia-Lambton. They are a not-for-profit employment service provider funded by Employment Ontario. Business owners can register as an employer on the WorkPlace Group website to gain access to their free Job Board and post employment opportunities. They also offer a free online Training Portal, which offers provincially legislated safety training and certification modules. If you would like their recruitment team to be more involved, The WorkPlace Group can also help:
View their website to learn more. The Sarnia-Lambton Workforce Development Board (SLWDB) offers an interactive toolkit for employers and job-seekers, which includes a comprehensive local job board, job map, and other tools to support job searching and career planning. |
The Municipality of Lambton Shores offers several different financial incentives, in the form of a grant for eligible costs, to owners of businesses in the targeted commercial core areas identified by the Community Improvement Plan.
Grant and Incentive Programs include:
- Facade Improvement Grant
- Building Restoration, Renovation, or Improvement Grant
- Accessibility Improvement Grant
- Patio Grant
- Energy Efficiency and Retrofit Grant
- Property Improvement Grant
- Commercial Area Housing Grant
- Destination Infrastructure Grant
- Development Charge Grant
- Environmental Site Assessment Grant
- Tax Increment-Equivalent Grant
View the Community Improvement Plan Brochure for additional details about each grant and incentive program.
Municipal Recognition Opportunities
Are you a local business in Lambton Shores that is planning an event or celebration? We want to know about it!
By using our municipal official request form, you can let the Municipality of Lambton Shores know about your event and/or celebration, and invite Municipal officials to attend. Whether it's a ribbon cutting ceremony with the Mayor or a milestone celebration for your business, we want to help celebrate!
Lambton Shores Business Directory
The Municipality will be creating a business directory for Lambton Shores. If you own and operate a business within the Municipality of Lambton Shores, you can submit a business listing to our Lambton Shores Business Directory.
This directory is limited to businesses owned and operated within the Municipality only. Businesses not within the Municipality will not be added
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