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.
| Expansion and location assistance |
|
If you are looking to expand your operations and need a physical location, the Municipality will occasionally have surplus lands and buildings available. However, we encourage business owners to work with a local real estate agent to ensure you don’t miss out on the perfect lease or purchase that may come up. If you are looking to build or renovate your existing location, make sure you review the Building and Renovating page to ensure you have the required permits. Lambton Shores has also partnered with the Sarnia Lambton Economic Partnership to promote its Forest Industrial Park land. The area is located directly on Highway 21 and has several development amenities, including power, natural gas, water, sanitary sewers, and zoning under Industrial 1 (wide range of industrial and light industrial uses). |
| Workforce training, retention and other resources |
|
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 |
|
The Sarnia-Lambton Business Development Corporation (SLBDC) 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 |
|
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 |
|
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 |
|
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. |
| Lambton Shores business directory |
|
A comprehensive business directory for each of the communities within Lambton Shores can be found on the Sarnia-Lambton Economic Partnership website. |
| Business Retention and Expansion Report |
|
The Municipality of Lambton Shores recently completed an extensive Business Retention and Expansion (BR+E) study in an effort to identify specific action items to support economic development within the next 10-years. The study included engagement with local business owners and managers in order to develop a stronger understanding of the business environment in Lambton Shores. As a result of the BR+E, a number of proposed actions are being recommended to assist and support the business community in Lambton Shores. |
Contact Us
