by Cathy Dobson for the Sarnia Observer
(2009) Imagine a Sarnia without Highway 402, without the Norman Street Site at Bluewater Health, and without Sarnia Bay Marina. Imagine that the west side of Front Street was filled with nothing but vacant storefronts, not a single downtown high-rise in sight.
That’s the Sarnia we’d have today if it weren’t for the irrepressible Andy Brandt.
Alderman, mayor, MPP, cabinet minister and leader of the PC party — Brandt’s political contributions spanned 20 years and had an everlasting impact on our city. Shortly after becoming our 64th mayor in 1975, Brandt said he wanted to be remembered as the man responsible for changing the direction of Sarnia. He brashly announced a 60- day plan for Sarnia, the kind of promise few politicians would make for fear it couldn’t be done.
But Brandt made it happen.
Talks began immediately with Lambton County on boundary restructuring. Brandt began making overtures to Ontario for a new highway to London, and started personally knocking on doors of private investors to lure them to the city.
Now, years later, he chuckles when he recalls telling the Minister of Transportation that he wouldn’t get re-elected unless he received approval for Highway 402 during his first term of office. It was bold, but Brandt’s legendary salesmanship, compelling arguments and personal touch did the trick.
Brandt also spearheaded reinvestment in our downtown, which had fallen on tough times in the 1970s. He worked with private developers to rejuvenate Front Street, permanently changed the skyline and brokered the deals that would see the downtown’s first big high-rises. Under his watch, Sarnia became the first Ontario municipality to obtain a $1.1-million loan for downtown revitalization. In total, the value of downtown projects built or approved during his six years in office topped a whopping $50 million.
Later, as MPP, Brandt was responsible for signing the deal with the province to establish Sarnia Bay Marina, an attraction that has generated millions of dollars for the city over the years. He also convinced the Minister of Health to finance Sarnia’s first CAT scan machine at the old Sarnia General Hospital, despite the fact the city was considered too small for one.
He was well-known in the legislature for his colourful style in the house and has said that’s the reason he was able to find the money to finance a new wing and more beds at the former St. Joseph’s Hospital on Norman Street.
“I was leader of the opposition and regularly raised questions about the waiting list for heart surgery,” he said. “One day Health Minister Eleanor Caplan told me that if I stopped asking those questions, Sarnia would move up the priority list for a new hospital building.”
But Brandt’s influence goes beyond the political world. His business acumen is well-documented and, while it personally benefited him in his early career, it also served Ontario residents well.
During the 1960s, when he first came to Sarnia, Brandt opened The Academy of Musical Arts, a company that sold musical instruments and gave lessons. By the time he sold it and became mayor, the academy had 40 branches and was one of the largest Canadian companies of its kind.
Brandt was also the CEO of the Liquor Control Board of Ontario for 15 years, turning the publicly-owned corporation into a huge success story. During his tenure, the LCBO generated close to $9 billion (that’s a B) that was directed back into public coffers.
Since his semi-retirement in 2006, Brandt has barely slowed down. Now 70 years old, he continues to be involved in a number of projects important to the community. In 2007, he threw his fundraising expertise behind a campaign to help a young spinal injury victim. Dan Edwards’ family received more than $180,000 from that effort and renovated their house so 19-year-old Dan could come home to Sarnia from the hospital and attend Lambton College.
Brandt is the long- time chairman of the Lambton College Foundation, which has raised millions and helped the school dramatically expand.
Without a doubt, Sarnia has truly benefited from this man’s energy, wit and powers of persuasion. He’s maintained his home here for almost 50 years, saying there’s nowhere else he’d rather live.
Not only has Brandt made a great contribution to our city, he continues to do so. In so many concrete ways, Andy Brandt deserves to be named The Greatest Sarnian.