By Dan McCaffery for the Sarnia Observer
The Mayor who did so much to prepare Sarnia for a new century.
T.G. Johnston, the Community’s 23rd Chief Magistrate, was in Office when Council lured Imperial Oil to the Municipality.
The move would transform a sleepy little 19th century market Town of 6,000 people into a booming 20th century metropolis.
It all started when Imperial Officials appeared before Council in 1897 proposing to build Canada’s largest oil refinery in Sarnia.
The deal sounded good but there was a catch – the oil men were demanding a five-year tax exemption. And that would cost the Town $2,200.00 in lost taxes.
It was a lot of money in those days but Mayor Johnston pushed his Aldermen to accept the offer. Noting that Imperial planned to spend at least $200,000.00 to expand and upgrade the existing Bushnell refinery on Christina Street, he told Council, “there is no doubt that these men represent a Company capable of carrying out their promises”.
Council granted the exemption, but only after receiving written assurances that Imperial would hire a large number of employees.
The Observer praised the deal, declaring it would mean “the employment of a large force of men to operate the works, all of which will add to the wealth and importance of the Town. It means also the transfer to Sarnia of a large share, if not the major portion of the oil business in Canada”.
Imperial soon built a pipeline from Sarnia to Petrolia’s oil fields and by 1900 the old Bushnell refinery’s output had doubled to 900 barrels a day. The company also moved its head office from the Hard Oil town to Sarnia.
Mayor Johnston, a Doctor by trade, was unbeatable after that. He was acclaimed to a second term as Mayor in 1898. Later, he was elected MP by a landslide vote.