Sarnia has made the list of top 25 cities that experienced growth in Canada, for a sixth year in a row.
The annual U-Haul Growth Index, which tracks the net gain of one-way U-Haul trucks arriving in a city in a calendar year -- versus departing -- placed Sarnia as number 21 on its list for 2024.
Western Ontario President David Anstett said arrivals into Sarnia rose eight per cent last year, compared to 2023.
“Sarnia continues to be a top city to live in because of the job opportunities within the oil industry,” said Anstett. “There are many oil refineries here because the oil pipeline that comes in from western Canada gets refined in Sarnia. There are a lot of big companies that have plants here and help bring in job opportunities. Some of those are Imperial Oil, NOVA Chemicals and Shell… just to name a few.”
Chatham-Kent came in tenth on the list and Calgary was named the number one growth city in Canada.
The company said that while U-Haul migration trends do not correlate directly to population or economic growth, the data is an effective gauge of how well cities are attracting and maintaining residents.