You may have noticed a foul odour piercing through the hot Sarnia air over the past couple of weeks.
Local officials have reached out to senior government with the hopes of pinpointing the origin and fixing the problem.
In response to concerns from Sarnia-Lambton MPP Bob Bailey's office, the Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks (MECP) released the following statement.
"On the evening of July 28 and again on July 29, 2025, MECP received several reports of odours. Some of those reports wondered if the source was the Shire (Wessuc) Site," read the notice.
The MECP said there are no current activities at the Wessuc site that would generate odours.
"The site has not received any material since May 2024 and the contents of the onsite lagoon were cleaned out in November, 2024. In response to the odour reports received, MECP staff attended various areas of the city including the Wessuc site," it said.
MECP said the smell is consistent with the spreading of manure, a common farming practice. As such, the ministry is no longer involved.
They referred the matter to the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Agribusiness.
Sarnia Mayor Mike Bradley said there's urgency to get the situation addressed and the Ag ministry needs to act.
"We need action on this," said Bradley. "People can't be in their backyards and they can't walk through their neighbourhoods so there's action needed. I'm asking the ministry to take steps to investigate immediately. It could be industry or agriculture, but find out the answer, determine it, and take steps to stop it."
Bradley said he's been fielding 'persistent calls' from residents all across the city.
"It seems to be a perennial issue over the past few years during this time of year in August, when most people are outside," he said. "Especially heading into a hot, hot weekend. It's unacceptable."
Complains and questions can be sent to the Agricultural Information Contact Centre (AICC) by calling 1-877-424-1300 or emailing ag.info.omafra@ontario.ca.