Tourism Sarnia-Lambton (TSL) will be visiting local municipalities as it highlights its operations and the economic spinoff seen within the sector.
Questions and concerns were raised during February's budget deliberations on whether or not the County of Lambton should continue to invest in TSL.
Lambton County CAO Stéphane Thiffeault said the multi-year agreement with TSL expires on March 31, 2027. As part of the current commitment, TSL received $827,226 through the 2026 budget.
"I think there needs to be some changes in that agreement," said Dawn-Euphemia Mayor Alan Broad.
Broad also said he wasn't pleased with the presentation provided prior to the February 4 budget meeting.
"There were some questions asked at the end of the presentation and unfortunately, those questions weren't answered in a response that I was expecting," Broad said. "In fact, the one response took twice for the answer to actually come out, and I think that shows some disrespect for county council."
Warwick Mayor Todd Case said he was frustrated by the "arrogance" displayed in the past year with the TSL organization.
"Moving forward, I'd like to see better communication from TSL to the member municipalities, after all, that's who they represent and we fund them," Case said. "I was also very disappointed that I made a motion to have them visit all 11 municipalities last year, for which they didn't visit any."
The concerns were heard by TSL Executive Director Mark Perrin.
In an emailed statement to Sarnia News Today, Perrin said the organization is committed to maintaining open and ongoing communication with stakeholders, municipalities, and partners.
"The tourism sector in Lambton County contributes roughly $200 million each year to the local economy. TSL appreciates the county's support through funding to sustain our operations," said Perrin. "We remain committed to delivering impressive returns on this investment while continuously generating economic benefits for the entire county."
Perrin referenced recent statistics and said TSL continues to be a leader in delivering programs, marketing campaigns, event pitches, and hosting opportunities.
"Recent data highlights our success: in 2024, we experienced a 9.3 per cent increase in overnight stays (mainly due to TSL hosting, underwriting, and managing events), and in 2025, a further 1.4 per cent increase in overnight stays was realized in Sarnia-Lambton," Perrin said. "These are very successful stats, given the economic uncertainty, and while neighbouring areas in southwestern Ontario have seen declines ranging from -5.4 per cent to over -20 per cent in the same time frame."
Perrin recently provided an update to Warwick Township council during its February 23 meeting.
He expects to visit each Lambton municipality over the next several weeks.
