Sarnia's first new mayor in nearly four decades will officially be sworn in on Monday, November 16, when city council convenes for the first meeting of the 2026-2030 term.
Carrie McEachran will be joined alongside returning councillors Brian White, Terry Burrell, Adam Kilner, and Chrissy McRoberts, as well as newcomers Andrew Stokley, Lo Anne Chan, Richard (Dick) Felton, and Mario Fazio.
In a historic victory, McEachran captured 13,828 votes during the 2026 municipal election, defeating incumbent Mike Bradley by 6,643 votes and ending his tenure after 11 terms.
She will be the first female mayor in Sarnia's history.
The former Chamber of Commerce CEO said the past few weeks have been a whirlwind and she's had overwhelming support.
McEachran said she's looking forward to getting started and collaborating with her colleagues.
"Everyone is really eager," said McEachran. "We have such a great mix of incumbents and new energy as well. We've had conversations through email and we're getting together just before we're sworn in just to have a casual dinner and get to know each other. Then, we'll be ready to take on those roles. It's really important to learn from each other what makes each other tick and what doesn't. I want to start the term on a good foot where we can come to consensus respectfully or disagree and move on."
McEachran said there's no doubt her experience in the business world will be an asset.
She said attracting more investment locally, including home construction and job creation is a priority.
"That was a huge focus of my platform, and it's a big focus for myself," she said. "I know in talking to some councillors it's a focus for them as well. Building those relationships with Economic Partnership and the Chamber of Commerce are important to bring more businesses in."
McEachran said there are some concerns from the community that she would like to see addressed in this new council term.
"The lack of decision making at council was a big one," said McEachran. "I've sat through many council meetings over the past few years through my role (as Chamber of Commerce CEO) and would see a lack of decisions being made for whatever reason. That was keeping the community from moving forward. Businesses in the community and people were seeing it. Change was needed."
She recently sat down for the Sarnia-Lambton Beyond the Headlines podcast. The full chat can be listened to by clicking here.
Monday's meeting gets underway at 10 a.m. from the Sarnia Library Theatre at 124 Christina Street South.
There's plenty of space for the public to attend the meeting at the 306 seat accessible theatre.
Due to the venue, the City of Sarnia said no livestream will be available.
