 This was the first time anything other than a canoe or other oar @-@ powered vessel had sailed into Lake Huron , and La Salle 's voyage was thus germinal in the development of commercial shipping on the Great Lakes . Located in the natural harbour , the Sarnia port remains an important centre for lake freighters and oceangoing ships carrying cargoes of grain and petroleum products . The natural port and the salt caverns that exist in the surrounding areas , together with the oil discovered in nearby Oil Springs in 1858 led to the massive growth of the petroleum industry in this area . Because Oil Springs was the first place in Canada and North America to drill commercially for oil , the knowledge that was acquired there led to oil drillers from Sarnia travelling the world teaching other nations how to drill for oil . 
 This was the first time anything other than a canoe or other oar @-@ powered vessel <a href='been_done' title='1'><mark>had</mark></a> sailed into Lake Huron , and La Salle <a href='null_genetive' title='2'><mark>'s</mark></a>voyage was thus germinal in the development of commercial shipping on the Great Lakes . Located in the natural harbour , the Sarnia port <a href='uninflect' title='3'><mark>remains</mark></a> an important centre for lake freighters and oceangoing ships carrying cargoes of grain and petroleum products . The natural port and the salt caverns <a href='null_relcl' title='4'><mark>that</mark></a>exist in the surrounding areas , together with the oil discovered in nearby Oil Springs in 1858 led to the massive growth of the petroleum industry in this area . Because Oil Springs was the first place in Canada and North America to drill commercially for oil , the knowledge <a href='null_relcl' title='5'><mark>that</mark></a>was acquired <a href='dey_it' title='6'><mark>there</mark></a> led to oil drillers from Sarnia travelling the world teaching other nations how to drill for oil . 
This was the first time anything other den a canoe or other oar @-@ powered vessel done sailed into Lake Huron , and La Salle  voyage was thus germinal in the development of commercial shipping on da Great Lakes . Located in tdanatural harbour , thdaarnia port remain an important centre fir lake freighters and oceangoing ships carrying cargoes of grain and petroleum products . Thedatural port and the dat caverns exist in the sdaounding areas , together wit the oidaiscovered in nearby Oil Springs in 1858 led to the masdae growth of the petroleum industry in this area . bc Oil Springs was the first place in Canada and North America to drill commercially for oil , the knowledge was acquired it led to oil drillers from Sarnia travelling the world teaching other nations how to drill fa oil .