Lambton Loan and Investment Company : The Lambton Loan and Investment Company was established in Sarnia, Ontario in 1844 under the name of The Port Sarnia Syndicate. The Port Sarnia Syndicate was formed by Robert Skillbeck in response to a shortage of cash needed for investment purposes in the region. The Syndicate devoted itself to financing development in Western Ontario and, in particular, providing investors with a source of capital in Lambton and Kent counties. By 1944, it was the oldest mortgage company in Canada and could boast the fact that it never had any branch offices or loaned money outside of Western Ontario. The demand for more adequate credit facilities and for facilities in which small depositors could save money led to the passing of the Upper Canada Building Society Act in 1846. In response to this, the Syndicate was reorganized with a new capital structure and by-laws and on 27 March 1847 was incorporated as the Port Sarnia Building Society.
The Port Sarnia Building Society was designed as a co-operative meant to help its members save money while providing a source of funds from which they could borrow. Its first president was Captain R.E. Vidal, R.N. while Skillbeck served as Secretary-Treasurer. They were assisted in governing by a board of directors which, at the time of its incorporation, consisted of seven men. In 1855, Lambton County experience rapid expansion based on the completion of two railroads through its territrory and the development of Petrolia Oil. By this point, the Port Sarnia Building Society had achieved most of its goals in aiding the development of the area and so decided to reorganize itself to put it on a more permanent basis.
The Building Society was reorganized under the old principles with certain modifications to its capital structure and in 1855 was renamed The Lambton Permanent Building and Investment Society. Despite the County experiencing financial hardship in the 1860's, The Lambton Permanent Building and Investment Society kept its focus local making funds available to the municipality by purchasing debentures and also making several Church loans. In 1881, the name was changed to the Lambton Loan and Investment Company without changing any of its objects and policies and by the turn of the century, it had matured to become one of the leading loan corporations in the province with the period between 1880 and 1900 being one of immense growth.
