Sarnia council to meet over remarks made by city councillor opposed to Indigenous mural

Sarnia City Council will hold a special meeting Tuesday morning to respond to social media comments made by Coun. Bill Dennis, who criticized city spending on a new mural by Indigenous artist Kennady Osborne as “virtue signalling by woke politicians” — then made a series of comments in response to a reply from Aamjiwnaang Chief Janelle Nahmabin that some have characterized as unprofessional and aggressive. 

Dennis, who told CBC News he intends to run for mayor this year, accused Nahmabin of fearing his mayoral candidacy because, he said, “I won’t kiss your ass” and “I will fight you lock stock and barrel if you try to go after other Sarnia refineries and jobs.”

Mayor Mike Bradley told CBC News at least five city council members petitioned for the special meeting, and the city has received complaints from Walpole Island, Aamjiwnaang, Kettle and Stony Point and Caldwell First Nations.

“I expect council will try to set [a] really strong direction, send a strong message to the First Nations ... that we continue to respect them, continue to work with them on a number of important issues in the area, and that we’re committed to the relationship,” Bradley said. 

Dennis is already banned from attending city council meetings in person after an independent investigation concluded in January of last year that, on a balance of probabilities, Dennis had breached the workplace harassment and discrimination provisions of the City of Sarnia’s Workplace Harassment and Violence Policy and Program.

He is also currently banned from attending at city hall, except in limited circumstances, unless he has the express consent of council.

Dennis said he is who he is, and that’s why people like him and why he received the most votes of any council member in the last civic election.

“I have a reputation for not having a politician's filter,” he said.

The latest conflict erupted when Dennis made a post on his Facebook page with a photo of the new mural cost the city $8,452, according to a city spokesperson — plus $4,086 for a related project that involved updating a display of photos of Sarnia’s mayors.

“Do you feel that this is a smart way to spend almost $5,000 of your tax dollars?" Dennis wrote.

"This, in my opinion, is nothing more than virtue signalling by woke politicians who are out of touch with the vast majority of Sarnians."

Nahmabin replied in part, “A beautiful painting is woke? Because it has brown people? The race division you continuously perpetuate resolves nothing. … Bill how much ... tax dollars has your poor and tantrum-like behaviour [cost] citizens?”

Dennis then criticized Nahmabin's response during a recent YourTV interview, in which she was asked about accusations that the First Nation is trying to get rid of the chemical industry.

She told the YourTV host that Aamjiwnaang is not opposed to development, but it wants to be involved in the decision making, it wants a role in environmental stewardship, and it wants to make sure the region is secure for everyone, not just the First Nation.