A Lambton County resident breaks down the controversy surrounding Councillor Bill Dennis, the UNDRIP framework, and the new Indigenous mural debate at city hall.
I have been collecting my thoughts around this latest local political upset. Today I did a little bit of a deep dive into some of the truths and fallacies surrounding what people have said, what Bill has said, what people say Bill said, what UNDRIP is, etc. It has been a bit of an over abundance of local news that I personally needed to unpack. Read and follow my thoughts if you wish. Ignore if you wish.
1. The UNDRIP committee was created in 2019. There are minutes from all the meetings from 2019 through to present day on the City of Sarnia website. It is a dynamic committee that shows its growing pains within the minutes. This is expected. Committee work that is seeking meaningful change to make a positive difference should not be static. Read the minutes if you wish to gain more insight [Search Minutes].
2. June 3, 2024, is the date that City Council approved the mural by Kennady Osborne and the full description of the intended mural was approved by everyone except Bill Dennis. There was no discussion. The approved cost was just over $8400 which is more than the $5000 provided to Ms. Osborne in the end. Half would be given at the beginning of the project and the other half at completion. A contract would be signed with these particulars.
3. February 9, 2026, Council Meeting – Bill Dennis spoke up against the UNDRIP framework that was introduced for passage. Bill Dennis had a few concerns that indicated he does not understand the difference between a “framework” and a “bylaw.” (around 1:23:00 on the video) He seemed unduly concerned about legal obligations of the framework and tried to dissect whether Council would adopt a “duty” to consult or a “requirement” to consult. He felt that the “requirement to consult” would be problematic. The document clearly states a “duty to consult policy.” He also said that he had problems with wording such as using “stolen land” as these words cause division. No where in this document can the words“stolen land” be found so it is unclear why Counsellor Dennis would even say this. Again, Counsellor Dennis was the only opposing vote on this framework document. This is the document or partnership that he stated this past week that he plans to rip up if he is mayor.
4. Many people have stated that that Bill Dennis did not use any racist or divisive wording in his initial post. When one uses higher level critical thinking skills such as “inference,” when reading, then a clearer understanding emerges. Not everything is explicitly stated and when we read, we infer meaning based on context including what has been stated in the past (historical writings or utterances of speaker). Bill used the words “virtue signalling” which in context one can infer he is suggesting the other counsellors, who he calls woke, simply approved the mural because they were acting in a performative manner. We know this is not true because it was approved by everyone but him in 2024 based on the full description back then. In a broader sense the dismissiveness of the term “virtue signalling” when referring to the Indigenous artwork is meant to indicate the mural itself is unserious or trendy, when it is not. It has deep cultural meaning of which he is fully aware from the 2024 council meeting. He, in essence, is not explicitly being racist in his wording but by inferring the Indigenous mural is insignificant carries through to its cultural meaning and importance in our community. The mural is insignificant so is its cultural meaning. Many of Mr. Dennis’ own followers understood this to be exactly that message and proudly denigrated the art itself and the local Indigenous population.
5. There is a lengthy letter from an anonymous Sarnia resident posted on Bill’s page that tries to give wide range of reasons why the Integrity Commissioner should dismiss the complaint by Chief Bressette from KSPFN (Kettle and Stony Point First Nation). The writer is basing the reason for dismissal of the complaint on Dennis’ initial post of the cost and virtue signalling by woke council members and then the writer puts the blame on Chief Nahmabin for using the race card. It also has a lot of arguments that are totally irrelevant, far fetched and inaccurate in some cases. The writer obviously did not read the complaint from Chief Bressette as the complaint was based on the unacceptable attack Bill Dennis charged towards Chief Nahmabin when she was upset and angry and made comments back to Bill Dennis on his post. This letter was lauded by many followers on Bill Dennis’ Facebook page as being so brilliantly written and was amplified by his followers. I, myself, do not know whether council or the Integrity Commissioner accepts letters from anonymous people, but to my knowledge from the Facebook post, this person is unidentified and signed the letter as Sarnia Resident.
6. The map posted by Steve Loxton showing “The Council of Three Fires” is an important part of the history of this area. This is central to the mural created by Kennady Osborne. Friends of The Lawrence House will also recognize that each year there is a show of Indigenous art called “Three Fires by the Water.” (artists from Kettle and Stony Point First Nation, Aamjiwnaang First Nation and Walpole Island First Nation). It will take place in June this year. Posts like Steve Loxton’s and thoughtful and informative posts by Jason Henry from KSPFN help in educating all of us and enable us to gain a deeper understanding of Indigenous culture and understandings. We should all want to learn more instead of closing our minds and relying on uneducated, biased, and politically charged right and left ideologies. When three different Indigenous communities feel the need to issue complaints to the Integrity Commissioner based on how they interpret the words of an angry City Counsellor, we all need to be open to developing a broader understanding of the issues, facts, and cultural differences.
– Jean Mantha
