Cathy Dobson/The Independent

Climate Action Sarnia-Lambton members are smarting from mayoral candidate Bill Dennis’ claims that climate change is not real, says co-chair Allan McKeown.

“We were really not surprised by Bill Dennis’ comments.  I know he considers us an enemy,” said McKeown, who has represented the Green Party several times in Sarnia-Lambton and Chatham-Kent.

“But I think it’s absolutely important that people know how their politicians think and that attitudes like Bill Dennis’ are common,” he said.

At a recent all-candidates forum at the Dante Club, Dennis said he thinks climate change “is nothing but a global, communist scam.” 

He went on to call members of Climate Action Sarnia-Lambton “a bunch of tree-hugging people who don’t care if their grandkids or children do better than we do.

“They are absolutely despicable and disgusting,” Dennis said. 

If elected, Dennis said he’d try to “cancel” city council’s 2019 climate emergency declaration.

Climate Action Sarnia-Lambton requested that declaration shortly after it formed in 2018.  They were supported by all on council except Dennis and Margaret Bird, who lost her seat in 2022 but is running again for a city/county seat this time.

At the time, groups around the world were making the same request of municipal, provincial and national governments.

City council also requested a climate change action and implementation strategy, which was delivered by staff in 2022.  

That prompted Councillor Adam Kilner – who is also seeking re-election – to make a motion that the strategy should be considered in every city decision.  Dennis opposed that, and Kilner’s motion was not adopted. 

McKeown said he is concerned that climate change is not being discussed this election. 

“I’m disappointed but I understand why,” he said. “Sarnia is an oil town and it’s important to the local economy.”

But Climate Action Sarnia-Lambton is not calling for an end of fossil fuel use, he said.  

“We aren’t saying we need to shutter refineries. The truth is we need oil. It’s not a bad thing. We use it for so many things.  What we’re saying is we need to transition to a world where non-fossil fuels are the norm for transportation.”

While North America lags behind, other parts of the world are increasingly using electric vehicles and renewable energy, McKeown said.

“At the municipal level, doing nothing will cost everyone a lot of money,” he added, noting that extreme weather events and flooding are already common in Sarnia-Lambton.

One of Sarnia’s biggest climate change challenges is to separate old combined sewer systems so that basements don’t flood during heavy rain events.

“Sarnia has separated about 20 kilometres into sanitary and storm sewers, and we have another 19 kilometres to go, according to the city manager,” McKeown said. “That’s going to cost $100 million over the next decade but if we don’t do it, there will be a terrible cost to homeowners.

“I think it’s very sad that politicians like Dennis don’t respect the viewpoints of others and don’t understand the real cost of ignoring climate change.”

Sarnians are experiencing the impact of climate change in numerous other ways, he said, including the increased cost of food brought on by drought out west; the need for expensive shoreline protection that results when milder winters create less ice on Lake Huron; and smaller crop yields when springs are longer and wetter and temperatures fluctuate.

The other mayoral candidates at the Dante Club also offered their opinions on climate change.

Scott Molson said he believes climate change is a “natural” phenomenon and so minimal that “it doesn’t make a difference.”

Carrie McEachran said she believes many Sarnians are concerned about climate change and that she’s studied the city’s climate change strategy.

McEachran also said she planned to meet with members of Climate Action Sarnia-Lambton, a group representing about 300 local residents.

“It’s good business to be on the right side of climate change,” said incumbent mayor Mike Bradley.  

He said that fossil fuel will be used for at least another generation, but diversification is necessary. It’s possible for Sarnia and its research park to create opportunity from climate change by developing technologies to support electric vehicles or cleaner fuels, said Bradley.