Dennis decries “horrible relationship at the county because the county takes advantage of the City of Sarnia”

Cathy Dobson/Local Journalism Initiative

In incumbent Mike Bradley’s absence, the other three mayoral hopefuls at the largest all-candidates debate of the campaign, kept it respectful for the most part Monday night.

About 340 people sat in the Imperial Theatre for the two-hour event, while another 700 live streamed it, organizers said.  However, every free ticket for the 600-seat venue was spoken for and tickets weren’t available at the door.

When the doors were locked at 6:30 p.m. for security reasons, Bradley had not arrived and many asked where he was. 

In an email to The Independent, he said he did not commit to the Imperial Theatre event.  “I have participated in six all-candidates meetings, which are available on social media for the public,” he wrote without further comment.

That left Bradley wide open for considerable criticism, especially from candidate Bill Dennis who has served with him on council for the last eight years.

Sarnia has been “dormant” for 40 years,” Dennis said. Before Bradley became mayor in 1988, Sarnia was “happy, vibrant, with boundless opportunity and plenty of optimism,” he said.  Now the city is on the “downturn.”

It’s clear everybody wants change, said Carrie McEachran, CEO of the Sarnia-Lambton Chamber of Commerce and new to politics.

“I bring energy; I bring experience; and I bring relationships with all levels of government and organizations,” she said. 

Candidate Scott Molson, a local businessman also with no previous political experience, presented himself as a working-class candidate wanting to collaborate with council and the community to “grow” Sarnia and “put it back on the map.”

“I’m a blue-collar worker and I grew up in Sarnia,” Molson said, adding the city needs a salesman like him to attract new commerce.  

“I’m the guy who is going to do it,” Molson said.  “I’m going to pick up the phone and start talking to business.”

In fact, Molson said “someone” interested in locating to Sarnia has already “reached out and I’m not even mayor yet.”

Dennis seized on that comment and said he was the best salesman on the stage, having sold real estate for 30 years. Then he attacked the candidate not in attendance.

“The difference between Mike Bradley and me is that he has no business acumen whatsoever,” Dennis said.

An exchange between McEachran and Dennis about the city’s relationship with Lambton County generated the biggest crowd reaction of the night.

The mayor and four city councillors sit on Lambton County council, McEachran noted.

“It’s ensuring (we’re) all working together, we’re all on the same page and we’re all supporting each other,” she said.  “And I think it would be pretty great to actually have a City of Sarnia representative as county warden.  

“I really would love to see that,” she said.

Dennis rebuked McEachran and said her inexperience was showing and that the agreement between the city and county needs renegotiating.

“We have a horrible relationship at the county because the county takes advantage of the City of Sarnia,” he said. “…They say no to our expansion, they dump all their problems on Sarnia.

“(The county) should have zero say in putting supportive housing in a residential neighbourhood, which you as president of the Chamber endorsed, the Indwell project should go in that area.

“How dare you do that, to even put your nose in that business…and secondly, they have unelected people from Watford and Petrolia and all over the place, who have a say in our business.  I’ll tell you right now, when I’m mayor, that  nonsense ends tomorrow.  We’re going to negotiate a better deal.”

Dennis continued railing against the county. “They are not going to send their tweakers and their drug people into our town and cause more trauma. That is going to end immediately.  And they are not going to have any say in whether we expand our urban boundary like they do now.

“I’m for Sarnia first.  I’m not for kissing butt,” Dennis said.  

“I think there’s a reason why the City of Sarnia does not have a good working relationship with the county,” McEachran replied, to a round of laughter and applause from the audience.  

She added, “Things are going to be a little bit different when I’m in the chair.”

Inexplicably, Dennis noted McEachran has a family cottage near that of Ontario Premier Doug Ford, a point she neither confirmed nor denied.  Dennis tried one upmanship by saying he could get Ford on the phone “quite quickly if I wanted to.” 

Audience reaction was so loud, that Rev. Kenji Marui who was co-facilitator with Mike Barron, had to remind them to keep it down. 

Then Dennis said he’s had dinner with Pierre Poilievre, leader of the Conservative Party of Canada and dines regularly with “Michael” Lecce, Ontario’s Minister of Energy and Mines.

To that, McEachran corrected Dennis, reminding him that the minister’s name is Stephen Lecce. 

Each candidate was asked to name their top priority and their plan to make it a reality.

SCOTT MOLSON: “We need growth and transparency so we’re going to build a dashboard so all the people of Sarnia can see where their money is going and where it needs directing…As soon as I’m in office, I need to show the people where the problems are.  Our government in Sarnia has no transparency.”

BILL DENNIS:  “Change the culture at city hall…I want to make Sarnia the best place in Ontario for business…give five-star service…treat everyone the same…We have a terrible reputation for how we treat businesspeople.”

CARRIE MCEACHRAN: My first priority is to dust off the strategic plan. I was part of the process two years ago when the strategic plan was created.  I have never, ever heard any reference to that since. I don’t know where it is…but that is the plan that is supposed to guide city council over the next four years…Why are we not using it?  We need a mayor that can work with council and encourage the council to move forward.”

Monday’s all-candidates meeting was presented by the Sarnia-Lambton Chamber of Commerce, Imperial Theatre, The Book Keeper, The Jean Collective and Health Democracy. 

The same group is presenting a second event featuring the 38 city and city/county candidates Tuesday at 7 p.m. at the Imperial Theatre.