The City of Sarnia’s Integrity Commissioner, Benjamin Drory, has declined to investigate complaints against Councillor Bill Dennis regarding controversial remarks he made at a Lambton County Council meeting about Aamjiwnaang First Nation Chief Janelle Nahmabin.
The controversy began when Chief Nahmabin, in a February 2, 2025 letter, urged both Sarnia City Council and Lambton County Council to direct their Integrity Commissioners to investigate comments Dennis made during a November 27, 2024 meeting. Nahmabin stated Dennis’ remarks were “which are not only untrue,
but insulting and disparaging towards myself and the members of Aamjiwnaang First Nation.”
Among the statements made by Dennis, he accused Chief Nahmabin of being "very, very anti-Chemical Valley” and of using the term “environmental terrorism” to describe industry in Sarnia. Dennis also claimed that Aamjiwnaang was responsible for putting INEOS out of business and that “we cannot keep on being weak to these people.”
Chief Nahmabin refuted these claims, stating she had never used the term "environmental terrorism" in reference to Sarnia-area industry, nor had Aamjiwnaang played a role in closing INEOS. She emphasized that the community has spent “an exceptional amount of time and resources developing constructive relationships with neighbouring industry.”
Despite City Council voting 6-2 on February 10, 2025, to refer the matter to Drory for investigation, he ruled that his office lacked jurisdiction to proceed. In a February 5, 2025 letter to Chief Nahmabin, Drory explained that Integrity Commissioners are “significantly limited in investigating conduct by Members of Council during formal meetings” and that oversight of meeting decorum falls under the role of the meeting Chair.
Drory further stated that because the remarks occurred during a Lambton County Council meeting, they should be handled by the County’s Integrity Commissioner. He argued that “there shouldn’t be potential for two distinct yet substantively identical investigations arising from the same conduct.”
In her initial complaint, Chief Nahmabin urged both councils to hold Dennis accountable by ensuring such behavior is not repeated, issuing a public apology to Aamjiwnaang First Nation, and committing to sensitivity and cultural awareness training for all Lambton County Council members.
Dennis has not publicly retracted his statements. Meanwhile, Lambton County’s Integrity Commissioner, Rebecca Hines, has taken up the complaint, and it remains to be seen whether any penalties will be imposed.
The incident highlights ongoing tensions between industry, municipal leadership, and Indigenous communities in Sarnia’s Chemical Valley. Aamjiwnaang First Nation has long raised concerns about environmental pollution and health impacts from nearby industrial facilities. The United Nations Special Rapporteur has described Aamjiwnaang’s situation as “profoundly unsettling,” calling it “one of the most polluted places in Canada." With Sarnia having established a working group to implement the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP), this controversy may test the city’s commitment to meaningful reconciliation.
For now, the Integrity Commissioner’s decision means that any official review of Dennis’ comments will rest solely in the hands of Lambton County.
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