Cathy Dobson & George Mathewson
Public reaction was swift and angry to a recent story about a Sarnia city council diversity and equity training session gone wrong.
Toronto-based Kojo Institute cancelled agreements to train additional municipal staff after some unnamed councillors subjected consultant Kike Ojo-Thompson to what it called “undisputed, uncorrected and unabated hostility.”
Many readers wanted to know the identity of the councillors responsible.
The Nov. 15th two-hour diversity training session took place in private (in camera) on Zoom. Under the Municipal Act, councillors are prohibited from discussing subject matter from an in camera meeting, but can express a personal opinion about it.
With that in mind, we gave the mayor and eight councillors an opportunity to comment. Some responses are edited for brevity.
MAYOR MIKE BRADLEY:
Bradley said he proposed the diversity training and wanted it held in public, but the company was concerned about its content becoming available to competitors.
“I can just say to you that I was extremely distressed and devastated by some of the comments made and in the manner they were made to the facilitator near the conclusion of the session.”
He and other individual councillors reached out to apologize, but “the views expressed had done great harm,” he said.
One councillor did file a complaint with Sarnia’s Integrity Commissioner, but Paul Watson said he wouldn’t investigate the closed-door meeting because it didn’t impact the public, he said.
“The Integrity Commissioner has now indicated he will investigate complaints as it relates to in camera meetings and the conduct of councillors at those meetings. The options to move forward are for individual councillors, council as a whole, or an individual citizen, to file an official complaint …
“There is no alternative way to resolve these issues and get on the public record the full facts, and I would welcome the Integrity Commissioner moving forward on a full investigation.”
MARGARET BIRD:
"First, I would never break Municipal Act rules.
"I'm not usually shocked at meetings, however I was really taken aback. I did not have anything to do with the outburst. It blew me away to see it. The facilitator did nothing wrong given what the workshop was about.
"My thoughts during the workshop were that there was a total lack of decorum. It was absolutely not good. The mayor told the newspaper that it wasn't his meeting, that it was a workshop and the facilitator was chairing. I'm here to tell you, it was a council meeting because the Municipal Act states that if there are five or more councillors together, it is considered a council meeting. With it being a council meeting, I think many believe as I do that the mayor should have said something or admonished someone.
"I have lots of questions about it but was told there's an investigation being carried out and I believe a report is coming March 21."
DAVID BOUSHY:
“I was brought up in a Christian family, father and two brothers ordained Baptist Ministers. My opinion from that meeting is similar to my belief, respecting and treating each other equally and with dignity.”
TERRY BURRELL:
“This is an in-camera item as requested by the Kojo Institute. I will not be commenting.”
COUN. NATHAN COLQUHOUN:
The diversity training session was highly informative and relevant for council, he said.
“We learned that becoming mindful of our own blind spots can help us be aware of those with less privilege or opportunity and how they suffer when these blind spots become systemized.
“It was disappointingly ironic that a few councillors chose hostility and anger as their response to the instructor. We have much more to learn from training like this, and I can only hope that these council members can lay down their weapons and be willing to learn from someone that is different than them."
BILL DENNIS:
“I believe wholeheartedly in complete and total equality. I believe the very future of our City depends on our ability to embrace diversity and be fully inclusive.
“I do believe there are many ways to approach any conversation on EDI (equity diversity and inclusion). I further believe that every participant in any EDI exchange should feel free to share their views and that this diversity of thought should not be discouraged especially when the mutual goal is the eradication of any form of racism and full and complete equality.
“To be further clear, I absolutely condemn any form of racism. I firmly agree with the late Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. that people should be judged by the content of their character rather than the colour of their skin or the religion they practice or the people they love.”
MIKE STARK:
Most of the session was insightful in understanding the biases and undeniable prejudices imbedded in our society, including an undercurrent of racism that has existed since the abolition of slavery, he said.
“Turning my attention to the last 15 minutes of the session, I can say that the message being shared by a small minority of Sarnia City Council was shocking in that the message of the first part of the training session was being vehemently challenged.
“I can say that as the meeting was closing, I made the comment that my immediate family relatives (one Black, another Japanese) were unfortunately correct in terms of their assessment of the lack of a welcoming nature of Sarnia-Lambton towards minorities. The denial of the existence of this sentiment by the small minority of Council unfortunately validates the opinion of my family members of minority heritages.”
Statistics from a County of Lambton survey bear out those conclusions “when we look at the responses from actual Black and Indigenous residents, he said.
“I hope this is a starting point for a positive acceptance of where we are as a community and the beginning of a conscious effort to build towards a greater acceptance of all peoples.”
GEORGE VANDENBERG:
“The truth needs to come out. The public has the right to know. I think we need an inquiry or that somebody brings the truth out. You have to trust your council. Perhaps the mayor can lead there because he is head of council. I know it was behind closed doors but it’s out there now. People want to know what’s going on. I loved that presentation until it really went off the rails.”
BRIAN WHITE: “I thought the diversity training was an excellent opportunity to learn about equity and justice issues from a highly qualified and well vetted presenter. It was a chance to broaden our perspective of residents from all backgrounds and status …
“It was only two hours, so it wasn't hard to sit through and just listen. However, that didn't seem to be the case for some. I was sad and frustrated at some of the interactions with the trainer. At some point, I tried to validate the material being presented, putting it into context with some of my own real-life experiences by sharing about other folks I've had the privilege to call friends and work with.
“However, things seemed to escalate to the point of frustration for many. Following the presentation, I sent a personal apology to the trainer for her experience, as I felt she was treated unfairly. “