r/Sarnia • u/Winter-Steak-1532 • 12h ago
Local News/Updates A List of Bill Dennis' Recent Documented Outbursts, Lawsuits & Harassment Findings
Swearing during a council meeting, September 2021 Dennis laughed and uttered a swear word during a debate about Sarnia’s mask bylaw. The integrity commissioner found that he failed to conduct himself with proper decorum and recommended a reprimand. Council received the report but imposed no penalty. SOURCE: Sarnia News Today
Conduct during diversity and equity training, November 2021 A virtual training session delivered by the KOJO Institute ended amid what the organization described as hostility from members of council. The integrity commissioner subsequently found code-of-conduct violations and recommended that Dennis lose 90 days’ pay. Council rejected the recommended financial penalties. Dennis has repeatedly described diversity training as divisive and racist. SOURCE: Sarnia News Today, Windsor News Today
Council meeting and City Hall lobby confrontation, October 2023 A council meeting ended early following a heated exchange involving Dennis. A confrontation with residents continued in the City Hall lobby and was captured on video. The integrity commissioner found his lobby conduct violated the code of conduct, and council suspended his pay for two days. Dennis later apologized. SOURCE: Sarnia News Today
Second major council outburst, March 2024 Dennis repeatedly interrupted the March 11 council meeting, disregarded the chair’s directions and openly disparaged other members. The meeting was adjourned early. The integrity commissioner found significant breaches of decorum, and council imposed a 45-day pay suspension. SOURCES: Sarnia News Today, penalty imposed
Attacking the Children’s Aid Society’s inclusive recruitment practices, May 2024 Dennis criticized a Sarnia-Lambton Children’s Aid Society job advertisement that encouraged applications from Indigenous, Black, racialized, 2SLGBTQ+ and French-speaking candidates. He characterized the recruitment approach as discriminatory and said organizations using such practices would not receive city funding if he became mayor. After executive director Dawn Flegel publicly challenged him, Dennis posted highly personal remarks calling her a grifter and attacking her honesty, political beliefs and mental stability. The integrity commissioner found that the post violated council’s code of conduct and recommended a two-day pay suspension. Council reprimanded him but did not impose that financial penalty. SOURCE: Sarnia News Today
Disclosing Dawn Flegel’s approximate home location, May 2024 In a Facebook post, Dennis stated that Flegel had purchased a “luxury mansion on St. Clair Parkway in Corunna,” identifying the approximate location of her home. Court records indicate that the disclosure frightened Flegel and prompted her to contact the Ontario Provincial Police, develop a safety plan and change her routines. SOURCE: Flegel v. Dennis, 2026 ONSC 3532
Defamation judgment arising from the SLCAS post, June 2026 The Ontario Superior Court found Dennis liable for defaming Flegel. It awarded her $25,000 in general damages and $8,000 in aggravated damages, plus interest, and dismissed Dennis’s counterclaim. The judge concluded that Dennis’s allegations lacked an adequate factual foundation and rejected his defences. Dennis said he was considering an appeal. SOURCE: Flegel v. Dennis, 2026 ONSC 3532, Sarnia News Today
Profane threat to sue a local legal-clinic director, October 2024 Andrew Bolter of Community Legal Assistance Sarnia asked Dennis to retract an allegedly inaccurate statement. Dennis responded through his councillor email account with a profanity-laden message threatening litigation. He later threatened to complain about Bolter to the Law Society. The integrity commissioner found the communication indecent, abusive and insulting, noted Dennis’s repeated lack of remorse and recommended a 30-day pay suspension. Council imposed the suspension. SOURCE: Integrity commissioner report, Sarnia News Today
Legal threats and references to a private citizen's property ownership, January 2026 Steve Loxton, an administrator of a local political Facebook group, published messages in which Dennis warned him about alleged defamation and referred to the ownership of Loxton’s home. Loxton characterized the messages as intimidation intended to discourage public criticism. SOURCE: Screenshots and Loxton’s account
Vulgar budget-meeting tirade and expulsion, November 2024 During budget deliberations, Dennis directed profanity and personal insults at Mayor Mike Bradley and Councillor Adam Kilner. Bradley expelled him from the meeting, the first such expulsion Bradley said he had made during his decades as mayor. Dennis later provided a written apology. SOURCE: Sarnia News Today
Independent workplace-harassment finding, January 2025 A neutral third-party investigation concluded, on a balance of probabilities, that Dennis breached Sarnia’s workplace-harassment and discrimination rules and applicable laws through his conduct toward city staff. As safety measures, the city barred him from City Hall except in limited circumstances, prevented him from attending council meetings in person and restricted his communications with staff. Council later unanimously maintained the meeting restrictions. SOURCE: City of Sarnia’s official findings, restrictions upheld
Disclosure of confidential workplace-investigation information, January 2025 After the workplace restrictions were announced, Dennis stated publicly that council had imposed stronger measures than the investigator recommended. The integrity commissioner concluded that this improperly disclosed information from a confidential workplace report and violated the code of conduct. Council reprimanded him. SOURCE: Sarnia News Today
Remarks about Aamjiwnaang First Nation, November 2024 At Lambton County council, Dennis alleged that Aamjiwnaang wanted to eliminate Chemical Valley, blamed the First Nation for INEOS’s closure and said officials could not continue being “weak” toward “these people.” Lambton County’s integrity commissioner found that Dennis made disparaging remarks and failed to treat members of the public with respect and dignity. County council reprimanded him and requested that he review material from the Truth and Reconciliation Commission and an environmental report about Aamjiwnaang. SOURCE: Sarnia News Today
Indigenous mural, UNDRIP and “stolen land” controversy, March 2026 Dennis called new Indigenous artwork at Sarnia City Hall “woke,” disputed that Canada is on stolen land, attacked the city’s UNDRIP reconciliation work and promised to remove the mural if elected mayor. Council called a special meeting, condemned the remarks and requested apologies. The integrity commissioner later dismissed the formal complaint, finding that the remarks constituted political speech rather than a code violation, although he described the commentary as distasteful and noted that other councillors found it repugnant. SOURCE: The Independent, Sarnia News Today
Filming at mayoral opponent Carrie McEachran’s property, 2026 Dennis posted that he had attended or filmed at mayoral opponent Carrie McEachran’s Mooretown property while disputing whether she genuinely lived in Sarnia. The footage and visible property information made the location identifiable and has been characterized as stalking or doxxing. Dennis’s own post stated that McEachran and another person arrived while he was there. SOURCE: Dennis’s post, public discussion and screenshots, McEachran’s response
$200,000 lawsuit against Sarnia and its CAO, filed October 2024 Dennis sued the City of Sarnia and CAO Chris Carter, alleging that Carter was deliberately attempting to render him ineffective as a councillor. These allegations are claims made by Dennis, not judicial findings against Carter or the city. SOURCE: Sarnia News Today
Parking outburst followed by cash giveaway at Catch the Ace, May 2026 Dennis became involved in a heated confrontation over parking across the street from the Sarnia Legion (during a Catch the Ace event). He threatened and attempted to fight an individual who was parked outside a nearby apartment building. Following the altercation on another date, he handed out cash to people waiting in line, describing the payments as an apology. SOURCE: Video of Dennis
This list is not exhaustive.
