Sarnia council erupts in posturing
What a difference an hour’s drive can make. As Sarnia council battled over a dress code recently, Chatham-Kent Mayor Darrin Canniff said doesn’t see any kind of an issue here.
“At all council meetings, I’ve always worn a suit. I wear a suit and tie, but that’s just how I dress,” he said. “There’s never been a need for a dress code. People respect the council chambers and dress accordingly. No one shows up in ripped jeans.”
As for how others dress, Canniff said he doesn’t expect everyone to be in suits.
“I think business casual is a good minimum,” he said. “Dress pants and at least a nice golf shirt.”
Meanwhile in Sarnia, Mayor Mike Bradley said he felt like a parent recently separating quarreling children.
According to previously published reports, Sarnia Coun. Bill Dennis recently sought to have that council adopt a dress code, but his motion failed. However, there was some colourful debate.
Fellow councillor Nathan Colquhoun showed up in a tank top and a straw fedora. He said he didn’t see how clothing determines if an individual is respectful or not.
The meeting degenerated when Dennis commented that he believed shorts and flip-flops were inappropriate attire for someone to wear to a council meeting. Fellow councillor Mike Stark, according to reports, piped up that Dennis has worn flip-flops and shorts to meetings in the past.
At that point, Bradley stepped in to shut down the antics.
Canniff said if the issue of a dress code was ever brought up in Chatham-Kent council chambers, he anticipated a “healthy debate.”
But C-K council continues to meet online only, and “with virtual, everything is a bit more relaxed,” Canniff said.
