New Wheatley plans pave path for a revitalized downtown
Nearly four years after an explosion rocked the community of Wheatley, officials are charting a course to turn the wreckage into a welcoming space.
Residents gathered at the explosion site in the downtown core Saturday morning for the release of the new conceptual plans.
'This town rallied, it supported neighbours, it asked hard questions, it collaborated and above all, it never gave up on what could be,' Darrin Canniff, the Mayor of Chatham-Kent, told a crowd of more than 200 people.
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About 200 people walked the lot in downtown Wheatley, where an explosion levelled several buildings in 2021. (Robert Lothian/CTV News Windsor)
Dignitaries from all three levels of government and representatives from frontline stakeholders spoke on the lengthy recovery process needed to restore Wheatley.
Moving forward, Canniff predicted the town would become the fastest-growing community in Chatham-Kent.
'We're here today to dream a dream of the future of Wheatley, of what it can be,' Canniff said.
'I believe in this community that five years, ten years from now, we will look back and say, wow, look at how amazing this community is.'
On July 19, 2021, an emergency was declared in Wheatley following the detection of Hydrogen Sulfide gas.
The following month, on Aug. 26, an explosion occurred at 15 Erie Street North and expanded the emergency evacuation zone.
In 2024, following site demolition, a successful investigation, and the plugging of an uncovered well, municipal officials deemed the emergency order over.
Developed by Fotenn Planning and Design, two conceptual plan options released on Saturday feature a heavy incorporation of green space, gardens and places for people to gather.
The space would be anchored by the many small businesses that fill the downtown core.
Howard Gabert, the chair of the Wheatley Task Force, told CTV News they are still working to decide the fate of existing infrastructure on the property.
As of Saturday, a scrubbing system and an abandoned wellhead were still visible at the site.
'So, that's what the two designs are, one of them retains it on an above-ground structure for managing the scrubber system, while the other one has a design that doesn't incorporate all of that,' Gabert said.
Last year, council approved the acquisition of buildings affected by the explosion, beginning the demolition process and paving the way forward for a streamlined process.
Because of Wheatley's ties to the water and fishing, one design plans for a boat in the park's core.
Gabert said the designs are heavily fuelled by community feedback they've received.
'I think what you see in the design is elements of appreciation for nature, you'll have systems that are going to integrate into the community and to be what we're referring to as Wheatley's backyard,' Gabert added.
After a long road, Gabert said they are looking forward to moving past the 'tragic' event.
With solidified funding from the province, Gabert said there's hope work can begin in the coming months while they continue to solidify the final design.
-With files from CTV's Chris Campbell.
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