By: Pam Wright, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Chatham Voice
Post disaster, Wheatley is continuing its comeback story.
To that end, Chatham-Kent council has adopted the Wheatley Community Development Action Plan aimed at boosting growth in the town hard hit by a gas explosion in August 2021.
Prior to the approval at the Feb. 23 council meeting, Wheatley economic development officer Kyra Knapp detailed the milestones Wheatley has achieved in its recovery to date, while also outlining plans for the future.
Hired in 2023, Knapp has been responsible for engaging with the community and co-ordinating the community’s ongoing revitalization efforts.
According to Knapp, the action plan provides structure and a way to measure progress from 2025 to 2029.
“The underlying part of this plan is that it reflects the resilience of the community,” Knapp told council. “It showcases a community that endured disruption but at the end of the day chose to organize, collaborate and look forward.
“This was really not a top-down plan,” she added. “It was community formed and is a roadmap for success.”
As part of the response, the Wheatley Task Force was formed to facilitate revitalization and community advocacy, becoming a valued part of the rebuild. Officials say it has been a driving force for change in Wheatley.
Community engagement was a critical piece of the plan, Knapp explained to council. A survey gleaned 349 responses; 45 interviews were conducted; two public meetings were held; and small-group discussions were held with a number of stakeholders.
Inclusivity is another major plank, Knapp stressed.
“We know that recovery has to benefit all ages and backgrounds and really includes embracing and working alongside all the super-active community organizations that have been so integral to the work we have been doing,” she said.
Regenerative tourism is another aspect of the plan going forward, Knapp stated, noting officials hope to expand eco-tourism and build on the community’s storied fishing heritage.
Aligning with Chatham-Kent priorities and plans is also key.
“It really ensures that Wheatley’s priorities as a community are not separate and apart from the larger goals of C-K, but really integrated,” Knapp said.
Laid out in four stages, Knapp said the action plan focuses on economic growth and business development; upgrading the downtown and quality of place; tourism and destination development as well as community and social connectivity.
West Kent Coun. Melissa Harrigan had words of praise for Knapp, the Wheatley task force, the municipality and the community.
“I really do think the way Wheatley responded to what was nothing short of a tragedy was a model for resilience in not just Chatham-Kent, but across the province,” Harrigan said. “I also think that as a council, while we don’t always agree on things, we certainly do stand behind our communities and it’s a lot easier to stand behind those communities when those communities are standing up and really doing that heavy lifting.”
So far, Wheatley has received $1 million to support the development of the new Wheatley Downtown Park.
A gas explosion decimated several downtown buildings in 2021 and force the evacuation of the core of the community. The gas was found to have been seeping from an old well in the heart of the community, and remediation efforts took months to complete.
