Plans for downtown Wheatley will be unveiled this weekend almost four years after a devastating blast flattened buildings in the downtown core.
The Wheatley Recovery Task Force said the community will come together on Saturday to celebrate the town’s "inspiring path forward" and its progress since the 2021 explosion.
Officials noted the all-day event will take place in the heart of downtown from 10:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. along Talbot Street to "celebrate strength, recovery, and revitalization."
The task force said the event will have live music, speeches from dignitaries, a vendor marketplace, family-friendly activities, a beer tent, and a community plant sale.
“This event is more than just a celebration, it’s a milestone,” said West Kent Councillor Lauren Anderson. “We’re not only honouring the past, we’re proudly stepping into the future with gratitude, strength, and vision.”
The day will begin with remarks from dignitaries and community leaders, including local, provincial, and federal representatives, Indigenous partners, and members of the Wheatley Recovery Task Force.
“The people of Wheatley didn’t just rebuild, they led,” said Chair of the Wheatley Recovery Task Force Howard Gabert. “Wheatley Waves Forward [the event] is about honouring that leadership, that persistence, and that sense of community that has carried us through.”
The highlight of the celebration will be the unveiling of the downtown concept design, a collaborative project between the Municipality of Chatham-Kent, the Province of Ontario, and the Wheatley Task Force. The design offers a "bold new vision" for the downtown core, emphasizing public gathering spaces, accessibility, and long-term community use, according to officials.
The celebration event is free and open to everyone.
“We’re proud of how far we’ve come, and this event is a chance to share that pride together,” Gabert added.
The Wheatley emergency was declared over at the end of October 2024.
Councillor Anderson previously said the future of the downtown will be determined by what the community wants through the Wheatley Recovery Task Force. However, she believed the community didn't want buildings to go up at the site of the explosion, opting instead for park space that maybe has some pads where vendors come in seasonally, food trucks, and a little amphitheatre for music.