Chatham-Kent is an amalgamation of 23 communities in a rural setting – “a community of communities” with a population of 107,000.
Our peoples trace their ancestries to First Nations (at Walpole Island and Moraviantown), Scotland, England, Holland, Germany and France. The Underground Railroad led here and we retain a thriving black community which boasts the Buxton Historic Site & Museum as well as Uncle Tom’s cabin of Harriet Beecher Stowe fame. The francophone element of Chatham-Kent remains vibrant with churches, schools and activities revolving around French heritage.
We have Rondeau Provincial Park with some of the best birding in North America, R.M. Classic Cars and Chatham’s Cultural Centre housing the Thames Art Gallery, the Kiwanis Theatre and the Chatham-Kent Museum. Part of the Battle of 1812 was fought in Chatham-Kent and both an enhanced Tecumseh Monument & Park and a “Tecumseh Parkway” are being developed as part of the bicentenary commemorations for that event. We have an award-winning winery, boating and fishing on Lake Erie and a rapidly growing agri-tourism sector.
Chatham-Kent has 200 years of rural buildings – barns, farmhouses, pumphouses, a blacksmith’s forge plus churches, schools and public buildings which span the centuries. We have buildings by internationally known architects, highly respected local architects and buildings based on memories of homes in far off lands.
We are proud to be part of University of Guelph - the Ridgetown Campus is the agricultural hub of the university where innovative research in bio-fuels, animal husbandry and related industries takes place. For those wanting to extend their post-secondary learning in less agriculturally-based directions, we have St. Clair College in Chatham, with a recently opened multi-million dollar Healthplex fitness facility.
From these diverse roots has grown a thriving cultural community.
Our eleven heritage museums showcase the region’s deeply rooted ties to significant historic events as well as people who helped shape our nation.
A necklace of amateur theatre groups extends across the community supplemented by the Chatham Capitol Theatre, the Kiwanis Theatre in Chatham and The Mary Webb Cultural & Community Centre in Highgate where professional musicians, actors and dancers perform.
The Thames Art Gallery is the dominant exhibition space for the visual arts with ARTspace down the road offering another venue for local talent. The Art House at 199 Wellington Street West is a new addition to Chatham’s exhibition spaces. The CK Etsy Group promotes locally-made craftwork through on-line and trunk sales. “Art on the Boulevard” in Erieau has become a showcase for both artists and crafters with over 80 participants drawing thousands of visitors the last weekend in July. The annual Desmond Juried Art Exhibition & Sale “Celebrating Canadian Rural Living” receives entries from across Canada of paintings, photographs and sculpture with a country theme.
Festivals fill the summer weekend calendar across the municipality: Ridgetown’s Festival of Porches & Verandahs celebrates Victorian architecture, Blenheim has a CherryFest, Ridgetown now has a Tulipfest, Classic Cars, Ribfest, Retrofest, WAMBO, CK on the Edge, Harvest and History Festival, Heritage Farm Vehicles. For those with a more athletic bent, Chatham has now opened their new YMCA and splash pad while Blenheim has upgraded their pool.
Several Cultural Action Teams have established regular street events with “Culture on Queen” in Tilbury and “Fourth Fridays” in Wallaceburg drawing a growing array of visual, musical and culinary artists to their areas.
As the cultural activities continue to expand throughout the community of Chatham-Kent, their contribution to our economy receives more recognition. Artists, musicians, actors, dancers, crafters and writers rent exhibition spaces, buy supplies, print advertisements and draw visitors to our region. Thanks to them it is acknowledged that “culture grows our economy”.
