What's Happening in Chatham-Kent Today — Tuesday, October 20

Morning, CK. It's another mild, mostly sunny day with a high of 18°, but watch for fog and frost overnight. Nearly 16,000 people have already voted in the municipal election, and a local YouTuber is living in a storage container for charity. Here's your Tuesday rundown.

⛽ Gas Prices

Regular: Chatham stations run from 168.7¢/L at the Mobil on Richmond St to 170.9¢ at most stations, with the Mobil on Grand Ave E higher at 179.5¢. Blenheim is 170.7¢ to 171.9¢, Charing Cross is 171.5¢, Dresden is 171.7¢, Thamesville is 172.9¢ to 173.9¢ and Ridgetown is 175.9¢. Lowest around is Moraviantown First Nation at 143.8¢ to 146.5¢, with one River Line station at 154.7¢.

Diesel: Chatham is 259.3¢ to 259.9¢ at most stations, with the Petro-Canada on Grand Ave W at 269.9¢. Blenheim, Charing Cross and Thamesville are 259.9¢ (one Blenheim station reports 274.9¢), Dresden is 261.9¢ and Ridgetown is 262.9¢. Moraviantown is lowest at 225.8¢ to 234.9¢.

GasBuddy Chatham · cknow.ca/gas-prices

☀️ Weather

A cool, bright start: 5° at 8 AM under mainly sunny skies, with fog patches dissipating in the morning. It's 10° by 10 AM, 14° at noon, 17° at 3 PM and a high of 18° around 5 PM. The UV index is 4, which is moderate. The evening is clear, with 15° at 7 PM, 12° at 9 PM and 9° at midnight. Fog patches may develop overnight, and the low of 3° comes with a risk of frost.

cknow.ca/weather

🗳️ Major Story — Nearly 16,000 Votes Cast Early in the CK Election

Almost 16,000 Chatham-Kent residents have already voted in the municipal election, according to CK News Today and Sydenham Current. The total is 15,994 ballots, or 17.78 per cent of eligible electors.

Most of those votes were cast online: 12,313 ballots, which the Current reports is a record for internet voting in Chatham-Kent. The municipality says that tops the roughly 9,800 online votes from 2018. About 3,600 people voted at advance polls in Chatham, Wallaceburg, Blenheim, Ridgetown, Tilbury and Dresden, which the municipality says exceeded advance-poll totals from both 2018 and 2022.

Election Day is Monday, Oct. 26, with polls open from 10 AM to 8 PM at the location listed on your Voter Information Notice. If you aren't on the voters' list yet, you can add your name at the Chatham-Kent Municipal Centre until 4:30 PM that day. Our Election Tracker at the end of the quick stories can help you find your ward and candidates. Read more at CK News Today →

Quick poll: how did you vote?

🏠 Major Story — A Local YouTuber Is Living in a Storage Container for Charity

Isaac Davey, a YouTuber with Exordia Creative, is spending a week living in a portable storage unit in the Exordia Creative parking lot in Chatham, from Monday, Oct. 19 to Monday, Oct. 26, according to CK News Today. He's raising money for the Children's Treatment Centre Foundation of Chatham-Kent, with a goal of $12,000 by the end of the week.

Here's the twist: donors pay to take comforts out of the unit. Small items like a clock or a plant cost $25, bigger items like the fridge or the couch cost $1,000, and his bed costs $3,000. The challenge is organized by Portable Storage (Bothwell) and Exordia Creative. The article didn't include a donation link, so check with Exordia Creative or the Foundation. Read more at CK News Today →

🎬 Major Story — A Wheatley Filmmaker Is Telling the Story of Oil in Chatham-Kent

Wheatley filmmaker Alex Petrovich is close to wrapping up a three-part documentary series called "Oil Made Kings Here" about the history of oil in Chatham-Kent and Lambton County, according to CK News Today. He moved to Wheatley from Windsor about three years ago.

Petrovich visited Chatham, Tilbury, Bothwell, Blenheim, Erieau and Petrolia for the project. Oil Springs, home of Canada's first commercial oil well, features prominently, and the Chatham Sag, a large regional depression, is a major focus. The series follows his earlier three-part project, "Wheatley From Fish to Flame," whose final part covered a 2021 explosion and led him to research the area's many abandoned wells. There are no screening dates yet. He's aiming for an early 2027 release and hopes to sell it to a streaming service. Read more at CK News Today →

📰 Today's Quick Stories

🏒 Nyitray's overtime winner lifts the Maroons. Parker Nyitray scored his team-leading 11th goal of the season in overtime Sunday as the Chatham Maroons beat the Strathroy Rockets 3-2 at Chatham Memorial Arena. The Maroons (10-2) have won three straight and visit the St. Catharines Falcons on Friday. CK News Today

🚧 Crash closed westbound Highway 401. A two-vehicle crash shut the westbound lanes between Victoria Rd. and Kent Bridge Rd. shortly after 11 PM Sunday. One person was taken to hospital with injuries that aren't considered life-threatening, and the highway reopened just before 5 AM Monday. No charges had been announced. CK News Today

🗳️ Candidates on community wellness. The Sydenham Current's latest candidate Q&A, for mayoral, Ward 4 (Wallaceburg) and Ward 5 (North West Kent) candidates, covers community wellness. Sydenham Current

🤝 Battle for Recovery at Walpole Island. The Empower2Recover Foundation and Walpole Island First Nation host Walpole's Battle for Recovery on Saturday, Oct. 24 at 770 Tecumseh Road. Community members, families and people with lived experience will share stories of recovery, resilience, healing and hope, and a community lunch starts at noon. Sydenham Current

🍽️ Free community meal moves to Oct. 24. First Baptist Church on Thomas Ave. has moved its free community meal to Saturday, Oct. 24. The church says the change is because an advance poll for the municipal election is being held there. Sydenham Current

🚨 Police search for fraud suspect. Chatham-Kent police are looking for a woman wanted on charges including two counts each of theft of a credit card, possession of a credit card, unauthorized use of a credit card and fraud under $5,000. CK News Today

🚔 Man charged after money grabbed from counter. Police allege a 39-year-old Chatham man grabbed money from the counter of a King Street West business around 9:48 AM on Friday, Oct. 16 and fled on foot. He was arrested and has been charged. Sydenham Current

🗳️ The CKNow Election Tracker. Find your ward, your candidates, and your voting location all in one place, with local coverage on each candidate. No AI involved: every detail comes word-for-word from local news and the candidates themselves. Check it out at cknow.ca/vote

📌 Community Bulletin

Post yours free at cknow.ca/bulletin

🙋 Volunteers Wanted — Chatham-Kent Boards & Committees. The Municipality of Chatham-Kent is accepting applications from residents interested in serving on local boards and committees. Applications are open through October 30 at 2 PM. Learn more →

🎃 Halloween Bash at the Barn — Blenheim. Head to Red Barn Brewing on October 23 for a Halloween fundraiser supporting the Children's Treatment Centre Foundation of Chatham-Kent. Live music, costumes and more. Event details →

🐴 TJ Stables Trick or Treat Trail and Story Time — Chatham. Join TJ Stables on Saturday, Oct. 31 from 1 to 4 PM at 837 Gregory Dr. E. for a Halloween afternoon for younger families. Wear your costume, explore the whimsical woods, collect candy, visit the gingerbread house and meet unicorns, fairies, witches and friendly farm animals. There's a story time station, candy in a haystack, a unicorn meet and greet, pony rides and a scavenger hunt. Bring your own trick-or-treat bag. $30 per child; adults enter free.

💼 Local Jobs

Recent Chatham-Kent postings on Job Bank:

Chef, Links of Kent Golf Club. $70,000 to $85,000 a year. Details →

Restaurant manager, Satellite Restaurant. $20 to $24 an hour. Details →

Visiting nurse, VON Canada. $29.41 to $41.34 an hour; two more VON visiting nurse postings list $26.29 to $29.35. Details →

Draftsperson, Franklin Terrazzo Company. $20 to $28 an hour. Details →

Farm and produce work, Pain Court. Kejay Farms is hiring a general farm labourer and Nature's Finest Produce a fruit and vegetable grader, both at $17.95 an hour. Farm labourer · Grader

Part-time bartender, Wallaceburg Moose Lodge 1156. Smart Serve required, weekends. Drop your resume at 110 Duke Street.

More openings. This week's roundup lists postings from TD Bank, Fairfield Park and Five Star Tool and Die. Details →

🎉 Coming Up

Today, Tue., Oct. 20 — Swab Up, Save a Life stem cell swab event, 10 AM to 2 PM, St. Clair College Thames campus (ages 17 to 35). Toddler Tuesdays, 10 AM, CK Museum (free).

Every night — Wallaceburg Hometown Bingo, 1416 Dufferin Ave. Doors open at 5 PM, bingo starts at 7 PM.

Wed., Oct. 21 — Municipal Tax Sale tender opening, 3 PM, Civic Centre Council Chambers. Free Movie Night: The Librarians, 7 PM, Capitol Theatre (free). Thu., Oct. 22 — Book Bedazzling, 6 PM, Tilbury library branch. Seafood & Oyster Night, Glasstown, Wallaceburg (dinner 5 PM, oysters 6 PM; reservations recommended).

Fri., Oct. 23 — Bash at the Barn Halloween Bash, 7 PM, Red Barn Brewing, Blenheim ($50). Eye 4 Art opening reception, 7 to 9 PM, Thames Art Gallery (free). Haunted Museum, 7 PM, Wallaceburg & District Museum ($5). StarSearch finale, CBD ballroom. Parabolus: Complete TOOL Experience, 8 PM, Kiwanis Theatre ($51.35). Tom Arnold: My Crazy X-Wife, 8 PM, Capitol Theatre ($55-$70).

Sat., Oct. 24 — Chatham Farmers Market, 9 AM to 2 PM, 100 King St. W. House & Haven Vintage Barn Market, 10 AM, Octagon Barn (free). The Garage Gallery, 10 AM, Blenheim (free). Spooktacular Halloween Party, 11 AM, Camlachie Community Centre (free). Battle for Recovery, Walpole Island, 770 Tecumseh Rd. (community lunch at noon). Wallaceburg Haunted Museum, 7 PM ($5). 80's Gone Wild: A Tribute to Hair Bands, 7 PM, Kiwanis Theatre ($38.50). Forever Seger, 7:30 PM, Capitol Theatre ($49.72). Sun., Oct. 25 — Capes & Crowns CK, 11 AM, Everest Convention Centre. A Taste of Ireland, 6 PM, Capitol Theatre. Tom Waits Appreciation Congregation, Old Czech Hall, Dresden. Details →

Wed., Oct. 28 — Master Forger Paint Night: Doris McCarthy, 6 PM, Thames Art Gallery ($40). Free Movie Night: Minions and Monsters, 7 PM, Capitol Theatre (free).

Oct. 29 to Nov. 1 — Wallaceburg Halloween Town Fair, Glen Mickle Park. Sat., Oct. 31 — TJ Stables Trick or Treat Trail and Story Time, 1 to 4 PM, 837 Gregory Dr. E., Chatham ($30 per child, adults free).

See the full lineup at cknow.ca/events →

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