CKNow Daily
What's Happening in Chatham-Kent Today — Wednesday, October 28
Bondy wins the mayor's chair in record turnout, Wallaceburg's Nightmare on Nelson Street turns five, and a new Chatham park hits a milestone.
By CKNow6 min read
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Good morning, Chatham-Kent. With a new mayor now confirmed, Wallaceburg is getting ready for its biggest Halloween yet, and Chatham has a new park nearly ready for its final phase. It's a sunny one today with a high of 21, so if you've been putting off the pumpkins and the porch decorations, this is your day.
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⛽ Gas Prices
Regular: The middle price across 29 Chatham-Kent stations was 165.5¢ a litre as of Tuesday evening. Moraviantown First Nation is still the cheapest fill-up around, with Moravian Corner Store on Selton Line at 139.9¢. Prices across southern Ontario slipped about 2.5¢ this week.
Diesel: Peters Petro in Moraviantown First Nation has the lowest price at 226.9¢ a litre. The weekly regional survey puts diesel at 256.9¢ in Windsor and 258.7¢ in London.
☀️ Weather
Mainly sunny and warm for late October, with a high of 21° this afternoon and a UV index of 3 (moderate). Clear skies tonight with a low of 10°. No weather alerts were in effect overnight.
🗳️ Election Roundup: Record Turnout, and What's Next for CK
Unofficial results from all 32 tabulator locations show turnout jumped to 40.79% this year — 36,703 of 89,987 eligible electors cast a ballot, up more than 10 points from 2022's 30.56% and the most ballots counted here since at least 2010. Turnout still trails 2018's 45.44% once the growth in the voter list is factored in, and about one in three ballots were cast online. In the mayor's race, Michael Bondy defeated incumbent Darrin Canniff with 15,818 votes. Results remain unofficial until the municipal clerk certifies them.
The new term begins Nov. 15, once council makes its declarations of office, and it'll be a smaller council, dropping from 17 members to 14. Bondy says his first priorities are restructuring within the municipality and overhauling how the budget is presented, calling the current process “very confusing to the public and frankly, confusing to council.” He's planning a review of administration and departments once he's sworn in.
The new council doesn't start with a clean slate. It inherits a 25-year Strategic Housing Action Plan passed just months ago, a homelessness count up 171% since 2019, a roughly $2.6-billion infrastructure gap flagged by the municipality's CFO, and a housing needs assessment calling for more than 6,000 additional units. Expect all of it to shape the 2027 budget — the new council's first major test.
🎃 Wallaceburg's Nightmare on Nelson Street Turns Five
What started as one family's Halloween display has grown into a full neighbourhood haunt. Josh and Kristen Thompson and the Spencer family next door are marking the fifth year of A Nightmare on Nelson Street, and this year the props are bigger than ever, including an electric chair, gallows and a guillotine set up for photos.
For the milestone year, they've partnered with the Wallaceburg BIA to turn it into a full day. The Boo Bash on James Street starts at 10 a.m. with games, a costume contest, the Whimsical Witches of Wallaceburg, Halloween trivia around downtown and raffle prizes. Chatham-Kent Police will be there handing out safety tips, reflective armbands and candy. Nelson Street opens to trick-or-treaters at 5 p.m., and the Zombie Pub Crawl leaves the Wallaceburg Legion at 7 p.m., with stops at the Stubby Goat and Glasstown Brewing Co.
Times and updates are posted on the Wallaceburg BIA's Facebook page. Sydenham Current
🏀 St. Clair College Community Park Finishes Phase Two
The new park on Bear Line in Chatham marked the end of its second phase with a ceremony on Friday. The 20-acre site, a former farm field that St. Clair College donated to the municipality, now has basketball courts, a walking trail, two washroom buildings and new playground equipment. They join the Rogers Tennis Dome, which opened there in 2025.
Phase three is expected in 2027 and will add a soccer and rugby field, a cricket pitch and a natural greenspace. So far the park has been funded with $4.2 million from municipal reserves and capital budgets, plus $2 million from the Hydro One Community Benefit. Chatham Voice
📰 Today's Quick Stories
🩸 Blood donor clinic coming to Wallaceburg. Canadian Blood Services will be at UAW Local 251, 88 Elm Dr. S., on Tuesday, Nov. 3, from 1 to 7 p.m. Book at blood.ca. Only about 2% of eligible Canadians currently give. Sydenham Current
👑 Capes and Crowns raises support for Cystic Fibrosis Canada. Stephanie Badder turned the Everest Convention Centre into a fairy-tale kingdom on Sunday for a fundraiser that also marked 15 years since her husband's double lung transplant. Sydenham Current
📝 Free wills and estate planning session in Wallaceburg. The Wallaceburg Adult Activity Centre is hosting a lunch and learn with Jocelyn Kraayenbrink of Anderson Law Group on Tuesday, Nov. 24, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. A light lunch is included. Register by Nov. 20 at 519-627-6224 or programs@wallaceburgaac.ca. Sydenham Current
🚔 Impaired driving charges after Dawn Mills Road crash. Police say a 41-year-old woman was the only person in a vehicle that crashed Monday night around 8:40 p.m. She is charged with impaired driving and driving over 80. The charges have not been proven in court. Sydenham Current
📌 Community Bulletin
Post yours free at cknow.ca/bulletin
🎟️ Annual Penny Sale — St. Joseph's (City) C.W.L., Chatham. Monday, Nov. 16 at the Spirit and Life Centre on Wellington St. W. Penny prizes, a 50/50 draw, special prizes, a bake table and refreshments. Doors open at 6 PM and the sale starts at 7 PM. Fun for the whole family.
💼 Local Jobs
New Chatham-Kent postings this week:
Mechanical assembler, Penta Equipment Inc. Thamesville.
Sonographer, Human Integrity HR. Chatham.
Supervised access worker and intake worker (protection), Linck Child, Youth & Family Supports. Chatham.
Search all of them at CareerBeacon or Job Bank →
🎉 Coming Up
Today, 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).
Every night — Wallaceburg Hometown Bingo, 1416 Dufferin Ave. Doors open at 5 PM, bingo starts at 7 PM.
Thu., Oct. 29 — Halloween Bingo, 6 PM, Legion Branch 642, Chatham ($10). Barn Laughs, 7:30 PM, Red Barn Brewing, Blenheim ($25). Fri., Oct. 30 — Escape the Milner House: Shadows After Sunset, 5 PM, Milner Heritage House ($75). Sat., Oct. 31 — Escape the Milner House, 10 AM ($75). The Garage Gallery, 10 AM, Blenheim (free). Wallaceburg Boo Bash, 10 AM, James St., with Nightmare on Nelson Street at 5 PM. Golden Pumpkin Event, 4 PM (free).
Tue., Nov. 3 — Blood donor clinic, 1 to 7 PM, UAW Local 251, Wallaceburg. CKJobs Education and Training Fair, 3 PM, 565 Richmond St., Chatham. Sun., Nov. 8 — Right Royal Tea Party, 12:30 PM, Wallaceburg Adult Activity Centre ($30).
See the full lineup at cknow.ca/events →
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