Friday Briefing — August 21, 2026

Good morning, Chatham-Kent. Nominations officially closed for the fall election today, a new bulk grocery store just opened in Chatham, and the Barnstormers are on the road tonight against London. Here's your Friday. 👇

⛽ Gas & ☀️ Weather

Gas: Prices around Chatham range from 161.9¢ at Mobil up to 164.7¢ at Esso today. Check today's cheapest stations on GasBuddy →

Weather: A gorgeous start to the weekend. Morning opens cool and sunny at 14°, warming to a beautiful 25° (feels 29°) by afternoon under mainly sunny skies. Evening cools to 22° with a 40% chance of a passing shower. Overnight brings a 40% chance of thunderstorms, settling at 19°. Great day to be outside for the Pride Parade and craft fair — just keep an eye on the sky later tonight.

📣 CK Spotlight

35 Home Place — one-floor living, done right

Courtesy of Bridget Blonde, REALTOR®, Nest Realty Inc. Brokerage

Bridget Blonde has a new listing in Chatham built for exactly the kind of homeowner who's tired of stairs and yard work. The main floor works with you — handles and rails right where you need them — with two bedrooms up, a third down, and three full baths including a primary ensuite. The double attached garage means no more scraping windshields in January.

Here's the part worth knowing: the $150/month maintenance fee covers the roof, snow removal, and lawn care, so the two chores most people dread are simply handled. No rear neighbours, a private deck, and a street where neighbours actually gather.

View the full listing →

🗳️ Major Story — Nomination Period Closes with a Record Field for October's Election

The window for candidates to enter Chatham-Kent's 2026 municipal election closed today at 2:00pm, capping a nomination period that opened back on May 1. And it's shaping up to be the biggest field this municipality has ever seen — over 80 people have registered, almost double the number from the 2022 election. Six people are currently running for mayor, while Ward 7 (North East Chatham) and Ward 5 (Wallaceburg) have drawn the most council candidates, with 17 and 14 respectively.

The mayoral race features sitting Ward 1 Councillor Lauren Anderson, Chatham Councillor Michael Bondy, and newcomer Nelson Burm among others vying for the top job. New names kept surfacing right up to the deadline, including Dale VanDusen and Michael Gibbons, both running for one of two Ward 7 (North East Chatham) council seats.

This is officially the largest candidate field in at least five election cycles — meaning more choice, more debate, and a real shake-up possible for a council about to shrink from 18 seats to 15. Voters head to the polls October 26. If you haven't looked at who's running in your ward yet, now's the time.

See every candidate by ward →  ·  Full story on CK News Today →

🛒 Major Story — Ricco Cash & Carry Opens New Chatham Location

Ricco Cash & Carry has opened a new location in Chatham at 496 Riverview Drive, bringing bulk foods, restaurant supplies, and everyday savings to the community with no membership required. The store is celebrating its official grand opening tomorrow, Saturday, at 10am — open to the general public, with regular hours Monday to Friday from 9am to 6pm, and Saturday and Sunday from 9am to 5pm.

Shelves are stocked with bulk foods, frozen goods, deli meats and cheeses, packaging supplies, bakery items, and restaurant-quality products — the kind of selection typically reserved for commercial buyers, now open to anyone in CK looking to stock up and save.

Follow Ricco Cash & Carry Chatham on Facebook →

📰 This Week's Quick Stories

💊 $1.28M in drugs, guns, and stolen vehicles seized in probe linked to CK. A months-long OPP-led investigation spanning London, Walpole Island, Lambton County, and Chatham-Kent dismantled a trafficking operation, seizing roughly 15.3kg of fentanyl, 1.7kg of cocaine, 2kg of methamphetamine, four loaded prohibited handguns, and five stolen vehicles. Three London residents were arrested. Read on CK News Today →

🏆 CK wins provincial award for Pathways on Park cabins. The municipality received a P.J. Marshall Municipal Innovation Award at the AMO conference for its transitional housing project, which has served 126 people since opening — including 12 unaccompanied youth and 11 seniors — with 93% of those who moved to long-term housing still housed today. Read on CK News Today →

📮 Mitchell's Bay getting its own name back on mail. Canada Post has agreed to update the mailing place name for Mitchell's Bay residents from "Dover Centre" to "Mitchell's Bay," effective this October. Read on CK News Today →

🤝 Eden Villa workers ratify new four-year contract. Thirty health-care and service workers at Chatham's Eden Villa unanimously approved a new deal with annual wage increases and improved benefits. Read on CK News Today →

⛳ 92-year-old Chatham golfer sinks her first hole-in-one. Verna Filby aced the par-three eighth hole at Links of Kent Golf Club — her first hole-in-one ever, at 92 years young. A genuinely great local moment. Read on Chatham-Kent Sports Network →

🚨 Two arrested after attempted trailer theft leads to stolen ATV. Police arrested a 31-year-old woman and 44-year-old man after an attempted trailer theft on Grand Avenue East Tuesday night led to the discovery of a stolen ATV in their truck. Read on Sydenham Current →

🌳 Municipality refreshing park signage across CK. Chatham-Kent is updating signage in its parks and asking residents to call 311 to report any damaged signs or maintenance concerns. Read on Sydenham Current →

💰 CK seeking residents for community funding review committee. Applications are open for the Together CK grant review committee — any CK resident 18+ can apply. Apply on Sydenham Current →

🚑 Teen seriously injured in Communication Road crash. A 16-year-old Chatham girl suffered life-threatening injuries in a single-vehicle crash last week and was transferred to hospital in London. Police continue to investigate and are asking any witnesses to come forward. Our thoughts are with her and her family. Read on CK News Today →

⚾ Barnstormers on the Road Tonight vs. London Majors

Chatham-Kent heads to London tonight to take on the Majors as the regular season winds down. Coming off Tuesday's win over Guelph, the Barnstormers will be looking to for momentum going heading into the final stretch.

📅 This Weekend in Chatham-Kent

🏳️‍🌈 CK Pride Parade & PrideFest — Saturday. The parade steps off at 11am through downtown Chatham according to the time on the offical website, with PrideFest running noon–4pm in the downtown core. CK's annual 2SLGBTQIA+ celebration with vendors, community displays, and a full day of festivities.

🎨 Handmade Crafts & Vendor Fair — Friday through Sunday, 10am–4pm. Tecumseh Park and Downtown Chatham. An outdoor market of handmade crafts, artisan goods, and food trucks running all weekend.

🌿 Rondeau Provincial Park programs — all weekend. iNaturalist Adventures (Friday, 1–3pm), Self-Guided Mindful Hike (Saturday, 10am–3pm), and "Hop to It" kids' program (Sunday, 10:30–11:30am). Free with park day-use entry.

Coming up next week: Chatham Concert Band's Concerts in the Park returns Wednesday, August 26 at 7pm at the Tecumseh Park bandshell — free, bring a lawn chair.

🗳️ Reader Polls

It's been a month since CKNow really got going, and I've heard from a lot of you — more than I expected, honestly. Some of it's been "hey, you missed this story," some of it's been "I love the Friday format," and some of it's been harder feedback that made me rethink how I was doing things.

All of it has helped. I want to keep building on that instead of just settling into a routine. This newsletter should be shaped by what CK actually wants from it, not just what I assume you want. So if you've got thoughts — good, bad, or "why don't you ever cover X" — I want to hear them.

Feel free to reply to this email and share any feedback!

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Have a great weekend, Chatham-Kent.
— The CKNow Team · cknow.ca