Friday Briefing
Friday Briefing: Online Voting Is Open and a $100K Hospice Match
Voting PIN details, a former nurse doubling every hospice donation, and your Thanksgiving weekend guide for Chatham-Kent
By CKNow5 min read
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🗳️ 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
Morning, CK, and happy Friday. Online voting is open, a hospice campaign is doubling every donation, and the Thanksgiving long weekend is almost here. Here's the week that was.
⛽ Gas & ☀️ Weather
Gas (Regular): Chatham stations run from 176.6¢ at the Esso on Queen St up to 179.7¢, with most around 179.2¢ to 179.5¢. Blenheim and Charing Cross sit near 179.5¢, Ridgetown is at 179.9¢, and Dresden runs 180.7¢ to 184.9¢. The cheapest fill-ups in the area are at Moraviantown First Nation, from 149.7¢ to 154.7¢.
Gas (Diesel): Chatham ranges from 255.3¢ at the Shell on Junction Ave to 259.9¢ at most stations (one Petro-Canada reported 269.9¢). Moraviantown is lowest at 234.9¢ to 236.9¢. GasBuddy → · cknow.ca/gas-prices →
Today: A beautiful fall day. It starts clear and chilly near 5°, turns sunny by 8 AM, and warms to 11° by 10 AM and 15° by noon. It peaks at 20° around 4 to 5 PM, then the evening stays clear and eases to 13° by midnight. Only a 10% chance of precipitation.
This weekend: Saturday is the pick, sunny and a warm 25° (low 13°). Sunday brings periods of rain, a 60% chance of precipitation, with a high of 20°. Thanksgiving Monday is cloudy with a 30% chance of showers and a high of 23°.
📣 CK Spotlight
154 Semenyn Avenue, Unit 24, Chatham
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 done with stairs and yard work. This ranch-style end-unit townhouse gives you a little extra light and yard space, plus a double car garage so January mornings don't start with a windshield scraper. Inside, everything you need is on one floor: a bright living room with a gas fireplace and deck access, an eat-in kitchen with plenty of cabinetry, and a primary suite with a walk-in closet and 4-piece ensuite, plus main-floor laundry.
Here's the part worth knowing: the finished basement adds a large family room, a den perfect for a home office, and a third full bathroom — real extra living space, not just storage. And a $100/month association fee covers snow removal and lawn care, so two of the biggest homeownership chores are simply handled.
🗳️ Major Story — Online Voting Is Open, and You'll Need Your Voting PIN
Online voting for the municipal election opened Thursday morning and runs until Friday, Oct. 16 at 4 PM. According to CK News Today, you'll need the Voting PIN that was mailed to you, and you'll also enter your date of birth. If you don't plan to vote, you can still log in and say so.
Prefer to vote in person? Advance polls run Oct. 15 (noon to 7 PM), Oct. 16 (10 AM to 4 PM) and Oct. 17 (10 AM to 4 PM), with locations including the John D. Bradley Centre in Chatham plus sites in Wallaceburg, Blenheim, Ridgetown, Tilbury and Dresden. Election day is Monday, Oct. 26.
💙 Major Story — A Former Nurse Is Matching Every Hospice Donation Up to $100,000
Willi Kirenko, a former nurse, and her husband Nestor have decided to match every donation made to the Chatham-Kent Hospice, up to $100,000. Willi was moved to act by the care she has received there.
About $43,000 has been raised so far, which means every dollar you give right now is doubled until the match is reached.
💙 Want to give? Make a donation to the Chatham-Kent Hospice Foundation here →
📰 This Week's Full Recap
🐶 Little Debbie is close to adoption. The dog was brought to Pet & Wildlife Rescue in Chatham in September after being exposed to cocaine and amphetamines, and she has recovered. Read more →
🏒 Blenheim arena and South Kent ball diamonds head for funding applications. Chatham-Kent is applying to the province's Community Sport and Recreation Infrastructure Fund for an ice plant replacement at Blenheim Memorial Arena and a new ball diamond complex in South Kent. Read more →
🚧 Charge laid in Erieau crosswalk damage. Police charged a 19-year-old Tilbury man over a July 25 burnout that damaged the Veterans Memorial Crosswalk; CCTV and public tips helped identify the driver. Read more →
🥋 CK martial artists win 36 medals. Twenty-eight members of Armstrong Academy of Martial Arts competed at the London Jiu Jitsu Open, among about 1,000 participants. Read more →
🏍️ Three motorcyclists charged with stunt driving. Police impounded the bikes after a citizen complaint about dangerous riding on St. Clair Street in Chatham on Oct. 3. Read more →
🚨 Walpole Island armed robbery arrest. A 42-year-old is in custody after a joint police response to a Tuesday-morning robbery. Read more →
🏘️ September home sales bounce back. The Chatham-Kent Association of Realtors says sales returned to normal September levels while new listings stay historically high. Read more →
🏛️ Ward 2 Councillor Ryan Doyle won't seek re-election. After four years on council, he says he's stepping away to spend time with his family. Read more →
🎂 Burns Restaurant in Dresden is turning 20. They're inviting the community to celebrate at 296 St. George St., or call 519-683-4371.
🐱 Sons of Kats VIP Night is Oct. 23. Pet and Wildlife Rescue and Sons of Kent Brewing Co. will reveal the winning cat and beer label at the brewery in Chatham. Read more →
📌 Community Bulletin
Introducing Community Bulletins. List events, jobs, fundraisers, things to buy or sell, volunteer calls and more, all in one place. Post yours free at cknow.ca/bulletin, or get it right here in the newsletter for $35 ($45 with a photo or logo) by replying back to this post or visiting cknow.ca/advertise
🙋 Volunteers Wanted — Chatham-Kent Boards & Committees. The municipality is accepting applications through October 30. Learn more →
🎃 Halloween Bash at the Barn — Blenheim. Red Barn Brewing, October 23, a fundraiser for the Children's Treatment Centre Foundation of Chatham-Kent. Event details →
🎉 Weekend Event Guide
Friday, Oct. 9 — Parents Night Out (6 PM, CK Museum, $26); Girls Nite Out (7:30 PM, Kiwanis Theatre, $55).
Saturday, Oct. 10 — Ridgetown Farmers Market (8 AM); Chatham Farmers Market (9 AM to 2 PM, 100 King St W); Kids Club: Trick-or-Treat Imagination Station (9 AM, CK Museum, free); The Garage Gallery (10 AM, Blenheim, free); Whole Lotta Love: A Tribute to Led Zeppelin (7:30 PM, Capitol Theatre, $65).
Sunday, Oct. 11 and Thanksgiving Monday, Oct. 12 — Nothing is listed yet on our events page, so check cknow.ca/events for late additions. Coming up: advance polls Oct. 15 to 17.
See the full lineup at cknow.ca/events →
Restaurants, home services, real estate, auto shops and more — all in one place. Free to search, free to list.
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