Continuing to grow the municipality will be a main goal for Chatham-Kent’s mayor heading into 2022.
Darrin Canniff says the past year has been challenging for everyone, but has also seen some great steps forward for the municipality.
“Some of the things that stand out is our economy and growth. This year we expect to create nearly 1,000 housing units in Chatham-Kent, if you put two people in there, that’s about a 2 per cent growth in one year,” Canniff says. “I expect that to continue on and start expanding out to areas that maybe aren’t growing as much. Wallaceburg, I expect to start seeing housing developments starting there as well.”
Canniff says despite the pandemic, the community’s economy has done relatively well with unemployment staying below the federal and provincial rate through 2021.
Looking back, Canniff says what he will remember most about the past year is the generosity and thoughtfulness of local residents.
“So many people are coming to Chatham-Kent and saying what an amazing place this is and the key piece is the people, how they’ve been welcomed here, and that’s what makes me most proud about Chatham-Kent.”
Looking ahead to the new year, Canniff says the first hurdle to overcome will be the municipal budget, which given the cost of inflation, is expected to be a challenging process.
