From a housing boom to public art, Chatham-Kent’s mayor sees bright things in Wallaceburg’s future.
At the second annual Mayor’s Breakfast hosted by the Wallaceburg and District Chamber of Commerce on Wednesday, Darrin Canniff said good things are happening across the community, including the Southside revitalization, the Glasstown brewery, and a number of residential developments.
Canniff said the community is expected to see 7-8% growth in the next few years, the largest of any community in Chatham-Kent, including a new affordable housing initiative on Bruinsma Avenue.
“There’s 60-70 units, we’re putting an RFP out for it, which is a reality, we’re building that. There’s another property that we’re looking at either getting it shovel-ready for a private business to come in and do affordable housing, or we do the same type of project there. It’ll be a little smaller, probably another 30 units, but that’s over 100 units of affordable housing coming to Wallaceburg over the next few years.”
Canniff admits the community is also facing some challenges when it comes to substance use and crime. He says installing closed circuit cameras in the downtown core is a priority.
“Certainly, I hear and see what’s going on in downtown Wallaceburg. We need to get the cameras down there because it very much is a deterrent for crime.”
The CCTV pilot project will be launched in Chatham before expanding to Wallaceburg, but has been delayed by affects from the pandemic and supply chain issues.
A group of 55 people, including business owners, municipal staff, and area residents took in Wednesday’s event, many with questions about the time it’s taking to get some projects completed, including the southside revitalization plan and repairs to the Stonehouse Walking Bridge.
Canniff says while he would like to see everything done yesterday, there are processes to follow to ensure projects are done properly, and some things are out of the municipality’s control.
“I’m a yesterday kind of guy, let’s get it all done. There are hoops we have to jump through, but I want to get moving.”
Canniff expects the southside development should see some real progress this summer, and municipal staff expect to have construction begin before the end of 2023.
The mayor said many exciting things are coming for Wallaceburg and all of Chatham-Kent, and to expect some municipal announcements in the coming months.
“We want to make sure Wallaceburg is set up for success,” Canniff said.
