Mayor Hope: ‘New twin-pad arena complex’ in the works

(Municipality of Chatham-Kent)

Chatham-Kent Mayor Randy Hope says the community is moving in right direction.

The mayor touched on a number of topics, including: increasing population, decreasing unemployment levels, strong investment in infrastructure and continued focus on the economy and quality of life, on Thursday during his annual address before the Chatham-Kent Chamber of Commerce.

In his annual municipal update at the John D. Bradley Convention Centre, municipal officials say Hope told 80 attendees the community is beginning to reap the rewards of hard work, leadership and faith.

Hope said according to this year’s BMA Municipal Study and the Ministry of Finance through Statistics Canada, Chatham-Kent’s population has increased by more than three per cent since the 2016 census, municipal officials say.

Unemployment is at its lowest level (5.5 per cent) in more than a decade and the recent Workforce Planning Board survey showed more than 200 employers plan to add a total of 2,200 jobs this year.

Hope pointed to the $36 million Gateway Casino which will bring 200 new jobs as evidence of continuing economic growth, municipal officials say.

Construction rose by $53 million to $143 million last year and a number of companies are in the midst of building additions or new facilities.

He said direct foreign investment efforts expenses amount to less than $15,000 per year and have resulted in local firms expanding and companies from Europe locating here, municipal officials say.

Chatham-Kent’s investment of $52 million in capital improvements last year and this year’s $76 million allocation in infrastructure, while at the same time the municipality is decreasing its debt, are evidence of sound fiscal planning, municipal officials say.

The mayor said upgrades in Internet connectivity through Bell Canada, the SWIFT initiative, water and wastewater upgrades across Chatham-Kent and growth in natural gas availability through the Union Gas pipeline expansion all point to a more connected, growing community, municipal officials say.

He revealed negotiations are under way for a new twin-pad arena complex in Chatham at the former Navistar site.

He also mentioned the efforts of Five Star Tool and Die in Wallaceburg which recently processed more than two million pounds of steel during an emergency situation to ensure Ford assembly plants worldwide were able to continue to operate, municipal officials say.

- Advertisment -