Gala Days set to kick-off, Civic Holiday closures, wildfires

Wallaceburg Retirement Residence – Morning Coffee

Weather forecast from Friday, August 3, 2018 to Sunday, August 5, 2018

Today – A mix of sun and cloud. 30 percent chance of showers late this afternoon with risk of a thunderstorm. Fog patches dissipating early this morning. Wind becoming south 20 km/h near noon. High 29. Humidex 36. UV index 8 or very high.

Tonight – Partly cloudy with 30 percent chance of showers early this evening. Becoming clear overnight. Risk of a thunderstorm early this evening. Wind south 20 km/h becoming light late this evening. Low 18.

Saturday, August 4 – Sunny. High 32. Humidex 37. UV index 9 or very high.

Saturday night – Clear. Low 20.

Sunday, August 5 – A mix of sun and cloud. High 33.

Sunday night – Cloudy periods. Low 22.

50th annual Gala Days is this weekend in Port Lambton

The 50th annual Gala Days event in Port Lambton is taking place this upcoming weekend.

Here is the updated event poster with all of the details for the event:

Civic Holiday weekend service hours in Chatham-Kent

Municipal offices and most services will be closed Monday, August 6 in recognition of the Civic Holiday.

Other services are scheduled as follows:

Cemetery Operations: Cemetery staff will be on call for funeral homes who require at-need sales.

CK Transit: Services will not be running on Monday, August 6. However, the Seasonal Bus Route S1 (Beach Bus to Mitchell’s Bay and Erieau) will be running on the Civic Holiday. The Seasonal Bus is FREE for the Civic Holiday weekend August 3 – 6, 2018.

Emergency Services: Police, Fire and Ambulance are operational 24 hours a day, every day, and are accessible by dialing “911” for emergency calls only.

Culture Services: The Thames Art Gallery, Chatham-Kent Museum, Milner Heritage House and ARTspace will be closed on August 6. Ridge House Museum will be open from 1 p.m. – 5 p.m. The Cultural Centre will be open for summer day camps but the Cultural Centre Box Office will be closed.

Entegrus and Public Utilities Commission: PUC will be closed. The emergency call number is 519-352-6300.

The office of Fleet Services (PABC) will be closed on Monday, August 6.

Health and Family Services Building: The Health and Family Services building will be closed on Monday, August 6, including the offices of Employment and Social Services, Housing Services, Child Care and Early Years and Public Health. The Employment Resource Centres located at 240 King St. W., Chatham and 786 Dufferin Avenue, Wallaceburg will be closed on Monday, August 6. The Chatham-Kent Homeless Response Line is available at 519-354-6628.

Libraries: All public libraries will be closed Monday, August 6 and will have normal operational hours on Tuesday, August 7.

Public Health Clinic Services: Public Health Clinic Services, located at 177 King St. E., Chatham will be closed. Essential after-hours Public Health services are available by calling 1-866-446-8207.

Provincial Offences Court: POC will be closed. Regular business hours of 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. will resume on Tuesday, August 7.

Recreation Services: Wallaceburg Sydenham Pool, Chatham Pools (Jaycee, Orville Wright and Walter Hawkins), Dresden Kinsmen Pool, Ridgetown Howard Community Pool, Thamesville Community Pool and the Tilbury Centennial Pool are all open with their regular schedule. The Gable Rees Rotary Pool in Blenheim will be closed.

Arenas: William K. Erickson Arena will be open for summer day camps.

Riverview Gardens: Reception and administrative offices will be closed, but services, activities and visiting hours continue as normal. Nursing staff can be reached 24/7 by calling 519-352-4823.

Waste and Recycling: Garbage and recycling collection services for the week of August 6 will be delayed by one day. Please refer to the Recycling and Waste Collection Guide for further details. The Harwich Transfer Station, Wallaceburg Transfer Station and Chatham Leaf & Yard Depot will be closed in recognition of the Civic Holiday. All other transfer stations will be open regular hours and will not be affected by the holiday.

Chatham-Kent Tourism: In observance of Civic Holiday, offices will be closed on Monday, August 6. To access visitor information at any time, please go to visitck.ca

Civic Holiday hours at CKHA

Some healthcare services offered at Chatham-Kent Health Alliance’s Chatham and Wallaceburg Sites will be altered on Monday, August 6, 2018 in recognition of the Civic Holiday.

Routine X-rays, electrocardiograms (EKG), and ultrasounds will not be available on Monday, August 6, 2018. These departments will be staffed to meet the needs of inpatients and emergencies.

Ambulatory Care Services, Out-Patient Rehabilitation Services, Pre-Surgical Screening Services, Diabetes Education Centre, the TIA and CAD Clinics, Pulmonary Function Lab, Outpatient Lab Services, Health Records and Patient Appointment Offices will be closed on Monday, August 6, 2018.

The Chatham-Kent Mental Health & Addictions Program will be closed on Monday, August 6, 2018. For any immediate crisis, please call the crisis line at 1-866-299-7447 or visit your nearest Emergency Room.

Elston Pharmacy, located at the Chatham Site, will be closed on Monday, August 6, 2018.

The Oncology/Chemotherapy Department will be closed on Monday, August 6, 2018.

The Business Office and Cashier’s Office will be closed Monday, August 6, 2018. Please note there are two bill changers in the building to accommodate change for coin.

Hemodialysis Care will be open on Monday, August 6, 2018.

The Emergency Departments located at Chatham and Wallaceburg hospital sites are open 24 hours daily.

Bullfrog at Otter Creek

Local resident Doug Babbitt took this picture recently on the bank of Otter Creek outside of Wallaceburg.

If you ever happen to snap an interesting photo in the commununity, please emmail it to Aaron Hall at aaron@sydenhamcurrent.ca.

Thanks for the photo, Doug!

Ontario taking action to fight wildfires

Ontario is prioritizing the safety of the public and emergency responders, and the protection of communities and private property during this year’s busy fire season.

“We are doing everything we possibly can to ensure that people are safe and property is not affected, including seeking the help of highly skilled wildfire response support personnel who have retired,” said Minister of Natural Resources and Forestry, Jeff Yurek.

“And we are engaging the services of former public servants without impacting their current pension entitlements under the Public Service Pension Plan and the OPSEU Pension Plan.”

“During my recent visit to Parry Sound with Premier Ford, I got to meet many teams that are working tirelessly to fight these wildfires, and I saw firsthand how tough the work can be. So, to the retired personnel who have agreed to help out this year, I extend my sincerest gratitude,” remarked Yurek.

In addition to enlisting the expertise of retired Ontario wildfire support staff, today in Ontario there are over 530 response personnel and specialized equipment from other jurisdictions and organizations including Parks Canada, British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, Newfoundland and Labrador, the Northwest Territories, the United States and Mexico.

In the event that additional resources are required and other national partners are unable to assist, Ontario is prepared to seek more assistance from international partners.