Editor: In 1975 my family immigrated from England to Canada. We settled in the lovely town of Chatham.
Downtown was a beautiful and bustling little place. Amazing little stores and restaurants.
I remember spending many hours in beautiful Tecumseh Park. Beautiful flower beds, a fountain and an abundance of trees. The setting for many wedding pictures over the years.
Well, the years went by. They built a monstrosity they called a mall. They tore out the park’s fountain, flower beds and cut down trees.
Downtown today consists of a sparsely populated mall, there are with homeless lying on benches, and addicts doing drugs in plain sight. I’m sorry, but when did this become acceptable? People are nervous to walk downtown.
I feel bad for the businesses who are trying to keep open. We have some beautiful stores and businesses, but it sure isn’t appealing to go down there anymore.
Also, a little garbage pick up and clean up wouldn’t hurt either. I have seen a few able bodied individuals around that would be quite capable.
Kudos to the artists who painted their beautiful murals. You did help to beautify the downtown core.
The talk of moving city hall to the downtown mall.
Moving our library to the same spot? Not sure who thinks of these things, but shake your heads.
Leave our library where it is. It is beautiful. If you move it downtown, it will never be beautiful again.
And it is time for Fergie Jenkins statue to be moved to the Fergie Jenkins Park.
Homelessness is a big problem in this city. There needs to be a solution . I never thought when we moved here in 1975 that we would ever see this.
I love Chatham and I know I will always choose to live here. But changes must come. Make Chatham beautiful again.
Deb Warnock
Chatham
