Editor: Chatham has a great community, and as time moves forward, our little town is getting better and better even as it confronts varying social and diverse challenges.
And I’m sure we’re not the only town in Canada facing many similar issues. But I believe that we are unique, not only because of our wonderful cultural diversity but also because of the passion of the people who want to make it even better, as exemplified by the focus group of five dynamic local business people who want to improve the downtown core with the one hundred KING project.
As long-time residents of Chatham, they obviously have a vested interest in making it better, not only for the progression and growth of their own respective businesses, but I also believe, optimistically, that it’s to leave a lasting legacy of their life-long commitment and contribution to this fair city.
I sincerely hope that these astute business people do not despair under the barrage of negative opinions by the usual groupings of naysayers or by the insurmountable obstacles presented by city bureaucracy.
At the same time, I want to address the other two elephants in the room. Though very different in nature, it nevertheless still focuses on the core issue of who we are, and what is the message we want to promote?
The proposed plan for our downtown is a marvelous one and very progressive, and I’m all for it.
The recent art on the walls around town is an even better move forward.
We have many empty buildings around town that could also be enhanced with these art displays. This could then be an initiative to make Chatham art-centric, with a focus on tourist promotion of “Chatham, the Outdoor Walk-A-Bout Gallery City” by local talents. Some of the many artists in this region would, of course, love to have had the opportunity to display their art. I’m not simplifying anything since there is a lot of co-ordination involved, and getting this all done and the completed artwork took time and effort by the artists themselves, some from one to two weeks to finish, not to mention the physical effort to have them actually completed.
We can enhance this exercise by promoting more art exhibitions by making it easier for local talented artists to showcase their art, such as by enhancing places to exhibit, helping with more advertising and promotion, and using more user-friendly locations such as the Downtown Chatham Centre or inside empty buildings or unusual and surprising locations and showings.
The current available art spaces are too small and don’t allow these local art pieces to be highlighted, as opposed to being crowded like inventory in a grocery store.
Art needs space, and spaces need art to shine.
And now the real elephant in the room. With growing optimism, we see the creative side of talented people and the huge sums of money to be spent on them. Ironically, right across the river live the displaced, the homeless, and the unwanted. I believe we need to prioritize our goals first and foremost, not just for the few but for all citizens.
Addressing the tent community in Rotary Park is what will distinguish Chatham-Kent as a truly culturally progressive city. Discarding this grouping into a hidden corner of our region, like shoveling the dust under the carpet, is not the answer. I believe a concerted effort to find proper lodgings and amenities for those less fortunate, as opposed to the many of us who are blessed with a better lifestyle, should be our priority.
I again stress the fact that putting them in an institutional-style building is not the answer. Could the creative designers and architects commandeered to re-design our fair city not also design a more civilized housing scenario? I believe it can be done.
I think it is possible to design a complex that not only overcomes this obstacle but also improves Chatham’s landscape, defining us as a cultured city.
Regina Stockus
Chatham
