Chatham-Kent Mayor Randy Hope and baCK to CK Marketing Coordinator Caress Lee Carpenter during the baCK to CK flag raising, December 2, 2016 (Photo by Jake Kislinsky)Chatham-Kent Mayor Randy Hope and baCK to CK Marketing Coordinator Caress Lee Carpenter during the baCK to CK flag raising, December 2, 2016 (Photo by Jake Kislinsky)
Chatham

CK Seeing Youth Coming "baCK"

It feels like every month, another Chatham-Kent native returns home to do something special.

That's the impression Municipal Attraction and Promotion Marketing Coordinator Caress Lee Carpenter gets, and what her team is trying to show with their annual baCK to CK campaign.

Carpenter says they're efforts start early, even before young people choose to leave Chatham-Kent for school.

"We work with the high school students, we do tree planting in the spring where they can come back and see that their roots are always in Chatham-Kent," says Carpenter. "We do a bunch of events and effort throughout the year to make this an ongoing thing, and we're seeing more and more people coming back."

Carpenter adds young Chatham-Kent natives are just one target demographic in their attraction efforts.

"We have three focus groups: active retirees, skilled immigrants and young professionals. So while this is a huge third of who we're trying to focus, we still have recruitment efforts out there for skilled immigrants and newcomers too," says Carpenter.

This month's baCK to CK events include a "Business After Hours" networking event at Club Lentinas on December 21, and a sponsored free skate at Chatham Memorial Arena on December 23.

Read More Local Stories

New military crosswalk rendering. (Image courtesy of the Sarnia Legion Branch 62)

New military crosswalk in Sarnia to be unveiled

As part of a partnership between the Sarnia Legion Branch 62 and City of Sarnia, an unveiling ceremony will be held at the corner of Christina Street and Wellington Street on Sunday, June 7, at 2 p.m.

Members of the Sarnia Police Service entering a Tashmoo Avenue residence on June 4, 2026. (Photo courtesy of the Sarnia Police Service)

Two men arrested in Tashmoo Ave. standoff

Sarnia police said the investigation began on May 29 after the victim was allegedly attacked by acquaintances at a residence near Tashmoo Avenue and Christopher Drive at Aamjiwnaang First Nation.