The mayor and council of Chatham-Kent have committed to 13 recreational and cultural projects across the municipality so far this year through the Councillor Ward Funding Program.
A report by CK Manager of Community Attraction and Promotion Victoria Bodnar going to council on Monday night stated the combined projects will cost nearly $170,000.
The top six projects in terms of cost are $50,000 for the Wallaceburg Legion Memorial Wall in honour of local veterans; $24,000 for the SheLeads Documentary celebrating the achievements and contributions of women in Chatham-Kent; $17,000 for the Chatham BIA Mural on a business on King Street in Chatham; $15,000 for the Wallaceburg BIA River of Light Project increasing the number of light displays in downtown Wallaceburg during the holiday season; just over $14,000 for the Friends of the Chatham Pipes and Drums to buy new uniforms prior to band members participating in the 80th Liberation Tour to Holland, Vimy Ridge and Menon Gate in May 2025; and nearly $14,000 for Chatham BIA Canadian Flags to support downtown Chatham businesses mounting brackets and installing Canadian flags on their property.
The program started in September 2022 and to-date it has allocated a total of almost $1 million for 65 projects across Chatham-Kent to enhance "the overall vibrancy" of recreational and cultural community assets, said Bodnar.
The program provides annual funding for recreational and cultural capital assets and projects that address community needs. Each councillor has $25,000 to spend annually to support initiatives they believe are priorities in their ward and the mayor has $125,000 to spend throughout Chatham-Kent.
The full council still has $1.2 million left in their ward fund this term and councillors must commit to projects by April 2026, six months before the proposed municipal election.
“In the event that a councillor is not re-elected and has not used all of their funds at the end of their term, the funds will be placed in a reserve which will serve to support ongoing maintenance efforts of these new capital assets,” noted the municipality.
Community members can apply for recreation or cultural initiative funding by submitting an online application form on the Let’s Talk Chatham-Kent website at www.letstalkchatham-kent.ca. Applications are reviewed by administration monthly, and those eligible are shared with Mayor and Council to determine the level of funding commitment to be allocated.
Administration is working on a review of the distribution of ward funds and opportunities to better align to master plans, adding a report will be brought back to council in the Fall of 2025, ahead of the 2026 Budget Update.
The ward funds come from Hydro One, which provides $1 million annually for 10 years to the municipality because CK is a host of Hydro One transmission projects.
