The Municipality of Chatham-Kent is hitting the airwaves in Alberta to offer a friendly rebuttal to a marketing campaign to woo area residents to the Western Canadian province.
Mayor Darrin Canniff said radio ads are running for two weeks in Calgary with the hope of engaging Albertans in a friendly way while also promoting Ontario and Chatham-Kent as great places to live.
He noted the campaign features more details online at www.WhyCK.ca.
“We’ve wanted to widely promote Chatham-Kent and this is a great opportunity,” Canniff said.
“When we heard the Alberta radio ads, we knew we had to issue a friendly response letting Albertans know that Ontario, especially Chatham-Kent are great places to live, work, and raise a family,” the mayor said.
“We’re the fastest growing community in Canada. We have a driving local economy, very affordable housing, and a strong sense of community,” he said. “We encourage all Ontarians to explore their options before making a move. If you’re going to move somewhere, it makes sense to put Chatham-Kent at the top of your list.”
Canniff said the municipality’s response also points out Chatham-Kent has more affordable housing, shorter commute times, and a warmer climate compared to Alberta.
Chatham-Kent’s diverse and growing economy, with many job opportunities in technology, health care, the trades, and manufacturing, also is highlighted, he said.
Chatham-Kent’s economic development director Stuart McFadden said the municipality has been successful in attracting new residents and businesses in recent years but are planning on ramping up those efforts.
“We’ve seen a significant increase in interest from people looking to move to Chatham-Kent from Ontario, from throughout Canada and globally,” he said.
“Our community offers a unique blend of rural and urban living, access to world-class amenities, logistics, and is extremely welcoming to new businesses of all sizes,” McFadden said.