To help update Wheatley residents on the latest steps being taken to deal with the gas leaks that caused a massive downtown explosion in August 2021, municipal officials have scheduled a meeting for next week.
The session will take place Wednesday, March 1, at 6 pm at the Talbot Trail Golf Course at 790 Talbot Trail in Wheatley.
Municipal staff and provincial representatives will be at the meeting to answer questions.
Information from the meeting will be posted on the Wheatley update page at www.letstalkchatham-kent.ca/wheatley-updates.
This past December, Erie Street North between Talbot Road and Elm Street in Wheatley’s downtown area reopened to vehicular traffic for the first time in the rough year and a half since the explosion.
Gas was first identified at an Erie Street North site in June of 2021, prompting the immediate evacuation of homes and businesses in the area.
The following month, three-dozen homes and businesses were evacuated from Wheatley’s downtown area after hydrogen sulphide was again detected at the site.
On Aug. 26, 2021, toxic gas detectors raised the alarm that afternoon, providing municipal staff and emergency crews enough time to clear the area before a blast destroyed two buildings about 90 minutes later.
Twenty people suffered minor injuries from the explosion.
Earlier this month, the municipality announced it planned to reach out to property owners within the present evacuation zone about the possibility of purchasing those properties as part of a conceptual mitigation plan for the community.
However, officials said this is only exploratory at this point, with council ultimately making any final decisions.