More buildings in downtown Wheatley damaged during a toxic gas explosion in August 2021 will be turned down in the coming months, Chatham-Kent says.
More buildings in downtown Wheatley damaged during a toxic gas explosion in August 2021 will be turned down in the coming months, Chatham-Kent says.
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Work is beginning to prepare the nine buildings, which remain fenced off along Erie Street North and Talbot Road East, for demolition, the municipality said in a release.
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The buildings set for demolition are:
- 27 Erie St. N.
- 29/31 Erie St. N.
- 37 Erie St. N.
- 9 Talbot Rd. E.
- 11 Talbot Rd. E.
- 13 Talbot Rd. E.
- 15 Talbot Rd. E.
- 17 Talbot Rd. E.
- 23 Talbot Rd. E.
“Residents will soon see some increased activity in the downtown area as contractors will be on site for mandatory site meetings,” municipal officials said.
Site meetings will be held Monday to Wednesday, they added. Demolition is expected to begin by June 3 and could take several months.
The Aug. 26, 2021, blast was linked to highly toxic hydrogen sulphide gas seeing up through the ground in the downtown area. It destroyed two buildings, damaged several others and injured 20 people in this community about 45 kilometers southwest of Chatham.
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Officials, alerted to trouble by gas detectors, had cleared the area 90 minutes before.
In February, Chatham-Kent council approved $3.5 million to buy properties in the evacuation zone deemed unsuitable for redevelopment. The purchase was funded by a $3-million provincial grant, with the rest coming from a strategic reserve.
Many residents were glad when three blast-damaged buildings on the west side of Erie Street North were torn down in December 2023. No toxic gas was found in any of these buildings, a municipal official has said.
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