Downtown Wheatley, Ont., demolition finished nearly 3 years after explosion

Nearly three years since a massive gas explosion in rural Wheatley, Ont., the downtown area has finally been demolished.

9 buildings in the village were torn to the ground after gas explosion that injured 20

CBC News · Posted: Jul 10, 2024 12:52 PM EDT | Last Updated: July 10

The site where nine buildings in the village's downtown have been torn down following a gas explosion in the summer of 2021. — The site where nine buildings in Wheatley, Ont.'s downtown have been torn down following a gas explosion in the summer of 2021. (Municipality of Chatham-Kent)

Nearly three years since a massive gas explosion in rural Wheatley, Ont., the downtown area has finally been demolished.

A total of nine buildings have been taken down, according to the municipality.

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The fence surrounding the properties will be moved back and sidewalk access and street parking will be restored in the "coming days," according to a statement.

Construction equipment will be off the site as of next week.

An aerial shot of the nine downtown Wheatley buildings before they were torn down. (Municipality of Chatham-Kent)

The stretch of Erie Street North and Talbot Road East was rocked by the Aug. 26, 2021, blast — injuring 20 people, destroying two buildings and damaging several others.

The explosion started from gas leaking from abandoned wells.

Last summer, the province announced $11 million more in provincial funding in the aftermath of the blast.

WATCH | Aug. 2021 explosion rocks downtown Wheatley, Ont.: