People of Wheatley 'mourning for our village' as they pull together after explosion

Displaced Wheatley residents and business owners are wondering what comes next after an explosion left their downtown core in disarray.

On Thursday, Aug. 26, a gas leak from an abandoned well led to an explosion which destroyed two buildings and injured 20 people. 

Since then, officials have closed off the area downtown. 

Kimberley Grant, a member of the local response team in Wheatley, has been helping the community by raising money and bringing meals to those who need it. 

She was also a part of starting a GoFundMe campaign called #WheatleyStrong, which aims to raise money for the families and residents who have been displaced by evacuations in downtown Wheatley.  

"We're a pretty small knit community and we're pretty tough. Unfortunately we're not getting the outside help that we are looking for from our government but our councillors have been fabulous, they're pulling for us," Grant said. 

"I'm part of the [business improvement area] too, so we're really pushing, trying to get something done about this situation." 

While restaurants and local stores have been closed, Grant has been delivering food to the front line workers while they work to restore the area. One of her close friends, a firefighter, was injured in the blast. 

According to a media release, the Municipality of Chatham-Kent said many of the people evacuated from their homes were able to find accommodations on their own. The municipality sent 15 households with 33 individuals to local hotels and motels. It has also provided assistance to more than 85 households since Friday.

The Reception centre at Wheatley Arena remains open to displaced residents. 

"We are listening to the needs of those people affected and we're trying to do as much as we are able," April Rietdyk, Chatham Kent's general manager of community human services, said in a media release. 

"We now have an ATM activated and we've been providing assistance with access to food, toiletries, and clothing for those who had to evacuate."

But for some residents, confusion and uncertainty remains. 

"We are mourning for our community, we're mourning for our village. It is a great loss," said Hillary Hyatt, owner of Lil Hil's Coffee Shop. 

Hyatt was not in her shop at the time of the explosion on Aug. 26 and hasn't been allowed to enter since. 

"We were very lucky in the sense that we didn't get a lot of damage," Hyatt said. Due to the location and structure of her shop, it did not suffer any structural damage. She said her losses are primarily due to product going bad due to the loss of hydro in the area.  

While Hyatt does not know when she will be allowed to return, she does wonders how the atmosphere will be impacted  when she does.

"I'm sure everyone — for a little while — everyone will be a little uneasy about whether it's safe to be there, but I have full confidence in our fire department and our officials. They will not let us in if it is not safe," she said. 

Hyatt said there has been discussion about relocating the entire downtown core if the area is deemed unsafe.

"It's heartbreaking, it's unnerving, everyone's kind of on eggshells but I am confident that we will get through this, we will rise, we're very resilient, like I said, small town, big heart, we'll figure it out," Hyatt said.