Welcome home!

Being the only reunion committee member to reside in Chatham, I thought it would be fitting to bring all of the out-of-town travellers up to speed on our quaint city. Even with the population growing only slightly over the past 40 years, the landscape has still changed.

Here’s my take on what to expect when you come “home”.

1. The first stop is visiting the school. Tecumseh Secondary School saw its last graduating class in 1988. Now serving as an elementary school to 375 students, and having had an exterior face-lift, it is still immediately recognizable. Make sure when you come to the Open House on Saturday to stop at the entrance, where you will see a plaque, dedicated during The Seventies Reunion in July 2011, hanging on the exterior wall. The cafeteria may look smaller and the halls may feel narrower, but the totem pole still stands in its glory!

   

   

2. Downtown King Street! The first thing you will notice is a very tall concrete structure. Started over 4 years ago, with projected completion and occupancy next year, this 13-storey residential development known as The Boardwalk will have 113 condo units. I can’t wait for it to be done! Heading west on King Street is the architecturally stunning Retro Suites. Once the Merrill Hotel, it is now a luxury boutique hotel that boasts 34 individually styled rooms.Take a peek into the lobby or enjoy a meal in the Chilled Cork. Just past the hotel is one of my favourite lunch spots, William Street Café, and at the other end of the street is the beautifully restored Capitol Theatre. Across from the theatre is my favourite place to dine, Mama Maria’s where the ambience, the food and the service will never disappoint. If you’re attending the Friday night gathering at Jazz Bah, before you enter, make sure to look up at the black signage where you can faintly see the letters which once spelled L.J. Mulhern & Co. Shopping in that store was an adventure!

   

3. Now for something good to drink at Early Acres Estate Winery, just outside the city limits on Pioneer Line, and Bayside Brewing Company in Erieau, Chatham-Kent’s first micro-brewery. It stands where the famous Tilt’N Hilt’N once did, and they have live music on the patio each Sunday afternoon. While in Erieau, there are great places to grab lunch or dinner, and then take a hike down to the beach.
4. Here we pause to consider the demise of some Chatham`s iconic structures. Our beloved community centre, the Kinsmen Auditorium, where we held the 2011 Seventies Reunion, and all of our Red Feather dances, was demolished in 2012. The Wheels Inn, a huge tourist attraction and home to my favourite bar and dance spot, The Red Barrel, was torn down in 2011. Standing in its place is the John D. Bradley Convention Centre and Holiday Inn Express. Just down road was Navistar, the truck-manufacturing factory which was demolished in 2013.
5. If you want take in some shopping, all the relatively new big box stores are on St. Clair Street as you head north out of the city. Included in the mix is the Galaxy Theatre if you are inclined to take in a movie. Don’t forget, St. Clair Street is also fast-food alley!

The Montreal House, at the corner of Grand Ave and Sandy St., is currently for sale and has long been a favourite point-of-connection over generations of families, as documented in an article in the Chatham Daily news. The Aberdeen Hotel, at the corner of Grand Ave and St. Clair, still stands but as a warehouse. Frankly, it needs a serious face-lift. Across the street, was The St. Clair Restaurant, a diner since 1942, but it’s gone too.

Growth is occurring! New subdivisions abound, the city is expanding out into farmland, and yet, travelling across town should still never take more than 15 minutes. When I return to Chatham from larger cities, I’m reminded that there’s no place like home!

Looking forward to seeing you at the reunion this July 22 & 23, when you can see all of the changes for yourself!

Sue (Walczak) Cummings, Class of ’76

Posted by TecumsehReunion & filed under Memories. This post has 3 comments.