Editing Chatham-Kent

{{About||the former electoral district|Chatham—Kent (provincial electoral district)|the town in England|Chatham, Kent}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2021}}
{{Infobox settlement
| name               = Chatham-Kent
| official_name      = Municipality of Chatham-Kent
| settlement_type    = [[List of municipalities in Ontario|Municipality]] ([[List of municipalities in Ontario#Single-tier municipalities|single-tier]])
| nickname           = Classic Car Capital of Canada, The Maple City
| motto              = 
| image_skyline      = Chatham ON 1.JPG
| image_caption      = [[Thames River (Ontario)|Thames River]] in Chatham
| image_flag         = 
| image_seal         = 
| image_map          = Map of Ontario CHATHAM-KENT.svg
| mapsize            = 
| map_caption        = 
| pushpin_map        = 
| pushpin_map_caption = 
| subdivision_type   = Country
| subdivision_name   = Canada
| subdivision_type1  = [[Provinces and territories of Canada|Province]]
| subdivision_name1  = [[Ontario]]
| subdivision_type2  = County (historical)
| subdivision_name2  = [[Kent County, Ontario|Kent]]
| leader_title       = Mayor
| leader_title1      = Governing body
| leader_title2      = [[House of Commons of Canada|MPs]]
| leader_title3      = [[Legislative Assembly of Ontario|MPPs]]
| leader_name        = [[Darrin Canniff]]
| leader_name1       = [[Chatham-Kent Municipal Council]]
| leader_name2       = [[Lianne Rood]] ([[Conservative Party of Canada|CPC]])<br />[[Dave Epp]] ([[Conservative Party of Canada|CPC]])
| leader_name3       = [[Trevor Jones (Canadian politician)|Trevor Jones]] ([[Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario|PC]])<br />[[Steve Pinsonneault]] ([[Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario|PC]])
| established_title  = [[Merger (politics)|Formed by political merger]]
| established_date   = 1998
| total_type         = Municipality
| area_magnitude     = 
| area_footnotes     = <ref name="census2021municipal" />
| area_total_km2     = 
| area_land_km2      = 2457.90
| area_water_km2     = 
| area_water_percent = 
| area_urban_km2     = 
| area_metro_km2     = 
| population_footnotes = <ref name="census2021municipal">{{cite journal |title=Census Profile for Chatham-Kent, Municipality (Census Subdivision) |journal=2021 Census of Canada |date=15 November 2023 |url=https://www12.statcan.gc.ca/census-recensement/2021/dp-pd/prof/details/page.cfm?Lang=E&SearchText=Tilbury&DGUIDlist=2021A00053536020,2021A00033536,2021S05100167,2021S05100999,2021S05100938&GENDERlist=1,2,3&STATISTIClist=1,4&HEADERlist=0 |access-date=4 April 2024 |publisher=Statistics Canada |language=en |id=98-316-X2021001}}</ref><ref name="census2021CDR">{{cite journal |title=Census Profile for Chatham-Kent (Census Division) |journal=2021 Census of Canada |date=15 November 2023 |url=https://www12.statcan.gc.ca/census-recensement/2021/dp-pd/prof/details/page.cfm?Lang=E&SearchText=Tilbury&DGUIDlist=2021A00053536020,2021A00033536,2021S05100167,2021S05100999,2021S05100938&GENDERlist=1,2,3&STATISTIClist=1,4&HEADERlist=0 |access-date=15 March 2024 |publisher=Statistics Canada |language=en |id=no. 98-316-X2021001}}</ref>
| population_as_of   = [[Canada 2021 Census|2021]]
| population_note    = 
| population_total   = 103,988&nbsp;([[List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population|Ranked 53rd]])
| population_density_km2 = 42.3
| population_metro   = 
| population_density_metro_km2 = 
| population_urban   = 45,171 ([[Chatham&comma; Ontario|Chatham]])<br />10,323 ([[Wallaceburg]])<br />4,687 ([[Tilbury&comma; Ontario|Tilbury]])
| population_blank1_title = Census division
| population_blank1  = 104,316
| population_density_blank1_km2  = 
| population_demonym = Chathamite
| timezone           = [[Eastern Time Zone|Eastern (EST)]]
| utc_offset         = −5
| timezone_DST       = [[Eastern Time Zone|EDT]]
| utc_offset_DST     = −4
| coordinates        = {{coord|42|24|00|N|82|11|00|W|region:CA-ON_type:adm2nd|display=inline,title}}
| elevation_m        = 198
| postal_code_type   = [[Canadian postal code#Forward sortation areas|Forward sortation area]]
| postal_code        = [[List of N postal codes of Canada|N7L to N7M]]
| area_code          = [[Area codes 519, 226, and 548|519, 226, 548]]
| website            = {{URL|https://www.chatham-kent.ca/}}
| footnotes          = 
}}

'''Chatham-Kent''' ([[Canada 2021 Census|2021 population]]: 103,988)<ref name="census2021municipal" /> is a [[Census divisions of Ontario#Single-tier municipalities|single-tier municipality]] in [[Southwestern Ontario]], Canada. It is mostly rural, and its population centres are Chatham, [[Wallaceburg]], [[Tilbury, Ontario|Tilbury]], [[Blenheim, Ontario|Blenheim]], [[Ridgetown]], [[Wheatley, Ontario|Wheatley]] and [[Dresden, Ontario|Dresden]]. The current Municipality of Chatham-Kent was created in 1998 by the amalgamation of Blenheim, [[Bothwell, Ontario|Bothwell]], Camden, the City of Chatham, the Township of Chatham, Dover, Dresden, [[Erie Beach, Chatham-Kent, Ontario|Erie Beach]], [[Erieau, Ontario|Erieau]], Harwich, [[Highgate, Ontario|Highgate]], Howard, Orford, Raleigh, Ridgetown, Romney, Thamesville, Tilbury East, Tilbury, Wallaceburg, Wheatley and Zone.

The Chatham-Kent [[census divisions of Ontario|census division]], which includes the independent [[Delaware Nation at Moraviantown]] First Nation, had a population of 104,316 in the 2021 census.<ref name="census2021CDR" />

==History ==
The area of Chatham-Kent is part of the traditional territory of the [[Odawa]], [[Potawatomi]], [[Ojibwe]] and [[Wyandot people|Wyandot]] [[First Nations in Canada|First Nations]] of Canada.<ref name="plaque">{{cite web |url=https://www.ontarioplaques.com/Plaques_ABC/Plaque_ChathamKent29.html |title=McKee's Purchase |website=ontarioplaques.com |accessdate=November 13, 2022}}</ref> After the Treaty of Paris in 1763 ceded control of the area from the French to the British, it became part of the Territory of Quebec. The title to the Chatham-Kent area was surrendered to the British as part of the 1790 McKee's Purchase, (named for [[Alexander McKee]]) to provide land for settlers.<ref>{{cite encyclopedia |encyclopedia=The Canadian Encyclopedia |title=McKee's Purchase |first=John |last=Boileau |url=https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/mckee-s-purchase |accessdate=November 13, 2022}}</ref> McKee's Purchase was designated an Event of National Historic Significance in Canada in 1931. A historical plaque for the purchase is located in Blenheim Park in Blenheim.<ref name="plaque"/> Indigenous persons remain resident in the area today at the Delaware Nation at Moraviantown and [[Walpole Island First Nation]].

European settlement of the former city of Chatham area began with a naval dockyard in 1792, at the fork of the [[Thames River (Ontario)|Thames River]] with McGregor's Creek. The town was named after [[William Pitt, 1st Earl of Chatham]].  It was built as a naval dockyard, a characteristic shared by [[Chatham, Kent]], England. In England, the name Chatham came from the British root ''ceto'' and the Old English ''ham'' thus meaning a forest settlement.<ref name=glover>The Place Names of Kent, Judith Glover, 1976, Batsford. {{ISBN|0905270 614}}</ref> Following the [[American Revolution]] and the [[Gnadenhutten massacre]], a group of [[Christian Munsee]] settled in what is now the Moraviantown reserve. In the [[War of 1812]], the [[Battle of the Thames]] took place between Moraviantown and [[Thamesville, Ontario|Thamesville]] on October 5, 1813.

===Black population===
During the 19th century, the area was the northern [[Train station#Terminus|terminus]] of the [[Underground Railroad]]. As a result, Chatham-Kent is now part of the African-Canadian Heritage Tour. Josiah Henson Museum for African-Canadian History, formally known as [[Uncle Tom's Cabin Historic Site]] is a museum of the Dawn Settlement, established in 1841 by [[Josiah Henson]] near Dresden as refuge for the many slaves who escaped to Canada from the United States.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.uncletomscabin.org/|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20161006105139/http://www.uncletomscabin.org/|url-status=dead|title=uncletomscabin.org|archivedate=October 6, 2016}}</ref> [[John Brown (abolitionist)|John Brown]], the abolitionist, planned [[John Brown's Raid on Harpers Ferry|his raid on the Harpers Ferry Arsenal]] in Chatham and recruited local men to participate in the raid. He held in Chatham a Convention of Colored Men on May 8–10, 1858.<ref>{{cite journal
|title=John Brown and his men, before and after the raid on Harper's Ferry, October 16th, 17th, 18th, 1859.
|last=Hinton
|first=R[ichard] J[osiah]
|journal=[[Frank Leslie's Popular Monthly]]
|volume=2
|url=https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=inu.32000000492225&view=1up&seq=709&q1=Brown
|number=6
|date=June 1889
|pages=691–703, at pp. 695–696}}</ref> The small village of [[North Buxton]], part of the [[African Canadian Heritage Tour]], also played an important role in the [[Underground Railroad]]. By the 1850s, the city of Chatham was referred to as the "[[black mecca]] of Canada".<ref>{{cite book |last1=Schoolman |first1=Martha |last2=Hickman |first2=Jared |title=Abolitionist places |year=2013 |publisher=Routledge |isbn=9780415814539 |edition= 1st}}</ref> A museum in the city, the Black Mecca Museum, still bears this name.<ref>{{cite web |title=Black Mecca Museum |url=https://www.ontariobybike.ca/attractions/black-mecca-museum |website=Ontario By Bike |access-date=December 11, 2018}}</ref> Chatham was home to a number of [[black churches]] and business, with [[Black Canadians]] making up one-third of the city's population and controlling a significant portion of the city's political power. Nearby [[Dresden, Ontario|Dresden]] and [[North Buxton|Buxton]] were also home to thousands of land-owning black residents.<ref>{{cite web |title=Black Community – Chatham |url=https://www.chatham-kent.ca/Newcomers/play/cultural-connections/cultural-communities/black-community |website=Chatham-Kent |access-date=December 11, 2018}}</ref> However, after the abolition of slavery in the United States, many black families left the area. Today the city of Chatham is just 3.3% black, with Chatham-Kent as a whole being 2.1% black. Few of the black-owned institutions are still in operation.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Canada |first1=Government of Canada, Statistics |title=Census Profile, 2016 Census – Chatham-Kent, Municipality [Census subdivision], Ontario and Ontario [Province] |url=https://www12.statcan.gc.ca/census-recensement/2016/dp-pd/prof/details/Page.cfm?Lang=E&Geo1=CSD&Code1=3536020&Geo2=PR&Code2=35&Data=Count&SearchText=Wallaceburg&SearchType=Begins&SearchPR=01&B1=All |website=www12.statcan.gc.ca |date=February 8, 2017 |language=en}}</ref>

{{See also|Chatham Vigilance Committee}}

===After slavery ended in the United States===
In 1846, the town of Chatham had a population of about 1,500, with part of the town being called Chatham North. There were four churches, a theatre, a weekly newspaper and a cricket club. The road between London and Amherstburg was open, and transportation by stagecoach was available. A fast boat also provided transportation to Detroit and Buffalo. Chatham had many tradesman, a foundry, two banks, three schools, a tavern and a library where one could read books and newspapers.<ref>{{cite book |last=Smith |first=Wm. H. |date=1846 |title=SMITH'S CANADIAN GAZETTEER – STATISTICAL AND GENERAL INFORMATION RESPECTING ALL PARTS OF THE UPPER PROVINCE, OR CANADA WEST|url=https://archive.org/details/smithscanadianga00smit |location=Toronto |publisher=H. & W. ROWSELL |page=[https://archive.org/details/smithscanadianga00smit/page/31 31]}}</ref> By 1869, the population was 3,000 in this industrial area with several mills, foundries, and breweries; a great deal of wood was being produced. A steamboat offered transportation to Windsor and Detroit. There was one bank office.<ref>https://archive.org/stream/provinceontario00mcevgoog#page/n116/mode/2up, p. 97</ref>

Between 1906 and 1909, the city was home to the [[Chatham Motor Car Company]],<ref name="Chatham This Week online">{{Cite web|url=http://www.chathamthisweek.com/2008/06/17/car-company-made-35-units|title=Car company made 35 units &#124; Chatham This Week|date=September 20, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170920043854/http://www.chathamthisweek.com/2008/06/17/car-company-made-35-units |archive-date=September 20, 2017 }}</ref> and from 1919 to 1921, Denby Motor Truck Company of Canada.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://projects.windsorpubliclibrary.com/digi/wow/plants/seagrave.htm|title=1907|website=projects.windsorpubliclibrary.com}}</ref> It was also where the [[Hyslop and Ronald]] steam [[fire engine]] manufacturer was located; the factory would be taken over by Chatham Motor Car.<ref name="Chatham This Week online"/> In addition, it hosted [[Meat packing industry|meat packer]] [[O'Keefe and Drew]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.chathamthisweek.com/2016/10/18/chatham-was-home-to-luxury-car-manufacturer-that-took-on-citys-name|title=Chatham was home to luxury car manufacturer that took on city's name &#124; Chatham This Week}}</ref>

The [[Hawaiian pizza]] is claimed to have been invented in Chatham in 1962 at the Satellite Restaurant by [[Sam Panopoulos]].<ref>{{cite web| url = https://www.foodnetwork.ca/shows/great-canadian-cookbook/blog/the-history-of-hawaiian-pizza/| url-status = dead| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160407183921/http://www.foodnetwork.ca/shows/great-canadian-cookbook/blog/the-history-of-hawaiian-pizza/| archive-date = 2016-04-07| title = The History of Hawaiian Pizza}}</ref> In the U.S., former [[Ohio]] Governor [[Jim Rhodes]] proposed building a bridge across Lake Erie linking [[Cleveland]] to the southern coast of Kent County.<ref>{{Cite news|title=Cleveland: Gov. Rhodes Pushes Idea of Lake Erie Bridge|date=April 24, 1966|url= https://www.nytimes.com/1966/04/24/archives/cleveland-gov-rhodes-pushes-idea-of-lake-erie-bridge.html|work=[[The New York Times]]| access-date=June 21, 2020}}</ref>

Before 1998, Kent County consisted of the [[township (Canada)|townships]] of [[Camden Township, Kent County, Ontario|Camden]], [[Chatham Township, Ontario|Chatham]], [[Dover Township, Ontario|Dover]], [[Harwich Township, Ontario|Harwich]], [[Howard Township, Ontario|Howard]], [[Orford Township, Ontario|Orford]], [[Raleigh Township, Ontario|Raleigh]], [[Romney Township, Ontario|Romney]], [[Tilbury East Township, Ontario|Tilbury East]] and [[Zone Township, Ontario|Zone]]. In some of Canada's earliest post-Confederation censuses, some residences in Kent County were incorrectly reported as being in [[Bothwell (Canadian electoral district)|Bothwell "County"]], which was a separate [[electoral district (Canada)|electoral district]] comprising parts of Kent and [[Lambton County, Ontario|Lambton]] counties but not a distinct county in its own right.

In 1998, the [[Kent County, Ontario|County of Kent]] and the [[Chatham, Ontario|city of Chatham]] were amalgamated by the Province of Ontario to form the Municipality of Chatham–Kent. Most services were also combined. Since then, bus service has begun to serve all of Chatham-Kent. Starting in 2007, routes were set up to include the former towns of [[Wallaceburg, Ontario|Wallaceburg]] and [[Dresden, Ontario|Dresden]]. Before 1998, each town had their own fire department. It then became the Chatham-Kent Fire Department upon amalgamation. The county also had separate police departments until 1998. The [[Chatham, Ontario|city of Chatham]], as well as the towns of Wallaceburg, Dresden, and [[Tilbury, Ontario|Tilbury]], each had their own departments. The Chatham-Kent Police Service was formed on September 1, 1998. Many residents opposed amalgamation, as 18 city councillors boycotted the official vote, and the final decision to amalgamate was imposed on the County by a provincial commissioner.<ref>Shreve, Ellwood. "20 Years of Amalgamation – How it Happened." [https://www.chathamdailynews.ca/2017/12/29/20-years-of-amalgamation--how-it-happened/wcm/d34db955-3029-0aad-8e6a-926a31dcd610 ''Chatham Daily News''] December 29, 2017 (Retrieved March 1, 2020).</ref><ref>Kushner, Joseph and Siegel, David. "Citizens' Attitudes Toward Municipal Amalgamation in Three Ontario Municipalities." p. 50. [http://www.cjrs-rcsr.org/archives/26-1/siegel.pdf ''Canadian Journal of Regional Science''] Spring 2003 (Retrieved March 1, 2020).</ref> In a study on amalgamations in Ontario from 2003, 48% of respondents in Chatham-Kent felt the value they received as taxpayers became worse after amalgamation, and 64% of respondents still did not think of the community as "the Municipality of Chatham-Kent."<ref>Kushner, Joseph and Siegel, David. "Citizens' Attitudes Toward Municipal Amalgamation in Three Ontario Municipalities." pp. 54, 57. [http://www.cjrs-rcsr.org/archives/26-1/siegel.pdf ''Canadian Journal of Regional Science''] Spring 2003 (Retrieved March 1, 2020).</ref>

Chatham-Kent has many historic festivals throughout the year, such as the [[Battle of Longwoods]] reenactment, which takes place on Labour Day weekend at Fairfield Museum on Longwoods Road. Chatham Kent is also home to many historic buildings which are part of an annual ghost tour offered each year at Halloween. The participants go on a guided walk of downtown while the guide informs them of various ghost stories tied to the local buildings in which they pass. Chatham-Kent was a major part of the [[Underground Railroad]] and as such hosts the [[South Buxton, Ontario|Buxton]] Homecoming each September. This celebrates the area's black culture and the roots laid by early black settlers in the Buxton area.

==Communities==
The Municipality of Chatham-Kent currently consists of the following communities, listed by the Townships of the former Kent County (pre-1998 amalgamation):

* Camden Township:
** [[Dresden, Ontario|Dresden]], [[Thamesville]]; Croton, [[Dawn Mills, Ontario|Dawn Mills]], North Thamesville; Wabash; Oakdale
* Chatham Township:
** Chatham, [[Wallaceburg]]; Appledore, Arkwood, Darrell, Eberts, Kent Bridge, Louisville, [[Oldfield, Ontario|Oldfield]], Thornecliffe, Tupperville, Turnerville, Whitebread; Ennett, Riverside
* Dover Township:
** [[Mitchell's Bay, Ontario|Mitchell's Bay]], [[Pain Court, Ontario|Pain Court]]; Bagnall, Baldoon, Bearline, Bradley, Dover Centre, Electric, Grande Pointe, Oungah; Bass Haven
* Harwich Township:
** [[Blenheim, Ontario|Blenheim]], [[Erieau, Ontario|Erieau]], [[Shrewsbury, Ontario|Shrewsbury]]; Bates Subdivision, Eatonville, Erie Beach, Fargo Station, Guilds, Huffman Corners, Kent Centre, Lake Morningstar Estates, McKay's Corners, Mull, New Scotland, Northwood, Pinehurst, Raglan, Rondeau Bay Estates, Troy, Van Horne, Vosburg, Wilson's Bush; Blenheim Junction, Lynnwood Subdivision, Porkies Corners, Richardson Station, Rushton's Corners
* Howard Township:
** [[Morpeth, Ontario|Morpeth]], [[Ridgetown]]; Beechwood, Botany, Selton; Slabtown, Trinity
* Orford Township:
** [[Highgate, Ontario|Highgate]]; Clearville, Duart, Muirkirk, Palmyra, Turin; Austen's, Clachan, Henderson's, Lee's
* Raleigh Township:
** [[Charing Cross, Ontario|Charing Cross]]; Dealtown, Doyles, [[North Buxton]], Ouvry, Pardoville, Prairie Siding, Rhodes, Ringold, Sleepy Hollow, [[South Buxton, Ontario|South Buxton]]; Sandison, Southside Estates; Cedar Springs
* Romney Township:
** [[Wheatley, Ontario|Wheatley]]; Coatsworth, Port Alma, Renwick; Holiday Harbour
* Tilbury East Township:
** [[Merlin, Ontario|Merlin]], [[Tilbury, Ontario|Tilbury]]; Fletcher, Glenwood, Jeannette, Jeannette's Creek, Port Crewe, Quinn, Stevenson, Stewart, Valetta
* Zone Township:
** [[Bothwell, Ontario|Bothwell]]; Bothwell Station, Briarwood Estates; Fairfield, Zone Centre

==Geography==
At {{convert|2458|km2|mi2}}, Chatham-Kent is the ninth largest municipality by area in Canada.  Over 44,000 of the 107,000 residents live in the former City of Chatham.  Other population centres in the municipality include [[Wallaceburg, Ontario|Wallaceburg]], [[Blenheim, Ontario|Blenheim]] and [[Tilbury, Ontario|Tilbury]], [[Ridgetown, Ontario|Ridgetown]] and [[Dresden, Ontario|Dresden]].

The Lower [[Thames River (Ontario)|Thames River]] runs through Chatham–Kent to [[Lake Saint Clair (North America)|Lake St. Clair]] in the west, while the [[Sydenham River]] flows through Wallaceburg and Dresden.  The municipality has approximately 88 kilometres of shoreline along lake [[Lake Erie|Erie]] and 24 kilometres along lake St. Clair.

The [[Indian reserve]] of [[Walpole Island|Bkejwanong]] (commonly referred to as Walpole Island) borders on Chatham–Kent, whereas the Indian reserve of [[Moravian 47, Ontario|Moravian 47]] is an enclave within the city and is part of the Chatham–Kent census agglomeration and census division.

===Climate===

Chatham-Kent has a [[humid continental climate]] ([[Köppen climate classification]] ''Dfa''),<ref name=Peel>{{cite journal |author1=Peel, M. C. |author2=Finlayson B. L. |author3=McMahon, T. A. | year=2007 | title= Updated world map of the Köppen–Geiger climate classification | journal=Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci. | volume=11 |issue=5 | pages=1633–1644 |doi=10.5194/hess-11-1633-2007 |bibcode=2007HESS...11.1633P | url=http://www.hydrol-earth-syst-sci.net/11/1633/2007/hess-11-1633-2007.pdf | issn = 1027-5606| doi-access=free }}</ref> with cold, snowy winters and warm to hot, humid summers. A typical summer will feature heat waves with temperatures exceeding {{convert|30|C|F}} often. Winters are cold, and feature occasional cold snaps bringing temperatures below {{convert|-15|C|F}}, but also commonly include mild stretches of weather above freezing.
{{Weather box
|location = Chatham-Kent, Ontario, Canada (1981–2010, extremes 1889–present{{refn|group=note|name=Records|Long term records have been recorded at various climate stations in or nearby Chatham-Kent since 1889}})
|single line = Y
|metric first = Y
|Jan record high C = 17.8
|Feb record high C = 19.0
|Mar record high C = 26.7
|Apr record high C = 32.8
|May record high C = 36.1
|Jun record high C = 38.5
|Jul record high C = 40.0
|Aug record high C = 41.1
|Sep record high C = 36.7
|Oct record high C = 32.2
|Nov record high C = 25.6
|Dec record high C = 19.0
|year record high C = 41.1
|Jan high C = −0.3
|Feb high C = 1.2
|Mar high C = 6.0
|Apr high C = 13.5
|May high C = 19.9
|Jun high C = 25.5
|Jul high C = 27.7
|Aug high C = 26.5
|Sep high C = 22.7
|Oct high C = 15.5
|Nov high C = 8.5
|Dec high C = 2.1
|year high C = 14.1
|Jan mean C = −3.6
|Feb mean C = −2.4
|Mar mean C = 1.9
|Apr mean C = 8.5
|May mean C = 14.6
|Jun mean C = 20.3
|Jul mean C = 22.6
|Aug mean C = 21.6
|Sep mean C = 17.8
|Oct mean C = 11.3
|Nov mean C = 5.2
|Dec mean C = −0.9
|year mean C = 9.8
|Jan low C = −6.9
|Feb low C = −5.9
|Mar low C = −2.2
|Apr low C = 3.6
|May low C = 9.4
|Jun low C = 15.0
|Jul low C = 17.5
|Aug low C = 16.7
|Sep low C = 13.0
|Oct low C = 6.9
|Nov low C = 1.8
|Dec low C = −3.9
|year low C = 5.4
|Jan record low C = −27.4
|Feb record low C = −31.9
|Mar record low C = −25.1
|Apr record low C = −13.9
|May record low C = −4.5
|Jun record low C = -0.6
|Jul record low C = 2.8
|Aug record low C = 2.8
|Sep record low C = -1.7
|Oct record low C = −7.2
|Nov record low C = −18.5
|Dec record low C = −27.0
|year record low C = −31.9
|precipitation colour = green
|Jan precipitation mm = 62.7
|Feb precipitation mm = 54.1
|Mar precipitation mm = 59.9
|Apr precipitation mm = 79.7
|May precipitation mm = 79.7
|Jun precipitation mm = 77.9
|Jul precipitation mm = 85.4
|Aug precipitation mm = 79.3
|Sep precipitation mm = 89.1
|Oct precipitation mm = 70.7
|Nov precipitation mm = 76.8
|Dec precipitation mm = 67.0
|year precipitation mm = 882.3
|rain colour = green
|Jan rain mm = 31.6
|Feb rain mm = 36.5
|Mar rain mm = 48.6
|Apr rain mm = 78.3
|May rain mm = 79.7
|Jun rain mm = 77.9
|Jul rain mm = 85.4
|Aug rain mm = 79.3
|Sep rain mm = 89.1
|Oct rain mm = 70.7
|Nov rain mm = 75.0
|Dec rain mm = 51.1
|year rain mm = 803.1
|Jan snow cm = 31.1
|Feb snow cm = 17.6
|Mar snow cm = 11.3
|Apr snow cm = 1.4
|May snow cm = 0.0
|Jun snow cm = 0.0
|Jul snow cm = 0.0
|Aug snow cm = 0.0
|Sep snow cm = 0.0
|Oct snow cm = 0.0
|Nov snow cm = 1.7
|Dec snow cm = 15.9
|year snow cm = 79.2
|unit precipitation days = 0.2 mm
|Jan precipitation days = 12.5
|Feb precipitation days = 9.3
|Mar precipitation days = 11.0
|Apr precipitation days = 13.5
|May precipitation days = 13.3
|Jun precipitation days = 10.9
|Jul precipitation days = 9.7
|Aug precipitation days = 9.6
|Sep precipitation days = 10.2
|Oct precipitation days = 11.9
|Nov precipitation days = 12.6
|Dec precipitation days = 12.7
|year precipitation days = 137.1
|unit rain days = 0.2 mm
|Jan rain days = 5.4
|Feb rain days = 5.2
|Mar rain days = 8.4
|Apr rain days = 13.1
|May rain days = 13.3
|Jun rain days = 10.9
|Jul rain days = 9.7
|Aug rain days = 9.6
|Sep rain days = 10.2
|Oct rain days = 11.9
|Nov rain days = 11.9
|Dec rain days = 8.3
|year rain days = 118.0
|unit snow days = 0.2 cm
|Jan snow days = 7.5
|Feb snow days = 4.7
|Mar snow days = 3.5
|Apr snow days = 0.83
|May snow days = 0.0
|Jun snow days = 0.0
|Jul snow days = 0.0
|Aug snow days = 0.0
|Sep snow days = 0.0
|Oct snow days = 0.04
|Nov snow days = 0.88
|Dec snow days = 5.0
|year snow days = 22.4
|source 1 = Environment Canada<ref>{{cite web
| url = https://climate.weather.gc.ca/climate_normals/results_1981_2010_e.html?searchType=stnProv&lstProvince=ON&txtCentralLatMin=0&txtCentralLatSec=0&txtCentralLongMin=0&txtCentralLongSec=0&stnID=4619&dispBack=0
| title = Chatham WPCP
| work = Canadian Climate Normals 1981–2010
| date = October 31, 2011
| publisher = [[Environment Canada]]
| access-date = September 22, 2013}}</ref><ref name=extremes>
{{cite web
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20211112223559/https://api.weather.gc.ca/collections/ltce-temperature/items?VIRTUAL_CLIMATE_ID=VSON11V&sortby=VIRTUAL_CLIMATE_ID%2CLOCAL_MONTH%2CLOCAL_DAY&f=csv&limit=150000&startindex=0
| archive-date = November 12, 2021
| url = https://api.weather.gc.ca/collections/ltce-temperature/items?VIRTUAL_CLIMATE_ID=VSON11V&sortby=VIRTUAL_CLIMATE_ID,LOCAL_MONTH,LOCAL_DAY&f=csv&limit=150000&startindex=0
| title = Long Term Climate Extremes for Chatham–Kent Area (Virtual Station ID: VSON11V)
| work = Daily climate records (LTCE)
| publisher = Environment Canada
| access-date = November 12, 2021}}</ref>
}}

===Adjacent townships and municipalities===
* [[St. Clair, Ontario|St Clair]] and [[Dawn-Euphemia]] (north and northwest)
* [[Southwest Middlesex]] (northeast)
* [[West Elgin]] (northeast and east)
* Across [[Lake Erie]]: the City of [[Cleveland]] and [[Cuyahoga County, Ohio|Cuyahoga]], [[Lorain County, Ohio|Lorain]] and [[Erie County, Ohio|Erie]] Counties, [[Ohio]], US (south)
* [[Lakeshore, Ontario]] and [[Leamington, Ontario]] (southwest and west)
* Across [[Lake St. Clair]]: [[Macomb County, Michigan|Macomb]] and [[St. Clair County, Michigan|St. Clair]] Counties, [[Michigan]], US (west)

== Demographics ==
In the [[2021 Canadian census|2021 Census of Population]] conducted by [[Statistics Canada]], Chatham-Kent had a population of {{val|103988|fmt=commas}} living in {{val|44028|fmt=commas}} of its {{val|46752|fmt=commas}} total private dwellings, a change of {{percentage|{{#expr:103988-101647}}|101647|1}} from its 2016 population of {{val|101647|fmt=commas}}. With a land area of {{convert|2451.9|km2|sqmi|abbr=on}}, it had a population density of {{Pop density|103988|2451.9|km2|sqmi|prec=1}} in 2021.<ref name=2021census>{{cite web | url=https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/t1/tbl1/en/tv.action?pid=9810000203&geocode=A000235 | title=Population and dwelling counts: Canada, provinces and territories, census divisions and census subdivisions (municipalities), Ontario | publisher=[[Statistics Canada]] | date=February 9, 2022 | accessdate=March 31, 2022}}</ref>
{{Canada census
 |location = Chatham-Kent
 |2021_population=103,988 | 2021_pop_delta=+2.3  | 2021_land_area=2,451.90 | 2021_pop_density=42.4
 |2021_median_age=46.4 | 2021_median_age_m=44.8 | 2021_median_age_f=47.6
 |2021_total_pvt_dwell=46,752 |2021_occ_pvt_dwell=44,028 |2021_mean_hh_income=72,000 
 |2021_geocode=2021A00053536020 | 2021_access_date=2023-10-19
 | 2016_population = 101,647 | 2016_pop_delta=-2.0 | 2016_land_area=2,457.90 | 2016_pop_density=41.4
 | 2016_median_age = 45.9 | 2016_median_age_m=44.6 | 2016_median_age_f=47.0
 | 2016_total_pvt_dwell = 46,103 | 2016_mean_hh_income=58,264 | 2016_access_date=2020-02-20
 | 2011_population = 103,671 | 2011_pop_delta=-4.2 | 2011_land_area=2,458.09 | 2011_pop_density=42.2
 | 2011_median_age = 43.9 | 2011_median_age_m=42.6 | 2011_median_age_f=45.1
 | 2011_total_pvt_dwell = 46,209 | 2011_mean_hh_income= | 2011_access_date=2012-02-24
 | 2006_population = 108,177 | 2006_pop_delta=+0.8 | 2006_land_area=2,458.06 | 2006_pop_density=44.0
 | 2006_median_age = 41.2 | 2006_median_age_m=40.1 | 2006_median_age_f=42.2
 | 2006_total_pvt_dwell = 46,614 | 2006_mean_hh_income=51,081 | 2006_access_date=2011-02-24
}}

=== Ethnicity === 
{| class="wikitable collapsible sortable"
|+ [[Panethnicity|Panethnic]] groups in the Municipality of Chatham-Kent (2001−2021)
! rowspan="2" |[[Panethnicity|Panethnic]]<br />group
! colspan="2" |2021<ref name="2021censusB">{{Cite web |last=Government of Canada |first=Statistics Canada |date=2022-10-26 |title= Census Profile, 2021 Census of Population |url=https://www12.statcan.gc.ca/census-recensement/2021/dp-pd/prof/details/page.cfm?Lang=E&SearchText=Chatham%2DKent&DGUIDlist=2021A00053536020&GENDERlist=1,2,3&STATISTIClist=1&HEADERlist=0 |access-date=2023-01-15 |website=www12.statcan.gc.ca}}</ref>
! colspan="2" |2016<ref name="2016census">{{Cite web |last=Government of Canada |first=Statistics Canada |date=2021-10-27 |title= Census Profile, 2016 Census |url=https://www12.statcan.gc.ca/census-recensement/2016/dp-pd/prof/details/page.cfm?Lang=E&Geo1=CSD&Code1=3536020&Geo2=CD&Code2=3536&SearchText=Chatham-Kent&SearchType=Begins&SearchPR=01&B1=All&TABID=1&type=0 |access-date=2023-01-15 |website=www12.statcan.gc.ca}}</ref>
! colspan="2" |2011<ref name="2011census">{{Cite web |last=Government of Canada |first=Statistics Canada |date=2015-11-27 |title= NHS Profile |url=https://www12.statcan.gc.ca/nhs-enm/2011/dp-pd/prof/details/page.cfm?Lang=E&Geo1=CSD&Code1=3536020&Data=Count&SearchText=Chatham-Kent&SearchType=Begins&SearchPR=01&A1=All&B1=All&Custom=&TABID=1 |access-date=2023-01-15 |website=www12.statcan.gc.ca}}</ref>
! colspan="2" |2006<ref name="2006census">{{Cite web |last=Government of Canada |first=Statistics Canada |date=2019-08-20 |title= 2006 Community Profiles |url=https://www12.statcan.gc.ca/census-recensement/2006/dp-pd/prof/92-591/details/page.cfm?Lang=E&Geo1=CSD&Code1=3536020&Geo2=PR&Code2=35&Data=Count&SearchText=Chatham-Kent&SearchType=Begins&SearchPR=01&B1=All&Custom= |access-date=2023-01-15 |website=www12.statcan.gc.ca}}</ref>
! colspan="2" |2001<ref name="2001census">{{Cite web |last=Government of Canada |first=Statistics Canada |date=2019-07-02 |title= 2001 Community Profiles |url=https://www12.statcan.gc.ca/english/Profil01/CP01/Details/Page.cfm?Lang=E&Geo1=CSD&Code1=3536020&Geo2=PR&Code2=35&Data=Count&SearchText=Chatham-Kent&SearchType=Begins&SearchPR=01&B1=All&Custom= |access-date=2023-01-15 |website=www12.statcan.gc.ca}}</ref>
|-
![[Population|{{abbr|Pop.|Population}}]]
!{{Abbr|%|percentage}}
!{{abbr|Pop.|Population}}
!{{Abbr|%|percentage}}
!{{abbr|Pop.|Population}}
!{{Abbr|%|percentage}}
!{{abbr|Pop.|Population}}
!{{Abbr|%|percentage}}
!{{abbr|Pop.|Population}}
!{{Abbr|%|percentage}}
|-
| [[European Canadians|European]]{{efn|Statistic includes all persons that did not make up part of a visible minority or an indigenous identity.|name="euro"}}
| 90,830
| {{Percentage | 90830 | 101765 | 2 }}
| 91,175
| {{Percentage | 91175 | 99385 | 2 }}
| 94,760
| {{Percentage | 94760 | 101680 | 2 }}
| 99,860
| {{Percentage | 99860 | 106735 | 2 }}
| 99,720
| {{Percentage | 99720  | 105480 | 2 }}
|-
| [[Indigenous peoples in Canada|Indigenous]]
| 4,245
| {{Percentage | 4245 | 101765 | 2 }}
| 3,680
| {{Percentage | 3680 | 99385 | 2 }}
| 2,910
| {{Percentage | 2910 | 101680 | 2 }}
| 2,320
| {{Percentage | 2320 | 106735 | 2 }}
| 1,725
| {{Percentage | 1725 | 105480 | 2 }}
|-
| [[African-Canadian|African]]
| 2,600
| {{Percentage | 2600 | 101765 | 2 }}
| 2,125
| {{Percentage | 2125 | 99385 | 2 }}
| 1,890
| {{Percentage | 1890 | 101680 | 2 }}
| 2,190
| {{Percentage | 2190 | 106735 | 2 }}
| 2,130
| {{Percentage | 2130 | 105480 | 2 }}
|-
| [[South Asian Canadians|South Asian]]
| 1,315
| {{Percentage | 1315 | 101765 | 2 }}
| 630
| {{Percentage | 630 | 99385 | 2 }}
| 485
| {{Percentage | 485 | 101680 | 2 }}
| 610
| {{Percentage | 610 | 106735 | 2 }}
| 315
| {{Percentage | 315 | 105480 | 2 }}
|-
| [[Southeast Asia]]n{{efn|Statistic includes total responses of "Filipino" and "Southeast Asian" under visible minority section on census.|name="SoutheastAsian"}}
| 895
| {{Percentage | 895 | 101765 | 2 }}
| 535
| {{Percentage | 535 | 99385 | 2 }}
| 485
| {{Percentage | 485 | 101680 | 2 }}
| 550
| {{Percentage | 550 | 106735 | 2 }}
| 465
| {{Percentage | 465 | 105480 | 2 }}
|-
| [[East Asian Canadians|East Asian]]{{efn|Statistic includes total responses of "Chinese", "Korean", and "Japanese" under visible minority section on census.|name="EastAsian"}}
| 590
| {{Percentage | 590 | 101765 | 2 }}
| 595
| {{Percentage | 595 | 99385 | 2 }}
| 560
| {{Percentage | 560 | 101680 | 2 }}
| 610
| {{Percentage | 610 | 106735 | 2 }}
| 680
| {{Percentage | 680 | 105480 | 2 }}
|-
| [[Latin American Canadians|Latin American]]
| 485
| {{Percentage | 485 | 101765 | 2 }}
| 200
| {{Percentage | 200 | 99385 | 2 }}
| 350
| {{Percentage | 350 | 101680 | 2 }}
| 235
| {{Percentage | 235 | 106735 | 2 }}
| 125
| {{Percentage | 125 | 105480 | 2 }}
|-
| [[Middle Eastern Canadians|Middle Eastern]]{{efn|Statistic includes total responses of "West Asian" and "Arab" under visible minority section on census.|name="MiddleEastern"}}
| 380
| {{Percentage | 380 | 101765 | 2 }}
| 195
| {{Percentage | 195 | 99385 | 2 }}
| 115
| {{Percentage | 115 | 101680 | 2 }}
| 175
| {{Percentage | 175 | 106735 | 2 }}
| 190
| {{Percentage | 190 | 105480 | 2 }}
|-
| Other{{efn|Statistic includes total responses of "Visible minority, {{abbr|n.i.e.|not included elsewhere}}" and "Multiple visible minorities" under visible minority section on census.|name="Other"}}
| 425
| {{Percentage | 425 | 101765 | 2 }}
| 260
| {{Percentage | 260 | 99385 | 2 }}
| 130
| {{Percentage | 130 | 101680 | 2 }}
| 175
| {{Percentage | 175 | 106735 | 2 }}
| 125
| {{Percentage | 125 | 105480 | 2 }}
|-
! Total responses
! 101,765
! {{Percentage | 101765 | 103988 | 2 }}
! 99,385
! {{Percentage | 99385 | 101647 | 2 }}
! 101,680
! {{Percentage | 101680 | 103671 | 2 }}
! 106,735
! {{Percentage | 106735 | 108177 | 2 }}
! 105,480
! {{Percentage | 105480 | 107341 | 2 }}
|-
! Total population
! 103,988
! {{Percentage | 103988 | 103988 | 2 }}
! 101,647
! {{Percentage | 101647 | 101647 | 2 }}
! 103,671
! {{Percentage | 103671 | 103671 | 2 }}
! 108,177
! {{Percentage | 108177 | 108177 | 2 }}
! 107,341
! {{Percentage | 107341 | 107341 | 2 }}
|}
*Note: Totals greater than 100% due to multiple origin responses.

'''2006 census'''<br />
''For all groups that comprise at least 1% of the population. Note that a person can report more than one ethnic origin.''<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www12.statcan.ca/census-recensement/2006/dp-pd/hlt/97-562/pages/page.cfm?Lang=E&Geo=CSD&Code=3536020&Table=2&Data=Count&StartRec=1&Sort=3&Display=All&CSDFilter=5000|title=Ethnocultural Portrait of Canada - Data table|date=May 28, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150528074321/http://www12.statcan.ca/census-recensement/2006/dp-pd/hlt/97-562/pages/page.cfm?Lang=E&Geo=CSD&Code=3536020&Table=2&Data=Count&StartRec=1&Sort=3&Display=All&CSDFilter=5000 |archive-date=May 28, 2015 }}</ref>
*"Canadian": 34.7%
*English: 32.9%
*French: 21.9%
*Scottish: 20.2%
*Irish: 19.1%
*German: 12.2%
*Dutch: 11.1%
*Belgian: 5.9%
*First Nations: 3.1%
*Italian: 2.1%
*African descent: 2.1%
*Polish: 2.1%
*Ukrainian: 2.0%
*Welsh: 1.5%
*Czech: 1.4%
*Metis: 1.2%
*American (modern immigrant): 1.2%
*Hungarian: 1.2%
*Portuguese: 1.2%
*Mexican: 1.0%

===Language===
Although most of the population of Chatham-Kent is English-speaking, a few of its communities and Catholic parishes were settled by francophone (French-speaking) farmers in the mid-nineteenth century. These include Pain Court, Tilbury and Grande Pointe, where French is still spoken by a significant percentage of the population. These communities are designated French language service areas under Ontario's ''[[French Language Services Act (Ontario)|French Language Services Act]]''.

Approximately 8,500 residents of Chatham-Kent have French as a mother tongue and 1,500 have French as their home language. [[Essex County, Ontario|Essex County]] also has a relatively large francophone population, especially in the municipality of [[Lakeshore, Ontario|Lakeshore]]. Together, Chatham–Kent and Essex Counties make up one of the concentrations of [[Franco-Ontarian]]s in the province of Ontario.

Both elementary and secondary francophone schools exist across the municipality. A French socio-cultural organization, ''La Girouette'', which is based in Chatham, promotes French-Canadian culture and language in the area.

Knowledge of official language statistics:<ref name=autogenerated1>{{Cite web|url=http://www12.statcan.gc.ca/census-recensement/2006/dp-pd/prof/92-591/details/page.cfm?Lang=E&Geo1=CD&Code1=3536&Geo2=PR&Code2=35&Data=Count&SearchText=Chatham-Kent&SearchType=Begins&SearchPR=01&B1=All&GeoLevel=PR&GeoCode=3536|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160828003846/http://www12.statcan.gc.ca/census-recensement/2006/dp-pd/prof/92-591/details/page.cfm?Lang=E&Geo1=CD&Code1=3536&Geo2=PR&Code2=35&Data=Count&SearchText=Chatham-Kent&SearchType=Begins&SearchPR=01&B1=All&GeoLevel=PR&GeoCode=3536|url-status=unfit|title=Statistics Canada: 2006 Community Profiles|first=Statistics Canada|last=Government of Canada|date=March 13, 2007|archivedate=August 28, 2016}}</ref>
*English only: 92.2%
*French only: <0.1%
*English and French: 7.2%
*Neither English nor French: 0.5%

==Economy and industry==

A breakdown of the total labour force in Chatham-Kent shows the leading industries ([[NAICS]]) are manufacturing, health care, and retail:
*Manufacturing: 12.9%
*Health care and social assistance: 12.3%
*Retail trade: 11.2%
*Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting: 7.5%
*Accommodation and food services: 6.7%
*Construction: 6.5%
*Educational services: 5.9%
*Transportation and warehousing: 5.0%
*Administrative and support, waste management and remediation services: 5.0%
*Public administration: 4.4%
<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www12.statcan.gc.ca/census-recensement/2016/dp-pd/prof/details/page.cfm?Lang=E&Geo1=CMACA&Code1=556&Geo2=PR&Code2=35&SearchText=Chatham-Kent&SearchType=Begins&SearchPR=01&B1=All&GeoLevel=PR&GeoCode=556&TABID=1&type=0|title=Census Profile, 2016 Census - Chatham-Kent [Census agglomeration], Ontario and Ontario [Province]|first=Statistics Canada|last=Government of Canada|date=February 8, 2017|website=www12.statcan.gc.ca}}</ref>

===Agribusiness and chemical===
At the outskirts of Chatham is the headquarters for Corteva Agriscience (Formerly Pioneer ), a major agricultural seed breeding and biotechnology company.

GreenField Specialty Alcohols Inc.'s Commercial Alcohols division, Canada's largest [[ethanol]] plant and one of the world's largest, opened in Chatham in 1996. The plant produces ethanol for industrial, medical, and beverage uses. 
 
There are a number of [[Canadian wine|vineyards]] in the municipality.

===Automotive===
{{more citations needed|section|date=May 2019}}
Chatham's roots in the automotive sector go back to [[Gray-Dort Motors Ltd.]], one of Canada's earliest automobile manufacturers. In the 21st century, auto industry plants in the municipality include [[Autoliv]] Canada in Tilbury (airbags), [[Mahle GmbH|Mahle]] in Tilbury (emissions controls and plastics), in Ridgetown (automotive electronic pedal assembly and sensors), [[Dana Incorporated|Dana Canada]] in Chatham (heat shields for thermal and acoustic management of exhaust manifolds, catalytic converters, and turbochargers), and [[Vitesco Technologies]]<ref>{{Cite news |last=Daily News staff |date=March 9, 2020 |title=Continental in Chatham celebrates 75 years with name change |url=https://www.chathamdailynews.ca/news/local-news/continental-in-chatham-celebrates-75-years-with-name-change |access-date=Jan 11, 2024 |work=Chatham Daily News}}</ref> (Powertrain Canada ULC) in Chatham (design, development, and testing of Actuators for clean, efficient vehicles).

Chatham-Kent also is home to [[RM Auctions]], a vintage automobile auction house, and RM Restorations, a vintage automobile restoration company.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.cnbc.com/2017/02/16/how-this-self-made-millionaire-became-the-king-of-classic-cars.html|title=How this self-made millionaire started a classic car empire out of his garage|last=Guzman|first=Zack|date=February 16, 2017|website=CNBC|language=en|access-date=May 23, 2019}}</ref> The nickname "The Classic Car Capital of Canada" comes from the abundance of classic car events in the community.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.chatham-kent.ca/Tourism/things-to-see/classic-cars|title=Classic Car Shows in Chatham-Kent – Tourism – Chatham-Kent|website=www.chatham-kent.ca|access-date=May 23, 2019}}{{Dead link|date=November 2023 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://businessviewmagazine.com/chatham-kent-ontario-classic-car-capital-canada/|title=Chatham-Kent, Ontario – Classic car capital of Canada|date=December 9, 2019|website=Business View Magazine|language=en-US|access-date=December 12, 2019}}</ref>

===Energy===
Chatham is home to a major corporate office of Enbridge Gas Inc., a natural gas utility and [[Enbridge]] company. Other energy related companies include [[Wind power|wind farms]] near the shores of [[Lake Erie]].

===Public sector===
The Canadian Federal government is one of the largest employers in the Chatham-Kent area with over 450 employees in several departments in the area.
The Canada Pension Plan (CPP) Disability Unit is housed in the Judy Lamarsh (see Notable Residents) Building in downtown Chatham.  This federal office is the single largest disability processing centre in Canada, processing 50% of all CPP Disability benefits. The office also processes Old Age Security benefit claims.

===Retail hub===
Chatham serves as a retail centre for the municipality and surrounding area. This includes the large [[big-box stores]] in Super Centre on St. Clair Street. Wallaceburg also houses a number of big box stores and fast food locations.

==Attractions==
[[File:Capitol-outside-at-night.jpg|thumb|right|upright|Capitol Theatre]]

The long, white sandy beaches, fishing, hiking trails and conservation areas make Erieau a popular vacation spot.

There are two [[Ontario Parks|Provincial Parks]] in Chatham-Kent: [[Rondeau Provincial Park]] and [[Wheatley Provincial Park]],
There are also numerous local conservation areas.

Downtown Chatham is home to the annual "Retrofest" organized by the Historic Downtown Chatham BIA, in partnership with the Kent Historic Auto Club.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://downtownchatham.com/|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20161016193108/http://www.retrofestchatham.com/|url-status=dead|title=Historic Downtown Chatham|archivedate=October 16, 2016}}</ref> Hundreds of classic car enthusiasts travel to downtown Chatham to showcase their classic cars and vintage vehicles.

Downtown Chatham is also home to the Chatham Capitol Theatre, a theatre that, when it opened in 1930, was the largest in the region. The theatre is run by the Municipality of Chatham-Kent and hosts shows and entertainers.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.chathamcapitoltheatre.com/|title=Chatham Capitol Theatre|date=October 3, 2016 }}</ref>

Chatham was home to the Wheels Inn, a family resort for four decades until its closure in 2010. In 2011, the Chatham-Kent John D. Bradley Convention Centre was constructed on the site of the Wheels Inn.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://canada.constructconnect.com/dcn/news/projects/2011/04/wheels-inn-now-reborn-as-chatham-ontario-convention-centre-dcn044130w |title=Wheels Inn now reborn as Chatham, Ontario convention centre|publisher=Daily Commercial News|author=Ron Stang|date=April 28, 2011|access-date=March 31, 2019}}</ref> In July 2019, a new Cascades casino was opened in Chatham, close to the Convention Centre on Richmond Street.

== Arts and culture ==
The Thames Art Gallery and ARTspace, located in the historic downtown, feature exhibitions showcasing local artists from the Chatham-Kent area, while also housing other Canadian and international works.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.artspacechathamkent.com/news.html|title=ARTspace Chatham|access-date=March 6, 2020|archive-date=April 22, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190422234153/http://www.artspacechathamkent.com/news.html|url-status=dead}}</ref>

Numerous car shows are hosted annually throughout the year in downtown Chatham earning it the nameCanada's Classic Car Capitol. <ref>{{Cite web |title=Classic Car Events - Chatham-Kent {{!}} VisitCK |url=https://www.chatham-kent.ca/visitck/doandsee/eventsandfestivals/Pages/ClassicCarEvents.aspx |access-date=2025-05-14 |website=www.chatham-kent.ca |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Corcoran |first=Bruce |date=2025-03-05 |title=Chatham Indoor Auto show revs up March 7-9 {{!}} The Chatham Voice |url=https://chathamvoice.com/2025/03/05/chatham-indoor-auto-show-revs-up-march-7-9/ |access-date=2025-05-14 |language=en-US}}</ref>

==Health care==
Chatham-Kent is served by the Chatham-Kent Health Alliance. The Public General Hospital and St. Joseph Hospital in Chatham were moved to a single campus in 2004, while the former Sydenham District Hospital remains in Wallaceburg. The eastern portion of the municipality is served by the Four Counties Health Services in [[Newbury, Ontario|Newbury]] in nearby [[Middlesex County, Ontario|Middlesex County]].

Research published in 2002 by the [[Heart and Stroke Foundation]] cited Chatham-Kent as a hotspot for [[heart disease]] in Ontario.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://realtytimes.com/rtcpages/20020312_hotspots.htm|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20060924000721/http://realtytimes.com/rtcpages/20020312_hotspots.htm|url-status=unfit|title=Canadian Heart Attack Hot Spots|archivedate=September 24, 2006|website=Realty Times}}</ref> Further research is underway to determine the reasons for this and other hotspots. The Chatham-Kent Public Health Unit launched a campaign in fall 2007 to tackle other ailments prevalent throughout the community, including [[asthma]], [[chronic allergies]], [[sinus problems]], many types of cancer, [[diabetes]], [[inflammatory bowel disease]], alcoholism, and [[obesity]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.chatham-kent.ca/community+services/Public+Health/keeping+you+healthy/RUOK/Are+You+Sure+You%e2%80%99re+OK+Campaign.htm|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120208104354/http://www.chatham-kent.ca/community%2Bservices/Public%2BHealth/keeping%2Byou%2Bhealthy/RUOK/Are%2BYou%2BSure%2BYou%E2%80%99re%2BOK%2BCampaign.htm|url-status=dead|title=Are You Sure You’re OK Campaign<!-- Bot generated title -->|archivedate=February 8, 2012}}</ref>

In October 2008, Chatham-Kent Health Alliance was named one of "[[Canada's Top 100 Employers]]" by Mediacorp Canada Inc., and was featured in ''[[Maclean's]]'' newsmagazine.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.eluta.ca/jobs-at-chatham-kent-health-alliance|title=All jobs at Chatham-Kent Health Alliance &#124; Eluta.ca|website=www.eluta.ca}}</ref>

Chatham-Kent features one of the 14 provincial [[Local Health Integration Network]]s (LHIN). The Erie St. Clair (ESC) LHIN services the Chatham-Kent Community as well as Sarnia/Lambton and Windsor/Essex. The ESC LHIN is located in the town of Chatham.

==Media==

===Television stations===
{|class="wikitable sortable" width="100%"
!OTA [[virtual channel]] ([[Program and System Information Protocol|PSIP]])
!OTA actual channel
!Call sign
!Network
!Notes
|-
|16.1
|16 ([[ultra high frequency|UHF]])
|[[CHWI-DT]]
|[[CTV 2]]
|
|-
|33.1
|33 ([[ultra high frequency|UHF]])
|[[TVOntario#Digital television and high definition|CICO-DT-59]]
|[[TVOntario]]
|Rebroadcaster of CICA-DT ([[Toronto]])
|}

Chatham-Kent is also served by stations coming from Windsor, London, [[Template:Detroit TV|Detroit]], [[Template:Toledo TV|Toledo]], and [[Template:Cleveland TV|Cleveland]].

===Radio broadcast stations===
{|class="wikitable sortable"
!Frequency
!Call sign
!Branding
!Format
!Owner
!Notes
|-
|[[AM broadcasting|AM]] 630
|[[CFCO]]
|CFCO 92.9
|[[Country music]]
|[[Blackburn Radio]]
|Also broadcasts at [[FM broadcasting|FM]] 92.9
|-
|[[FM broadcasting|FM]] 88.1
|[[CBEW-FM|CBEE-FM]]
|[[CBC Radio One]]
|[[Talk radio]], [[public broadcasting|public radio]]
|[[Canadian Broadcasting Corporation]]
|Rebroadcaster of [[CBEW-FM]] ([[Windsor, Ontario|Windsor]])
|-
|[[FM broadcasting|FM]] 89.3
|[[CKGW-FM]]
|UCB Canada
|[[Christian radio]]
|[[United Christian Broadcasters]] Canada
|
|-
|[[FM broadcasting|FM]] 94.3
|[[CKSY-FM]]
|94–3 CKSY
|[[Adult contemporary music|Adult contemporary]]
|[[Blackburn Radio]]
|
|-
|[[FM broadcasting|FM]] 95.1
|[[CKUE-FM]]
|Canada's Cool FM 
|[[Classic rock]]
|[[Blackburn Radio]]
|
|-
|[[FM broadcasting|FM]] 99.1
|[[CKXS-FM]]
|99.1
|[[Adult contemporary music|Hot adult contemporary]]
|Five Amigos Broadcasting
|
|}

===Print media===
The ''Chatham Daily News'' is the only daily newspaper in Chatham-Kent.  There are several weeklies located in Chatham and the various communities in the municipality, including the ''Chatham Voice, Wallaceburg Courier Press'', the ''Blenheim News Tribune'', ''Chatham-Kent This Week'', ''Ridgetown Independent News'', ''Tilbury Times'', and the ''Wheatley Journal''.

The ''Chatham Daily News'', ''Chatham-Kent This Week'', and ''Wallaceburg Courier Press'' are all owned by [[Postmedia]].

===Online media===
''The Chatham Daily News'',<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.chathamdailynews.ca/|title=Chatham Daily News|last=nurun.com|website=Chatham Daily News|access-date=March 29, 2018}}</ref> ''Chatham-Kent This Week'',<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.chathamthisweek.com/|title=Chatham This Week|last=nurun.com|website=Chatham This Week|access-date=March 29, 2018}}</ref> ''Wallaceburg Courier Press'',<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.wallaceburgcourierpress.com/|title=Wallaceburg Courier Press|last=nurun.com|website=Wallaceburg Courier Press|access-date=March 29, 2018}}</ref> ''Chatham Voice''<ref>{{cite web|url=https://chathamvoice.com/|title=Home|date=January 30, 2013|website=chathamvoice.com|access-date=March 29, 2018}}</ref> and ''CKReview''<ref>{{cite web|url=https://ckreview.ca/|title=ckreview.ca|website=ckreview.ca|access-date=March 29, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180417143927/http://www.ckreview.ca/|archive-date=April 17, 2018|url-status=dead}}</ref> are daily online news media in Chatham-Kent with coverage of local news, sports, entertainment, and cultural events as well as a number of regular contributing columnists. The ''Chatham-Kent Sports Network''<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cksn.ca/|title=Chatham-Kent Sports Network|website=Chatham-Kent Sports Network|access-date=March 29, 2018}}</ref> is an online source covering local sports news, scores, and highlights from each of Chatham-Kent's communities. CKSN also follows Chatham-Kent athletes who have progressed to the Junior, College, International, or Professional ranks.

==Education==

===Elementary and secondary===
{{Further|List of secondary schools in Ontario#Municipality of Chatham-Kent}}
[[File:Chatham Regional Education Center.jpg|thumb|Chatham Regional Education Center of the [[Lambton Kent District School Board]]]]
There are two anglophone school boards and one francophone school board in Chatham–Kent. These are the [[Lambton Kent District School Board]] (headquartered in both Chatham and Sarnia), the [[St. Clair Catholic District School Board]] (headquartered in Wallaceburg) and the ''[[Conseil scolaire catholique Providence]]'' (CSC Providence).<ref>https://web.archive.org/web/20160407172307/http://www.csdecso.on.ca/ {{Bare URL inline|date=August 2024}}</ref> The LKDSB is a public school board, and consists of 13 secondary and 53 elementary schools. [[Chatham-Kent Secondary School]] is the largest public high school in Lambton-Kent.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.lkdsb.net/Board/BoardMeetings/2017%20Board%20Meetings/Reports/LKDSB_Capital_Plan_June_2017%20final.pdf|title=Capital Plan|date=2017}}</ref> The St. Clair Catholic board consists of two secondary schools (one in Chatham and one in Sarnia) and 26 elementary schools. There are also independent schools, such as Wallaceburg Christian School and Chatham Christian Schools—an elementary and secondary school in the same building.

The French Catholic board, headquartered in [[Windsor, Ontario|Windsor]], has its Chatham-Kent regional office in [[Pain Court]] and consists of four elementary schools and one high school.<ref>"[https://archive.today/20141215050134/http://www.cscprovidence.ca/fr/nous-joindre/2-bureau-satellite-de-chatham-kent Bureau satellite de Chatham-Kent]." ''[[Conseil scolaire catholique Providence]]''. Retrieved on December 15, 2014. "Adresse: 14, rue Notre Dame C.P. 70 Pain Court Ontario N0P 1Z0 Canada"</ref>

===Post-secondary===
Chatham–Kent is the home of two colleges – [[St. Clair College]] and [[University of Guelph]] Ridgetown Campus, popularly known as [[Ridgetown College]].

St. Clair College is a satellite of St. Clair College of Windsor. There are two campuses located in the municipality – Thames Campus (located in Chatham) and the Wallaceburg Campus (located in Wallaceburg).  More than 5,000 full-time and 12,000 part-time students attend the college each year.

The Ridgetown Campus of the University of Guelph offers diplomas in agriculture, horticulture, and [[veterinary technology]]. It is part of the University of Guelph's [[Ontario Agricultural College]], and formerly known as Ridgetown College of Agricultural Technology.

==Sports==

===Hockey===
The [[Chatham Maroons]] are a team in the [[Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League]].

There are also four teams in the [[Great Lakes Junior C Hockey League]]
* [[Blenheim Blades]]
* [[Dresden Jr. Kings]]
* [[Wheatley Sharks]]
* [[Wallaceburg Lakers]]

Other teams in Chatham-Kent include CK CRUSH (Chatham Girls Minor Hockey Association), the Chatham AAA Cyclones and the A Kent Cobras.

===Rugby Union football===
Founded in 2001, the Chatham-Kent Havoc rugby team plays in the Southwest Rugby Union.

==Transportation==
[[File:Chatham ON 2.JPG|right|thumb|250px|St. Clair Street (Hwy 40) in Chatham]]

===Road===
Chatham-Kent is situated just off [[Highway 401 (Ontario)|Highway 401]], connecting [[Montreal]], Toronto, [[Kitchener, Ontario|Kitchener]]-[[Waterloo, Ontario|Waterloo]], [[London, Ontario|London]], and [[Windsor, Ontario]]; and Detroit, Michigan via the [[Ambassador Bridge]]. Blenheim, Chatham and Wallaceburg are linked with [[Sarnia]], Ontario and the [[Blue Water Bridge]] to the United States by [[Ontario Highway 40|Highway 40]].

The sections of [[Ontario Highway 2|Highway 2]] and [[Ontario Highway 3|Highway 3]]
(the [[Talbot Trail]]) in Chatham–Kent were downloaded by the province in 1998, becoming local roads 2 and 3, but they remain significant through routes and are still locally known by their old names.

The first gas station in Canada to sell [[E85]] fuel to the public is located on Park Avenue East in Chatham.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.pathoy.onmpp.ca/E85GasolineNowAvailableinChatham-Kent.htm |title=E85 Gasoline Now Available in Chatham-Kent |date=June 26, 2007 |access-date=November 18, 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080314154615/http://www.pathoy.onmpp.ca/E85GasolineNowAvailableinChatham-Kent.htm |archive-date=March 14, 2008 }}</ref>

===Rail===
[[Chatham railway station (Ontario)|Chatham station]] is served by [[Via Rail]] passenger services between Toronto and Windsor, part of the [[Quebec City – Windsor Corridor]] with four trips in each direction daily, and the community is served by both the [[Canadian National Railway]] and the [[Canadian Pacific Railway]] for freight transportation.

===Bus===
{{Main|CK Transit}}
Within Chatham public bus services are provided by [[CK Transit]]. Chatham-Kent has an intercity bus service, also provided by CK Transit, between all communities in the municipality except Wheatley.

===Air===
There is a [[Chatham-Kent Airport|municipal airport]] located 14&nbsp;km south east of Chatham featuring a 1500m paved, lighted runway, with refuelling facilities, tie-down services, pilot training and chartered flights.  The nearest airports served by regional carriers are [[Windsor, Ontario|Windsor]] and [[London, Ontario|London]].

==Notable people==
{{more citations needed|section|date=March 2019}}
* [[Sally Ainse]] – [[Oneida people|Oneida]] diplomat and [[fur trader]]
* [[Chris Allen (ice hockey)|Chris Allen]] – former NHL player with the [[Florida Panthers]]
* [[Doug Anakin]] – won a gold medal at the [[1964 Winter Olympics|1964 Olympics]] in the bobsled
* [[Bill Atkinson (baseball)|Bill Atkinson]] – former [[Major League Baseball]] [[relief pitcher]]
* [[Courtney Babcock-Key|Courtney Babcock]] – Olympic distance runner
* [[Shae-Lynn Bourne]] – championship [[Figure skating|figure skater]]
* [[T. J. Brodie]] – NHL hockey player with the [[Chicago Blackhawks]]
* [[Ernest Burgess]] – 24th President of the [[American Sociological Association]], author and [[Urban sociology|urban sociologist]] who is known for his groundbreaking [[Social ecology (theory)|social ecology]] research
* [[June Callwood]] – prominent magazine writer in the 1950s who became an Officer in the [[Order of Canada]] in 1986
* [[Joseph Caron]] – former [[High Commissioner]] to India and former Canadian ambassador to China and Japan
* [[Bridget Carleton]] – [[Women's National Basketball Association|WNBA]] player for the [[Minnesota Lynx]]
* [[Chandra K. Clarke]] – entrepreneur, published author, and humour columnist
* [[James J. Couzens|James Couzens]] – [[U.S. Senator]], Mayor of Detroit, industrialist, philanthropist, and vice president and general manager of the [[Ford Motor Company]]
* [[Robertson Davies]] – novelist, playwright
* [[Kenne Duncan]] – western/action movie actor
* [[Andy Fantuz]] – former [[Canadian Interuniversity Sport|CIS]] offensive MVP, former slotback for the [[Saskatchewan Roughriders]] and [[Hamilton Tiger Cats]] of the [[Canadian Football League|CFL]]
* [[Wally Floody]] – the "Tunnel King" from ''[[Stalag Luft III escape|The Great Escape]]''
* [[Dave Gagner]] – retired NHL hockey player; brother-in-law of Diane Gagner; former Chatham–Kent mayor
* [[W. B. George]] (1899–1972), president of the [[Canadian Amateur Hockey Association]] and agriculturalist at [[Kemptville College|Kemptville Agricultural School]], was born in Highgate<ref>{{Citation|last=Watson|first=Henry|date=January 5, 1900|title=Schedule A, County of Kent Births, 1899, Division of Orford|place=Highgate, Ontario|publisher=[[Archives of Ontario]]|pages=13–14}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Popular Valley Figure: W. B. George Retiring From KAS Post|date=September 24, 1960|newspaper=Ottawa Journal|location=Ottawa, Ontario|page=7|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/67906943/w-b-george-1960/}}{{free access}}</ref>
* [[Ashley Goure]] – [[Paralympic]] [[sledge hockey]] player
* [[Lee Giffin]] – professional ice hockey player
* [[Frank Gross]], philanthropist; awarded the [[Ontario Medal for Good Citizenship]] in 2006
* [[Ken Houston (ice hockey)|Ken Houston]] (born September 15, 1953) – former NHL player
* [[Tracey Hoyt]] – actress, Aurora Farqueson on the [[CBC Television]] series ''[[The Tournament (TV series)|The Tournament]]''
* [[Jeff Jackson (ice hockey, born 1965)|Jeff Jackson]] – NHL hockey player
* [[Ferguson Jenkins]] – [[Baseball Hall of Fame]]r
* [[Anna H. Jones]] – teacher, speaker at the [[First Pan-African Conference]] in 1900
* [[Ryan Jones (ice hockey)|Ryan Jones]] – former finalist of 2008 [[Hobey Baker Award]] and former member of the [[Edmonton Oilers]]; currently playing in the [[Deutsche Eishockey Liga|DEL]] for the Cologne Sharks
* [[Judy LaMarsh]] – former Canadian [[Minister of Health (Canada)|Minister of Health]]
* [[Archibald Lampman]] – one of Canada's finest 19th-century [[Romantic poets]], born Morpeth, Kent County, 1861
*[[Bobbi Lancaster]], a medical doctor and [[trans woman]] noted for playing in the [[LPGA Qualifying Tournament]] in 2013<ref name="Boivin, DEC 2013">Boivin, P. (2013). [https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/golf/2013/03/12/lpga-transgender-bobbi-lancaster/1983171/ Transgender golfer dreams of playing in LPGA]</ref>
* [[Lori Lansens]] – author of ''Rush Home Road'' and ''[[The Girls (2005 novel)|The Girls]]''
* [[Chad Laprise]] – UFC fighter
* [[John B. Lee]] – author, poet and current [[Poet Laureate]] of [[Brantford]], Ontario
* [[Doug Melvin]] – general manager of the [[Milwaukee Brewers]]
* [[Harry Miner|Harry Garnet Bedford Miner]] – [[Victoria Cross]] winner during [[World War I]], born in Cedar Springs
* [[Dave Nichol]] – award-winning product marketing expert and former president of [[Loblaw Companies|Loblaw's]]
* [[Geoffrey O'Hara]] – early 20th-century composer, singer and music professor who was the writer of such popular songs as the 1918 hit "K-K-K-Katy"
* [[Sam Panopoulos]] – inventor of the [[Hawaiian pizza]]
* [[Ron Pardo]] – comic-impressionist; actor for ''[[History Bites]]'' and voice actor on animated shows like ''[[PAW Patrol]] and ''[[World of Quest]]''; from Pardoville
* [[Ray Robertson]] – novelist
* [[The Next Star|Brooklyn Roebuck]] – 2012 ''The Next Star''; under licence with [[Sony Music Canada]]
* [[Doug Shedden]] – professional ice hockey coach and former player
* [[Glen Skov]] – [[National Hockey League]] (NHL) [[ice hockey|hockey]] player
* [[Ron Sparks (comedian)|Ron Sparks]] – award-winning comedian, actor, writer and producer (''[[Video on Trial]]'')
* [[Joseph Storey]] – architect, designer of many local landmarks in the 1950s and 1960s
* [[Shaun Suisham]] – [[Pittsburgh Steelers]] kicker (formerly with [[Dallas Cowboys]] and [[Washington Redskins]])
* [[Sylvia Tyson]] –  singer-songwriter, broadcaster, and guitarist who found early fame with her then-husband Ian Tyson in their folk duo [[Ian and Sylvia]]
* [[Todd Warriner]] – former NHL hockey player picked 4th overall in the [[1992 NHL Entry Draft]] by the [[Quebec Nordiques]]
* [[Derek Whitson]] – [[Paralympic]] [[sledge hockey]] player
* [[Brian Wiseman]] – 1999 [[International Hockey League (1945–2001)|IHL]] MVP [[Houston Aeros (1994–2013)|Houston Aeros]]
* [[Michelle Wright]] – country music singer

==See also==
* [[List of townships in Ontario]]
* [[List of municipalities in Ontario]]

==Notes==
{{reflist|group=note}}
{{notelist}}

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons category}}
{{wikivoyage|Chatham-Kent}}
* {{Official website}}

{{Geographic location <!-- only for DIRECTLY adjacent jurisdictions as standardized for all other municipalities -->
| Centre    = Chatham-Kent<br />{{nobold|(surrounds [[Moravian 47, Ontario|Moravian 47]])}}
| North     = [[St. Clair, Ontario|St. Clair]], [[Dawn-Euphemia]]
| Northeast = [[Southwest Middlesex, Ontario|Southwest Middlesex]]<br />[[West Elgin, Ontario|West Elgin]]
| East      = ''[[Lake Erie]]''
| Southeast = ''[[Lake Erie]]''
| South     = ''[[Lake Erie]]''<br />[[Cleveland]], Ohio {{flagicon|USA}}
| Southwest = [[Lakeshore, Ontario|Lakeshore]]<br />[[Leamington, Ontario|Leamington]]
| West      = ''[[Lake Saint Clair (North America)|Lake St. Clair]]''
| Northwest = [[Walpole Island]] 46
}}
{{Subdivisions of Ontario}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Chatham-Kent| ]]
[[Category:1998 establishments in Ontario]]
[[Category:Underground Railroad locations in Canada]]
[[Category:Single-tier municipalities in Ontario]]
[[Category:Southwestern Ontario]]
[[Category:Populated places on Lake Erie in Canada]]
[[Category:States and territories established in 1998]]