Draft:Chatham Ontario

Chatham is a city in the municipality of Chatham-Kent in Southwestern Ontario, Canada. Chatham is known for natural gas, fruit-growing, and their historic downtown and dairying district. Over the years Chatham has had been nicknamed "Classic Car Capital of Canada" and "The Maple City".

On the banks of the Thames River, it is near Ontario Highway 401 between Toronto and Windsor. The city is also serviced by Via Rail with a train station.

History
The greater area to become known as Chatham prior to European presence was occupied by the First Nations in Anishinaabe and Iroquois. European settlement began in 1794. John Graves Simcoe (1752–1806) and others had plans to make Chatham a military settlement, though those plans did not proceed.

Chatham's first major industry was "lumbering". Until 1845 the area was heavily timbered with pak, walnut, whitewood, beech, maple, ash, and elm, whilst also home to deer, bears, wolves, turkeys, and foxes. Farming land was limited by a lack of drainage to the Thames River, the river named for the English river (although early French Canadians called it La Tranche).

As part of the War of 1812, on 5 October 1918 near Chatham, Upper Canada, the Battle of the Thames was fought between the United States and Tecumseh's Confederacy and their British allies. Southwestern Ontario was decisively lost to the US forces, Tecumseh was killed, and the confederacy disintegrated.

Once Chatham became settled, they developed for a surrounding agricultural area. Chatham became a town in 1855, named for William Pitt, 1st Earl of Chatham (1708–1778).

On 1 January 1998 Chatham and Kent County were merged into the single-tier city of Chatham-Kent, Ontario (City of Chatham).

Population
Chatham's population in 2011 stood at 44,676. Then in 2016 it went down to 43,550. As of 2023, Chatham has a population of 47,441 residents. Over the last 10 years Chatham's population decreased a lot, but now Chatham's population had bounced back and nearly doubled from what they had 10 years ago due to net migration from other parts of the province.

Within the last 5 year's Mayor Canniff has reported that Chatham's population has been jumping up again over the past few years. Chatham is now known as one of Canada's fastest growing cities as of 2023.

Education
Chatham has a few different school boards serving the city, the main ones include Lambton Kent District School Board, St. Clair Catholic District School Board, Conseil scolaire catholique Providence, Conseil scolaire Viamonde. Chatham also has St. Clair College, located on the border of the city. Chatham also has a education centre by Lambton Kent District School Board.

Several educational facilities have closed over the years including the Chatham Collegiate Institute (CCI; 1885–2003; now Darul Uloom Canada).

French schools

 * Catholic Elementary School Sainte Marie
 * Monsignor Uyen

Catholic schools

 * Saint Angela Merici
 * Saint Ursula
 * Georges P. Vanier
 * Saint Teresa of Calcutta
 * Chatham Christian School
 * Eben-Ezer Christian School, McNaughton Avenue East

Public schools

 * Tecumseh Public School, McNaughton Avenue West
 * Winston Churchill Public School, King Street West
 * Victor Lauriston Public School, Dunn Avenue
 * McNaughton Avenue Public School, McNaughton Avenue East
 * Queen Elizabeth II Public School, Eugenie Street
 * Indian Creek Road Public School, Indian Creeek West
 * King George VI Public School, Delaware Avenue

Secondary schools

 * Ursuline College Catholic secondary school, Grand Avenue West
 * John McGregor Secondary School, Cecile Avenue
 * Chatham-Kent Secondary School, McNaughton Avenue East

Healthcare
The Public General Hospital and Saint Joseph Hospital in Chatham were moved to a single campus in 2004, which is now known as "Chatham-Kent Health Alliance" which is a fully functional facility that supports all the surrounding areas of Chatham-Kent.

Chatham also has many clinic and such around the city.

Sports
Chatham has a batch of sports teams such as:
 * Chatham Maroons junior ice hockey
 * Chatham-Kent Barnstormers minor league baseball team

Chatham also has others teams such as the Chatham-Kent Cougars, Kent Havoc, Chatham Diamonds, and Chatham-Kent Cyclones.

The Chatham Granite Cash Spiel curling bonspiel was held until about 2015.

Ice hockey is played at the 2500-seat Chatham Memorial Arena, built in 1949.

Arts & Culture
Chatham is the birthplace of Hawaiian pizza, by Sam Panopoulos, at the Satellite Restaurant in 1962.

The Sertoma Scottish highland games were held on the second week of July annually from the early-1990s until discontinued in 2008 due to spiralling costs. It was the second-most attended games in Ontario, and held at the Kiwanis Music Shell and Tecumseh Park.

Historical buildings like the 1905 Armoury, and the 1850 Neoclassical-styled Chatham Jail.

As of 2024 one of the Ride CK busses that move around Chatham and the rest of Chatham-Kent now will now feature a mural of some of Chatham's most notable history and culture.

Chatham has many places that represent "arts and cultural" some of the most notable ones are the Chatham Capital Theatre, ArtSpace and the Chatham Cultural Centre.

== Government & Government Buildings

The city's current mayor is Mayor Darrin Canniff.

In Chatham there is many government buildings run by the Ontario/Canadian government and the city. The city hall located at the end of King Street West known as the "Chatham Civic Centre" is the premier place for government business and the chambers. In the city hall there is economic and business services, movie studio known as "FLICK" and a ServiceOntario.

Most of the arts and cultural buildings is also run by the city. Most being located in Downtown Chatham.

The Chatham Library Brance manged by the city currently located on Queen Street, is a two layered library that includes lot's of selection of books, lounge, kids area, and a café.

Service Canada is also located Downtown it includes Canadian government run services and a Canada Post.

Canada Post has 4 locations in Chatham three locations are in Shoppers Drug Mart and the other being in Service Canada

As every city in Canada you're required to buy alcohol from a LCBO or The Beer Store, both having two locations in Chatham.

As of 2023/2024 the City of Chatham is currently in discussion and in the process of moving the Civic Centre, Chatham Libary Branch and the Chatham-Kent Measum and the Chatham Cultural Centre into the former Sears store in the Downtown Chatham Centre mall.

Businesses
Chatham is the centre spot for business in Chatham-Kent. Chatham is booming with retail, services and places to eat.

Shopping Centre's
Chatham has many small and large outdoor plazas, the most notable are Thames-Lea Plaza, SmartCentres, Pioneer Sqaure and St. Clair Centre.

Over the years Chatham has had at least two malls one being North Maple Mall, currently in the place of where SmartCentres is now. It also currently has the Downtown Chatham Centre mall, a once thriving mall that has seen better days.

Chatham has a bunch of new businesses, big box stores and small businesses around the city.

Notable People

 * Walter Chrysler (1875–1940), whose father was born in the town in 1850, and whose German forebearers who founded the town.
 * Ferguson Jenkins (1942-present), who was born kn the city with a field and a status based on him.
 * Kenne Duncan (1903-1972), whose a actor from Chatham, ON.

Media
In the City of Chatham, Chatham has four main music stations these stations are CFCO (Country 92.9), 94.3 CKSY, CKXS-FM and Cool FM

In the City, Chatham has 2 news papers, Chatham This Week and The Chatham Voice. Both papers delivered on a weekly basis.

The main online news sources in Chatham are CK News Today, The Chatham Daily News, The Chatham Voice and Sydenham Current.

Tourist Attractions
Chatham has many attractions for those to visit, from arts and cultural to recreational activities, Chatham has something for everyone to enjoy!

Theaters
Chatham has 3 notable theatre the
 * Chatham Capital Theatre
 * Kiwanis Theatre
 * Galaxy Cinema

Arts & Culture
The city has many things related to the arts such as:
 * ArtSpace
 * Chatham Cultural Centre
 * Thames Art Gallery
 * Chatham-Kent Measum

Recreational
There's lot's of fun things to do in Chatham such as:
 * Valley Axe & Gelly Ball
 * Barnetti’s Arcade
 * The Magic Land
 * Turns & Trails
 * Cascade Casino Chatham
 * The Glasshouse Nursery & Garden Centre