It was not so much my husband and I who chose Chatham-Kent as our new hometown a year ago. We always feel that it was Chatham-Kent, that has chosen us.
Moving to another city has both practical and emotional reasons for us.
Practical reasons offered by Chatham-Kent are obvious: relative affordability of real estate compared to the Greater Toronto Area. Compact living, allowing to save hours on exhausting commute while attending to daily chores. I don't have a driver's license, and it is by choice. In Chatham, I can walk anywhere I need. U-ride is an excellent local service and is available 24/7 for a fraction of the cost of taxi service in a big city. And yes, the cost of essential goods is palpably lower in Chatham as compared to Toronto – no trifle matter in today's economy.
But it is the emotional connection that was so important for me as a professional artist that determined the choice. About three years ago, when my husband took me on his business trip to the Chatham-Kent, and we turned it into a mini vacation to explore the area. The community grabbed us by the heart with its romantic old buildings and vast skies over endless corn fields, reminiscent of my native prairie land by the Black Sea in Odessa, southern Ukraine.
Chatham-Kent is rich in history and community pride can be seen everywhere, but above all, there were Chatham-Kent's folks. Friendly and open, they personified a sense of a community we missed in an anonymous big city. So, when we had to look the facts and acknowledge the mortgage costs on our house in Thornhill and being stuck in traffic for hours on end was no longer bearable, the decision came instantly: move to Chatham-Kent!
On a sunny day of the summer of 2023, we had arranged fifteen property viewings in the Chatham-Kent. A house on Victoria Avenue was the first one to look at. I stepped into the hallway and without any hesitation told the agent to cancel the other fourteen appointments. The house called upon me to take a mission of being its caretaker and restoring it to its former glory. One of the first things I did after the move was to paint a mural in the lobby. It felt the images were already there and all I had to do was to outline them and let them tell their stories. They keep me company, much as a very friendly resident ghost "Jeff", a thirteen-year-old who purportedly lived in the house and died of natural courses – a story I heard from a previous house owner.
In less than a year I made more social connections in Chatham than I did in Toronto in about thirty years! I have dear friends, mentors, and developed a strong network that has helped me integrate into the community.
I am now a board member in good standing with the Chatham-Kent Arts and Culture Network. I have developed plans for future artwork featuring Chatham's past and present through portraits of its heroes, leaders, and community activists. I made it to the Municipal Art Space as an Exhibiting Member.
Finally, two weeks ago my husband decided to take a final leap of faith and move his business, GreenandSpotless, an environmentally friendly duct, carpet, and tile cleaning service, to Chatham from Toronto. Fingers crossed, it appears it has taken already.
When asked if we have any regrets about moving to Chatham-Kent, the answer is: we certainly do. We should have done it much sooner!
