Displaced Wheatley residents grow impatient with municipality about home access as winter looms

Residents of Wheatley are growing increasingly frustrated with the Municipality of Chatham-Kent for what some call poor communication about when they will be able to access their properties to prepare them for the winter and retrieve some needed possessions.

"We're getting mixed signals and we're getting very little communication," said Steve Ingram, a displaced homeowner. 

"We worry about our property deteriorating. We worry about our property values dropping. We worry about our chances of getting an insurance policy when this is all over. 

Dozens of families remain evacuated from their homes due to an explosion that destroyed two buildings in the town's centre in August suspected to be caused by a leaking gas well. In a release last week, the Municipality of Chatham-Kent said it was "finalizing the operational plan to allow residents and businesses the opportunity to access their property" and at a recent town meeting, on Nov. 3, outlined the steps for those wanting to get to their properties to gather belongings and making sure things are locked down for the Winter. 

Ingram along with his wife, Barb Carson, whose house is just on the inside of the evacuation zone across from an operating gas station on Talbot road, have been staying at a friend's bed and breakfast most recently.

They, along with their insurance agent, are eager to get in to the property to deal with do things like removing the fridge and freezer, which have spoiled food in them, closing off their pool and winterizing their pipes.

"It is really just making sure that damage isn't done," Carson said. "Doing everything we can to make sure our home isn't more and more damaged just by sitting there with no utilities, empty, with the pipes freezing and things like that." 

Ingram said they were also told by the municipality they would be able to go in for one hour at some point and get some belongings, something that as of yet has not happened.

"It was summer time... we came out with our shorts and T-Shirts and our wallets and a phone. That's what we came out with, we've had to buy everything since," Ingram said adding that volunteer firefighters have let them in for very short windows at times when it was allowed to grab just a few things, "when you're in there, the last thing you're thinking about is winter boots."

Nancy Bergen's family has been staying at an Airbnb in Leamington. She wants to get in to take out the air conditioners to get ready for the winter and deal with her fridge and freezer.

"September 20th is the last time I went in and it already smelled bad," she said.

Bergen said that right now doesn't know when she'll be able to get in.

"Frustrating, it's incredibly frustrating. I mean our kids miss their stuff, they miss being at home," she said.

"It sucks."