WELCOME

Chatham-Kent is one of 46 designated safe communities in Canada.  The Safe Communities concept is supported by the World Health Organization.  The Chatham-Kent Safe Communities Coalition received this designation by the Safe Communities Foundation of Canada in 1999.  As a designated safe community, the Coalition’s primary mission is to promote the prevention of injuries within Chatham-Kent.  Committed partners exist between professionals, businesses, health & emergency services and community residents dedicating themselves to injury prevention through innovative programs in the following areas:

Our Coalition believes that injuries are predictable and preventable and by working together we can make Chatham-Kent the safest place to live, learn, work and play.

COMMUNITY PROFILE

The former city of Chatham began as a naval dockyard in the 1790’s, as it straddles the Thames River.

In the War of 1812, the Battle of the Thames took place between Moraviantown and Thamesville, near Chatham on October 5, 1813.

During the 19th century, the area was part of the Underground Railroad. As a result, Chatham is now part of the African-Canadian Heritage Tour. Uncle Tom's Cabin Historic Site is a museum of the Dawn Settlement, established in 1841 by Josiah Henson as refuge for the many slaves who escaped to Canada from the United States.

In 1998 the former Chatham city government merged with that of Kent County to form the Municipality of Chatham-Kent. In 2003, the population within the boundaries of the former city of Chatham was 43,348.  The Municipality of Chatham-Kent consists of 23 communities.