A life-long Wallaceburg native is hoping to be one of the community's representatives on Chatham-Kent's (CK) next council.
David Hyatt is running to be one of two Ward 5 councillors.
He told CK News Today he's frustrated with the direction Wallaceburg is heading. He explained that the community's population has declined since amalgamation and that there has been little to no new development during that time.
"If we don't get the population coming back to Wallaceburg, there's no revenue here for anything to be sustainable," said Hyatt.
Along with ensuring Wallaceburg gets the attention it needs, Hyatt explained that he'd be a voice for all rural communities.
To him, current and past councils have felt like they represent only Chatham, not Chatham-Kent. Hyatt explained that different big-budget projects like the Community Hub prove this.
"I look at the money that comes in from every different area, whether that's Ward 1, Ward 2, or whatever Ward, there's no equalization of how that money is spent," he said.
If elected, Hyatt said he'll be a strong voice and ensure each community is properly invested in. While he may lack political experience, Hyatt explained that he has valuable knowledge from running multiple businesses and from working on roads and underground services, which would benefit the next council.
Wallaceburg and the surrounding communities will have two new representatives as both Carmen McGregor and Aaron Hall are stepping away.
CK's election will be on October 26, 2026.
