It was truly a community coming together on the first evening of October as elected officials, members of the Wheatley Task Force and caring residents gathered on the vacant north-eastern lot in downtown Wheatley. Dressed in Sharks jerseys, waving fish on sticks and displaying what the town is all about, the crowd was there as part of a pitch to be part of a new revitalization series on HGTV that begins filming in the new year.
What began as a suggestion from a member of the Wheatley Task Force has led to putting a package together for jumpstarting the rebuild at the four corners. Kyra Knapp, Wheatley’s economic development officer, said “We are always looking for opportunities to revitalize this community. This show is such a perfect fit.”
The October gathering was filmed as part of an application package that also includes testimonials from community leaders and photographic renderings of desired updates to the empty lots.
“We have done all of the work to put shovels in the ground,” said Knapp. “The explosion circumstances, the resilient spirit in this community, being a part of a series on coming back would be so quintessentially Wheatley.”
Knapp added, “A successful bid would really put Wheatley in the spotlight, which would drive further development and bring visitors to the area. Thank you to the entire community that has pulled together. Also, thanks to the Task Force, our three levels of government, our local service groups, businesses that have managed to stay open, and members of Caldwell First Nation for their perspective on developing in a sustainable manner.”
The deadline for being a chosen town is November 1 and Wheatley can expect to find out before year’s end if cameras and crews will be hitting their streets.
Video footage was taken in front of the revitalization boards in Wheatley as part of an application package for a new HGTV series.
SUN photo by Paul Forman
