There's no place like home for the Featherstones

By Mark Ribble

LEAMINGTON — For Helen and Gary Featherstone, the 97 days since the August 26 Wheatley explosion have been stressful and worrisome, but the long-time residents are grateful they have a roof over their heads.

On the afternoon of August 26, 2021, Gary was in the kitchen and Helen was sitting on the living room couch inside their home at the corner of Talbot Street and Victoria.

Gary says the boom knocked Helen off the couch and staggered him as he stood in the kitchen.

“I hope I never hear a noise like that again in my life,” he said. “It felt like it lifted the house up and dropped it back down.”

Helen — recently retired from the real estate business — was startled, but the couple composed themselves and then heard a knock on the door.

It was a police officer advising them that they had to evacuate.

“He said it may only be a few hours, but to grab whatever we needed and go to the arena,” said Helen.

That evening, they arrived at the arena and were told that they had a choice of going to stay at hotels in Windsor or Chatham.

Gary, 89, was partial to remaining in the area, so the two slept in their car in the arena parking lot that night.

“We didn’t get much sleep,” said Helen. “I was out doing exercises in the parking lot the next morning.”

The pair then drove to Leamington, hoping to find a place to stay for what they thought would be just a few days.

They managed to get a room at the Best Western on the Bevel Line and eventually got Chatham-Kent to agree to pay for it.

However, that happiness was short-lived when Gary fell entering their room and broke some ribs.

They remained at Best Western for nine days, and then Gary ended up going to the hospital to get his ribs checked out.

Meanwhile, their granddaughter was working behind the scenes to find them something more permanent and since she was once an employee at Chartwell Leamington, managed to get them in there.

They’ve been at Chartwell since Labour Day weekend and have nothing but great things to say about their accommodation.

“The food is terrific,” said Gary. “They’ve been very good to us here, but there’s no place like home.”

For Gary that home has been home for his entire life. “I was born in that house,” he said.

The couple just wants to get back home, but they also want the house to be livable. They have visions of what it might look like inside and Gary is connecting with people on social media to get reports from those who have been allowed into their homes.

They have applied for temporary access through Chatham-Kent, but have yet to receive an appointment to get inside their home.

“Last week’s gas burp put a hold on things,” said Gary.

While the Featherstones wish that something could have been done to avoid the explosion, they are also grateful to Chatham-Kent for covering the cost of their stay at Chartwell.

They also feel for all of their neighbours.

“I can’t wait until we can all get back to normal,” said Helen. “I believe in that village. Wheatley will survive.”

The couple is buoyed by what they’ve seen as the community has rallied around the displaced residents and wrapped their arms around all of those affected.

Shortly after the explosion, Helen’s phone began ringing with offers of accommodation, so she knows first-hand that her village is incredible.

For Gary, he just longs to get back to his childhood home and make sure it’s okay. But Helen says they are not moving back in until any necessary renovation is finished to the home they’ve shared for so many years.

“We won’t move home until all of that is done,” she said.

The couple looks ahead to Christmas and hopes they can have some semblance of normalcy, even in their new temporary location. They are used to hosting a large family Christmas and had to forego that last year because of COVID.

Meanwhile, as they await temporary access to their home, they hold on to the thought that Wheatley is strong and will bounce back.

They just hope that bounce is sooner, rather than later.

GARY AND HELEN FEATHERSTONE