Wheatley demolition complete, but cleanup continues as businesses reopen following 2021 explosion

Another small business in downtown Wheatley has reopened it's doors nearly three years after the 2021 hydrogen sulfide gas leak explosion.

The owners of Renny's The Village Smokehouse resumed take-out service on Thursday, just steps away from the explosion site, after more than 34 months of uncertainty.

"About every type of emotion that you can possibly go through as a human being," said Mike and Erika Renwick. "Grateful, I think our hearts are beating out of our chest yesterday."

Renny's The Villiage Smokehouse exterior on Friday, June 28, 2024. (Chris Campbell / CTV Windsor)

"Return to normalcy. It's nice. Excitement. Nervousness. You know, the sadness came back," Mike Renwick said.

They explained several factors prevented their business from returning sooner, from structural issues to contending with various contractors and companies, to also needing to rehire staff.

Mike Renwick said their goal is to have in-person dining resume within the next couple weeks as things continue to return to normal.

"The possibility to serve the community, it's what we do. It's what we love."

"We had to come back for that because they rallied around us so hard," said Erika Renwick. "Our friends, our family, our kids, they rallied. And we had to come back."

Officials with the Municipality of Chatham-Kent told CTV News the demolition phase is now complete, while cleanup efforts continue.

Renny's The Village Smokehouse demolition. (Source: The Renwicks)

"When you're gone for that long, you almost feel like you may become irrelevant," Erika Renwick explained. "That does cross your mind. So then to see that outpour of support, we were like, we are not irrelevant. People want us back."

The couple continued, "Any other businesses that reopens in town, that's a positive after all the negative that that we've been through."

"We hope that we can bring more businesses into town. We hope that we'll see new businesses pop up, and we will. It's going to be a long road, but man, this town is resilient. They really are and it will come back."

The Renwicks hope business will be busy this Canada Day long weekend with the Wheatley Fish Festival coinciding through Sunday.

"It should be busy," Erika exclaimed. "They're doing a car show here on Sunday from 2 p.m. until 5 p.m. in the uptown corner and we're serving beer on the patio, and we're going to liven it up again."

Damage of Renny's The Village Smokehouse after the Wheatley explosion on Aug. 26, 2021. (Source: The Renwicks)