Britannica AI Icon
Adding us as a Preferred Source tells Google you trust our content, so our articles show up more often in your Google Search, Discover feed, and AI Overviews.
verifiedCite
While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions.
Select Citation Style
Feedback
Corrections? Updates? Omissions? Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login).
Thank you for your feedback

Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article.

Chatham-Kent

Ontario, Canada
Also known as: The Forks, Wallaceburg

Chatham-Kent, municipality, southern Ontario, Canada. It lies at the confluence of the north and east branches of the Sydenham River, 30 miles (50 km) northeast of Detroit, Michigan. The town was called The Forks until it was renamed Wallaceburg for Sir William Wallace, a medieval Scottish national hero. Its deepwater connections to Lake St. Clair and Great Lakes shipping have led to its development as a port of entry and manufacturing centre. The municipality’s industries include glassmaking, food processing, and the production of plastics, automotive parts, sports equipment, and plumbing supplies. In 1998 Wallaceburg and a number of neighbouring communities were amalgamated into the new Chatham-Kent municipality. Pop. (2006) 108,177; (2021) 103,988.

This article was most recently revised and updated by Kenneth Pletcher.
Discover the fascinating events that shaped the world, straight from our editors.
By clicking “Sign Up”, you consent to the Britannica Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.