Premier Doug Ford now has a first hand account of the devastation in Wheatley following last month's gas explosion that left 20 people injured.
Ford and Minister of Northern Development, Mines, Natural Resources and Forestry Greg Rickford paid a visit to the blast site on Tuesday.
Rickford's ministry has agreed to take the lead on the investigation into identifying the source of the hydrogen sulphide gas believed to be the cause and to recommend ways to prevent future gas leaks.
He says emergency workers deserve some recognition.
"It was a very powerful visit. Obviously, we have an appreciation for the hard work of the frontline workers and city officials and how the town and surrounding area is rallying to help. We'll continue to put all hands on deck to help the good folks in Wheatley recover from this moving forward."
Rickford says the province is committed to finding answers.
"The investigation as to the source, there's still a lot of open ended questions and getting to the bottom of the source of this is obviously first and foremost. When we spoke to town officials we reminded them that we would not compromise the safety and continuity of the downtown."
Ontario Premier Doug Ford visits Wheatley on September 21, 2021 (Photo courtesy of the Municipality of Chatham-Kent)
He says the province is fully funding the investigation.
"We've brought in some heavy hitters. We've retained a global expertise company to not just do the ongoing monitoring, but to assist in understanding the source and stress testing that with a group of experts that are coming in from Alberta who offer up world class expertise."
Ford and Rickford were joined by several officials from the municipality including Mayor Darrin Canniff.
The evacuation zone remains in place and there's still no timeline for residents to return to their homes.
Outreach services are available for residents at the Wheatley Village Resource Centre and Food Bank and case managers are on site Monday through Friday from 10am to 2pm.
— with files from AM800's Patty Handysides