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President’s Report

Friends of Kingston Inner Harbour
AGM, Thursday, November 23, 2017
President’s Report

1) AWARDS AND APPOINTMENTS

a) Accessibility Award for our Wheelchair Rally event this past August.
To be presented at Memorial Hall, Thursday, Nov 30. All welcome.
Thanks so much to those who put our name forward: Wayne Westfall, Christine Bell, Krista LeClair and Margaret Hughes and Kathleen Satchell.
b) Order of Merit from the Rideau Corridor Network: Congrats to Laura Murray for her wonderful work on the Swamp Ward and Inner Harbour History Project, under our financial umbrella.
c) Appointment of Jennifer McKendry to North King’s Town Study for work documenting the history of the Swamp Ward and Inner Harbour prior to 1925.
d) Continuation of appointment of Mary Farrar to North King’s Town Working Group for Phase Two, Detailed Plan

2) SUCCESSFUL 2017 SUMMER PROJECTS/EVENTS

a) Turtle Tally – once again over 100 nests protected, gps mapping
b) Turtle Awareness Project – in partnership with Reptile and Amphibian Advocacy and Indigenous community members (thanks to Community Foundation grant and to Dave McCallum for his great video)
c) ON THE WALL street art festival including Celebration of the Arts (thanks to Community Foundation grant and to Dave McCallum for his great video.
Offshoots: Off the Wall in the west end (thanks to Brian Melody and Vicky Powers)
Kingston Mills retaining wall (thanks to Lloyd Wilson)
Currently in talks with Parks Canada, Energy Ottawa and the City of Kingston
d) Wheelchair Rally in partnership with KCHC and Easter Seals Ontario

3) TURTLE GRANT PROPOSALS FOR 2018

a) Species at Risk Stewardship Fund (Oct 26)
b) Great Lakes Guardian Community Fund (Nov 10)
c) GO Wild (Nov 24)
d) WWF Loblaw Water Fund (Dec 18)
e) Freshwater Future (Open deadline)
Special thanks to Lesley Rudy, Vicki Schmolka and their supporters and to Dr. Steve Lougheed of Queen’s University for his support.
f) Details of Hibernacula studies and long term goals

4) K&P TRAIL UPDATE RE OVERPASS

– Great that K&P was completed connecting the Trans Canada Trail with Kingston’s downtown.
– One serious problem remains at the inaccessible Division St. overpass.
– Roger Healey and I are currently in discussion with City Staff about a pedestrian and cycling overpass to be constructed east of the current road bridge.
– This would make the whole trail accessible and also connect RIdeau Heights with Kingscourt and the downtown in a safely and sustainably.
– Design taken from Calgary

5) MARITIME HERITAGE CENTRE PROJECT

– working with Tom Wroe of Metalcraft Marine and Joe Calnan, Master Boat Builder
– to be Canada’s only boat building apprenticeship program/school
– historical replicas to be built, tourism with Count Frontenac himself
– STEM grant possibilities
– revenue generation possibilities
– restaurant, work and meeting space
– Gerry Shoalts of Shoalts and Zaback Architects creating conceptual design pro bono
– Brit Smith onboard
– event planned for summer 2018

6) THOMAS BURROWES HO– USE PROJECT

– Clerk of lower section of the Rideau
– watercolours in Archives Ontario
– old stone house with 6 prison cells in basement on 200 acres
– renovated
– asking 2 million for all, 1.3 million for house and 50 acres with 600′ of shoreline
– should be National Historic Site
– Churgin’s background and wishes
– in contact with Parks Canada, Smith’s Falls, St. Lawrence Parks Commission, Mayor Paterson, Commissioner Hurdle, MPP Sopie Kiwala, CRCA, Kingston Mountain Biking Club.

7) FKIH PARTICIPANT STATUS IN OMB HEARINGS

– Rideau Marina
– Homestead buildings at Queen/King/Wellington

THANKS SO MUCH TO ALL VOLUNTEERS