Dear Friends of Kingston Inner Harbour,
2018 promises to be an amazing year. So many possibilities on so many fronts!
1) Development in the downtown? Special Council meeting in Town Hall format, Jan 17
2) Congrats Prof Laura Murray for new grant under FKIH auspices.
3) Congrats new board members Roger Healey and Margaret Hughes
4) Shaping a future transportation system in Kingston less dependent on cars –
Trillium grant applications under FKIH auspices.
5) Vision: Maplehurst as tourist destination at Kingston Mills?
6) Vision: Maritime Heritage Centre in Anglin Bay?
7) Vision: North Crossing? – Accessible overpass over John Counter Blvd and the railway?
8) Thanks Due: Website work and recent donors
9) Fun Event: Audible Songs from Rockwood – Skeleton Park Arts Festival
1) Development in the downtown? – Special Council meeting in Town Hall format, Jan 17
VERY IMPORTANT FOR THE FUTURE OF KINGSTON’S DOWNTOWN!! ALL WELCOME!!
What: Special Council meeting in a modified Town Hall format for Council and members of the public to learn from Brent Toderian, former chief planner for the City of Vancouver and award-winning city planning consultant, on challenges and opportunities of building higher density communities. Toderian, a nationally recognized thought leader, will provide a briefing to lead off the discussion on growth and intensification
Those wishing to address Council are invited to register at the welcome table prior to the start of the meeting. Speakers will be chosen in random order for the public portion of the meeting. Each speaker will be allowed a maximum of three minutes to address Council.
When: Wed, Jan 17, 6 pm
Where: Memorial Hall, City Hall, 216 Ontario St., Kingston
https://www.cityofkingston.ca/
A few thoughts from members so far:
a ) It would be good to push for a heritage designation for downtown.
b) How are Kingston’s projected growth numbers different from Vancouver’s?
c) How can we better manage speculation in the housing market?
d) Affordable housing concerns.
e) Housing for families as well as students
2) Congrats Prof Laura Murray for new grant under FKIH auspices.
Prof Laura Murray has been successful in obtaining a new grant from the City of Kingston Heritage Fund for $15,000 for the “Swamp Ward Street Exhibit, Online Resources, and Archiving” proposal to create a photo study of the 20th century in Kingston’s Inner Harbour along with online and archiving components. The Friends of Kingston Inner Harbour are delighted to be in the position as a charitable organization to facilitate this study. More details anon…
3) Welcome new board members Roger Healey and Margaret Hughes
At the November 2017 AGM, Roger Healey was unanimously acclaimed the new treasurer and Margaret Hughes the new secretary. Congratulations to both! Wonderful new additions to our board.
4) Shaping a future transportation system in Kingston less dependent on cars –
Trillium grant applications under FKIH auspices.
At the November 2017 AGM of the Friends of Kingston Inner Harbour, the decision was made to support Jeff Mann and his working group’s project to apply for funding for an Ontario Trillium Fund (OTF) “Collective Impact Grant” to reach out broadly to members of the Greater Kingston community on how to shape a less car-dependent transportation system in Kingston. FKIH has agreed to register as an eligible non-profit to facilitate this grant application.
Since receiving approval at the FKIH AGM, things have changed somewhat. OTF is discontinuing the Collective Impact Grant in favour of a new grant–TRANSFORM. The details for this new grant aren’t out yet, but the deadline will be in November. On advice from OTF, Jeff and his working group will be applying for this new grant as well as for a SEED grant which has an application deadline of late February. Both the SEED and the TRANSFORM grants need a non-profit organization to register with OTF to go forward so as far as FKIH is concerned, there is no material change in what FKIH approved.
The SEED grant is a dramatically new kind of Trillium grant that occurs in three phases: 1) Define the Impact, 2) Organize for Impact, and 3) Deliver Impact. The first “Define the Impact” phase includes articulating and defining a complex issue and starting to develop a “Theory for Change”. This involves broad outreach to cross-sectional stakeholders, ensuring community residents are actively participating, and identifying who else needs to be at the table. In this stage, the group builds out evidence and defines a leadership committee that can move the initiative forward. The funding for one year is from $5,000-$75,000.
More info? https://otf.ca/what-we-fund/
5) Vision: Maplehurst as tourist destination at Kingston Mills?
If you Google 771 Kingston Mills Road you will see drone footage of this amazing house and property. It really should be designated a National Historic Site given the importance of its original owner, Thomas Burrowes, clerk and engineer of the lower portion of the Rideau Locks in the 19thc. Also Google Thomas Burrowes to see just what an amazing man he was and to have a look at his wonderful historic water colours currently buried in Archives Ontario. Ideally this should be accessible by the public as a museum dedicated to the life and work of Thomas Burrowes. It is currently for sale by a private owner. We are working hard to try and figure out a way it could become a tourist asset for Kingston – in discussions with the current owners as well as Parks Canada, the City of Kingston, St. Lawrence Parks Commission, MP Mark Gerretsen etc. Any and all suggestions welcome.
6) Vision: Maritime Heritage Centre in Anglin Bay?
We are also working on trying to make this dream become a reality. It would be Canada’s only boat building apprenticeship school in Canada’s oldest continuous boat building location. See the December update on the webpage for further details – www.friendsofinnerharbour.com.
7) Vision: North Crossing? – accessible overpass over John Counter Blvd and the railway?
Currently working with city staff and Councillor Mary Rita Holland on this important initiative. More anon…
8) Thanks Due: Website work and recent donors
We are really indebted to the wonderful work of Janet Burgess who looks after re-organizing and updating our webpage, Audrey Helmstaedt who updates the calendar , Ben Kelly who is in charge of uploading the monthly updates and Claire Grady-Smith who created the webpage in the first place and continues to host it. Thanks SO much.
Also we are very grateful to our very recent donors: Tina Bailey, Steve Black, Bill Duphenais, Al and Barb Fletcher, Nancy Jones, Christopher Knapper, Karen Smith, Rosemary Thoms and Jane Webster. From now on, we will make it a practice of acknowledging donors unless anonymity is requested.
Any donations however small are always most gratefully received.
It is always possible to donate through Canada Helps on our webpage – www.friendsofinnerharbour.com.
9) Audible Songs from Rockwood – Skeleton Park Arts Festival
On occasion, we try to promote local Inner Harbour entertainment events.
If you have events in the Inner Harbour neighbourhood that you would like us to promote, do feel free to contact us. This looks like a fun evening –Friday, Jan 12, 7-10pm at Calvary United Church, 45 Charles St. https://www.facebook.com/
Wishing you all the best through these cold winter days.
Cheers,
Mary Farrar,
President, Friends of Kingston Inner Harbour
www.friendsofinnerharbour.com