Dear Friends of Kingston Inner Harbour,
So here we are moving into darkness….
I tried to find a few uplifting, unusual and fun items – along with other relevant civic issues. First, thanks so much to Dave More and Michelle Webb without whom our canoe build would have faltered. Dave did an amazing job with the grant applications and Michelle was a totally wonderful partner throughout the build with all the plans and changes to the plan necessitated due to COVID.
Second, thanks so much to Trailhead Kingston for exhibiting the canoe throughout October
Third, thanks so much to Martine Bresson for this issue’s picture and for her series of photos of the build.
Last but not least, thanks so much to the Kingstonist for existing. I have included six of their posts at the outset. I totally encourage everyone to subscribe directly online for a very minimal fee. They are a fantastic news source! In future I will just be sharing the links in an effort to shorten these increasingly long updates!
POSTS FROM THE KINGSTONIST
1. City Shares Details on Clean-up at New Integrated Care Hub
2. Kingston Residents Encouraged to Provide Input on City Budget
3. City Seeking Volunteers for Committees and Boards
4. Kingston Citizens March in Solidarity with Mi’kmaq Fishers
5. City Seeking Public Input for New Transit Stations
6. Tannery Update
OTHER POSTS OF INTEREST TO INNER HARBOUR
7. Queen City Oil Company at 9 North Street Update
8. KCAT’s Quiet Streets Project Update
9. Third Crossing Update
10. Local Online Bookings for COVID Testing
11. Help Kingston Reach Carbon Neutrality by 2040!
12. Kingston’s first AAA intersection coming to John Counter Boulevard
13. Leaf Collection Starts Nov 2.
14. Baby Grand Now Open (for up to 20)
15. COVID Risk Information and Advice for 2nd Wave
STUFF FROM THE CHAMBER OF MARINE COMMERCE
16. Great Lakes States Grapple with Climate Change and Carbon
17. Trent Port Marina Participates in Great Lakes Plastic Clean-Up Project
18. Rio Tinto, ReCycle Canada and LaFarge Canada Partner for Circular Economy Project
19. Asian Carp Burgers, Tacos Available across Illinois: Raising Awareness of Invasive Species.
20. Global Pandemic Could Lead to Restructuring of Canadian Supply Chains
ODDS AND SODS FROM HERE AND THERE
21. How to Keep Warm on the Patio Without Heating the Planet
22. Using Radio Telemetry to Study Fish in the Great Lakes
23. Ice Age Culture Found in the Straits of Mackinaw
24. Microwaving Plastic Waste Can Generate Clean Hydrogen
25. GPS Eggs Catching Sea Turtle Poachers
26. Recommended Book – Solved: How the World’s Great Cities are Fixing the Climate Crisis
POSTS FROM THE KINGSTONIST
1. City Shares Details on Clean-up at New Integrated Care Hub
Received Oct 19, 2020 from the Kingstonist, Samantha Butler-Hassan
The City of Kingston has released new details on the process of the environmental remediation process underway at 661 Montreal Street. The City’s Integrated Care Hub (ICH) is scheduled to move there from Artillery Park and on Sunday, Nov. 1, 2020, and work is reportedly on track.
As the former site of Burton’s Sanitation, the property is contaminated by industrial chemical pollutants. For over a year, prior to the City’s interest in the property, owner Ben Pilon said he has been implementing environmental remediation in line with requirements laid out by the Ministry of Environment, Conservation and Parks (MOE). These include removing contaminated areas of soil, capping other areas of the property with clean material and installing specialized ventilation equipment.
“The project remains on track for the ICH opening on November 1st at 661 Montreal Street,” said Robert Hosier, Communications Officer for the City of Kingston.
When a property changes from industrial to a more sensitive use, the MOE requires a Record of Site Condition (RSC) conducted by a qualified third party, to lay out its condition. A Certificate of Property Use (CPU) accompanies the RSC, and specifies the remediation required to make the site safe.
“The Certificate of Property Use is the legal instrument used to obligate the property owner to implement the risk management measures to ensure health and environmental risks are mitigated,” said Gary Wheeler of the MOE.
“During site redevelopment the various steps required within the CPU are implemented by the owner and are verified by the Qualified Person, environmental engineer at XCG Consultants,” said the City.According to the City, the RSC at 661 Montreal St. involved the assessment and delineation of soil and groundwater contamination on the property, the removal of some hotspots of contaminated soil, and the completion of a risk assessment that is guiding remediation during redevelopment.
“These steps include, among other things, isolating the remaining soil contamination beneath a layer of clean material (either a certain thickness of fill or gravel or pavement), upgrades to the building’s ventilation system if additional stories are to be constructed, preparation of management plans and long term monitoring of environmental conditions,” said the City. “The owner’s Qualified Person inspects that these measures are completed.”
As a future leaseholder, the City said it will also inspect to ensure that measures outlined in the CPU are satisfied. The City noted that the Ministry of Environment, Conservation and Parks also has the ability to inspect the work being performed to complete the remediation as per the CPU.
According to Wheeler the CPU indicates that the the following risk management measures are required at 661 Montreal St:
Covering all areas of the site (not covered by the building) with either a paved hard surface or 1 metre of clean fill material;
Not having residential use on the main floor or below grade;
A health and safety plan for any subsurface work at the site; and
A soil and groundwater management plan for any soils or groundwater removed from the site during construction activities.
The RSC, completed by local environmental engineering firm XCG Consultants in July 2019, lists concentrations for up to 96 different contaminants in the soil and water. Many, including Mercury, Chloroform, DDT and other Petroleum Hydrocarbons were noted in high concentrations.
Wheeler said that although certain contaminants remain in the soil, the MOE concluded health risks can be fully mitigated if the measures outlined in the CPU are implemented. The owner’s environmental consultant conducted a risk assessment to determine the potential for risks to human health and the environment from conditions at the site. The risk assessment concluded that the risk management measures set out above would ensure that there are no risks to human health or the environment for this type of property use,” he said.
The RSC and CPU both include clauses stating that the first storey of any building on the site should not be residential, and that the ventilation and air duct system serving the first storey should be separate from the rest of the building.
The CPU further elaborates that the first storey should not be “residential use, parkland use or institutional use, or a combination thereof.”
The City of Kingston said that the intended uses of the first storey align with this requirement. “It is safe to occupy the first floor as a drop-in center because the type and length of stay are different than overnight accommodations,” said the City. “Additionally, short-term overnight stays are planned to occur on the second floor at this facility. The distinction is from the Provincial regulation that assesses risk based on type and length of stay inside a facility. “
The City said that a drop-in center is considered “equivalent to many other commercial uses in which a user would visit for a short period of time, but not stay overnight or for any longer-term occupancy.”
“Residential use assumes a longer stay and therefore the RSC and CPU identifies this use as applicable on the upper floors only,” said the City.
The CPU goes into further detail about the steps required for recovering the property, including the need for “continuous pathway elimination” for the contaminants, soil maintenance and inspection.
The CPU for 661 Montreal Street, CPU RA1560-16-01, is dated Friday, Feb. 8, 2019 and is signed by Travor Dagilis from the Ministry of Environment, Conservation and Parks. XCG Consultants completed the RSC in July 2019, and the MOE filed it on Tuesday, Sep. 10, 2019. XCG Consultants indicated in the RSC that they had performed three other Environmental Assessments on the property between 2014 and 2019….
While you’re here … More Kingstonians than ever are relying on Kingstonist for their local news. But we need your help to keep it going. A few years ago, two big media conglomerates, Torstar and Postmedia, “swapped assets” and promptly shuttered one of Kingston’s main newspapers. We saw talented journalists displaced and years of recorded Kingston history destroyed by a decision made in another city, with interests not grounded in what was best for the Kingston community.
And we resolved that we would not permit that to happen again.
That’s when we decided to take the Kingstonist, at that time a popular Kingston community blog, and reimagine it as the dedicated, independent local news provider you see now.
Today, businesses everywhere are struggling under the burdens of COVID-19, and we are no different. So we’re asking you to support us. Help us in our mission to: hold our local governments accountable; provide voices for those fighting against social injustice; fight against misinformation; and provide news not censored by the influence of corporate bias.
We believe that access to news is an integral component of a healthy community. If you believe the same, click here to subscribe to Kingstonist.
2. Kingston Residents Encouraged to Provide Input on City Budget
Received, Oct 19,2020 from The Kingstonist, Jessica Foley
The City of Kingston would like to hear from residents about budget priorities, as part of its open budget engagement process.
“Budgeting is all about setting priorities. When developing the budget, the City needs to balance competing priorities while continuing to provide quality municipal services and keeping taxes affordable. This survey is a chance for you to weigh in to help influence the allocation of resources and to inform future planning and budget development,” says Desiree Kennedy, Chief Financial Officer and City Treasurer.
The 11-question survey, can be found atGetInvolved.CityofKingston.ca. The survey is an an opportunity to provide input in five different areas: Services and Programs, Pandemic-related Impacts, User Fees, Operational Efficiencies, and General Feedback. The deadline for input is 4 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 13, 2020.
The city invites residents to attend a virtual (Zoom) Open House
Learn more about the City’s budgets and how spending and financing decisions are made at the two upcoming virtual (Zoom) open houses listed below:
10 a.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 10.
6 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 12.
Sign-up to attend the open houses atGetInvolved.CityofKingston.ca.
The City launched this ongoing budget engagement initiative last month in order to provide the community with an opportunity to learn about the City’s finances, to provide input on service levels and priorities and to influence the budget development process, according to a release dated Monday, Oct. 19, 2020.
For more detail on Council’s priorities see Kingston’s 2019-22 Strategic Plan.
3. City Seeking Volunteers for Committees and Boards
Received Oct 19, 2020 from The Kingstonist, Jessica Foley
The City of Kingston is seeking informed advice from residents and business owners in the limestone city. “Committees, boards and working groups provide insight and advice to Council respective to their mandates. When residents bring their knowledge and skill set as a volunteer for one of these groups, our community truly benefits,” says Janet Jaynes, Deputy City Clerk.
Residents or business owners who are 18 years of age or older are encouraged to help shape the community by joining the following groups, committees or boards:
ADVISORY COMMITTEES
Heritage Kingston (two public members):
“Heritage Kingston is mandated to address the broad array of issues, opportunities and projects related to Kingston’s cultural heritage and lead by example in terms of responsible stewardship. Heritage Kingston’s role is advisory and consultative and is involved in educating and informing the community about matters related to Kingston’s cultural heritage,” according to the City.
Arts Advisory Committee (one public member):
“The Arts Advisory Committee serves as an avenue of communication and consultation between the arts community and the municipal government, it being understood that the arts include creative expression in all its forms,” according to the City. “The mandate of the Arts Advisory Committee is to ensure that City of Kingston arts policies and strategies serve the needs of the arts community and, in turn, the residents of Kingston.”
Housing and Homelessness Advisory Committee (two public members):
“The Housing and Homelessness Advisory Committee works to ensure that there is a comprehensive understanding of housing, affordable housing and homelessness issues, initiatives and developments,” according to the City. “In addition, the Committee maintains close linkages with other City Committees and working groups to ensure co-ordination of housing, affordable housing and homelessness initiatives.”
Kingston Environment Advisory Forum (one public member):
“The purpose of the forum is to draw on knowledge within the Kingston community to provide advice and information to City Council, City staff and the public when requested to do so,” according to the City. “The Forum brings together experts in environmental matters from community institutions, authorities and practitioners, and representatives of the public to collaborate on specific projects designed to support the environmental aspects of City Council’s strategic priorities and related community plans.”
LEGISLATED COMMITTEES AND BOARDS
Committee of Adjustment (one public member):
“The Committee of Adjustment is authorized by the Ontario Planning Act to grant minor variances from the provisions of the Zoning Bylaw, to permit extensions, enlargements or variations of existing legal non-conforming uses and give consent to an owner of land who wishes to sell, convey or transfer an interest “part” of their land,” according to the City.
Municipal Accessibility Advisory Committee (15 public members):
“The Committee advises Council each year about the preparation, implementation and effectiveness of its Accessibility Plan,” according to the City. “This Committee may interest individuals who are familiar with the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, who have a technical background reviewing site plans and building drawings, and who have a keen interest in accessibility issues as well as an understanding of the needs of persons living with a disability, and can commit to work on specific project teams outside of regular Committee meetings.”
Taxi Commission (five public members):
“Provides for the licensing, regulating and governing of the brokers, owners and drivers of taxi cabs in the City of Kingston and Loyalist Township,” according to the City. “This commission may interest individuals with experience in finance, governance and law as well as those with previous experience in developing policies to regulate the taxi industry.”
Kingston Police Services Board (one public member):
“This Board provides civilian governance of the municipal police force pursuant to the Police Services Act,” according to the City. “Its responsibilities include determining objectives and priorities with regard to police services in the municipality and establishing policies for the effective management of the police force.”
Appeals Committee (three public members):
According to the City, “The Appeals Committee is directed through the Building Code and various City of Kingston bylaws to hear appeals on the following matters:
Section 3.21 of Bylaw 2003-4, to license, regulate and govern certain trades and occupations, decisions on licensing matters may be appealed to the Appeals Committee.
Sections 3.5 and 5.1 of Bylaw 2003-405, to regulate fences, variances to the Fence Bylaw may be granted by the Appeals Committee.
Section 3.13 of Bylaw 2004-144, to regulate animals, decisions regarding a kennel permit, hen coop permit, or a breeder permit may be appealed to the Appeals Committee.
Section 9.3 of Bylaw 2005-100, regarding property standards, an owner or occupant who is served an order with respect to section 8.1 may make an appeal to the Appeals Committee.
Section 3.13 of Bylaw 2006-213, to regulate business licenses, decisions regarding business licenses may be appealed to the Appeals Committee.”
BOARDS
Kingston Economic Development Board of Directors (five public members):
“Kingston Economic Development Corporation works collaboratively with the City of Kingston as well as local and regional partners to leverage Kingston’s unique assets to create jobs and investment in order to sustain, grow and transform Kingston’s economy,” according to the City.
Kingston & Frontenac Housing Corporation Board of Directors (two public members):
“The Board of Directors oversees the governance of Kingston & Frontenac Housing Corporation which operates social, affordable and market housing and administers the rent supplement program on behalf of the City of Kingston and the County of Frontenac. The Board of Directors reports to City Council, the sole Shareholder of the Corporation,” according to the City.
WORKING GROUPS
Planning Advisory Working Group (one Kingston East Urban Area Representative):
According to the City, “The Planning Advisory Working Group will provide an opportunity for resident perspectives on planning matters. The Planning Advisory Working Group will provide advice to the Planning Committee through staff with respect to land use planning matters that include, but are not limited to:
City-initiated amendments to the Official Plan and/or Zoning By-Law(s) with broad application to the City; Legislated updates to the Official Plan, together with any updates of the major studies that support Official Plan updates (i.e. Employment Land Review, Commercial Land Review); Planning Act reform, updates to the Provincial Policy Statement and/or other proposed land use policy changes/legislation or initiatives introduced by the Province that affect planning matters in the City; and Major City-initiated land use planning projects.
Those interested in serving must be 18 years or older, a resident/business owner in Kingston, and be either a Canadian citizen or a permanent resident, a person who has been given permanent resident status by immigrating to Canada but is not a Canadian Citizen, and has resided in Kingston for at least one year.
For more details on each of the boards, committees and working groups above, visit: https://www.cityofkingston.ca/city-hall/committees-boards/current-openings
Apply online by Friday, Nov. 6 at 4:30 p.m. at www.CityofKingston.ca/Committees or at the City Clerk’s Office at City Hall, 216 Ontario St.
4. Kingston Citizens March in Solidarity with Mi’kMaq Fishers
Received from The Kingstonist, Oct 19,2020, Samantha Butler-Hassan
A march in solidarity with fishers of the Mi’kmaw nation in Nova Scotia took place on Monday, Oct. 19, 2020, starting at McBurney Park at 11:30 a.m.
Approximately a dozen people came out in the wind and rain to sing, drum and to walk from the park, down Princess Street to Ontario Street.
“The reason we are doing this is in solidarity,” said the march’s organizer Lisa Cadue. “It’s not a protest, it’s not a social gathering. It is to stand in solidarity with our brothers and sisters. Kingston is not like Toronto. We don’t have millions of people, but we can stay in solidarity with our people.”
The march concluded in front of City Hall. There, Cadue asked former Liberal Member of Parliament for Kingston at the Islands, Sophie Kiwala, to speak, describing her as “the one person in this place who has never given up on our people, and has always stood by our people in any way she could.”
“I know how fragile our reconciliation is,” Kiwala said. “I know how much work we have to do… We cannot tolerate the racism. We cannot tolerate the violence, the burning of buildings and the destruction. This is reprehensible. We will not stand for it.”
For more details on this important issue visit The Kingstonist
5. City Seeking Public Input for New Transit Stations
Received Oct 14, 2020 from The Kingstonist, Jessica Foley
The City of Kingston and Kingston Transit are seeking public input on the design features and amenities residents would like to see at future transit stations, according to a statement from the City, dated Wednesday, Oct. 14, 2020.
What are transit stations?
According to the City of Kingston’s Get Involved website, transit stations are larger than typical stops or shelters and could include different design features and amenities to improve the overall experience for riders such as: Live transit schedule information; Energy-efficient lighting for enhanced safety/security; Improved seating areas; USB charging stations; Bicycle storage
“Transit stations are a new concept for Kingston. They would be larger than stops or shelters and feature different amenities and designs to improve the overall experience for our riders,” says Jeremy DaCosta, Director, Transit Services. “We recognize the timing of this engagement is challenging given the ongoing impacts to Kingston Transit, but we need to move forward with projects that were started pre-pandemic to ensure we have a sustainable transit infrastructure post-pandemic.”
Earlier this year, the City received funding as part of the Investing in Canada Infrastructure plan that will directly support the design and construction of 12 future transit stations.
Residents can offer input by visiting the Transit Station page of Get Involved Kingston and completing a brief survey before Wednesday, Nov. 4, 2020.
Input collected through this public survey will be reflected in the final design. Construction of future transit stations is scheduled to begin late 2021, according to the City.
6. Tannery Update: Kingston City Council approves Brownfield Community Improvement Program at Davis Tannery Site. Received Oct 7, 2020 from The Kingstonist, Samantha Butler-Hassan
City Council has voted unanimously to approve a Brownfield Community Improvement Plan (CIP) at the site of the former Davis Tannery.
The approximately 13 hectare site at 2 River St. and 50 Orchard St. sits adjacent to the Cataraqui River, and the K&P trail. Formerly an industrial site, it was occupied by Frontenac Lead Smelter from the 1800s to 1915. Between 1903 to 1973, it was the site of the Davis Tanning Company.
According to City of Kingston staff, Phase II Environmental Site Assessment reports have confirmed widespread contamination of soil, sediment and groundwater on the property as a result of its former uses.
Jay Patry Enterprises Inc. is proposing to build a 1500-unit, mixed-use development at the Davis Tannery, with medium- to high-density residential, and some ground level commercial uses. However, they will need to pay for extensive environmental remediation on the land before they can proceed. According to City planners and the developers, the cleanup costs approximate $73 million dollars.
A City’s Brownfield CIP allows developers a property tax rebate and other discounts in order to offset the costs of decontaminating an area. “This brown zone clean up is necessary for anyone to get anything out of this land,” said Councillor Rob Hutchison during council’s review of the report. “That’s really important.”
The financing model has been applied at other well known sites, including the redevelopment of the Kingston’s waterfront Block D into upscale, downtown condominiums. Through a Brownfield CIP at Davis Tannery, Jay Patry Enterprises is set up to receive a $45 million tax rebate from the city over 10 years.
Hutchison, who sits on the City’s Planning Committee, broke down the rebate.
The development will be in four phases,” he said. “In each phase, we would take in $1 million in taxes, and of that we would rebate back to the developer $900 thousand. In the end $900 thousand times four phases is $3.6 million, times ten years is $36 million. Then, another $9 million of forgone development charges on top of that would be $45 million.”
Hutchison did express concern that, broken down per residential unit, the property taxes from each household work out to $267 per year. The residential property taxes are the main mechanism by which the City recuperates its forgone funds.
“If you take a single detached house — which is not directly comparable, but it gives you an idea — [the property tax bill averages] $300 per month,” he said. “We are losing some money here, and we will not get that money back.”
Hutchison added that he felt his fellow councillors could still vote in favour of the CIP, and still approve of it, but felt everyone “should be clear on what’s happening.”
Hutchison requested that staff include in their pending report on the CIP a comparison to Block D, including a timeline of repayments and the “recovery rate” on property tax from that development. Staff replied that they could definitely do so. The motion passed unanimously.
OTHER POSTS OF INTEREST TO INNER HARBOUR
7. Queen City Oil Company at 9 North Street Update
Received from the City of Kingston, early October
File Number: D35-001-2020; Address: 9 North St.
Application Type: Official Plan Amendment and Zoning Bylaw Amendment
Applicant: ABNA Investments Inc.
Purpose and Effect of the Application: to re-designate and rezone the subject lands to facilitate the development of an 8-unit multi-residential building in an adaptively reused designated heritage structure.
The site is located at 9 North St. (see attached Key Map). The property has an area of approximately 0.18 hectares. The property is currently designated ‘ Institutional’ in the City of Kingston Official Plan and zoned B1.207 Zone in Zoning Bylaw Number 8499.
The applicant is requesting to re-designate the lands to Residential and rezone the lands to a site specific B1 Zone in order to facilitate the adaptive reuse of the designated heritage property with residential uses.
Assigned Planner: James Bar, Senior Planner, jbar@cityofkingston.ca, 613-546-4291 ext. 3213.
8. KCAT’s Quiet Streets Project Update
Kingston Quiet Streets connect with the Leroy Grant Path and K&P Trail Loop – by Bruce Bursey, Kingston Coalition for Active Transportation (KCAT)
Earlier this summer the Kingston Quiet Streets (QS) Pilot project was installed connecting Portsmouth, Williamsville, Sydenham and Kings Town Districts, and the downtown, to Portsmouth District. The Pilot was implemented by the Kingston Coalition for Active Transportation (KCAT) and will run until mid-November. Maps and more info?www.kcat.ca
If you have not yet had a chance to walk, ride, run or roll the route you may be surprised to learn, the QS Pilot helps to create a 9.5 km loop connecting the new Leroy Grant Pathway with the K & P Trail, avoiding the busy streets of Johnson, Brock and Princess. It’s an easy way to connect to parks and schools along the way too.
Suggested route – 9.5 kms: Join in where convenient for you. Starting at the Mack St/Macdonell St intersection, travel north on Macdonell crossing Princess St and Concession St, using the pedestrian activated traffic signals. Turn right on Third Ave entering the Leroy Grant (LG) Path at the Third Avenue Park. Continue north along the LG Path to Elliott St. Turn right on Elliott St continuing in the separated cycle lane, to the K&P Trail just before the John Counter Blvd intersection. Turn right onto the K&P Trail. Continue on the K&P Trail to Doug Fluhrer Park. Continue west on Wellington St, passing through the downtown core. Turn right on Earl St. Continue on Earl St joining the QS Pilot at Clergy St. Continue on the QS route following Frontenac St, through Victoria Park to Mack St. Map atwww.kcat.ca.
Maps and suggested route connecting McBurney Park to Queen Mary Road at www.kcat.ca
9. Third Crossing Update
Received from the City of Kingston early October, 2020
https://thirdcrossing.cityofkingston.ca/the-bridge?fbclid=IwAR2176vIzGu31hbqJi9nNs0tWGYSbLZ3q5-Bk-HagNkNhZOIFzyae6Tol38
10. Local Online booking for COVID Testing
Thanks to the Kingscourt Community Newsletter for this as well as items 11, 12 and 13.
For my most recent COVID test there was hardly any wait and results were available within 24 hours.
As of October 8, people can now book a COVID-19 test at the Community COVID-19 Assessment Centre (AC) operated by Kingston Health Sciences Centre (KHSC).
People seeking testing are reminded that they must meet Province of Ontario testing guidelines and should first complete an online assessment to determine if they require a COVID-19 test. If testing is indicated, they can book an appointment:
Online:
KHSC is using Eventbrite, a third-party tool, to facilitate online bookings.
Bookings can be made up to two days in advance.
One person can book appointments for up to four people.
People can access the online tool at ygkcovidtesting.eventbrite.ca or through the KHSC dedicated COVID-19 website at www.kingstonHSC.ca/COVID19.
11. Help Kingston Reach Carbon Neutrality by 2040!
The prime question being asked is: How is climate change impacting you? Answer it now at GetInvolved.CityofKingston.ca [Deadline Nov 4] (see other ways to offer input, below).
How to engage: Due to COVID-19, and limits on in-person gatherings, City staff will receive input through a variety of channels. Ways you can engage, include:
Complete a survey and map climate change impacts on GetInvolved.CityofKingston.ca
Call 613-546-0000 ext. 1900, to complete the survey and provide feedback on the vision statement, by phone or request a paper copy be mailed to you.
Contact the project team by emailing ChangeforClimate@CityofKingston.ca
12. Kingston’s first AAA intersection coming to John Counter Boulevard
The intersection at John Counter Boulevard and Leroy Grant Drive is being upgraded to an AAA (i.e. all ages and abilities) cycling intersection this week.
New infrastructure, including Kingston’s first crossrides and bike signals, will enhance safety and connectivity for pedestrians and cyclists traveling through the intersection.
“The future of transportation in Kingston is safer, connected and more active,” says Ian Semple, Director of Transportation Services. “We’re designing and building projects that improve our roads, prioritize safety for pedestrians and cyclists, and give people more options to get around the city.”
This new infrastructure connects to the newly completed Leroy Grant Multi-use Pathway, a priority project identified in Kingston’s Active Transportation Master Plan. It consists of 1.8km of accessible, asphalt pathway from Third Avenue to Elliot Avenue, through Champlain Park, and then on to John Counter Boulevard where it meets the AAA cycling intersection.
How do Crossrides Work?
Watch this short animated video to see how an AAA intersection works.
13. Leaf Collection Starts Nov. 2
Go to www.CityofKingston.ca/collection for your collection week. Have your leaves ready for collection at curbside by 8 a.m. on the Monday of your leaf collection week.
Only leaves in paper leaf bags, or placed loosely in bushel baskets, garbage cans or other rigid-sided receptacles will be collected. Yard waste like tomato plants, and vegetable garden waste (but not brush) can be put out for collection during leaf collection week.
Make sure your bags or containers do not weigh more than 20 kg (44 pounds).
Leaves in plastic bags – or in bags that look like plastic – will NOT be picked up by the City.
14. Baby Grand Now Open (for up to 20 people)
Kingston Grand Theatre is reopening the Baby Grand, a black box theatre, as a community rental space for live performances for small audiences of up to 20 people.
In coordination with public health guidelines, the City of Kingston has developed comprehensive reopening plans and protocols to ensure safe access for the public to the venue.
These protocols can be found on the Kingston Grand Theatre website:
KingstonGrand.ca/visit/re-opening-protocols.
15. COVID Risk Information and Advice for 2nd Wave
Received early October from Providence Manor Family Council Connections
A. SUGGESTIONS ON HOW TO STAY SAFE:
Here is a suggested simple guideline to some everyday activities and the level of risk they may pose:
(Remember to physical distance and wear masks.)
Low Risk
* Getting restaurant take out, * Pumping gasoline, * Opening mail
Low-Moderate Risk
* Grocery shopping * Sitting in a doctor’s waiting room * Spending an hour at a playground
Moderate Risk
* Shopping at a mall * Attending a backyard barbeque * Eating at a restaurant (outdoors)
Moderate-High Risk
* Having dinner at someone else’s house (not in your social circle) * Going to a hair salon or barbershop * Eating in a restaurant (inside) * Hugging or shaking hands when greeting a friend
High Risk
* Going to a movie theatre * Going to nail salon * Going to a gym * Dining Buffet style * Attending a large event or gatherings
B. 10 SUGGESTED WAYS TO SOCIALIZE SAFELY
For the last several months, we have all worked hard to stop the spread of COVID-19 in Kingston. Now, as cases start to rise, we ask you to be extra vigilant about your personal social activities.
Here are 10 suggested ways you can socialize safely:
1. Sick? Stay home – If you are feeling unwell, even with mild symptoms, stay home and get tested.
2. Fewer faces in bigger spaces – Limit your gatherings to small groups of people you know.
3. Outdoors is better – Enjoy the fall weather and protect your home – socialize outside and maintain physical distancing as much as possible.
4. Smaller is better – Gatherings with close friends should be limited to six people or fewer, especially when you’re indoors. Avoid crowded, closed spaces as much as possible.
5. Keep your bubble small – The more people you interact with closely, the higher risk you will be exposed to COVID-19.
6. Have a designated contact keeper – If you host a gathering, keep a list of your guests and their contact information. This will help Public Health be in touch with contacts more quickly if there has been a COVID-19 exposure.
7. Keep your distance – Maintain two metres (six feet) between you and other people who aren’t in your bubble.
8. Mask-Up – Wear a mask when you’re in public and physical distancing isn’t possible. This lets others around you know you’re staying safe during this pandemic and that you’re keeping them safe as well.
9. No sharing – Don’t share food, drinks, or cigarettes with others. This fall is about “bring your own” and not potlucks.
10. Practice good hand hygiene – Wash your hands often with soap and water for 20 seconds.
STUFF FROM CHAMBER OF MARINE COMMERCE
16. Great Aspirations: Great Lakes states grapple with climate change and carbon, Great Lakes Now (Detroit, Michigan), October 7, 2020. In June 2017, when President Donald Trump announced that the U.S. would withdraw from the Paris Climate Accords, three states had an immediate reaction and plan. New York, California and Washington announced formation of the United States Climate Alliance calling it a “coalition that will convene U.S. states committed to upholding the Paris Climate Agreement and taking aggressive action on climate change.” With that action, New York led Great Lakes states in the effort to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, establish clean energy plans and fund initiatives to meet carbon reduction goals. Since then, all the Great Lakes states except Ohio and Indiana have joined the climate alliance. Great Lakes states other than New York began announcing climate plans in 2019, with Michigan releasing its version last month. Great Lakes Now canvassed the region to see how each state is dealing with climate change.
17.Trent Port Marina participates in Great Lakes Plastic Cleanup project, Belleville Intelligencer (Belleville, Ontario), October 7, 2020. The Trent Port Marina in Quinte West is proud to be part of the Great Lakes Plastic Cleanup project. Plastic pollution in the Great Lakes is a major environmental issue. Millions of kilograms of plastic pollute rivers and lakes in the Great Lakes region every year. In addition to being an unpleasant sight, it causes serious harm to fish and wildlife and puts the quality of drinking water at risk for millions of people who depend on it. The Great Lakes Plastic Cleanup is possible thanks to financial support from Environment and Climate Change Canada. The project is a partnership of non-profit organizations, marinas, government agencies, as well as industry and University of Toronto researchers dedicated to cleaning up plastic pollution in the Great Lakes.
18. Rio Tinto, Recycle Canada and Lafarge Canada Partner for Circular Economy Project, Corporate Knights – PR Newswire, October 16, 2020 (also appeared at CNW Group, at Becgreen and at Madison’s Report – PR Newswire and at Green Energy Futures). Rio Tinto, Geocycle Canada and leading construction materials company Lafarge Canada are working together to reuse waste from the aluminium smelting process to make cement. In this circular economy initiative, the trio will reduce the need to extract other raw materials and create value from waste. Geocycle Canada, a Lafarge Canada subsidiary, and Rio Tinto have developed a new product called Alextra, made from used potlining, as part of the aluminium electrolysis process that would otherwise go to landfill. Lafarge Canada will produce on average one million tonnes of cement a year at its facilities in Bath, Ontario, using Alextra as an alternative to raw materials such as alumina and silica, which are commonly refined or mined for use in the manufacturing of cement. Rio Tinto Aluminium Manager, Valorization and Marketing, Stéphane Poirier, is quoted.
19. Asian carp burgers, tacos available across Illinois; initiative meant to raise awareness of invasive species, ABC 7 Chicago (Chicago, Illinois), October 17, 2020. Local and state officials have come up with a unique way to help control the population of the invasive Asian carp species, saying “if you can’t beat ’em, eat ’em.” Josina Morita, a metropolitan water reclamation district commissioner and Great Lakes Commission delegate, and the Illinois Department of Natural Resources have teamed up to help rid Illinois waterways of the invasive fish species. Officials plan to pass out 1,000 free Asian carp “treats” for residents to enjoy and to raise awareness of the local crisis, create jobs and protect the environment. The “Asian Carp Challenge,” an unconventional approach to reduce the growing number of Asian carp threatening the Great Lakes, launched Saturday.
20. Global Pandemic Could Lead To Restructuring Of Canadian Supply Chains, Yahoo! Finance, October 20, 2020. The COVID-19 pandemic has led Canadian businesses to source more inputs from domestic suppliers, a shift that could permanently change how supply chains are managed in this country, new research from The Conference Board of Canada has found. Responding to the Global Commerce Centre’s latest trade survey, many Canadian organizations said they shifted their supply chains more toward domestic suppliers during the global pandemic. An even greater share of survey respondents said they plan to continue sourcing more inputs from local suppliers after the pandemic is over. More than 40 per cent of the businesses that responded to the Global Commerce Centre’s survey said that they are planning to source more inputs from local suppliers after the pandemic concludes. For large and medium-sized organizations, the share of respondents planning to source more inputs from local suppliers after the pandemic is over was even larger at 50 per cent.
ODDS AND SODS FROM HERE AND THERE.
21. How to Keep Warm on the Patio Without Heating the Planet.
Received from CBC What on Earth early October, Emily Chung Thanks to the risks the COVID-19 pandemic has brought to indoor dining and socializing, patio heaters have been flying off store shelves as the weather has become cooler.
But many of them burn fossil fuels to — essentially — heat the outdoors. The French energy think-tank Negawatt estimates that using five propane heaters to heat a roughly 800-square-foot patio from November to March will emit as much CO2 as a car circling the Earth three times.
With the increase in outdoor heater sales, the impact can add up. In 2006, when British MP Desmond Turner campaigned to have patio heaters banned in his country, he estimated that the one million tonnes of annual emissions from patio heaters in the U.K. cancelled out the emissions reductions made a few years earlier by starting to tax vehicles based on how polluting they were.
There have been numerous calls to ban patio heaters in Europe — and some successful bans. For example, France banned all outdoor heaters (including electric ones) in July, although the ban doesn’t go into effect until 2021.
While patio heaters make up only a small fraction of emissions, those who want them banned argue that they’re wasteful and unnecessary. “What’s at stake is ending ecologically aberrant practices that lead to totally unjustified energy consumption,” French Ecology Minister Barbara Pompili said this summer.
But as people seek ways to socialize during the colder months of a pandemic, is there a greener way to keep everyone warm outside?
Tomas Syskakis, a master’s of applied science student at the University of British Columbia, looked into that question a few years ago. At the time, he was taking a course in which engineering students try to solve problems for local businesses — in his case, Koerner’s pub on campus. “They wanted to be able to use their patio year-round, but they were also concerned about sustainability,” Syskakis recalled.
Syskakis and his team surveyed other local Vancouver restaurants and bars and compared costs and emissions for different options. They found that most local businesses used portable propane heaters as a “quick and dirty solution,” since they were fast to install, easy to move around and didn’t require any infrastructure, such as plugs or gas lines. The team found natural gas heaters were a little less polluting.
The team ended up recommending electric heaters, which were not just greener but cheaper and easier in the long run, as the costs of new propane tanks and the hassle of changing them added up over time.
“You’re obviously making the better decision for your carbon footprint,” Syskakis said — at least in provinces with a cleaner grid, such as B.C., Manitoba, Ontario or Quebec. His report also flagged the fact that propane and gas heaters emit other pollutants, such as nitrogen oxides. (Safety can also be an issue, since the fuel is explosive.)
In the end, Syskakis said, the pub bought some electric and some natural gas heaters and left part of its patio unheated (though he wasn’t sure if it was because of his report).
His engineering team wasn’t the only one looking at a greener alternative. Some classmates were trying to solve a similar problem for the on-campus Perch restaurant (which closed in 2017). Their solution? Microwaveable cushions that contain a warming gel (like foot and hand warmers), which they found to be more sustainable, cheaper and more comfortable for customers than electric or propane heaters. Heated cushions are already used in some cafés and restaurants in Europe.
In fact, research by the California-based Center for the Built Environment shows that heating the body directly allows people to be comfortable at cooler ambient temperatures and can save energy. Syskakis suggested that heated jackets could also work.
There’s also a super low-tech option popular in Europe that some Canadian restaurants are now offering — blankets.
22. Using Radio Telemetry to Study Fish in the Great Lakes
https://ijc.org/en/glatos-uses-advanced-telemetry-follow-fish-across-great-lakes?utm_source=IJC+Newsletters&utm_campaign=70db8251fd-GLC-English-Oct-2020&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_e942718880-70db8251fd-1223892100&mc_cid=70db8251fd&mc_eid=3f10f13644
23. Ice-Age Culture Discovered in the Straits of Mackinac
https://www.freep.com/story/news/local/michigan/2020/10/14/straits-mackinac-ice-age-culture-native-american-tribes/5978992002/?fbclid=IwAR0uNdMIXJz7fXakYOIGf3RQOMB_lfvyr8WN8a9ZNkdPQX8uC7Yc2Xmegzo
Years past, I had a conversation with Prof. Al Gorman in the Geology Dep’t at Queen’s who suggested that if we wanted to find ice age inhabitants nearby we should look at Kingston Mills. Could be really fascinating.
24. Microwaving Plastic Waste Can Generate Clean Hydrogen
Received early October from New Scientist, Adam Vaughan
Chemists have used microwaves to convert plastic bags, milk bottles and other supermarket packaging into a clean source of hydrogen.
Plastic waste can already be converted to hydrogen using other methods, and commercial facilities are being developed to transform the plastic. However, a new approach holds the promise of being quicker and less energy-intensive.
Peter Edwards at the University of Oxford says he and his colleagues wanted to “confront the grim reality” of plastic waste, with the UK alone producing 1.5 million tonnes each year. As the density of hydrogen in plastic bags is about 14 per cent by weight, plastic offers a possible new source for countries eyeing cleanly produced hydrogen to tackle climate change.
Most existing approaches involve first using very high temperatures of more than 750°C to decompose plastic into syngas, a mixture of hydrogen and carbon monoxide, and then using a second step to separate out the hydrogen.
Read more: Fixing planet plastic: How we’ll really solve our waste problem
Edwards and his team instead broke the plastic into small pieces with a kitchen blender and mixed it with a catalyst of iron oxide and aluminium oxide. When blasted with a microwave generator at 1000 watts, the catalyst created hot spots in the plastic and stripped out the hydrogen – recovering 97 per cent of the gas in the plastic within seconds.
The solid material left over was almost exclusively carbon nanotubes. The single-step approach has the advantage of just heating the catalyst, not all of the plastic, resulting in less energy use, as the plastic does not absorb microwaves.
The results hold out “an attractive potential solution for plastic waste”, says Edwards. Although only done at a small scale, using about 300 grams of plastic for each test, larger experiments are already being planned.
Journal reference: Nature Catalysis, DOI: 10.1038/s41929-020-00518-5
https://www.newscientist.com/article/2256822-microwaving-plastic-waste-can-generate-clean-hydrogen/#ixzz6b2bIM4sS
25. GPS Eggs Catching Sea Turtle Poachers
By Sophie Hirsh
Believe it or not, sea turtle eggs are a common object of poaching and trafficking — and a creative new invention aims to change that. The InvestEGGator is a 3D-printed decoy sea turtle egg that can catch poachers in the act using GPS technology.
The team behind the InvestEGGator first came up with the invention several years ago, and they just conducted a field test in Costa Rica, about which they published a paper in the journal Current Biology. As explained in the paper, “Because law enforcement is often only reactive, information on trafficking routes is key to disrupting trade and curtailing wildlife crime.”
Because of that, the researchers set out to track covert trade routes of trafficked sea turtle eggs, leading them to develop the InvestEGGator. The 3D-printed InvestEGGator contains a GPS–GSM transmitter, allowing officials to monitor the location of each batch of eggs poached from the ocean, and their trafficking routes.
Here’s how the InvestEGGator works to stop sea turtle egg trafficking.
To make the InvestEGGator decoys, the scientists feed a flexible material called NinjaFlex into a 3D printer, according to Wired. Then, special effects makeup artist Lauren Wilde paints the 3D-printed eggs to more closely resemble the real thing (which happen to look like ping pong balls) according to Paso Pacífico, the organization behind the InvestEGGator.
Then, lead researcher and conservation scientist Kim Williams-Guillen slices the egg open with an X-ACTO knife, stuffs a GPS transmitter inside, and glues it closed again, before slyly slipping the decoys into real sea turtle nests.
“After many iterations, we were able to get to something that really feels reasonably like a turtle egg and looks like a turtle egg,” Williams-Guillen told Wired, adding that offenders typically poach turtle eggs at night, and the dark sky helps conceal any difference between the real eggs and the dupes.
The GPS transmitter inside the egg uses a regular cell phone connection, pinging cell towers around Costa Rica every hour, alerting the scientists of their whereabouts.
The field test traced the trafficking routes of sea turtle eggs.
During this field test, the InvestEGGators helped the scientists identify five trafficking routes, the most detailed of which spanned a 137-kilometer (85-mile) trade chain, according to the scientific paper. However, the other trafficking routes indicated that the poachers were simply selling the eggs locally — multiple eggs stopped at back alleys behind supermarkets and private homes.
“That is, again, in keeping with what we know about the trade, which is that people sell these eggs door to door,” co-author Helen Pheasey told Wired. “We were pretty happy with that result, because it really did prove the concept — this is what we’re trying to do with these things.”
Why are sea turtle eggs poached?
According to Paso Pacífico, on Central American beaches, poachers illegally destroy more than 90 percent of sea turtle nests, all so they can sell the eggs to be eaten. A sea turtle egg can be sold for up to $300 USD.
Adult sea turtles are sometimes poached for their meat, skin, and shells, too. Sea turtle products are the No. 2 most frequently poached wildlife products trafficked from Latin America to the U.S., according to InvestEGGator’s website.
26. Recommended Book – Solved: How the WORLD’S Great Cities are Fixing the Climate Crisis by David Miller, former mayor of Toronto.
This is a book full of hope – A wonderful look at what cities around the world are doing to confront all that is wrong with cities today. Lots of implications for Kingston!
Wishing you sustenance in the darkness.
It is only two months until the days start getting longer again.
Cheers,
Mary Farrar,
President, Friends of Kingston Inner Harbour