Menu Close

October Update 2021

Dear Friends of Kingston Inner Harbour,
An amazingly warm October so far – along with amazing mushrooms!
Thanks so much Hilbert for the wonderful  photos you post on Facebook. According to Hilbert, this one is called aBears Head Tooth. Wow!
Now we should be ready for the cooler than normal temperatures projected for this winter. Should help inhibit the gypsy moths!!!

LOCAL
1. Magical Mushrooms
2. Belle Park Tour: SUN OCT 17 – Exploring what’s beneath the surface
3. City Matters: John A. statue replacement? Confederation Basin Re-design, 3rd xing, Downtown Car-Sharing.
4. Indigenous Market Sundays at Market Square
5. Register your bike to help avoid bike theft
6. That beautiful 220 year old oak  to be demolished?
7. Belle Park Homelessness Update
8. Fish health in Kingston’s Inner Harbour
9. Accessibility Issues on Kingston Transit
10. City of Kingston Central Growth Strategy
11. Grandparent Telephone Scam Resurfaced
12. Letter to Mayor and Council from citizen on a variety of local matters
13. Red Barons: Kingston’s Historic First Women’s Hockey Team
14. Super feature on our local historian, Eric Gagnon
15. Doug Bowie’s Piece in Profile Kingston
 
FARTHER AFIELD
16. Drinking Water Protection Zones
17. Ten Weird Things found at the bottom of the Great Lakes
18. Indigenous Cultural Burns Can Replenish our Forests
19. Adventure: Canada Top to Bottom
20. End of the Line


1. Magical Mushrooms
Although not “magic” they are most certainly “magical”. Just in case you’re not aware, Hilbert Buist who does regular shared walks around Belle Island is so knowledgeable about so many different species of all sorts. On one recent tour, he spotted 80 varieties of mushrooms in one day! You can find him on Facebook if you would like to go for a walk with him sometime.

2. Belle Park Tour, Sun, Oct 17 – Exploring what’s beneath the surface
Who: Dr. Alex Braun, Geophysicist, with Dr. Mary Louise Adams of the Belle Park Project
What: Exploring what lies beneath the surface of the park
When: Sun, Oct 17, 3 -5 pm.
Where:  Meet at the Totem Pole at the entry to Belle Park at 3 pm.
More info?
https://belleparkproject.com/events/beneath-the-surface-of-belle-park-a-journey-from-the-knowns-to-the-unknowns

3. City Matters: John A. statue replacement? Confed Basin Re-design, 3rd xing, Downtown Car-sharing.
Do consider subscribing to this for city updates. 
Excellent source! Link included hereinbelow.

In this edition of City Matters:Ideas for new installations at former site of Sir John A. Macdonald statue and input on its potential relocation.
 See the conceptual designs for Confederation Basin Promenade.
 Video – The structural steel for the Third Crossing’s main span over the navigation channel has now been installed.
 City’s Springer Memorial Lot hosts car-sharing service.
 FYI briefs.

 4. Indigenous Market Sundays at Market Square
 Shop the Indigenous Market and enjoy performances by talented local Indigenous community members from various nations across Turtle Island.  
Sundays from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m
Performances from 12 to 1 p.m.
Upcoming performers include
Oct. 17: ALPHA (Donna Lynn and Angel) 
Oct.  24: Metis Sash Teachings (Candace Lloyd) 
This programming is part of the City’s Love Kingston Marketplace  supporting local businesses.  I
I highly recommend Lisa Cadue’s totally amazing venison tacos!!
Get there early before she has sold out!


5. Register your bike to help avoid bike theft
https://www.kingstonpolice.ca/en/news/register-your-bike-with-529-garage-and-help-reduce-bike-theft.aspx
Also see the Bicycle Registry page or Cycle Kingston.
To register your bike now, head to Project529.com/KingstonPoliceService or download the 529 Garage app from the Google Play Store or Apple App Store. Sign up today and help lock out bike theft.
For tips on how to lock your bike properly, watch this short video
Background on 529 Garage:
Founded in December 2013 in Portland, Oregon and soon after launched in launched in Vancouver to combat rising bike theft, the app has since been used in jurisdictions across Canada and the United States…
Recent statistics from the Vancouver Police Department show a 43 per cent decline in bike thefts in 2021 compared to 2015, despite a reported 300 per cent increase in cycling since the start of the pandemic.

6. That beautiful 220 year old oak at the Tannery to be demolished?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h_pEHmed6F0
A new community advocacy group has formed called No Clearcuts in Kingston. It is composed mostly of local citizens who care about trees but have never been politically active – until now!
As you can see from the video the large green-leafed oak tree slated for demolition is amazing.
City council has granted Patry, the developer, the right to cut down every tree on the site and cover most of the 13 hectare waterfront property with asphalt following clean-up. The extensive clean up needed is estimated to cost more than 66 million including 46 million for removing the contaminated soil and about 1600 substantial trees. City Council also agreed to waive taxes worth over 60 milliion in order to facilitate the development.  We understand that there is a need for downtown living space.
We are proposing what we hope might be a win-win solution.
The position of the Friends of Kingston Inner Harbour remains that the current design proposed for the Tannery should be changed to a mix of high rises and mid rises on Rideau St. using only a portion of the extensive waterfront property and that building should be focused in the southwestern quadrant.
Save the Provincially Significant Wetland from being filled in!
Save the shoreline where over 100 turtles bask!
Save the 220 year old tree along with other 1600 substantial trees on the site!
Grant Patry his 1500 units but with the plan to be finalized AFTER the clean-up has been completed!

Like all renovation projects, problems will be unearthed during the clean-up process that can’t be predicted right now and re-designs will most probably have to occur anyway.

Here is a really interesting link (thanks to Chrystal Wilson) about the city of North York paying to buy a property to save a 250 year old oak!  Wow! 
https://toronto.citynews.ca/2021/10/15/city-can-buy-north-york-property-to-preserve-250-year-old-heritage-tree-court/

And here is a recent letter to Mayor & Council from residents who really care about both the tree and Climate Change implications:
Dear Mayor, Members of Kingston City Council and Staff:

The City of Kingston is in the process of developing a Climate Leadership Plan. The proposed plan highlights the observed phenomena of increased risks of flooding, future risks due to intermittent power grid collapses, and the need to reduce CO2 emissions. This letter is written to highlight how building on the former Davis Tannery Lands seems to be counterproductive to the City’s planning.

There are many trees on the former Davis Tannery Lands. One of these trees is a 200 year old oak. Our understanding is that that tree would be destroyed should the housing development be approved. These trees help neutralize C02 in the environment. They are already working for us. Why would we destroy them? If we destroy them, we are contributing to climate change. This seems counterproductive to the city’s C02 neutrality plan.

We watch climate disasters (flooding, rising temperatures) occurring elsewhere and somehow think it won’t happen here, even though we clear-cut trees and vegetation that might prevent such disasters. Given ongoing climate change, we need to be extremely cautious in building more housing developments in low-lying areas close to rivers and lakes.

The former Davis Tannery Lands are situated on the shore of the Cataraqui’s river near marshland. Building in this area will no doubt require the frequent use of sump pumps and be susceptible to floodingfrom storm water runoff heading downhill toward the river.What happens if the river rises? Do we simply assure ourselves this is unlikely to happen?  We’ve seen how it does not take long for nature to undermine our expectations and sense of complacency.  What if the power grid fails for a period of time? What happens when the sump pumps in this new development are overwhelmed and fail?

Clearing vegetation and building in low-lying areas creates a disaster in waiting. How many people would be displaced should flooding occur? How much property would be destroyed? Who will take responsibility for the cost of this displacement and devastation? Who would need to provide aid?  Would that not be all of us residents of Kingston for allowing such a development to occur in that area?

A Climate Leadership Plan needs to consider such eventualities. This would include situating any new housing developments in areas away from low-lying land bordering lakes, rivers, or marshes. 
Yes, this letter is about saving a 200 year old oak treeIt’s also about saving the trees and marshlands that in the long run may well amount to saving ourselves.

Sincerely 
Bonnie Hall and Ghislaine Marcotte”

A petition to save the tree is in the works.
Participants will be at Tara’s this Thursday afternoon, Oct 21, from 1:30 until 3:30 if you would like to sign and/or find out more information.

7. Homelessness Update
The “Neighbourhood Community Hub Watcher” Facebook Group lead by local Belle Park community member, Valerie Gray, is organizing tours of Belle Park with local politicians to try and find a way forward for federal, provincial and municipal actions to try and deal with this heartbreaking situation.  
For background see rrecent FKIH newsletters at www.friendsofinnerharbour.com. Go to About, then Monthly Updates.

Tours to date include:
Tuesday Oct 5th, with MP Mark Gerretsen, his assistant Ann, and City Councilor Bridget Doherty. Mark has stated that housing and Climate Change are his two main priorities and he is very interested in what the feds might be able to do. Following the tour, Mark said he would coordinate a Zoom meetingwith interested stakeholders including neighbours, the United Way, the Community Foundation, provincial and municipal politicians and groups, and staff etc.  If you are an interested stakeholder, contact Ann Parker at Mark Gerretesn’s office to be included in this upcoming Zoom meeting – date and time to be announced.

Thursday October 14th, with Vicki Veldman (Fire Prevention Officer for the area) and By-Law Officer John Tobin.

Thursday October 14th , with Ryan Evoy (Acting Manager, Recreation Facilities), Joanne Borris (Housing Program Administrator),  and one of Joanne Borris’ co-workers.
Friday October 15th, with Liberal Candidate Ted Hsu.
https://twitter.com/tedhsu/status/1449103749331488774

Friday October 15th, with Paul MacLatchy (The City of Kingston’s Director of Environment) and his assistant. We were happy to be able to locate for him one of his boats that had been stolen and hidden in the woods!

Friday October 29th, with MPP Ian Arthur, City Councilor Rob Hutchison, Housing Program Administrator Joanne Borris, at least two more, possibly 4 more city employees, as well as local Inner Harbour neighbours.

Sadly some of the homeless people are dealing with concurrent problems of addictions and other mental health issues. Serious money needs to be spent at all levels of government on addictions and mental health as well as housing and homelessness!
A few interesting articles have appeared recently:
The Globe and Mail published an obituary for Philip Owen, former conservative-minded mayor of Vancouver who originated supervised injection sites. His first-of-a-kind “four pillars plan” was to deal with harm reduction, prevention, treatment and enforcement.  Interesting to see where this originated.
Another piece in the Globe and Mail was by Marcus Gee entitled “Port Alberni vs. ‘that ogre in the river’. The main thesis was that care-givers are so busy rescuing drowning people from the river that they fail to look at the ogre upstream causing the flooding. Sadly it would appear that care-givers are so busy rescuing people from overdoses (which is absolutely heartbreaking and necessary) that there isn’t time to focus on the other three pillars of the program – especially prevention and remediation. This requires immediate funding from all levels of government.
The problem has spread to the park which affects neighbours, dog walkers, hikers, families and school classes.
 A major problem with the campers at Belle Park is that they are given needles and Naloxone kits by care-givers at the Integrated Care Hub then then they shoot up in the park and leave their drug paraphernalia needles etc as garbage.  This is now to the point that many Kingston citizens no longer feel safe going to Belle Park.  Teachers are now unwilling to expose their students to this sort of disaster.
A new model is needed.  Drug dealers are now attracted to the area as well as homeless people from other jurisdictions.
As a former addictions councillor, I feel there is a need for much more serious efforts to help. Short 2-3 week programs don’t work.  The 12 step program isn’t for everyone.
Here are a few interesting features if you would like to explore this issue a bit further:
First one arguing that the Integrated Care Hub model doesn’t work:
https://open.alberta.ca/dataset/dfd35cf7-9955-4d6b-a9c6-60d353ea87c3/resource/11815009-5243-4fe4-8884-11ffa1123631/download/health-socio-economic-review-supervised-consumption-sites.pdf
A rebuttal:
https://www.hivlegalnetwork.ca/site/letter-reject-the-socio-economic-review-of-supervised-consumption-sites-in-alberta/?lang=en
And here is a study on the housing first hypothesis:
https://assets.researchsquare.com/files/rs-97739/v1_covered.pdf?c=1631845433
And here is a truly Inspiring possible way forward – given sufficient funding: https://craftsmanship.net/the-healing-power-of-bello/

8. Fish Health in Kingston’s Inner Harbour
As both the RMC Environmental Sciences Group, and the more current Golder reports being relied upon by Transport Canada and Parks Canada, point to the high incidence of deformities in Inner Harbour ground feeding fish, we felt it important to check into this further. The following information is from local fishermen corroborated by Peter Hodson, Prof Emeritus of Environmental Science at Queen’s.

First, although it is not a scientific study, some local fishermen have stated that the proportion of deformed fish seems to be the same in the Inner Harbour as in Lake Ontario. Others we have talked to have actually never seen a deformed fish in the Inner Harbour in over 10 years of sport fishing in the area.  They do take note of the warnings not to eat Inner Harbour fish. 

Here is a direct quote from a local fisherman.
“People typically fish for pike, largemouth bass, carp and bowfin. But during different times of the year, just about any fish that lives in Lake Ontario could move into the Inner Harbour – apart from the very deep water species such as sculpin. For example, right now the salmon are trying to move up river to spawn, so they’re travelling from Lake Ontario into any tributary, moving through the Inner Harbour. Walleye will sometimes follow them all they way up to Kingston Mills, in hopes of eating the eggs of the salmon. 
I imagine some fish, like Largemouth Bass and pike, could spend most of their life in the Harbour, but they also may travel to deeper in the winter (20-40ft). Bowfin will be in the shallow warm waters of the summer, but then move to deeper water in the fall/winter and go mostly dormant. Carp will also spend their time in the warm shallows of the Inner Harbour but eventually move out deeper as the temperatures drop.” 

Another fisherman writes: “Fish in that area move in and out because it is so close to Lake Ontario. Most aren’t there for more than a month at a time. There are so many deformed Lake Ontario fish it would be nearly impossible to attribute deformed fish to the Inner Harbour area. I don’t know that I’ve noticed any major deformations in fish I have actually caught in there.”

Peter Hodson’s follow-up comments here raise questions as to whether the dredging proposed by Parks/Transport Canada via Golder consultants is actually a viable evidence-based decision:

“The fishermen are correct.  Smaller species (bullhead, sunfish, minnows, etc) would be year-round residents, with seasonal movements within the river between Kingston mills and the causeway, and a small proportion likely leaving or entering the harbour each year.  However, for large species (carp, walleye, burbot, etc), the majority of fish will be seasonal migrants spending much of their time outside the harbour.  In fact, carp have been tracked over the entire length of Lake Ontario in less than 12 months, and can be found well offshore (e.g. Main Duck Island).  This means that the contaminants in those species cannot be used as justification for Harbour dredging because their contaminant load integrates their chemical exposures over the entire lake.  As stated several times, the current, accepted, and best risk management tools are likely the fish consumption advisories, which are updated frequently and include the waters of the Inner Harbour… 
The link between sediment contaminants and fish deformities claimed by Golder as a justification for dredging was not explained in detail and may be over-simplified.  There have been sufficient studies to establish statistical and mechanistic links between exposure of brown bullhead to sediment PAH (and coal tar as a substance) and the prevalence and severity of internal pathology (liver tumours, bile duct carcinomas).  The evidence provides strong correlations (which is not the same as proof!) and is about as good as it is going to be.  It is based on many multi-year studies of rivers and harbours affected by steel mills around the Great Lakes and other areas of eastern North America, as well as reference rivers and harbours.  In contrast,the evidence linking external lesions in bullheads (skin papillomas, eroded barbels, etc) to sediment contaminants is weak and no firm conclusions can be drawn.  There has been some suggestion that these effects are due to exposure to fungi and bacteria, and possibly human pathogens associated with sewage.  There are also many waterborne chemicals associated with human sewage for which I have not seen any data for the KIH (e.g., phthalates, endocrine disrupting chemicals, pharmaceuticals, etc).  If the reports of deformed fish in the KIH are based on external lesions, the evidence would not support sediment dredging, but would certainly be a rationale for a more detailed examination of the input of pathogens and chemicals other than metals, PAH, and PCBs from storm sewer overflows, street run-off, etc. If Golder wishes to use fish deformities in their risk estimates, they will need a detailed, multi-year study by an experienced pathologist to study the prevalence and nature of liver and bile duct cancers in the Harbour and in a suitable reference site (e.g., Little Cat Creek marsh or Bay of Quinte). 
I can support these ideas with published papers and reviews from the literature if you think that is necessary.”
 
9. Accessibility Issues on Kingston Transit.

Received from the City, Oct 12, 2021 
Kingston Transit is seeking feedback from riders and residents about the accessibility of transit services. Providing accessible services and removing barriers for persons with disabilities is a priority for Kingston Transit. 
Kingston Transit will host a pop-up chat at the Cataraqui Centre Transfer Point (945 Gardiners Rd.) on Wednesday, Oct. 13 from 1:30 to 2:30 p.m. Staff from Kingston Transit will be on-site to ensure residents have an opportunity to participate in a review and offer feedback on the Transit section of the City’s 2018-2022 Multi-Year Accessibility Plan. ASL interpretation will be available. 
Kingston Transit staff will follow COVID-19 protocols: masks and eye wear will be worn at all times, and proper distance will be maintained between staff and meeting participants. Disposable gloves and hand-sanitizer will also be available. 
Riders and residents can also offer feedback in the following ways: 
Complete a survey at Get Involved Kingston from Oct. 13 to Nov. 4 
Call 613-546-0000 and complete the survey by phone 
Request a paper copy of the survey by calling 613-546-0000. We will mail you a copy of the survey and a postage pre-paid envelope to return the completed survey to Kingston Transit. 

10. City of Kingston Central Growth Strategy

Received from the city Oct 6, 2021
Staff are inviting residents to attend one of two Q&A sessions to learn more about draft Official Plan policies and zoning recommendations stemming from the Central Kingston Growth Strategy (CKGS). The sessions will take place on Oct. 20 from 2-3 p.m. and 6-7 p.m.
These sessions are open to all Kingston residents but are intended for individuals residing in the central Kingston neighbourhoods.
“We’re looking forward to bringing community members together to discuss the policy work being undertaken as part of the Central Kingston Growth Strategy,” says Sukriti Agarwal, Manager of Policy Planning for the City of Kingston. 
Both sessions will be conducted online as a Zoom webinar. Residents can learn more and register online:
Register for the Oct. 20, 2-3 p.m. session
Register for the Oct. 20, 6-7 p.m. session
Attendees will have a chance to view a short summary presentation and ask questions on the draft Official Plan and zoning recommendations.Residents are invited to view the Staff Report and supporting reports prepared by WSP Canada Group Ltd. and the formal presentation from the Aug. 12 Planning Committee meeting in advance of the forthcoming sessions.
Project outputs include draft Official Plan policies and zoning recommendations for the residential areas of Central Kingston, supplemented by urban design guidelines and a servicing and infrastructure assessment.
Learn more about the Central Kingston Growth Strategy and work undertaken to date on the City’s website and Get Involved Kingston.

11. Grandparent Telephone Scam Resurfaced
Received from the Kingstonis Oct 5, 2021 – Jessica Foley
Kingston Police are reminding the community that scammers can and do ask for money over the telephone, and to be aware that a previous scam of this nature has been reported in the Kingston area,
According to a release from Kingston Police, the “parent or grandparent” telephone scam has resurfaced recently. Kingston Police said their front desk staff “have had a few calls on this over the last couple of days,” mostly from elderly residents who are being asked to send $1,000 to $1,500 dollars to bail out children or grandchildren who have been arrested for Impaired Driving.
The fraudsters pretend to be a child who desperately needs monetary help and these scammers typically claim their voice is different because of the accident, according to the release. Police said often times another person will enter the conversation portraying themselves as a lawyer or police officer and say funds are needed for bail and legal expenses. The victims are also told to keep it secret from other family members.
“If you get a call from someone claiming to be a family member in trouble, you should reach out to them directly and don’t keep it a secret from others,” Kingston Police said. “Don’t send money to anyone unless you know exactly where it is going and if it can be traced in the event there is a problem.”

12. Letter to Mayor and Council from local citizen on a variety of matters
Dear Mayor and Council
Since January 2020, due to Covid 19 restrictions, our activities outside our home have been extremely limited.  There are two elements we enjoy doing, spending time outside in the front & backyard gardens and walking on the public trails.
Unfortunately, both are now at risk.
The By-Law Number 2021-053, “A By-Law to Regulate the Setting and Maintaining of Open-Air Fires within the City of Kingston” has restricted our evenings at the fire in the backyard.  Walking on the trails is creating a health risk due to lack of effort by the City of Kingston to control the spread of invasive and noxious weeds.
What I did not realize, I should have been paying close attention to the Rural Advisory Committee as they would be drafting by-laws affecting my property in the urban area of the City of Kingston.  This was apparently on social media.  The fact the KFR wanted to reduce the number of turnouts by suppression staff to have a positive effect on their operating budget is beside the point.  With that said, the City of Kingston needed a bylaw given the permit requirements of Fire Protection and Prevention Act, 1997, S.O. 1997, c. 4.
As you know, some weeds can cause concerns to human health, like wild parsnip and poison ivy. These weeds are found in areas of uncultivated land, roadside ditches, nature trails, woodlots, and in some cases, on rural and residential property throughout the City of Kingston.
This can cause irreparable damage to important habitats and ecosystems.  These plants form dense stands which outcompete native plants, reducing biodiversity by lowering the footprint of native plants.  This also increases the grazing pressures on native plants/crops in adjacent fields. These plants are also a public health concern.  Phytophotodermatitis is a type of contact dermatitis. Contact with them or their sap can result in skin rashes and burns.  This puts me at disadvantage.  
In 1994, in Petawawa, I was unprotected and hospitalized with a severe case of exposure after a military BMQ training exercise.  I am genuinely concern with the lack of effort by City of Kingston puts on controlling the spread of invasive and noxious weeds along our public trails, roadways and in public spaces.
Under the Ontario Weed Control Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. W.5, the City of Kingston is responsible to take action to control wild parsnip, poison ivy on city property. Whereas Private property owners are responsible for removing these plants from their private property.
In reading the “A By-Law to Regulate the Setting and Maintaining of Open-Air Fires within the City of Kingston” I noticed the expressed concerns of the municipality outlined in the following paragraphs:
“Whereas subsection 10(2) of the Municipal Act, 2001, S.O. 2001, c. 25, as amended, authorizes a municipality to pass by-laws respecting the health, safety and well-being of persons, the protection of persons and property, and the economic, social, and environmental well-being of the municipality, including respecting climate change;”
“Whereas the regulation of Open-Air Fires will contribute to the health, safety, and wellbeing of the inhabitants of the municipality, the protection of persons and property within the municipality, and the economic, social and environmental well-being of the municipality; and
What you have not realized are the existing laws that are already on the books to protect the public.  Enforcement of the existing laws will greatly enhance the environmental well-being of the municipality while respecting the health, safety, and well-being of ratepayers like myself.  I will discuss this further later.
Since several Kingstonians will no longer be allowed to sit in their backyards, quietly by the fire or walk the public trails, they will have extra time on their hands.  With that said, I have a few issues I would have asked questions about if I had been aware of a public consultation at a rural committee concerning private property in the urban areas of the City of Kingston. It is my fault I did not pick up on this on social media.
Issue One:
The bylaw allows for people to buy a propane appliance to replace the fireplace/campfire. This has the ambiance of taking the lid off a gas BBQs and setting it on a table. Not quite the same as reading by a fire.  As most of these appliances are imported from other countries and they burn fossil fuels, I fail to see the positive impact on climate change.  I look forward to anyone from council (not staff) to explain how this bylaw has a positive effect on Climate Change and why the City of Kingston has a need for an exemption for tourism events.
Issue Two:
The adverse effect of this bylaw is how it limits the enjoyment of the normal use of my property, whereas those living in other areas of the City have different rules and some are exempt for a “ceremonial/sacred fire”.
What religious/race/ethic lines are exempt?
Issue Three:
The permit is free this year and it granted to an individual and not the household.  What are the future costs and which member of the household is required to get the permit? Are they required to be always at the fire or just on the property? I do not want enforcement jumping out of the bushes when I am in using the washroom.  (Will the person not on the permit be required to run to the fridge, this I can support) Which gender would cover both? Can we apply as a couple or are their restrictions defining “a person”?  The defining of “a person” seems to be very fluid these days and we would like to identify as “they” or them” as 43 Dauphin on the permit. 
Issue Four:

Clarification on the fireplace/pit that can be used.  Not everyone wants a Spanish chimenea fireplace in their backyard.
The impacts of a backstop or fireplace surrounds on clearance and setbacks considered? 
minimum water availability (i.e., garden hose, water buckets, sand, etc.)
minimum distance to the location of a fire extinguisher
I look forward to the information and or updates to the bylaw in respect to these issues. 
Moving Forward: Getting a New Hobby
I am amazed at the level of interest the City of Kingston Council & Committees have with what I do on my property.  We have by-laws for animals, balloons, campfires, election signs, fences, grass, noise, trees, water, parking, and yards. These tend to be enforced against ratepayers but not against, let us say “City of Kingston”.  By the time I check for any changes and possible impacts on my backyard it will be winter again.  So having said that, I will focus my attention to other things to occupy my time on weekends, like a new hobby. Going forward I am going to champion ecological problems/issues using existing laws already in place. Based on recent history, nobody seems to be worried about what is going on outside of a ratepayer’s backyard or driveway.
So, I will focus on:
Condition of public trails.
Water testing around Bell Park and the inner harbour.
Sewer overflow log.
Storm Water tracks from KARC & Waste Management Transfer Station to Cataraqui Bay.
Cataraqui Westbrook marsh and catch basin.
Rain/Storm water catch basins.
Rural roadside spread of invasive and noxious weeds.
Invasive species in trees and their disposal.
Conditions of City owned vacant lands.


The current conditions/issues are due to the City of Kingston exempting themselves in all bylaws and lack of enforcement of the following Provincial, Federal Acts and their regulations inside the City of Kingston:
·        Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005, S.O. 2005, c. 11
·        Canada Water Act (R.S.C., 1985, c. C-11)
·        Canadian Food Inspection Agency Act (S.C. 1997, c. 6)
·        Clean Water Act, 2006, S.O. 2006, c. 22
·        Conservation Authorities Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. C.27
·        Endangered Species Act, 2007, S.O. 2007, c. 6
·        Environmental Bill of Rights, 1993, S.O. 1993, c. 28
·        Environmental Protection Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. E.19
·        Fire Protection and Prevention Act, 1997, S.O. 1997, c. 4
·        Fisheries Act (R.S.C., 1985, c. F-14)
·        Forest Fires Prevention Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. F.24
·        Human Rights Code, R.S.O. 1990, c. H.19
·        Invasive Species Act, 2015, S.O. 2015, c. 22 – Bill 37
·        Lakes and Rivers Improvement Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. L.3
·        Migratory Birds Regulations (C.R.C., c. 1035)
·        Ministry of Natural Resources Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. M.31
·        Ontario Water Resources Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. O.40
·        Pesticides Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. P.11
·        Plant Protection Act (S.C. 1990, c. 22)
·        Public Lands Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. P.43
·        Railway Safety Act (R.S.C., 1985, c. 32 (4th Supp.))
·        Safe Drinking Water Act, 2002, S.O. 2002, c. 32 – Bill 195
·        Sustainable Water and Sewage Systems Act, 2002, S.O. 2002, c. 29 – Bill 175
·        Weed Control Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. W.5
The financial impacts tend not to be a concern or a hinderance when creating new restrictions on businesses and or the ratepayers.  This is noted. I will make sure the proper provincial/federal agency are briefed and actioned on my concerns regardless of the budgetary impacts. The City of Kingston should be notified at the appropriate time or they could check social media for hints and updates.
Trail & Roadside Conditions
In the coming weeks I will focus on the trail conditions. Early remediation is the most cost-effective method at controlling the spread of invasive and noxious weeds along our public trails.  Please note the cuttings from the weeds will need to be disposed of at a proper waste facility and the workers will need to be notified to take the appropriate precautions.  Leaving the cuttings on site/trail is not effective control and will make the issue worst. These cannot be sent to the compost facility on Lappan’s Lane.  In any case they need to be removed by the City of Kingston. The City of Kingston should reference Weed Control Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. W.5.
Duty to destroy noxious weeds.
3. Every person in possession of land shall destroy all noxious weeds on it.  R.S.O. 1990, c. W.5, s. 3.

Persons deemed in possession
4. For the purposes of this Act, the owner of land shall be deemed, unless the contrary is proved, to be the person in possession of it.  R.S.O. 1990, c. W.5, s. 4.

Road authorities deemed in possession of roads
5. For the purposes of section 3, every road authority within the meaning of the Public Transportation and Highway Improvement Act shall be deemed to be the person in possession of the land under its jurisdiction.  R.S.O. 1990, c. W.5, s. 5.

Since the City of Kingston is most likely using the same equipment to cut the weeds as they use in the parks there could be an issue of cross contamination. This places the public at risk. This is unless there are cleaning procedures in place and record keeping on when the equipment is moved from site to site.
Using a wet-blade application system would be by far the most effective and fastest solution.  Although in reviewing the statements/opinions of current and past councils, Staff, and committee members, in respect to Health Canada, PMRA staff and the approved products, this might not be an option. 
Interestingly, the comments from current and past councils, Staff, and committee members, about trusting the Federal Health Canada staff seems very ironic in this time of the Covid19 Pandemic. 
Kingston Composting
I hope all the trees removed due to invasive insects have been disposed of properly and not sent to the compost facility.  If they have, all the material on site will need to be removed properly. I have not seen any Phytosanitary Certificates for the wood chips.  This might be a good opportunity to move the composite site.  Having that much combustible material so close to a fire training facility would pose a risk. I have also notice “hot work” on the adjacent rail lines. The Precautionary principle should be invoked, as the risk of a controlled fire or hot work down wind from the storage of compost material should be a nonstarter.  The compost piles are less than 100m from controlled burns and 75 m from the tracks.  I have yet to see any temperature monitoring equipment on site that can reach the centre of the piles.  Spontaneous combustion is the most common cause of compost fires.  A spark from the training area or rail line would have an undesirable consequence.  I would think the City of Kingston and KFR would want to mitigate this liability and limit the use of both facilities until resolved.
I am sure KFR/City of Kingston does not want to grow their social media presents as a meme.
Given the complaints by City of Kingston Staff (located on John Counter Street) have had about the metal recycling in the area, it will be interesting to dig into the issues with City of Kingston related recycling facilities. 
Recycling facilities tend to have a trail of pollution leading up to them.  You can see it along the roadsides and storm ditches. There also seems to be waste radiating out from the current facilities since it is not properly contained.  I have started to post pictures on social media. There could be some other possible concerns not currently under public scrutiny, do not worry, I will keep digging.  For example: The use of construction debris to shore up and expand the North side of the road over the watercourse into the compositing facility.  Rainwater run off is not currently captured or mitigated at either site. BC’s setbacks from watercourses, wetlands, ponds, lakes & streams are 150 to 300 m. This is an interesting issue given the riparian rights to undiminished quality down stream.  (Composting facilities are known to release odorous VOCs due to biodegradation of waste. Airborne microorganisms and the estimated potential health risks will be a future issue that needs to be explored.)
Local Watershed & Marsh Land Pollution
Spring rains will allow access by Kayak into the small waterways leading up to KARC and the Waste transfer station.  Failing that we will don the hip waders. We should be able to get some good water samples and pictures of the existing garbage and recycling that is spilling into the waterways and ponds in the area. I look forward to the plan and timeline to clean this area up and what mitigation efforts will be made for the future. 
I want to make sure there in no impact to habitat for species at Risk, with a focus on the Spotted Salamanders and Blanding’s Turtle under the Endangered Species Act, 2007, S.O. 2007, c. 6.
In Conclusion:
Since I will no doubt receive a visit from By-law, could they please stop at Marker’s Acres Park along the way?  People keep driving into the neighbourhood and using the soccer field as a “dog park”. Followed up with leaving their waste in and around the garbage cans and on the field.  Can we please make sure they are following City of Kingston By-Law Number 2004-144, A By-Law to Regulate Animals and By-Law Number 2009-76 A By-Law To Provide For The Regulation Use Of Parks And Recreation Facilities Of The Corporation Of The City Of Kingston? Can we direct them to a proper dog park in their neighbourhood? This is providing the animal(s) are registered with the City of Kingston and have the appropriate documentation.
I understand council is focused on Kingston’s Strategic Plan. Ecological problems usually require a more holistic solution. I will look at tangible issues, like pollution and water quality.  To ensure the matters are appropriately addressed, I will work with the proper authorities and the right level of government. I will ensure City of Kingston is properly motivated to resolve issues regardless of costs. This should enhance green spaces, protect wetlands, and improve active transportation. A win-win for everybody and it gets me out of my backyard.
I look forward to our future discussions as I impose myself into every possible aspect related to the use and maintenance of public/private lands, waterways, and facilities in and around the City of Kingston, outside of my backyard. I will try to provide updates on my progress on social media so you can stay informed. 
With thanks,
Jeffrey Lowes
43 Dauphin Ave, Kingston

13. Red Barons Historic First Womens’ Hockey Team
Received from the Kingstonist, Oct 6, 2021 – Owen Fullerton
Happy to promote Dave McCallum of Lightstruck Film and Media.  He is currently hard at work putting together a few shorts about last September’s amazing birch bark canoe build.
The Red Barons, the first women’s hockey team in Kingston, Ontario.
Lightstruck Film & Media has produced a documentary, The Kingston Red Barons: Born at the Right Time, honouring Kingston’s first all-female hockey team.
David McCallum, the documentary producer, gathered the pioneers and team members of the Red Barons and presented their stories in an hour-long documentary. 
“It is little known nor appreciated just how much this team has changed the face of hockey in Kingston and Canada,” McCallum said. 

In 1969, 19 girls and women connected and formed the first women’s hockey team in Kingston, The Red Barons. Before that, only a few school-level groups existed, and hockey was mostly considered strictly “a boys’ game”, but the Red Barons changed that forever. 
The documentary takes place at different locations while the former Red Baron’s team members share their recollections of their time in the game. It starts with Catherine “Cookie” Cartwright, who, in 1959, was a freshman at Queen’s University and started the intercollegiate hockey team. At the same time, she lobbied Toronto, and Western Universities to form women’s hockey teams at those universities. 
Due to her efforts and persistence, in 1961, intercollegiate women’s hockey was re-established in Ontario for the first time since the Great Depression. 
“Cookie also convinced athletic departments at several other universities to organize intercollegiate hockey competitions for females, starting in the early 1960s,” McCallum said. 
Besides hockey, Cartwright is an established lawyer in Kingston who graduated from the law program at Queens in 1965. She is also a Kingston Sports Hall of Fame inductee. 
The Red Barons were the first all-women hockey team in Kingston. Historically, all women’s games were held in private during the late 1890s, until it was completely shut down after the 1930s for many years.  
“I have felt that this was a story that needed to be more widely known and appreciated at Queen’s,” McCallum said.
Cartwright says that when she joined Queens in 1959, she knew the university played intramural hockey. She then approached the Athletics Director for women at Marion Ross and convinced her to have an intercollegiate hockey team. 
“She [Ross] was a wonderful person, and there I was the first year student telling the director of athletics on what to do,” Cartwright said. 
There were only six sports played at the intercollegiate level, namely swimming, archery, tennis, basketball, volleyball, and badminton. However, the biggest problem at the time was having an ample budget and equipment. Surprisingly, the total budget of women’s athletics in intercollegiate athletics was around $4,000, the exact figure as the cleaning bill for the men’s football team. 
Cartwright shared how Stu Langdon, trainer of the men’s team, who knew Cartwright was pushing so hard for women’s hockey, showed that one of the dressing rooms in the Queen’s arena had this big wooden box, approximately four feet high and ten feet long, and that box was full of hockey equipment from the 1930s. Langdon offered Cartwright that equipment for her team, and once the equipment problem was solved, there was no going back for the Red Barons. 
“I convinced Ms. Ross, and it all came together at the right time,” Cartwright said. 
The Kingston Red Barons: Born at the Right Time was released on Lightstruck’s YouTube account on Thursday, Sept. 16, 2021. The documentary is informative with the candid views of team members. Today about 800 girls and women currently play organized hockey in Kingston.

View the documentary here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lYckcid3CYI
This article was written by Owen Fullerton as part of the Local Journalism Initiative.

14. Super Feature on our local historian Eric Gagnon
https://www.kingstonist.com/news/community/local-railfan-is-kingstons-model-citizen/

15. Doug Bowie’s Piece in Profile Kingston
In case you are interested, I was featured in this September’s issue of Profile Kingston.  There are no online links as far as I can make out but there may be a few more copies at psarticipating downtown businesses like Raymond’s Optical on Market Square. Doug Bowie did a pretty good job!

FARTHER AFIELD
16. Conservation Ontario – Drinking Water

 Received Oct 5, 2021
What Drinking Water Protection Zones Mean
NEWMARKET (October 5, 2021) Starting on October 7, Conservation Ontario and local source protection authorities and regions will launch a three-week public information campaign about drinking water protection zone signs. New education tools include a song, music video, social media posts and an online mapping application about signs across Ontario.
 
“If you’ve happened to see signs along your local highways saying ‘drinking water protection zone’ and you don’t know what they mean, our campaign will help to clear that up,” said Deborah Balika, Conservation Ontario’s Source Water Protection Lead.
 
Protecting Ontario’s water sources is a critical step in bringing safe municipal drinking water to Ontario residents. There are approximately 1,700 drinking water protection zone signs across Ontario. These signs are the most visible way for Ontarians to know where their municipal drinking water sources are most vulnerable and most in need of protection.
 
“This outreach program is a fun way to bring attention to the signs and spread the word about the importance of source water protection,” Balika said. “The Drinking Water Source Protection Road Sign Working Group, which includes multiple Conservation Authority staff, enjoyed creating fun, dynamic, and interactive new ways for Ontarians to find out about drinking water source protection and vulnerable areas around municipal wells and intakes. By the end of this campaign, we hope people will know more about these signs, about source water protection, actions that have taken place since 2006 to keep their water safe and clean, and how they can be part of this important work to protect public health.”
 
Drinking water protection zones are areas, around municipal drinking water sources, where extra protective measures help to reduce risk and keep drinking water safe and clean. Ontario’s municipal drinking water sources include groundwater (underneath our feet in aquifers, drawn through municipal wells); and surface water (such as Great Lakes and rivers).
 
Drinking water source protection is one of several barriers, or ‘lines of defense,’ that help to protect drinking water in the Province. Other barriers of protection include monitoring, distribution, and the Three Ts (treatment; testing; and training of water operators).
 
Drinking water source protection is possible in Ontario through the Clean Water Act, 2006. Local source protection committees include representatives of many interests. These committees have developed source protection plans at the local level and the plans have been approved by the Province of Ontario. The source protection plans include policies that reduce risk to our municipal drinking water sources in order to keep drinking water safe and clean for Ontarians.
 
To learn more about drinking water source protection in Ontario, please visit the Conservation Ontario source water protection webpage https://www.protectingwatermatters.ca/ and the Province of Ontario source protection webpage https://www.ontario.ca/page/source-protection.
For more information:
Deborah Balika, Source Water Protection Lead, Conservation Ontario
Office: 905-895-0716, Ext. 225  Cell: 905-251-2802 dbalika@conservationontario.ca

17. Ten Weird Things
10 Weird Things Found at the Bottom of the Great Lakes, Nation Online, October 4, 2021.  The Great Lakes, inhabiting over 152,800 square kilometers (95,000 square miles) and filled with 27.3 quadrillion liters (6 quadrillion gallons) of water, collectively make up the largest body of fresh water on earth.  More than 170 species of fish lurk beneath the surface, and its waters have claimed over 6,000 ships.  But sunken vessels aren’t the only thing hanging out on the lakes’ sandy floors.  Check out this list of truly weird things that can be found at the bottom of the Great Lakes.

18. Indigenous Cultural Burns Can Replenish our Forests

Received from cbc.ca/What on Earth, Oct 1, 2021
For more than a century, Canadian wildfire suppression has stuck to the hit-it-hard-hit-it-fast motto — and has been highly effective in snuffing out the flames. 

The paradox, said Prof. Lori Daniels, who specializes in wildfire and forest ecology at the University of British Columbia, is that we’ve been so good at putting out every fire possible that it has led to overly dense forests and a buildup of burnable material like branches and dry vegetation. 
If sparked in the summer heat, these “ladder fuels” piggyback the flames up tree trunks and engulf the crown, resulting in high-intensity fires like those in Western Canada this year.

But overdrive isn’t fire’s only speed. In fact, when burning in a lower gear, the environmental benefits of fires in forested areas can be bountiful.

“If you want to cleanse the land, if you want to give back to the land, you burn it,” said Daniels.
Low-intensity burns, also known as cultural burns, have been lit purposefully since time immemorial by Indigenous firekeepers around the globe to rebalance ecosystems. When woods are groomed this way by burns, Daniels said, the chances of a crown fire occurring in the hotter months decreases.
Brenden Mercer, a forest field management liaison for First Nations’ Emergency Services Society of British Columbia, said cultural burns are traditionally carried out in the spring or fall, when mild conditions and favourable winds set the stage.
Mercer knows stories of firekeepers saying a prayer and introducing fire to the landscape from a smoking tree conk. The slow-moving flames engulf litter and dead materials, such as sticks and pine cones, and then flicker up to devour the intermediate saplings.
The heat creeps down, too, cooking bits of the spongy duff layer, where dormant, fire-adapted seeds — which could be waiting in the soil for decades — pop open.

By timing the cultural burn correctly, the fire extinguishes at the snow line, said Mercer. As the snow continues to melt, firekeepers return to light as often as necessary until they’ve burned to the top of the hill. Post-burn, a thinned-out and spacious forest breathes new life. According to Mercer and Daniels, regeneration begins. Wild grasses bounce back with a vengeance. Old shrubs sprout new shoots. Native and medicinal plants bask in the sun. Elk, bison and big-horned sheep return to graze. Insects munch on fresh broadleaf plants and berry bushes.  Importantly, big trees grow bigger and develop thicker bark, becoming more resistant to surface fires. The canopy stretches out to provide habitat for insects, birds and animals. Down the tree, carbon sinks into the soil.

Mercer said that before colonial practices took over, Indigenous firekeepers treated dry forests, like those of B.C.’s Interior, with low-intensity burns every five to 25 years. Daniels’s research of fire evidence in tree rings corroborates this history. Brady Highway, a project manager of wildfire strategy for the Ottawa-based Indigenous Leadership Initiative, fought his first fire at the age of 15, and has fought hundreds since. He said today it’s very rare that Indigenous people can actually carry out a cultural burn because of how hard it is to get permits. “When it comes to prescribed fire, we must allow communities to revitalize those practices,” said Highway, whose grandmother instilled in him the obligation to look after the land. “The stakes couldn’t be higher. What we’re talking about is the land, and without the land, we have nothing.”

As Mercer looked out across the thousands of charred hectares in Lytton, B.C., earlier this year, he noted some of the consequences of a high-intensity fire: dead trees, nutrient-depleted soil and a disruption of carbon sequestration.  Mercer’s master thesis focused on carbon storage and ecosystem management. His research found that prescribed burns promote carbon storage by burning off smaller trees and allowing big trees, which pull much more carbon from the atmosphere than saplings, to grow bigger.

High-intensity forest fires release a huge amount of carbon into the air, but even after the smoke has cleared, Mercer said the decaying forests lose their ability to absorb carbon, and, as the matter breaks down, the dead forest continues to release carbon into the air.

When the 1874 Bush Fire Act passed in B.C., Mercer said colonial practices took over and First Nations people were essentially banned from lighting cultural burns. He said without consistent burns treating forests for more than a century, wildfires today “can just run and run.” 

He said the American public service announcements featuring Smokey the Bear, which were launched in the 1940s, are responsible for skewing the issue. 

“Some communities just are so afraid of fire … due to the propaganda that Smokey the Bear was pumping out for years, where fires are bad,” Mercer said. “Some people just have that so ingrained, that all fires are bad. It’s definitely not the truth. It’s just high-severity fires that are bad.”

Mercer said wildfire “needs to be applied back to the landscape in a meaningful fashion. The only realistic way to do that is to empower First Nations to be firekeepers on the landscape, and give them all the tools, the funding, all the resources that they need to be true partners and manage the landscape in partnership with everybody else.”  — Fenn Mayes
 
19. Adventure: Canada Top to  Bottom
Received Oct 6, 2021 – Aaron Hutchins

These adventurers are on a 7,600-km journey from the top to the bottom of Canada
A team from Quebec has set out on a gruelling and unprecedented seven-month expedition by ski, canoe and bike  https://www.macleans.ca/longforms/north-south-expedition-canada/?utm_source=nl&utm_medium=em&utm_campaign=mme_daily&sfi=c2dc149d63666e2ccec3df1e9c241c82

20. End of the Line
And lastly, as I reflect more and more on the end of my line, it’s nice to be a bit upbeat https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UMVjToYOjbM

Cheers,
Mary Farrar, President,
Friends of Kingston Inner Harbour