Dear Friends of Kingston Inner Harbour,
Thanks so much Hilbert for the continuously wondrous pictures! AND, so crazy how much truly amazing stuff is happening in our amazing and wonderful community!
LOCAL EVENTS AND ISSUES
1. Update on LaSalle Causeway Closure
2. Earth Day Celebration, Skeleton Park, Sat, Apr 20 1-4 pm
3. City “Giveaway Day” Sat, Apr 20 + Battery Recycling on Your Regular Garbage Pick-Up Day
4. H’art Studio’s 25th Anniversary Celebration Show “Happy”, Apr 20, 6 pm
5. Belle Island Stewardship Clean-Up, Mon, Apr 22, 10 – 2
6. Memorial Centre Farmers’ Market Sponsorship Deadline, Tues, Apr 23
7. Remarkable Point Frederick – Exciting Free Film, Wed, Apr 24, 3 & 4 pm
8. CITY MEETING RE $70,000,000 DREDGING ISSUE, Wed, Apr 24, 6 pm
9. City Indigenous Garden Opening Events, Apr 27 & 28
10. Public Sector Salary Disclosure Findings for Kingston and Area Part 1
11. JANE’S WALK WEEKEND – Four Inner Harbour Tours This Year!
12. Housing: Ontario Rewards Kingston with 3.2 Million for Exceeding 2003 Housing Targets
+ Recent City Council Meeting where Housing and Neighbourhood Speed Limits were discussed.
13. Kingston Police Warn of Tax Scams
14. Call for Nominations: City of Kingston Awards, Deadline, Fri, Apr 19, 2024, 4 pm
15. Review of Avian Influenza in the Kingston Region
FROM FARTHER AFIELD
16. Ocean School Launched to Attract Youth to Marine Industry
17. Seaway Traders to Tell Story of St. Lawrence Seaway through Podcast and other Media
18. Great Lakes Ports could get a Boost as Supply Chains Diversify
19. Crumbling Great Lake Ports Infrastructure Makes Port Insurance Even More Critical
20. DOJ Weighs in on Line 5 Trespass on Tribal Land in Wisconsin
21. The Four Factors that Have Led to a “Golden Age” of Discovery for Great Lakes Shipwrecks
22. Tribal Interests Remain at Heart of Opposition to Great Lakes Oil Pipeline
23. Water Levels in Lake Ontario are a Foot Lower than in 2023: LJC Says Little to No Risk of Flooding.
24. Almost 9 out of 10 pounds of Great Lakes Beach Litter each year is Plastic – New Reports Find.
AND FINALLY FOR FUN
25. Lovely Video of Animals in Underpass
26. “Daylighting” Rivers in Cities (Rediscovering those that have been buried)
27. Fun Kids’ Crafts for Earth Day and Spring
LOCAL EVENTS AND ISSUES
1. Update on LaSalle Causeway Closure
Received from Public Services and Procurement Canada, Apr 12, 2024
Media Advisory
Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC) would like to provide an update on the LaSalle Causeway closure, following the public notices issued on April 2 and April 4.
The specialized equipment brought in last week was able to support the counterweight and stabilize the structure, and PSPC was able to conduct initial inspections on the bridge. Detailed laser surveys will continue this week to determine the precise positions of all parts of the bridge structure. Damage to the compromised diagonal element is extensive and requires a complex repair solution.
PSPC has assembled a diverse team of specialized engineers and contractors to expedite the development of a repair solution. We are working tirelessly to develop a solution to fix and reopen the bridge as soon as possible. PSPC is also exploring options to resume safe pedestrian access to the bridge while work is ongoing.
The health and safety of the travelling public on the LaSalle Causeway is of utmost importance to PSPC. As efforts continue, PSPC wishes to inform users that the bridge will remain closed for several weeks. The timelines to reopen the bridge to pedestrian and vehicular traffic, as well as to resume marine operations, remain unknown. However, we can confirm that reopening for marine operations by the start of the marine season, which usually takes place on May 1, will not be feasible.
PSPC is committed to providing more information as it becomes available and encourages users to consult https://www.canada.ca/en/news.html
and social media channels for updates https://www.tpsgc-pwgsc.gc.ca/comm/ms-sm/index-eng.html
2. Earth Day Celebration, Skeleton Park, Sat, Apr 20, 1-4
Join us in the park to celebrate our planet and community with games, crafts, music, a drum circle, and more! Meet your local climate groups and get involved!
https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=948959147235922&set=gm.1238517803775630
3. City Giveaway Day, Apr 20, 5 am – 8 pm + Battery Recycling Day
Put out items you no longer use for FREE pick-up by your neighbours who might want them.
This year’s Giveaway Day is Sat, Apr 20.
Items should be placed at the curb in front of your home, preferably with stickers saying FREE
Items not picked up by the end of the day should be taken back and possibly given to a local charity.
FREE Battery Recycling coming up next week on your regular collection day. Start gathering your batteries to have them ready for pick-up. Batteries must be placed beside your recycling bins by 6 am on your collection day and will only be accepted in sealable plastic bags.
NOTE: Battery drop off any time at the following locations:
City Hall, 216 Ontario St.
Invista Centre, 1350 Gardiners Rd.
Kingston Area Recycling Centre (KARC) 196 Lappan’s Lane
Contact: Adam Mueller, Public Education and Promotion Coordinator, Solid Waste, City of Kingston
WasteStrategies@cityofkingston.ca, 613-546-4291, ext. 2703
More Info on garbage and recycling?
https://www.cityofkingston.ca/resident/garbage-recycling/waste-tools/calendar, and
https://www.cityofkingston.ca/documents/10180/40113488/Environment-Infrastructure-and-Transportation-Policies-Committee_Meeting-04-2024_Report-EITP-24-009_Recycling-Transition-Cart-Based-Collection.pdf , and
https://www.cityofkingston.ca/city-hall/projects-construction/waste-strategies/contact, and
https://www.cityofkingston.ca/resident/garbage-recycling/household/other-options
4. H’Art Studio’s 25th anniversary celebration show “Happy”, Apr 20, 6 pm
What/Who: A show-Stopping, Opera-Inspired, Heartwarming Return to the Spotlight including fun costumes, and incredible visuals, this is a performance like no other.
“For the last 25 years, H’art has been striving to make art that is relatable, expressions of simple pleasures, and developing deeper connections with the people around them,” said Camille Spencer, Director of Happy. “This performance was designed to highlight the many different artistic forms that H’art practices and the talents of the people who’ve attended throughout the years.”
For the past year, the H’art artists have poured their hearts and souls into singing, dancing, painting, and honing their musical accompaniment skills. They can’t wait to share their creations with the community. Their ultimate hope is that their performance will inspire others to accept their own talents and make a lasting impact in our community. This production brings a diversity of talents and skill sets while showcasing what H’art does best –– spreading joy! The show features a script by Artistic Director, Katherine Porter, original music composed and performed by musician Barbara MacDougall, choreography by Camille Spencer, costume design by Ruth LeBlanc, and a H’art musical ensemble led by Audra Phillips.
The opera features a cast of artists with mixed abilities including: Sarah B., Mandy R., Phillip R., Lori A., John G., Laura Q., Leonard W., Kaitlyn F., Michael P., Christine G., Nathan S., Quinn R., Lindsey H., and Barry L. with special guest appearances by musicians Alex Barnes and Louise Lapointe, and benefited from additional support by Dan School of Drama and Music students.
“We are excited to invite you to this one night performance that will leave you lifted and smiling. It also brings awareness to the collaborative nature in which diverse communities of people can work together and bring about a better place to live,” said Spencer.
Collaborators & Sponsors: Watershed Festivsl, Dan School of Drama and Music, Ontario Arts Council, City of Kingston/artsvest, Kingston Arts Council, Churchill Foundation, Bill & Nancy Gray, Harry “Red” Foster Foundation
Where: Isabe Bader Centre for the Performing Arts, 390 King St. West, Kingston
When, Sat, Apr 20, 6 pm.
Tickets: $15. https://www.queensu.ca/theisabel/events/tickets/280/18201
5. Belle Island Stewardship Clean-Up, Apr 22
Received from Randy Cadue, member of the Belle Island Caretakers’ Circle
What: To honour Belle Island we will be doing a shoreline and pathways clean-up.
Miigwech Earth Day. It’s been a while and time to get back on track with our cleaning.
When: Monday, April 22nd starting at 10am till 2 pm.
Who: Belle Island Caretakers’ Circle + any community members interested in helping. All welcome!
NOTES: The gate will be open if you wish to drive right through to the bridge to the island.
The land is a bit wet so do wear rubber boots and appropriate gloves.
6. Memorial Centre Farmers’ Market Sponsorship Deadline, Tues, Apr 23
Received from Memorial Centre Farmers’ Market, Apr 5, 2024
Sponsors make the market special and support the development of local food infrastructure.
This year’s sponsorship deadline is Tues, Apr, 23
By becoming a sponsor your business will:
- Be seen supporting the shop local economy
- Be heard supporting local artists and entertainers
- Be known for supporting a vibrant local food community and economy
As our thanks, all sponsors receiveLogos on our on-site signage
- Logos and links on our website
- A personalized shout-out on social media
- Invitations to help make special events happen
- And more depending on which level you choose!
More info? https://www.memorialcentrefarmersmarket.ca/get-involved/become-a-sponsor/
7. Remarkable Point Frederick – Exciting Free Film, Wed, Apr, 24
What: Premiere of the film “Remarkable Point Frederick: A Walk through Canadian History”
Who: Narrated by Robert D. Banks, CD,MD, and Susan M. Bazely, MA. Sponsored by the Frontenac Heritage Foundation. Bob wrote a book on Point Frederick over a year ago and Sue has done extensive archaeology work on the site. Film by Dave McCallum
When: Wed, Apr 24, 2024, 3pm and 4pm
Where: The Screening Room, 120 Princess St. Kingston
Tickets: https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/remarkable-point-frederick-tickets-873558997477?aff=oddtdtcreatoror pointfrederick.eventbrite.com
Notes: Because of the work being done in the adjoining parking garage, the back door of the theatre is not open to the public. You can still park on the upper levels of the garage, but you need to enter the theatre from the door on Princess St.
8. City meeting re $70,000,000 dredging issue, Apr 24, 6 pm
Golder consultants (Now WSP) will be doing a presentation at a special meeting of the City’s Environment, Infrastructure, and Transportation Policies Committee, this Wednesday, Apr 24, at 6 pm.
Prior to their presentation, I will be doing a delegation raising the following points:
SIX CONCLUSIONS FOR COUNCIL CONSIDERATION
1. No dredging should happen because risk to humans is negligible and risk to habitat is great.
This is in keeping with Council’s recent signing of the Montreal Pledge for Biodiversity
All six Queen’s professors (from Environmental Science, Earth Sciences, Biology and Geography) consulted are opposed to the proposed dredging for a variety of reasons related to their disciplines.
2. Capping should be minimized so as not to destroy habitat.
3. Timing Concerns. The storm sewer issues, the Tannery development, and the ownership issue be resolved before any work is done.
4. A natural shoreline should be created throughout the study area with mixtures of native plants suitable for all four levels of shoreline – from toe to terrace.
Money would be well-spent hiring local expert, Joyce Hostyn, to design and implement.
5. The city’s lawyers should examine possible legal ramifications.
6.The city should not use $10,000,000 taxpayer dollars to support this project in its current form.
Other more important priorities exist.
Do consider signing up to do a delegation and/or send comments with your personal concerns to
Iain Sullivan, committee clerk (isullivan@cityofkingston.ca)
More info? https://www.cityofkingston.ca/residents/city-calendar-events/-/calendar/QUmzuR567ExT/event/40118892
NOTES FROM THE CITY:
Limited seating is available in Council Chamber. Seating will be reserved for registered delegations, with remaining seats available on a first-come, first-served basis. Meeting proceedings can also be viewed from at City Hall in Memorial Hall via live stream.
Residents can also participate in committee meetings two different ways:
- Send your comments or register to speak to a business item via email to the Committee Clerk (isullivan@cityofkingston.ca). Registration is not required to speak at the meeting but encouraged to ensure efficient meeting proceedings.
- Participate in the Zoom meeting. Register via Zoom and receive the meeting link.
- All meetings will be live-streamed on the Kingston City Council YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCglKQ0t6jFdKyBUTEVf-yXQ .
9. City Indigenous Garden Opening Events, Apr 27 & 28
Received from KACIN, Apr 12 via Facebook
It’s that time of year again!
KNCLN is inviting you to both of our garden opening events!! This weekend event is open to Indigenous and non Indigenous community members.
Day 1: Gitigaaninaan- April 27th 10 am – 1 pm
Located at City Park
Between the washrooms and fountain at the corner of Bagot and West st.
Garden supplies, sacks and drinks will be provided.
Day 2: Aetewahyahrónsheke – April 28th 10 am – 1 pm
Located at Shannon Park
Near the skate park. Daily st entrance.
Garden supplies, sacks and drinks will be provided.
For more info or to register for either event, Contact Mandy Via phone or email
Email: ccc@kingstonnativecentre.org
Phone: 613-539-7604
10. Public Sector Salary Disclosure Findings for Kingston and Area, Part 1
As the Kingstonist is no longer allowing copying and pasting, here is the link.
https://www.kingstonist.com/news/2023-public-sector-salary-disclosure-findings-for-kingston-and-area-part-1/
Do consider subscribing.
11. Jane’s Weekend Events, Fri – Sun, May 3-5
https://janeswalkkingston.wordpress.com/
https://janeswalkkingston.wordpress.com/#schedule
This year there are four Inner Harbour events, a record!
As you probably know, Jane Jacobs was a fearless community advocate and these world-wide community walks are in celebration of her contributions.
The walks are given by volunteers, are free, happen rain or shine and usually take about 60 to 90 minutes.
To be on their mailing list for notifications, here is the sign-up link:
https://wordpress.us18.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=658eea685ab30a07666549b04&id=5fa35659b0You may see ads on this site from time to time. These ads come from WordPress who is providing this website at no charge to us. If you see an ad, try refreshing your screen to get rid of it.
The Inner Harbour Tours:
1. Mr Allen’s Challenge: The birds, bugs and trees of Belle Island
Dates: Fri, 3rd May, Sat 4th May, 2024
Time: 8 am
Walk Description: Trace the history of the trees on Belle Island and discover their relationship to birds and insects. The walking tour of Belle Island will take about 2 hours
Getting There: Belle Park is located at 731 Montreal St. Park in the parking lot just off Montreal St. Alternatively you can walk or bike along the K&P Trail to the park. Bikes can be locked to the bridge.
Here is a map on how to get there.
https://janeswalkkingston.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/belle-island-trails-1-1.pdf
Meeting Place: Bridge joining Belle Park with Belle Island (not at the parking lot). It will take approximately 15 minutes to walk from the Belle Park parking lot to the bridge. There are two options (1) walk down the centre of the park on the path, and (2) walk along Belle Park Drive.
Please Note: There are walking paths but no groomed trails on the island. Expect the trails to be wet. Boots are appropriate footwear.
Walk Leader: Hilbert Buist
2. Belle Park: Along the North Shore
Date: Friday 5 May Time: 5 pm
Walk Description: Originally a marsh, then a city dump, then a municipal golf course, Belle Park is a 108-acre green space that sits adjacent to Belle Island, where the Great Cataraqui River opens to the Inner Harbour. In 2019 Belle Park was the subject of a Master Plan intended to secure its future as a naturalized municipal park with a number of recreational amenities. That plan has yet to be implemented, and the delay has meant that Belle Park now offers an interesting local example of urban wild space and the natural regeneration of degraded land. On this walk we will talk about the park as a key site of urban biodiversity and about ecological concerns at Belle Park. We will also talk about past and present social and political issues related to the park and the surrounding neighbourhood, including recent policy decisions affecting the community of unhoused people who currently live in the park.
Terrain: Most of the walk will be on a flat, dirt service road, which can be muddy! Time permitting, we will walk up the hill in the middle of the park.
Meeting Place: Main entrance and parking lot, 731 Montreal Street (across from the Legion)
*Bus stops right there
Walk Leader: Mary Louise Adams, on behalf of The Belle Park Project and River First YGK
3. Kingston’s Inner Harbour: Maritime Heritage & Current Political Issues.
Date: Sunday 5 May 2024 Time: 10 am
Walk Description: For over 300 years, the Inner Harbour has been an integral part of Kingston’s Indigenous, French, British, Industrial and Natural Heritage. This hour-long walking tour will explore aspects of that history. Current issues such as the $70 million”clean-up” proposal by Transport Canada involving dredging and capping of sediments at the Doug Fluhrer Park shoreline, CityFlats proposed apartment complex near the Woolen Mill , turtle habitat, the legal art wall, and updates on the status of the K&P trail route and the North King’s Town secondary plan will also be discussed.
Meeting Place: in the Anglin Parking Lot at the intersection of Wellington and Bay Streets
Tour Leader and Organizer: Mary Farrar, Friends of Kingston Inner Harbour
4. Biking the K&P Trail
Date: Sunday 5 May 2024 Time: 11 am
Walk Description: Jane Jacobs was an avid bicyclist. This ‘walk’ will be a bicycle tour of the area north and west of Belle Park going up the original K&P line to Montreal Street. We will explore the remains of the old CN main line and the historic Grand Trunk Outer Station where passenger rail used to arrive in Kingston from 1855 until 1972. We will proceed along the old rail line to the new K&P trail which proceeds north to Elliott and John Counter Boulevard (and beyond). After exploring where the K&P line used to run across a rock cut to Division St we will turn back and follow the K&P trail south through the old North Kingstown industrial area, as far as Quattrocchi’s market at the corner of Railway and Montreal Streets. Total time will be 1 hour to 1.5 hours.
Terrain: The bicycle tour will travel at a very slow pace with regular stops to talk about areas of interest. We will travel across a foot path between Montreal St and the K&P trail following the old CN rail line. This section may require us to dismount and ‘walk’ our bicycles (approximately 600 meters). Otherwise most of the trip is on pavement or hard packed trail.
Notes: Please bring your own lunch snacks and water/drinks. Quattrocchi’s Specialty Foods will have food/drinks for sale.
Meeting Place: Quattrocchi’s Specialty Foods, 662 Montreal St, Kingston, ON K7K 3J4
Tour Leader and Organizer: Roger Healey, Kingston Coalition for Active Transportation
12. Housing: Ontario Rewards Kingston with 3.2 Million for Exceeding 2003 Housing Targets
+ Recent City Council Meeting where Housing and Neighbourhood Speed Limits were discussed
Received from news.ontario.ca, Apr 4, 2024
https://news.ontario.ca/en/release/1004391/ontario-rewards-kingston-with-32-million-for-exceeding-2023-housing-targets
“Announced in August, 2023, the Building Faster Fund is a three-year, $1.2 billion program that is designed to encourage municipalities to address the housing supply crisis. The fund rewards municipalities that make significant progress against their targets by providing funding for housing-enabling and community-enabling infrastructure. Funding is provided to municipalities that have reached at least 80 per cent of their provincially assigned housing target for the year with increased funding for municipalities that exceed their target.
‘Kingston was one of several communities across Ontario to surpass our provincial housing targets last year. As we continue to grow, investments like the one announced today will ensure we remain focused on housing that’s affordable and accessible,’ said Bryan Paterson, Mayor of Kingston. ‘Thank you to the province for its commitment to our shared housing priorities and recognizing we can’t do this alone. Programs like the Building Faster Fund play a crucial role, not only in constructing houses but also in developing welcoming communities.’ “
“Quick Facts
Ontario is investing historic amounts in housing- and community-enabling infrastructure to get more homes built across the province including the Building Faster Fund and the Ontario Community Infrastructure Fund. The province recently announced a new $1 billion Municipal Housing Infrastructure Program as well as a quadrupling of the provincial Housing-Enabling Water Systems Fund to $825 million.
- In 2023, Ontario reached 99 per cent of its target of 110,000 new homes, which includes housing starts, additional residential units and new and upgraded long-term care beds.
- Ontario broke ground on 18,992 rental starts in 2023, the highest number of rental starts on record.
- The province saw nearly 10,000 additional residential units created in 2023 – which includes changing single family homes into multi-unit residences or converting commercial office space into residential use – and nearly 10,000 new and upgraded long-term care beds.”
NOTE: At the Apr 16, 2024 Council meeting, Affordable and Supportive Housing as well as the Sleeping Cabin Wind Down Plan were discussed – these in addition to Opportunities to Support Vertical Farming in Kingston, H’Art Centre Service Agreement, and Neighbourhood Area Speed Limit Reductions.
Interesting. Have a look:
https://www.cityofkingston.ca/residents/city-calendar-events/-/calendar/QUmzuR567ExT/event/40036676and/or https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sh_Z3bEO3xU
13. Kingston Police Warn of Tax Scams
Received from www.kingstonpolica.ca/Modules/News/en, Apr 3, 2024
Millions of people around the world are paying their taxes this time of year, and cybercriminals and scammers are hoping to get paid, too. In this scam, they’re taking advantage of tax season by trying to trick you into opening an email and downloading a malicious PDF attachment. The email they send looks like a government form and includes a link to download the PDF attachment. The scammers even include helpful instructions for pasting the web page URL into your browser in case the link isn’t working.
https://www.kingstonpolice.ca/en/news/police-issue-scam-alert-in-advance-of-the-upcoming-tax-season.aspx
14. Population, Housing & Employment Projections Study, Employment Land Review, and Commercial Land Review.
Invitation Received from Chris Wicke, Senior Planner, City of Kingston, Apr 9, 2024
NOTE: Apologies this is a day late. It was an interesting meeting. More to follow on the Get Involved section of the city’s webpage. For a copy of the presentation contact cwicke@cityofkingston.ca
“You are invited to a second public open house about how Kingston is projected to grow in the years to come. At this session, the project team will present the draft urban residential, commercial and employment land needs assessment for the City of Kingston. The purpose of the land needs assessment is to determine whether there is sufficient land in the urban boundary to accommodate forecasted growth to 2051 and to provide recommendations on the need for any potential urban boundary expansion. The presentation will be followed by an opportunity for questions and answers. The details of the open house are as follows:”
Date: April 17, 2024
Time: 5:30-8 pm
Location: Hall C, INVISTA Centre, 1350 Gardiners Road.
The draft land needs assessment has been completed as part of the Population, Housing and Employment Projections Study, Employment Land Review, and Commercial Land Review. These are key background studies that will inform the next five-year review of the City’s Official Plan. Watson & Associates Economists Ltd. and their team have been retained as the consultants to undertake the studies. Based on the Council-endorsed growth scenario in Report Number 24-016, https://www.cityofkingston.ca/documents/10180/40041725/City-Council_Meeting-01-2024_Report-24-016_Population-Housing-and-Employment-Growth-Forecast-Update-to-2051.pdf/c5d9ef16-2b64-5841-40a7-4a17004862d9?t=1701354088062
the City is p rojected to grow by 66,800 new residents, 29,300 new homes, and 33,400 new jobs
between 2021 and 2051. Please see Get Involved on the city’s webpage for more information on the project.
https://www.cityofkingston.ca/city-hall/get-involved
14. Call for Nominations: City of Kingston Awards, Deadline, Fri, Apr 19, 2024, 4 pm
Received from Iain Sullivan, Committee Clerk, Apr 2, 2024
Call for nominations: City of Kingston Civic Awards
Do you know someone in the community who deserves the spotlight for their volunteer contributions? Nominate them for the City of Kingston’s annual Civic Awards!
These awards celebrate those who make Kingston a better place by supporting community organizations and service groups. Nominations are open for the following awards:
First Capital Distinguished Citizen/Honourable Achievement Award
These awards recognize volunteers of all ages for their community contributions. The First Capital Distinguished Citizen Award recognizes a lifetime of volunteer work, while the Honourable Achievement Awards recognize more specific efforts.
Mayor’s Award for Youth Volunteerism
These awards recognize youth in three categories – elementary, high school and post-secondary youth
Up to age 24 – who demonstrate leadership, care and compassion and/or the ability to overcome personal challenges, motivate others or use special skills to improve the community’s quality of life.
How to nominate someone:
Learn more about the awards and submit your nomination online in less than 15 minutes at
https://www.cityofkingston.ca/city-hall/kingston-awards/civic-awards You can also submit a completed nomination form in person at one of the following locations:
- City Hall, 216 Ontario St.
- City of Kingston recreation centres: Artillery Park, Rideau Heights Community Centre, Kingston East Community Centre or INVISTA Centre.
Nominate as many volunteers as you like! Nominations are due by 4 p.m. on Friday, April 19.
All submissions will be reviewed to confirm eligibility and sent to the selection committee. Civic Award recipients will be celebrated at a City Council meeting in June.
Thank you for helping to celebrate outstanding volunteers in our community!
Thank you!
Iain Sullivan, Committee Clerk, City Clerk’s Department,
City of Kingston, 216 Ontario St., Kingston ON, K7L2&3
613-546-4291 ext 1864, or isullivan@cityofkingston.ca
15. Review of Avian Influenza in the Kingston Region
Received from Chris Hargreaves of the Kingston Field Naturalists, Apr 4, 2024
“The outbreak of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza in the Kingston region appears to be over for this season.
It began around January 31st, when numerous dead geese were reported at Lake Ontario Park and the Elevator Bay area. The Sandy Pines Wildlife Centre also received calls and distressed birds from Collins Bay, Bath, and Belleville.
Over that weekend, the Kingston Public Works Department removed approximately 100 dead geese from Lake Ontario Park and Elevator Bay. Another 50 carcasses were removed from the Investia property, and Sandy Pines received some 50 geese in distress which needed to be euthanized.
Some carcasses were sent to the Canadian Wildlife Health Co-operative for testing, which established that they were infected with the Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza virus.
There were also several reports of gulls, crows and eagles feeding on carcasses, and it was very likely that these birds would become infected with HPAI. Experience with poultry indicated that the incubation period (between infection and manifestations of disease) varied between 2 days and 3 weeks, and death would then occur within a few hours to a few days.
In order to establish what was happening throughout the Kingston region, the Kingston Field Naturalists organized a “citizen science” survey. Members were asked to send in observations from sites they visited, reporting if they had seen dead geese or other birds, or whether there was the normal activity by birds.
The observations received covered an area from Bath to Howe Island. They established that although occasional carcasses were observed along the shore of Lake Ontario, there were no large outbreaks similar to that at Lake Ontario Park and Elevator Bay.
During February the number of dead geese being observed quickly reduced, but dead crows were being reported, and also a dead Bald Eagle.
By the beginning of March about twenty dead crows had been reported. Some of these carcasses were tested by the CWHC and found to be infected with HPAI.
In March the geese started moving north, and the crows dispersed from their roost in downtown Kingston. As the birds moved away, the risk of infection between them reduced.
At the beginning of April, the Sandy Pines Wildlife Centre had received no birds in distress for a week, and reports of dead birds had stopped coming in for the KFN survey.
According to the Canadian Wildlife Health Co-operative, the outbreak of HPAI at Lake Ontario Park and Elevator Bay was probably linked to the cold snap in January. This would have caused the geese to group together for warmth, so increasing transmission and a time when their resistance was also weakened. – The temperature in Kingston had reached +4.5 ° on January 13th, then dropped to -17.9 ° on January 20th. The dead geese started being reported eleven days later.
More information on the HPAI outbreak is available on the Kingston Field Naturalists website at https://kingstonfieldnaturalists.org/ where the survey results were posted.
FROM FARTHER AFIELD
16. Ocean School launched to attract youth to marine industry, St. Catharines Standard, April 5, 2024. Youths looking to navigate a future in Canada’s maritime industry have a new tool, launched as the St. Lawrence Seaway System opened for the 2024 season, to help them decide whether life on the waterways is in their future. Ocean School – a collaboration of Dalhousie University, Ocean Frontier Institute and National Film Board of Canada – unveiled its Shipping on the Seaway program, calling it “a transformative educational experience designed to ignite curiosity and foster a deeper understanding of maritime transportation among youths aged 11 to 17,” said a release from Canadian Marine Careers Foundation (CMCF). CMCF executive director Julia Fields, CSL Group president and chief executive officer Louis Martel, St. Lawrence Seaway Management Corporation’s corporate communications senior adviser Nicole Giroux-Laplante and Chamber of Marine Commerce president and chief executive officer, are quoted.
17. Seaway Traders to tell story of St. Lawrence Seaway through podcast and other media, Welland Tribune, April 4, 2024. Telling the story of the St. Lawrence Seaway System – past, present and future – comes together in Seaway Traders, a season-long series of feature articles, videos, podcasts and events. In a release, St. Lawrence Seaway Ship Watchers Network founder Michael Folsom said Seaway Traders’ goal is to find unique ways to celebrate the seaway’s 65th anniversary. Seaway Traders is a bi-national collaboration of the ship watchers network and Montreal’s Griffintown Media. Port Colborne Mayor Bill Steele is mentioned.
18. Great Lakes ports could get a boost as supply chains diversify, Axios, April 5, 2024. The Port of Baltimore leads the nation for automobile shipments and handled 52.3 million tons of foreign cargo worth nearly $81 billion in 2023, the Washington Post reports. Great Lakes ports can be viable long-term alternatives to East Coast ports, port officials in Detroit and Monroe tell Axios, as shipping companies and manufacturers consider diversifying their supply chains to handle such catastrophes.
19. Crumbling Great Lakes Ports Infrastructure Makes Port Insurance Even More Critical, Maritime Professional, April 4, 2024. The state of Great Lakes port infrastructure is one of the biggest issues facing the U.S. and Canadian maritime industries. According to the America Great Lakes Ports Association, “Due to years of inadequate funding, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has been unable to maintain Great Lakes navigation infrastructure. Over the next five years Great Lakes navigation channels will require $540 million of dredging to maintain authorized channel dimensions. Breakwaters and other federal navigation structures need $505 million in repairs.”
20. DOJ weighs in on Line 5 trespass on tribal land in Wisconsin, The Sault News, April 13, 2024. The Enbridge Line 5 pipeline has been found to be illegally trespassing on tribal land in Wisconsin, but will not be moved any time soon. After years of court arguments, lawsuits and delays, the federal government announced this week that Enbridge is in fact trespassing on land owned by the Bad River Band of Lake Superior Chippewa, but made no move to force the pipeline off the land. Tribal groups in the Great Lakes region expressed relief that Enbridge’s trespassing is being viewed as a crime after more than 10 years, but are still angry that no move is being made to remove the pipeline.
21. The 4 factors that have led to a ‘golden age’ of discovery for Great Lakes Shipwrecks, Yahoo News, April 7, 2024. There’s never been a better time to find, explore and document shipwrecks on the Great Lakes, thanks to a combination of technology, environmental change and surge in public interest, according to those who uncover the sunken history of the world’s largest lakes.
22. Tribal interests remain at heart of opposition to Great Lakes oil pipeline, WXPR, April 9, 2024. Later this month, Indigenous leaders will speak before a United Nations panel about their ongoing concerns with a controversial oil pipeline in the Great Lakes region. Enbridge Energy’s Line 5 operation is likely to come up when the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues convenes in New York.
23. Water levels on Lake Ontario are a foot lower than 2023; IJC says little to no risk of flooding, WROC TV, April 10, 2024. Despite what has been a wet spring so far, the water levels on Lake Ontario have remained around average at 245.37 feet as of April 8, 2024. This number is around a foot lower than both 2023 and 2022.
24. Almost 9 out of 10 pounds of Great Lakes beach litter each year is plastic, new reportfinds, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, April 11, 2024. An average of 86% of the litter collected each year on Great Lakes beaches is plastic, according to a new report based on 20 years of data collected from more than 14,000 beach clean-ups. Every year 22 million pounds of plastic winds up in the Great Lakes, half of which goes into Lake Michigan, according to a 2016 study from the Rochester Institute of Technology. Most of the microplastics present in the lakes are less than 5 mm in size, about the width of a human hair.
AND FINALLY FOR FUN
25. Lovely Video of Animals in Underpass
https://kananaskis.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Crossing-Structure-Video.mp4
26. “Daylighting Rivers in Cities (Rediscovering those that have been buried)
Received from cbc.ca April 4 2024
https://newsinteractives.cbc.ca/features/2024/daylighting-rivers/
27. Fun Kids’ Crafts for Earth Day and Spring
https://littlepinelearners.com/100-low-prep-activities-you-can-do-on-your-own-backyard/
https://littlepinelearners.com/6-ways-to-use-an-earth-day-printable/
https://littlepinelearners.com/dandelion-rock-family/
https://littlepinelearners.com/dandelion-shape-boards/
https://littlepinelearners.com/10-simple-and-beautiful-stone-activities-for-kids/
So that’s it for April,
Cheers,
Mary Farrar, President,
Friends of Kingston Inner Harbour