Dear Friends of Kingston Inner Harbour, Changes to Princess St.? I’m not focusing on that! Lots of other fun stuff to think about! 1. What to do with Cataraqui St. Beer Store? 2. Belle Park Tent City 3. Leon’s Centre for COVID Testing 4. More COVID Cases in Kingston 5. Utilities Kingston Kingscourt Sewage Treatment 6. City Beaches and Public Washroom Access 7. New Boys and Girls Club East End Day Camp 8. Thoughts on Sir John A. Statue 9. Pump House Museum Now Open 10. Ontario Health Coalition and our Sexist Culture 11. A New Agency for the Great Lakes? 12. Update on Enbridge Pipeline 13. International Day of the Seafarer 14. Lake Ontario Water Levels Update 15. Memories of the Captain of the Wolfe Islander – Fun Video. 1. WHAT TO DO WITH THE CATARAQUI ST. BEER STORE? Ken Cuthbertson, Inner Harbour resident for many years, wrote an excellent piece in the June 23 Whig Standard about possible options for the shuttered beer store on Cataraqui St. Could the city buy it? Could it become a wrap-around facility to deal with homelessness and mental health issues? Cooling centre? It certainly kept beer nice and cool! Other possibilities? https://www.thewhig.com/opinion/columnists/brewing-up-a-new-model-for-city-policing-and-services Personally I would like to see a Go Fund Me campaign where the over 800 residents that signed the petition re Tent City actually donate money towards the city purchase. If you have suggestions please e-mail them to inverarymary@yahoo.com and perhaps a discussion can be continued in the next update. Comments will also be forwarded to City Planners in charge of the North King’s Town Secondary Plan. Here is Ken’s letter in full: “Recent incidents of police brutality across Canada and in the United States have sparked mass demands for a new model of community policing. Kingston isn’t immune. Marches and protests on city streets seem to suggest that many local people agree changes are needed. If Kingstonians have a serious interest in discussing this issue, I have an idea that I think may merit some consideration. What I have in mind would not only reform and modernize policing locally, it also could improve the delivery of city services, tap into the smaller-is-better, “go-local” movement that’s been gaining steam in recent years. And my idea may even save tax dollars and present Kingston as a leader in the change process that’s underway. Got your attention yet? I hope so. But before I share my brain wave, please bear with me for a few moments while I tell you a bit about its roots. My idea actually springs from a comment a friend made to me the other day about a seemingly unrelated topic. The mind sometimes works in strange ways. As you may know, after more than 60 years in operation, the Beer Store on Cataraqui Street in the Inner Harbour neighbourhood closed its doors at the end of January. To be frank, I was surprised that the store had lasted as long as it did. Changing consumer tastes and the increased competition that began when the provincial government made it legal for grocery stores to peddle beer and wine have been disastrous for the Canada’s big breweries, which own Ontario’s chain of Beer Stores. It could be that the shuttered Cataraqui Street building will sit empty for a few years, or it may even become a candidate for demolition. Either fate would be a shame. Fear of those possibilities is what prompted a comment the other day by an old friend who has lived in the Inner City neighbourhood for more than a half-century. She suggested to me that if the city somehow could find the money to buy the property, it would make an ideal spot for a downtown Kingston police department field office — what in big American cities is called “a precinct.” I found her idea intriguing. It also set me thinking. I agree that having a police presence on Cataraqui Street would be an inspired new use for the property, but I also wonder if maybe my friend’s vision isn’t a tad modest. You see, it occurs to me that if the city was able to acquire the Beer Store property, it would have a golden opportunity for an experiment that, if successful, would change how the model of how policing is done in this city, revolutionize the delivery of municipal services, and put Kingston on the map as leader in the quest for a new community policing model. Let me explain. I’m no engineer, but I expect that if the city could acquire the building, it could be adapted for public use without too much expense. My eyes tell me there’s ample room inside for administrative offices and outside for on-site parking and more. If it worked out, moving some of city’s 205 police officers out of their Division Street complex and establishing a bricks-and-mortar presence in the downtown, could be the start of a decanting process that eventually could see more police offices relocated to various areas of the city (perhaps in surplus primary school buildings?) — near the Queen’s campus, in Barriefield, and in the sprawling west end. As the crow flies, it’s 20 kilometres from the Division Street police headquarters to points in Lakeshore District; that’s a long drive in an emergency, especially when traffic is heavy. Any relocating of police officers would improve community relations (especially downtown, if officers were active there on foot or bike patrols). Such a move would also save money — and the environment; patrol cars would be driving fewer kilometres on city streets while making their daily rounds. There would be other benefits, too. Integrating police into the community more fully would go a long way towards breaking down the “us vs. them” mentality that colours public attitudes towards “the cops” and vice versa. That could only be a good thing. Police officers provide vital services in our community and in our society. Anyone who doesn’t understand or accept that and who doesn’t see the need for police to act as peacekeepers, catch crooks and protect us from rabid dogs of the two-legged variety probably believes in unicorns and the tooth fairy. However, that said, it makes sense for us to discard the outdated idea of police officers as being “different” from the rest of us. To me, those all seem like excellent reasons to set up a police field office in the Cataraqui Street Beer Store property. But why stop there? This is where my friend’s idea presents a cool jumping-off point for what could be a really exciting, innovative and revolutionary experiment. I wonder if we couldn’t expand the range of operations and services offered at a police field office. Such a building could become a “community hub,” for lack of a better term. The city could follow the police lead by decanting some municipal staff and services to Cataraqui Street. Kingston General Hospital and Hotel Dieu Hospital could set up a street-level health-care clinic here to provide cost-effective primary health care and reduce the stress on the emergency clinics at our two local hospitals. A police field office also could serve as a neighbourhood meeting and gathering space (coffee, anyone?), a daycare, and even a place for neigbourhood seniors to meet and access services. Part of the Cataraqui Street property’s oversize parking area could become a much-needed park-playground for neighbourhood residents and kids. The possibilities for the site are endless. There may even be opportunities to position mental health professionals, social workers, child welfare officials and other such professionals in a policing field office. If I had a magic wand or was running the show, I’d dismantle all of those single-purpose mega-schools that empire-minded school board officials keep building and I’d convert them into multipurpose community hubs. Primary school kids could attend small neighbourhood schools there. But that’s another discussion for another time. First things first. What do you think of the idea of the city setting up a policing field office and community hub in the vacant Cataraqui Street Beer Store? Is it a goofy suggestion or one whose time has come? I think it’s the latter.” 2. BELLE PARK TENT CITY Received from Greg Tilson of The Gertrudes, July 2, 2020 “Hello friends, In support of Belle Park encampment residents we have posted Forced Eviction, a new music video here. Please like/share if you’re in support of this initiative. You can download the song for free here: thegertrudes.bandcamp.com/track/forced-eviction The following links (with the help of Councillor Rob Kiley) may help provide more information: 1) From June 2: Council’s decision to extend the Belle Park encampment residents’ “move out date” to July 7, from the original date earlier in June, via a motion (that was amended) by Councillor Holland and Councillor Doherty. Note, it was written in consultation with many people including Dr. Eva Purkey. https://www.cityofkingston.ca/documents/10180/38561243/City-Council_Meeting-2020-18_Addendum_June-2-2020.pdf/d440e8ae-a2bc-7b6c-ed08-ffdbcd231a17?t=1591019143372 2) From June 23: Report to Council with “an update on the steps that have been taken by City staff and community partners to support the residents at Belle Park”. This report also includes the recommendation to provide Artillery Park as a three month 24/7 drop-in centre where those currently at the encampment can seek counselling services, showers, air condition environments, etc without the restriction of a typical shelter. This recommendation passed unanimously. https://www.cityofkingston.ca/documents/10180/38590396/City-Council_Meeting-20-2020_Report-20-153_Belle-Park-Encampment-Update.pdf/ac0f09a6-4b31-f411-ed4e-45577b3895a6?t=1592838410399 3) This report from April outlines the city’s initial response to the novel coronavirus vis-à-vis housing and homelessness: https://www.cityofkingston.ca/documents/10180/38512884/City-Council_Meeting-14-2020_Report-20-114_COVID-19-Response-Update_March-to-April-2020.pdf/dd3c762c-c0ca-0260-21e8-82a0f8525973?t=1587154699214 NOTE: Special Council meeting cancelled – due to “lack of urgent business” – leaving people puzzled. Another excellent feature from The Kingstonist! https://www.kingstonist.com/news/city-bumps-homelessness-and-housing-committee-meeting-citing-lack-of-urgent-business/ “Members of the City’s Homelessness and Housing Advisory Committee (HHAC) are at a loss following the postponement of their June meeting to Jul. 8, 2020, one day after the eviction date for Belle Park’s residents. ‘After consultation with the Chair, it has been determined that the June 11 meeting of the Housing and Homelessness Advisory Committee will be cancelled due to lack of time-sensitive business,’ said an email from committee Clerk Derek Ochej on Monday, May 25. Committee member Melodie Ballard said she found the cancellation perplexing. ‘There are tent cities in Kingston under threat of eviction by the City, with no clear plan on where they’ll go,’ she said. ‘Seems like exactly the kind of thing we should be reviewing and discussing.’ At the time of the committee Clerk’s email, residents of the homeless camp at Belle Park were facing an imminent deadline to relocate on Friday, Jun. 5. On Jun. 2, the City extended the eviction date by one month. Occupants must now vacate Belle Park by Tuesday, Jul. 7. Meanwhile, the COVID-19 pandemic restricts the operation and fundraising efforts for the local non-profit organizations that support Kingston’s homeless population. ‘If these current circumstances don’t qualify for urgent business for the committee to discuss,’ Ballard asked, ‘what does?’ Ballard, along with her HHAC co-members Jacqueline Collier and Councillor Bridget Doherty, continued to push Ochej and committee Chair Peter Clarke for clarity. On Jun. 1, Clarke responded. ‘In a recent conversation I had with Ruth Noordegraf, the Director of Housing & Social Services, she indicated that the City’s approaches to housing and homelessness will need to be rethought, and hoped the HHAC would be able to provide feedback on these changes,’ he said. He indicated that Noordegraf had expressed interest in a virtual meeting at some point in July. ‘The committee’s role is to provide advice to Council regarding City policies and strategies regarding homelessness issues, but not to provide commentary on specific instances or scenarios, or to advocate directly for a specific position,’ Clarke wrote. ‘While the current situation is troubling to many, it is not a policy issue that falls within our mandate.’ Councillor Bridget Doherty replied with a suggestion that the HHAC should still meet and have ‘some fruitful discussions around the table.’ Ochej replied that City staff had not prepared a report for the HHAC to consider, and without it, there was no agenda. ‘From a procedural aspect, the committee can only meet for business when there are reports to be considered,’ he explained in a subsequent email to Ballard. ‘In this case, there were no outstanding reports.’ As someone with lived-experience of homelessness in Kingston, Ballard had hoped to serve on the HHAC by offering practical feedback on City policies that affect homeless people. In her 18 months on the committee, said she doesn’t feel like they’ve achieved much. ‘A lot of our meetings, we spend our time just listening to the City talk,’ she said, explaining they had been tasked with a review of the City’s 10-year Housing & Homelessness plan. ‘They set the agenda, and we need to review whatever they’ve decided they want to hear from us on.’ City Councillor Mary Rita Holland, who also serves on the HHAC, agrees the committee structure could benefit from revision. She said the Housing and Social Services Department that drives the HHAC work is mandated by the province, and operates largely independently, even from City Council. ‘There are some policies that are put in place by provincial legislation that we just don’t have any say over,’ she said. ‘I think the real value of that HHAC is that it’s given us space for having conversation with some of the service providers,’ Holland said, especially over the course of review of the 10-year plan. ‘It does provide a good venue for having discussions about ongoing problems and potential solutions. But it’s not something that could act quickly or provide direction for how to address a situation like Belle Park.’ Holland added that she is very aware and supportive of the public’s desire to get involved on a more meaningful level. ‘I think we need a new structure… People feel passionately, they want to be involved in finding solutions. There’s all this history of course, and it takes people a long time to get up to speed to where we’re at,’ she said. Meaningful engagement requires a long-term commitment, she said. ‘It has to be ongoing discussions. We can’t just get worked up when we notice there are people living in the park. This is something that needs ongoing dedication, and I think the will is there.’ Holland suggested tailoring the HHAC or the Mayor’s Task Force on Housing to include more proposals from the public. Even given her role as a City Councillor, Holland said the pressing questions about how to help people in specific situations such as Belle Park feel beyond her scope, in the near-term. ‘I struggle with having discussions along the lines of what the fate of these individuals should be.’ Ideally, Holland noted, she would like to see each person in the camp get the required supports to make a sustained shift into stable housing. ‘I feel like what the best would be to ensure all the counselling and support that would help every individual person see their path and their options, I would want to see that in place,’ she said. ‘When I hear people discussing it as ‘We should put them here,’ or ‘We should put them there,’ I’m struggling with that language. It’s problematic,’ she said. Next meeting date for HHAC On Jun. 5, Ochej invited HHAC members to the Jul. 8 meeting. Today, as the Kingstonist exchanged emails with Ochej and other HHAC members, he sent another email inviting members to a meeting on Jul. 7, ‘to better coincide with the Belle Park encampment work.’ However, this attempt was quickly scrapped, and at the time of writing, the next HHAC date remains set at Wednesday, Jul. 8. ‘I still don’t see how meeting at 1 p.m. on the day of eviction will produce any helpful results to the Belle Park population,’ Ballard said. The Kingstonist also reached out to Derek Ochej Peter Clarke, and Robert Hosier, Communications Officer for the City of Kingston. Ochej replied that Hosier would respond on the City’s behalf. ‘The HHAC is an advisory committee to Council, and provides advice to Council on housing, publicly assisted affordable housing and homelessness policies as is included in the committee mandate, which is part of the Committee By-Law,’ Hosier said. ‘The Committee is not an independent decision-making body and does not direct staff in operational matters.’ He noted that the July 8 meeting will allow HHAC members the opportunity to provide feedback on the City’s responses to housing and homelessness issues during the COVID-19 pandemic. ‘I didn’t sign up to be there for good optics for the City,’ Ballard said. ‘I’m not there to pretend that I did some good for the community. If it’s literally there for show, and it’s not doing anything, that’s something we need to talk about.’ “ NOTE: Recent Government of Ontario Homelessness Funding https://news.ontario.ca/opo/en/2020/07/ontario-provides-additional-funding-to-support-municipalities-and-urban-indigenous-community-partner.html?utm_source=TVO&utm_campaign=d88366affc-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_1_17_2019_10_56_COPY_01&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_eadf6a4c78-d88366affc-61349601 Quick Facts In March, Ontario announced an initial investment of $148 million to support municipalities, food banks, homeless shelters and individuals. This funding is already helping individuals and families in financial crisis. Another $52 million expanded the Emergency Assistance program administered through Ontario Works for people in emergency situations and made more support available to vulnerable social assistance recipients to meet a broad range of needs. Additional Resources Learn more about Ontario’s Action Plan: Responding to COVID-19. Learn more about COVID-19 Action Plan to Protect Vulnerable Ontarians. Find your local Service Manager to see what housing supports are available in your community. 3. LEON’S CENTRE FOR COVID TESTING As of Monday, June 29, 2020 the Assessment Centre has been re-located: Where: Leon’s Centre (enter at Gate 2 on Ontario St. marked by bright green COVID sign) 1 The Tragically Hip Way, Kingston ON, When: Open every day, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. NOTE: City of Kingston Info nearby parking lots and garages: <https://www.cityofkingston.ca/residents/parking/parking-lots> 4. MORE COVID CASES IN KINGSTON Received June 30, 2020 from The Kingstonist – Worth subscribing to! Positive COVID-19 Case Identified at Amherstview Golf Club Today, Dr. Kieran Moore, Medical Officer of Health at KFL&A Public Health confirmed a COVID-19 positive case at the Amherstview Golf Course at Golf Course Road in Amherstview. As a result, all patrons who attended this facility on June 22, 23, or 24 are required to get tested and self-isolate pending a negative test result. If after this time, a client develops symptoms they are required to self-isolate again and to get re-tested. The owners of the golf club had previously advised that one of the patrons of Binh’s Nails Salon had recently played golf at the club. “The health and safety of the patrons and staff of the Amherstview Golf Course are our top priority,” said Dr. Kieran Moore. “At this time, there is no evidence of propagation. The golf course will remain open.” To protect the health of the public and prevent community spread, KFL&A Public Health is investigating and following up with close contacts. Rely on us for your local news? We rely on you to keep publishing it! Subscribe to Kingstonist. 5. UTILITIES KINGSTON’S KINGSCOURT SEWAGE TREATMENT This is important for the Inner Harbour as overflow raw sewage sometimes enters the Great Cataraqui River on the south shore of Belle Park. Received from Mike Fischer of Utilities Kingston. Utilities Kingston has recognized the importance of proactively rehabilitating the wastewater infrastructure to avoid the need to undertake full-scale reconstruction. We are embarking on an annual sewer rehabilitation program. The work results in the installation a liner into the sewer pipes thereby effectively renewing the pipe infrastructure without the need to dig. The work is all done (or mostly done) with zero excavations, or, in other words, using “trenchless” or “no-dig” methods. In general, the project includes: – Pipe cleaning (by hydraulic flushing) and inspection (by CCTV camera) – Pipe preparation (by various means) and if absolutely necessary, a spot repair by excavation. – Pipe lining and liner curing. The project is commencing with cleaning and inspection on July 6 and will run through the summer to the end of the year. Lining will commence about 3-4 weeks after the project starts. Work is planned from 7am-7pm, Monday through Saturdays. The inaugural project area is the Kingscourt neighbourhood. Next year, we may complete some additional work in Kingscourt if we cannot complete it all this year, but for the most part, the program will move to a different location in future years. We take our public notification seriously and this project is no different. Notification for residents will include the following: Mailout of the project notice to take place now: – Hand-delivery of a first lining notice, to be delivered by the Contractor 1-2 weeks prior to lining. – Hand-delivery of a second lining notice (door hanger), to be delivered by the Contractor 24-48 hours in advance of the lining. The lining will cause a temporary disruption to customers and the notices describe the extent of this disruption. Services can still be used but residents are asked to minimize water use during a 4-6 hour period. I will be maintaining a project webpage which is a resource that residents may choose to get more information or remain up to date. This webpage is available now, but will be expanded upon and kept as current as possible. We will also be adding a progress tracking map to the webpage or via a link (in progress). https://utilitieskingston.com/Projects/Detail/SewerRehabCIPP Please let me know if you have any questions or concerns about this project. I am happy to give you additional information or speak further on any issues you may foresee. More Info? Mike Fischer, MSc. P. Eng, Utilities Kiingston Engineer, P.O. Box 790, Kingston, ON K7L 4X7 P: 613-546-1181 x.2356, mfischer@utilitieskingston.com 6. CITY BEACHES AND PUBLIC WASHROOM ACCESS Received June 25, 2020 re openings as of June 26 Beaches and Waterfront Swim Access The Gord Edgar Downie Pier and Breakwater Park beach, 200 King St. W. – portable washroom unit available. Grass Creek Park, 2991 Highway 2 East – portable washroom unit available. Lake Ontario Park, 920 King. St. W. – pavilion washrooms available. Richardson Beach, 1 King St. E. – washrooms will remain closed but the public washrooms at nearby City Park and Pump House Museum will be open. Public Washrooms The washrooms listed above and below are now open from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. and their cleaning frequency will be increased to respond to Stage 2 requirements. Victoria Park City Park Woodbine Park Shannon Park PumpHouse Museum (the public washroom can be accessed from the side of the building beside the waterfront trail) Washroom access at the Memorial Centre splash pad will reopen on July 6. Know before you go: Kingston boasts 280 kilometers of beautiful shoreline and 200 public parks. If you arrive at one waterfront area and physical distancing is not possible, consider visiting another one of the many public spaces across the city. See the list at CityofKingston.ca/Parks Practice physical distancing by staying 2 metres (6 feet) from others on the beach, in the water and in public washrooms. The City will provide signage to remind the public of social distancing and enforcement as required. Clean your hands. Wash hands with soap and water for 20 seconds or use alcohol-based hand sanitizer. KFL&A Public Health monitors the water quality at municipally owned or operated public bathing beaches within the region. Check their website for updates when planning your outing. Watch for changes to other municipal pandemic measures over the coming weeks. Sign up for City Matters to receive pandemic-related updates on City services directly in your email. Stay up-to-date with the City’s COVID-19 changes. Find answers to your COVID-19 questions from KFL&A Public Health. 7. NEW BOYS AND CIRLS CLUB EAST END DAY CAMP Received July 1, 2020 from The Kingstonist The Boys and Girls Club of Kingston and Area (BGCK) is expanding their summer camp operations into the City’s east end, following overwhelming demand. BGCK announced on Jun. 19, 2020 that their summer camp programs would proceed. The news came at an uncertain time, as other summer day camp providers such as the YMCA of Eastern Ontario have opted to cancel their summer programming in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. “We had 1,000 camp spots filled within a few hours from the launch of registration,” said Sara Gervais, Supervisor of Programs for BGCK. “That’s about half of the total number of camp spots we are offering for the entire eight weeks of summer camps.” BGCK said clear need for more camp spots led them to seek out new collaborations to broaden the reach of service. The Club will now run additional summer day camps at Lasalle Secondary School (LSS), the sixth confirmed camp location so far. “We are currently serving North, Central, and West Kingston areas through our locations,” said Tony Gargaro, Director of Operations. “We saw the need to branch out to the East End too. And that is where an agreement with the Limestone District School Board became key.” The LSS location will receive 32 new camp spots in four groups, each week. BGCK said this will support an additional 192 children for the 2020 summer season. Half of these spots are for four- and five-year-olds, and the other half for children aged six to 12 years old. The summer camps at LSS will run from July 6 to August 14, with limited subsidized spaces available. “It has been a massive administrative undertaking to manage all of the registration and subsidy requests in the last few days,” says Gervais, noting that anyone who has already secured a camp spot will not be able to switch to the new location. “We are continuously evaluating our capacity to expand the reach of summer camp, based on the available resources, and compliance to all health and safety guidelines,” said Gargaro. Executive Director of the BGCK, Harold Parsons, said the organization has been rising to the challenge to support the community at a critical time. “It has been an intense couple of weeks as we prepared to start camps today. We are grateful to our partners who are making this endeavour possible, in particular the City of Kingston, the Limestone District School Board, and the United Way,” Parsons said. More Info or to Register: Boys and Girls Club of Kingston and Area summer camps website. Please support news written by Kingstonians, for Kingstonians. Subscribe to Kingstonist. 8. THOUGHTS ON SIR JOHN A. STATUE Statues all over the world are being torn down. It is true that they represent all sorts of horrific past pain, oppression and cultural genocide. But it is precisely because of this they should be used as educational talking points, not obliterated. The broader public needs to be educated. Instead of obliteration what about considering more creative options? What about painting cracks in the pedestal? What about hiring Indigenous artists, local -or perhaps Ken Monkman? – to create installations that overpower the statue? Canada’s Indigenous peoples have suffered horribly but they have also demonstrated truly remarkable resilience and intelligence in the face of cultural genocide. Let’s celebrate this amazing resilience. Let’s consider a positive, uplifting and inspiring way forward. 9. PUMP HOUSE MUSEUM NOW OPEN Some of these exhibits look wonderful. https://www.kingstonpumphouse.ca/visit/admission-season-passes 10. ONTARIO9 HEALTH COALITION AND OUR SADLY SEXIST CULTURE June 30, 2020 For Immediate Release Attn: Assignment Editor Ford Government Given Failing Marks in Response to Recommendations on Long-Term Care COVID-19 Response in Joint Open Letter from more than 200 Organizations Representing Almost 2 Million Ontarians Toronto – The Ontario Health Coalition issued an open letter to Premier Doug Ford on May 28, 2020 calling for key improvements to safety and care in Ontario’s beleaguered long-term care homes where more than 1,860 residents and staff have died as a result of COVID-19. Recently a number of media reports, accounts from families, and the military report have revealed that long-term care residents are suffering serious weight loss and decline or even dying of dehydration and malnutrition due to inadequate care. That the staffing crisis is now a full-blown emergency in long-term care is not an overstatement, reported the Coalition, which is hearing from the front-lines of workers and families of residents and is calling for immediate action. In Quebec and British Columbia, governments have intervened to increase wages and provide full-time work to boost care levels. In recent weeks Quebec set out to recruit 10,000 PSWs offering $21 per hour for training and increasing wages to $26 per hour. They have more than 65,000 applicants and are well into the process. In Ontario there has been no such response. In fact, the Health Coalition reports that it is hearing from front-line staff and families that staffing shortages are worse than ever with many more shifts unfilled even with unprecedented overtime. The Coalition held cross-province consultations on the staffing crisis in 2019 and wrote a report on its findings commissioned by Unifor in December that detailed the staffing crisis (including that virtually every home was working short every shift (worse on weekends and worse in the evenings) and made recommendations to address it. The Toronto Sun reported June 30 that the Ford government’s Treasury Board twice, in the months leading to COVID-19, refused funding appeals to address funding levels to improve staffing levels. Staffing levels equate to care levels in long-term care: without enough staff there is not enough time to bathe, feed, hydrate, reposition and provide even the most basic care for residents, let alone provide care with residents and staff sick with COVID-19 and in isolation. The Health Coalition issued a report card grading the Ford government on its response to the key recommendations made in its open letter, sent a month ago, which has now been signed onto by more than 200 groups representing almost 2 million Ontarians. Premier Ford has not responded to the Coalition’s letter despite the huge body of Ontarians represented by the groups that have jointly signed. Ontario Health Coalition https://www.ontariohealthcoalition.ca/ – for more details. Personally I find it deeply troubling that the military (traditionally men’s work) received BONUS PAY of an extra $78 per day for endangering their lives by helping out in long-term care facilities. Why do men get bonuses when what has traditionally been women’s work isn’t even considered for a decent pay raise? The average wage for a Personal Support Worker in Ontario is $17.95/hr. The Ontario government is limiting pay raises to 1% – but police are exempt! Aargh! 11. A NEW AGENCY FOR THE GREAT LAKES? A new agency for the Great Lakes? This Democrat is trying, E&E News (Washington, D.C.), June 16, 2020. Democratic Rep. Marcy Kaptur, dean of Ohio’s congressional delegation, wants to create a federal entity to revive the Great Lakes region, boost water quality, and create jobs in states hit hard by the pandemic and unemployment. And if she’s successful in her bid for the top Democratic slot on the House Appropriations Committee in 2021, she will have more political sway to make it all happen. Kaptur — co-chair of the congressional Great Lakes Task Force and head of the Energy and Water Development Appropriations Subcommittee — hopes to include language in the next congressional recovery act or infrastructure bill to create a federal entity for the Great Lakes, one on par with models such as the Tennessee Valley Authority, a federally owned corporation, or the Bureau of Reclamation, an agency that oversees water resource management. Her idea highlights what’s proved to be a politically popular issue — Great Lakes restoration — in a region that’s home to multiple swing states. 12. UPDATE ON ENBRIDGE PIPELINE Gov. Whitmer requests Line 5 shutdown after Enbridge restarts undamaged half of pipeline, MLive (Ann Arbor, Michigan), June 21, 2020 (also appeared in the National Post, at Ottawa Matters, in the Minneapolis Star Tribune, in the Detroit Free Press and at The Bakersfield Californian). Gov. Gretchen Whitmer is requesting Enbridge completely shut down its Line 5 pipeline following damage discovered Thursday on the east leg of the line that runs through the Straits of Mackinac. Enbridge restarted the west leg of the pipeline on Saturday, after finding no damage there, the Canadian-owned company said in a statement. The Line 5 pipeline carries crude oil and natural gas liquids from Superior, Wisconsin, to Sarnia, Ontario. The damage to the east leg was found Thursday, June 18, on an anchor support on the dual pipeline, according to a statement provided to MLive by Enbridge. A spokesperson for the company said the damage only affected the anchor and not the pipeline itself. Michigan asks judge to shut down Enbridge pipeline, Iron Mountain Daily News (Iron Mountain, Michigan), June 23, 2020 (also appeared at CTV News, at Great Lakes Now, in the Associated Press, in the Miami Herald, in the Times Colonist, in the Sault Ste. Marie Evening News, in The Sacramento Bee, in The Seattle Times, in The Decatur Daily, in the Iosco County News Herald and at KSL). Michigan’s attorney general on Monday asked a judge to shut down a pipeline in the Great Lakes after an energy company discovered that an anchor support had shifted deep below the surface. Enbridge Inc. insists the Line 5 pipeline itself was not damaged, and the company resumed the flow of oil and natural gas liquids in the west leg of the twin system Saturday. The east line, where the anchor support assembly had moved, remains closed in the Straits of Mackinac. But state attorneys said both should be turned off until an independent review is conducted. They asked for a restraining order and an injunction as part of ongoing litigation between Enbridge and Attorney General Dana Nessel, who wants Line 5 permanently shut down. Enbridge reopens part of US oil pipeline after damage…, Brinkwire, June 28, 2020. Enbridge Inc resumed operation on Saturday of one leg of its Line 5 oil pipeline in the U.S. Great Lakes, after a two-day shutdown due to damage to the other line, a spokesman said. The line, part of the vast North American Mainline network, travels through the Straits of Mackinac between Lake Michigan and Lake Huron. Michigan’s attorney general has been attempting through the courts to permanently shut down the portion of the 67-year-old Line 5 that passes across the Straits’ lakebed, fearing leaks that would pollute the Great Lakes. 13. INTERNATIONAL DAY OF THE SEAFARER Minister Garneau recognizes the essential contribution of seafarers on their international day, Markets Insider, June 25, 2020 (also appeared at Canada NewsWire). Each day, seafarers play an important role in the movement of goods and people and significantly contribute to the Canadian economy. Their commitment has probably never been greater than during the COVID-19 pandemic, since most of them have been spending even longer periods of time at sea, far from their loved ones. In honour of the International Maritime Organization’s annual Day of the Seafarer, the Minister of Transport, the Honourable Marc Garneau, is proud to recognize the essential role seafarers play, at home and abroad, in their contributions to maritime trade. The theme to mark this year’s Day of the Seafarer is “Seafarers are Key Workers.” The Government of Canada applauds all seafarers in Canada and worldwide. They are indeed the key workers at the front lines, and they remain committed to the movement of people and the goods our country depends on, even during these challenging times. 14. LAKE ONTARIO WATER LEVELS UPDATE Lake Ontario water levels continue to drop; IJC releases summer outlook, Rochester First (Rochester, New York), June 30, 2020. The International Joint Commission (IJC) and the Lake Ontario-St. Lawrence River Board (LOSLRB) continue to regulate outflows at the Moses-Saunders dam according to Plan 2014 taking into account multiple different interests. That includes, but is not limited to the homeowners on Lake Ontario, the shipping industry, the boating industry, hydro-electric power, drinking water quality, the environment, and others. 2020 inflows into Lake Ontario have been less than 2019 even with record high Lake Ontario water levels. As of June 30, Lake Ontario is releasing about 325,600 cfs through the Moses-Saunders Dam. That is exceeding the inflow of about 297,700 cfs. Expect water levels to continue to slowly drop through the summer. 15. Memories of the Captain of the Wolfe Islander – Fun Video “Ferry Tales of Wolfe Island” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V3r2M73nTMU&feature=share&fbclid=IwAR1dwJ9hPpYTAJC-3aMT394sEISPD_uv1SbmLr14q1-rQUrmDFRv3VaZUNM Tthat’s it for now. Wishing you a happy summer. Cheers, Mary Farrar, President, Friends of Kingston Inner Harbour |