Dear Friends of Kingston Inner Harbour,
Too many Zooms? Difficult news? Restless time of year at the best of times!
“If you see my mind wanderin’ just leave it in the Lost and Found.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6rFI4Ebbckc
Really fun 2 min video. Thanks again to my brother John.
Haven’t been able to get my head organized this time around.
Glued to the news re Ukraine.
Lots of stuff happening on the Sir John A front, a possible additional public meeting on the Tannery given public outcry about trees, the City’s tree programs including Little Forests, and other Inner Harbour clean-up news. More to come in mid-March when I have renewed energy.
However, in the meantime Parks Canada is interested in hosting an information session on Sir John A. and Bellevue House specifically for the Friends of Kingston Inner Harbour if there is sufficient interest. If you would like to attend such a meeting contact me soon at inverarymary@yahoo.com
LOCAL STUFF
1. City’s Discounted Tree Program – begins March 1
2. Project Creating New Approach to Homelessness Services
3. Pier Repairs at Portsmouth Olympic Harbour til mid April
4. In Case You Missed It – Convoy Counter-Protest at City Hall
5. Doornekamp Video of Ongoing Projects including Inner Harbour
6. Survey of Downtown and Inner Harbour Area for Future Improvement
7. Kingston’s New Red Light Cameras – March 1, 2022
BROADER AFIELD
8. Potential Ice Free Summers in the Arctic
9. Ontario Gov Action to Protect Great Lakes
10. Soybean Marine Fuel?
11. Shipping Decarbonization Summit
FUN AND INTERESTING
12. Great Historical Pics of Queen City Oil and Bajus – Thanks again Eric Gagnon
13. Rick Revelle’s New Book
1. City’s Discounted Tree Program – Begins March 1, 2022
The City of Kingston is rolling out our neighbourhood tree planting program March 1st. We would love to get some additional trees into this area of town. This program is aimed at getting trees onto Private Property, as a means of trying to increase the tree canopy…
The Neighbourhood Tree Planting Program offers property owners within the City of Kingston an opportunity to purchase trees for a discounted rate to plant on their private property. Acting on the City’s strategic priorities to demonstrate leadership on climate action and to foster healthy citizens and vibrant spaces, the program encourages the community to help grow and preserve Kingston’s tree canopy.
Ten different species of trees are available to order at a cost of $10 for coniferous varieties and $17 for deciduous varieties. Trees are limited to two per property and are available on a first-come, first-served basis. Review the tree descriptions below to find the right tree for your property.
LeafKingston is available to help those who may need assistance selecting, planting and or delivering. They have experience working with the City’s Neighbourhood Tree Planting program and can help you select and plant the right type of tree. For more information please email LeafKingston.
Trees will be available to purchase from March 1 until April 1, or until supplies run out, and again from July 4 to August 4, or until supplies run out. There is a limited quantity of trees for each sale. If you are interested in ordering a tree we recommend ordering early. Pickup information will be emailed to you.
Orders may be placed online. Information will appear on this webpage beginning March 1 with details on how to place an online order. Alternatively, you can purchase by phone by calling 613-546-0000, or if you would prefer to purchase in-person you can do so by visiting:
Invista Centre
1350 Gardiners Rd, Kingston
Hours of Operation: Monday – Sunday – 6:00 am – 8:00 pm
Rideau Heights Community Centre
85 Maccauley St., Kingston
Hours of Operation: Monday – Friday – 8:00 am – 5:00 pm, Saturday – 8:30 am – 4:30 pm
Visit the Neighbourhood Tree Planting Program FAQ and Web page at https://www.cityofkingston.ca/resident/trees-nature/neighbourhood-tree-planting-program
2. Project Creating New Approach to Homelessness
Received from The Kingstonist, Feb 9, 2022 – Dorey Forestell
A new research project is aiming to change the path of homeless individuals in Kingston by supporting them with more than just a roof over their heads.
Lead researcher, Carrie Anne Marshall, Ph.D., and Former Kingston MPP Sophie Kiwala, a member of the community advisory board for the project, met virtually with the media and honoured guests on Thursday, Feb. 3, 2022, to give an update about the Transition From Homelessness Project, and to work towards potential future shared-use tenancy in a building that the Anglican Church of Canada created specifically for community use in Kingston.
Lead researcher, Carrie Anne Marshall, Ph.D, explains her Peer to Community Model that connects newly-housed people with peer supports. Screen captured image.
According to Marshall, the new project is not about finding homes for individuals, something she says current models of service are very good at, but rather, it is about helping to prevent the cycle that often sees people returning to life unhoused. Current models of service are “not very good at helping people to integrate and be useful in homelessness. And so, that was the impetus for conducting this project,” Marshall explained.
The researchers released two reports after studies were done across the municipalities of Kingston and London, Ontario. The Kingston report, “Beyond Surviving,” describes a participatory project aimed at identifying the strengths and challenges of the system of support currently offered to individuals as they leave homelessness.
“While unhoused, persons who have experienced homelessness are frequently consumed with securing the necessary conditions to meet their basic needs including finding a place to stay for the night, finding food, and keeping safe. In other words, they are simply trying to survive,” it reads.
However, the report points out that it is often assumed that, with a secure tenancy, individuals are all set :
“Unfortunately, recent research suggests that many people who secure housing after homelessness languish and continue to live in a state of survival… being integrated into their community, having enough money to pay for basic needs, attaining mental well-being, and having opportunities to engage in meaningful activities are similarly important.”
Former MPP Sophie Kiwala (top) and Dr. Marshall (below), discuss their excitement about the newly approved funding for the next steps of their Transitioning From Homelessness approach. Screen captured image.
Researchers with the University of Western Ontario used a ‘Community-Based Participatory Research’ approach to develop a ‘Peer to Community’ (P2C) pilot in both cities. Over 100 interviews were conducted in Kingston and London, reports have been written on the consultations, and collaborations and partnerships between service organizations, concerned citizens, and individuals with lived experience have been developed.
Marshall and Kiwala hope the information collected in the report will “inform recommendations for refining existing supports that will enable individuals to move beyond surviving after leaving homelessness and thrive in their community after.”
“We presented these reports to multiple stakeholders in Kingston and in London… [and] held a number of community events where we co-designed something that would fill a gap in these two communities,” said Marshall.
She calls the model the cooperative groups created a “dream and an invention,” forged by both policymakers and persons with lived experience of homelessness.
And now the pilot project is taking its first steps, said Marshall, “We’ve dreamed this up and we can fund this… we were just notified yesterday that on a first try we have received a grant of $730,000 [from Canadian Institute of Health Research] to pilot this approach across Kingston and London.”
The next step is to launch a twelve-month “peer to community” pilot project in both municipalities.
“We are poised to take the next steps in developing this pilot and are creating a Housing First fidelity
measure, along with educational models that will be the basis of training as we go forward,” said Kiwala.
“There really is nothing that is like this service,” she explained. “I know this will fill a very specific void, and if we can keep people housed, I believe that we have a real possibility to make a dent in homelessness across the province.”
This is where the Anglican Church of Canada can help, they hope. The team is applying to the Church to use the Habitat for Humanity-built ministry site at a church-owned property on Adelaide Street as a hub of their activities.
The Anglican Diocese of Ontario’s ministry centre, built on Diocese-owned land by Habitat for Humanity Kingston Limestone Region, could serve as the hub of the Transition from Homelessness pilot program here in Kingston, and is located on Adelaide Street near Cowdy Street in downtown Kingston. Photo via the Habitat for Humanity Kingston Limestone Region website from opening day of the ministry centre in 2018.
“We have had some communication since last week about the Anglican diocese building as being a possible location. We haven’t done a site visit yet, but we will likely within the next week, and we can update the community when an agreement has been reached,” Marshall explained.
Rt. Rev. Michael Oulton, Anglican Bishop of Ontario, expressed his admiration for the project so far.That support looks strong given the comments of Rt. Rev. Michael Oulton, Bishop of Ontario, who said “We are called to respect the dignity of every human being and what you’re doing here, and what I’ve heard today and the ethos of this, is that you are developing a program that really lives up to that.”
3. Pier Repairs at Portsmouth Olympic Harbout til mid April
Received from The Kingstonist, Feb 11, 2022 – Jessica Foley
The City of Kingston is advising residents that there will be areas of open water surrounding the outer breakwater at Portsmouth Olympic Harbour until further notice, as the Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) undertakes repairs to the pier.
All community members are advised by the City to exercise extreme caution near the construction site and stay off the ice as well as the pier.
According to a release, contactors secured by the federal department will cut access holes in the ice at strategic locations for dive teams to access infrastructure below surface level, and ice near the breakwater will be cleared to permit the movement of barges carrying equipment and supplies.
The City said that the construction team will be in the southwest section of the parking lot, along the pier leading to the breakwater, as well as along the breakwater.
The rehabilitation work will involve the replacement of three piles, repair of two piles, modification and replacement of eight wave screens and minor concrete repair to the breakwater surface, the City stated. According to the DFO, work is anticipated to be complete no later than April 15, 2022.
4. In Case You Missed It – The Convoy Counter Protest at City Hall
Received from the Kingstonist, Feb 12, – Cris Vilela
A slow rolling convoy of protesters against public health mandates wound its way through Kingston on Saturday, Feb. 12, 2022, but was thwarted from passing by its intended destination, Kingston City Hall, by a group of counter-protesters.
The convoy of about 60 to 75 passenger vehicles gathered at the car park on Highway 38 shortly before 1 p.m., and began its circuitous route through Kingston, down Gardiners Road, Bath Road, Portsmouth Avenue, King Street, and Sir John A Macdonald Boulevard, before getting onto Princess Street and making its way towards the downtown area. Small groups of counter-protesters temporarily blocked the convoy’s path at various points along the route.
Meanwhile, in front of City Hall on Ontario Street, two large groups of about equal size gathered on separate sides of the street – on the west side of the road, mostly supporters of the convoy, and on the east side, mostly counter-protesters. A few dozen police officers from Kingston Police, as well as assisting officers from Brockville Police, Smiths Falls Police, and Belleville Police Services were on scene to maintain the peace.
Protesters and counter-protesters lined both sides of Ontario Street in front of City Hall before the roadway was closed.
As the slow-rolling convoy approached City Hall, counter-protesters began to block the roadway, moving wooden barricades onto the street to stop vehicles from crossing. Initially, police officers removed the barricades but, shortly thereafter, opted to re-erect the barricades on the roadway to keep the counter-protesters and vehicle convoy separate. After a stand-off of a few minutes, the lead convoy vehicle reversed and, giving a prolonged honk, rerouted the convoy onto Brock Street.
The convoy circled around Brock Street, Market Street, Princess Street and Ontario Street a few times before dispersing. Ontario Street was reopened to traffic by about 3:30 p.m.
https://www.kingstonist.com/news/slow-roll-convoy-clashes-with-counter-protesters-in-kingston/
5. Doornekamp Video of Ongoing Projects including Inner Harbour
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kPVmgDtHSXU
6. Survey of Downtown and Inner Harbour Area for Future Improvement
https://survey.potloc.com/kingston-harbour/start?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=paid-cpa&utm_term=779j_All_18%2B_feed-non-dynamic_Canada%28EN%29_STRAT-1_local&utm_content=FEED_English-2&adset_id=23849507074590765&adcampaign_id=23849507074600765&placement=Facebook_Desktop_Feed&utm_campaign=kingston-harbour&sglocale=en&wave=&rd=
7. Kingston’s New Red Light Cameras, March 1, 2022
Received from The Kingstonist, Feb 22, 2022 Jessica Foley
Starting on Tuesday, Mar. 1, 2022, the City of Kingston will begin operating red light cameras to enhance public safety at intersections and reduce red light running.
According to a release from the city, red light cameras are part of an automated traffic enforcement system. Cameras installed along the roadway will ticket vehicles that enter an intersection when the traffic signal is red, the city said.
Red light running is one of the causes of angled collisions at intersections – one of the most severe types of vehicle collisions – which can result in serious injury, according to the release. The City said that this program is one of several tools used in conjunction with other road safety strategies, such as police enforcement, to improve driver behaviour and make our streets safer for all road users.
“Enhancing public safety with a focus on pedestrian access and enforcement is a Council priority and reducing red light running is a part of that goal,” said Mayor Bryan Paterson. “Red light cameras are a tool to help reduce risk and improve safety on our streets and intersections.”
According to the city, red light cameras will be located at the following intersections:
County Road 2 and Princess Mary/Craftsman
Division and Concession
John Counter and Sir John A. Macdonald
Johnson and Barrie
Perth and Unity
Princess and Bayridge
Princess and Centennial
Red light cameras have been used throughout Ontario since 2000 to help reduce serious collisions at intersections, and Kingston joins other communities across the province in operating this program, according to the city.
Complete details on Kingston’s red light camera program, including answers to frequently asked questions, are available on the City’s website.
BROADER AFIELD
8. The Arctic could see ice-free summers by 2035, reshaping global shipping routes. Hellenic Shipping News, Monday, February 21, 2022. Sick of shipping delays? There might be a faster way to ship supplies around the world in the not too distant future. With melting sea ice in the Arctic, Russia and China are expanding their shipping infrastructure over the Eurasian continent. Last year’s Suez Canal incident, when a ship got stuck and blocked global traffic for several days, was seen as just the argument to entice businesses to explore using Arctic shipping routes.
9. Ontario Takes Further Action to Protect the Great Lakes, Ontario Newsroom, February 7, 2022. The Ontario government is supporting projects that help communities protect and improve the health of the Great Lakes by investing an additional $1.9 million in the Great Lakes Local Action Fund. This new investment will help support innovative projects led by community-based organizations, small businesses, municipalities, conservation authorities, and Indigenous communities that focus on protecting and restoring coastal, shoreline and nearshore areas of the Great Lakes and its connecting rivers and streams.
10. In the search for less carbon-intensive fuels, Great Lakes freighters powered by soybean may be the answer, The Globe and Mail (subscription required), February 8, 2022 (also appeared at Head Topics Canada). When the lights in the ship’s galley didn’t flicker, CSL Group’s Louis Martel, chief executive officer, knew he was on to something. The Atlantic Huron’s power generator was running on a blend of marine diesel and biofuel made from soybeans. The successful test was the first step in what is believed to be the world’s largest trial of powering massive cargo ships with biodiesel. Canada Steamship Lines, the domestic arm of CSL, expanded the trial over the past few years, gradually increasing the fuel mix to 100-per-cent soybean-derived diesel and running eight of its 16 ships on the St. Lawrence River and Great Lakes in 2021. The fuel swap reduced carbon emissions at each ship’s smokestack by almost 12 per cent without requiring any modifications to the engine. Mr. Martel is quoted.
11. International Chamber of Shipping announces maritime decarbonisation summit, International Chamber of Shipping, February 9, 2022. The board of the International Chamber of Shipping (ICS), has announced plans to mark its centenary and host a high-level summit to address the challenge of decarbonization. Responding to a challenge thrown down by industry leaders in Glasgow, during COP26, ICS will work with partners to convene shipowners, ministers, maritime, energy and infrastructure leaders with the challenge of bringing forward a tangible path to decarbonize the sector.
FUN AND INTERESTING
12. Great pics of Queen City Oil Co & Bajus Brewery
Once again thanks so much Eric Gagnon!
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1651265095017276/?multi_permalinks=2534020526741724¬if_id=1645807922223364¬if_t=group_highlights&ref=notif
https://hanleyspur.blogspot.com/2022/02/inner-harbour-photographs-by-david.html
Vintage Kingston group Facebook postings
https://mail.yahoo.com/?.intl=ca&.lang=en-CA
13. Rick Revelle’s New Book
WHY I WROTE THIS BOOK: THE ELK WHITLE WARRIOR SOCIETY
BY Rick Revelle
I wrote my forthcoming novel The Elk Whistle Warrior Society because I feel there is a need to shed light on what is happening to the Indigenous women of Turtle Island. My novel details how the Indigenous women of Turtle Island have taken matters in their own hands over the past 650 years. They are out to protect their grandmothers, aunties, sisters, nieces, daughters and children from the people who human traffic them, murder them and abuse them. The Society does it in their own way.
Revengeful, thorough and without remorse towards the abusers of their people, The Elk Whistle Warrior Society is out to do what the police and government cannot and will not do. Hunt down people who prey on them and their families. This book is about how Indigenous women have returned to the way of their female ancestors; strong in mind, body and spirit. Dedicated to their family, above all else.
Too many of Turtle Island’s women and children are buried in unmark graves, lost to the mists of times. The Elk Whistle Warrior Society rights those wrongs, defends the weak, rescues the abused. They are a secret society ran by women who are identified by two blue feathers tattooed on their right shoulders. They hand pick the men who travel with them.
These men have the same tattoos on their left calf. Each and every warrior has either a PhD or Masters from a university. They all have Martial Art black belts. They do not use guns, only the weapons of their ancestors; spears, bow and arrows, tomahawks and knives. Everyone has an elk whistle around their neck. When they have completed a mission, a cleanup crew arrives. Each of member of this secret collective have PhD’s in chemistry, biology and forensic science. Plus, they also have the weapons and Martial Arts skills of all the other warriors of the Society. If you like reading about tough, smart and goal-oriented Native women characters who can be looked up to by their readers because they are educated, strong and passionate about their people, then this is the book for you. Super heroes of the Indigenous population on Turtle Island. Just look for the blue tattoos and stay out of their way if they are after you. The last people who you want knocking on your door are The Elk Whistle Warrior Society women. They aren’t here to sell you Girl Guide cookies.
Back in a couple of weeks,
Cheers,
Mary Farrar, President,
Friends of Kingston Inner Harbour