September Update 2025

Dear Friends of Kingston Inner Harbour,
Of course the picture is if that wonderful ancient oak tree on the Tannery property that is in real danger of being cut down.
Hoping you have had a wonderful summer and are happy and ready to get involved once again in all that is happening in our wonderful city.
And please do remember the upcoming amazing turtle fund raiser at the Tett on Sept 27- www.turtleskingston.com!

LOCAL NEWS. ISSUES, AND EVENTS 
1. Urgent Tannery Update
2. Kingston Name our City Bird Contest
3. Annual Brush & Leaf Pickup Season is Here 
4. Police Urge Citizens to Practice Caution When Scheduling Deliveries.
5. Kingston Council Agrees to Lease-to-own Plan for Multisport Facility
6. Draw the Line Cross-Country Day of Action
7. Have your say! City launches 2026 Budget Engagement
8. Our Livable Solutions Update Video
9. Reconciliation Walk 2025, Sun, Sept 28 10 am
10. Heritage Property Designation of 2555 Hwy 38
11. Bird-Friendly City Grant
12. Little Forests Kingston Update: Planting Month is Coming Up
13. Update from Friends of Battery Park
14. Kingston City Council Stays with 30% Emission Reduction Target
15. Three City-Owned Sites Being Considered for Redevelopment
16. Kingston Art School Makes Historic Move to Providence Village
17. Upcoming Williamsville Renewal
18. Early Intervention Program for Kingston Area Schools Aims to Prevent Gender-based Violence
19. Kingston’s Inclusive Playground Officially has a Name: Jumpstart Inclusive Playground

FROM FARTHER AFIELD
20. Level 3 Low Water Condition Confirmed for Cataraqui Region
21. Thousands of Ontario Family Doctors to Get New Compensation Deal
22. Ontario’s Cheapest Cities were Revealed and You Could Save $26,000/year by Leaving Toronto
23. Brownfields Can be Rich Habitats
24. The Line 5 Tunnel Isn’t What We Were Told
25.  Mayors Urge Federal Action to Boost Container Capacity in Great Lakes Ports

FOR FUN AND GENERAL INTEREST
26. Foot of the Lakes Terminal – Enhanced Post
27. Whistleblower Exposes How AI Fuels Big Oil Growth
28. Biinaagami Giant Watershed Floor Map + Great Lakes Coastal Cleanup, Kingston, Sept 28
29. When Mountain Dew Came to Canada
30. Celebrating Diversity through the Arts:  Intercultural Arts Festival returns on Sept. 21
32. Ontario Tree Climbing Championship, Sept 19 – 20, 9 am Lake Ontario Park

LOCAL NEWS, ISSUES AND EVENTS
1. Urgent Tannery Update
Received from No Clearcuts Kingston Sept 15, 2025 
Please join us to show your continued care!

City Staff are presenting an update on the next steps for the Tannery property at Tuesday’s, Sept.16th, Council meeting in the Council Chamber, City Hall, at 7 PM! 
WE NEED TANNERY FOREST SUPPORTERS TO BE THERE AND SHOW YOU STILL CARE!
The agenda and Report (No. 25-212) are available at –https://events.cityofkingston.ca/default/Detail/2025-09-16-1900-City-Council-Meeting/1f79dd74-529b-44ae-93cc-b35500f1a1a3?ut
 The Report is on pages 173-185. A shortened version of this report can be found on the City’s website –https://www.cityofkingston.ca/news/posts/former-davis-tannery-lands-update-and-next-steps/?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email

No Clearcuts Kingston has been trying to get answers about the next steps regarding the Tannery forest. The Ford-dominated Ontario Land Tribunal ruled that developer Jay Patry can clearcut, excavate buried contaminants, and remove the Provincially Significant Wetland (PSW) from the property by changing the PSW boundary.

BUT WE HAVE CONCERNS ABOUT THE PROCESS

1. We need to see a responsible timeline for each step. The staff report has some confusing statements that need to be clarified by Council. For example, it states that when the remediation work is completed, ‘the owner could then request that the Ministry of Natural Resources adjust the boundary of the PSW’. This seems to be a ‘cart before the horse’ situation and leaves the current PSW open to destruction.
2. The steps that need to be completed are the Draft Plan of Subdivision, which is a blueprint for the siting and structure of the buildings, roadways, sewage, storm water control, and water and energy infrastructure. This is overseen at the municipal level by the Planning Department. It is independent of the remediation process, which is overseen by the MECP (Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks). The PSW mapping is also independently overseen, by the MNRF (Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry).
3. NCK also feels that the Draft Plan of Subdivision needs to be produced in collaboration with the Natural Heritage Systems mapping and a much stronger Climate Leadership Program in order to address the City’s recent declarations on the Climate Crisis and Montreal Biodiversity Framework. Hence, we ask that each of these areas have equal contribution to the Draft Plan.
4. As you know, we have asked that a hydrogeologist map the water flows underneath the forest. What pollutants could leach into the adjacent river if the forest is removed and excavation takes place? This needs to be taken into consideration before clearcutting to avoid unnecessary pollution of the land, air, and river. We ask that the City hire an independent hydrogeologist to assess the Phase 2 hydrogeology report already conducted by the developer, and that this be done before the Draft Plan of Subdivision be submitted and before any activities occur on the property.
5. We need to know that Council understands that this is not just another subdivision plan. It involves removal of a large, dynamic urban forest 12 hectares in area – and, along with Belle Park and Island, the only significant woodland in eastern urban Kingston. It also involves excavation of thousands of tons of contaminated soil, trucking a quarter of it to a licensed landfill somewhere, and building housing on the remaining soil, the latter which may then be full of hydrocarbon and heavy metal pollutants due to their disturbed status.
6. Lastly, we need to know that the developer must be legally responsible for completing the development in a set time. Taxpayers will be putting a very large amount of financial support behind him. It would be disastrous if he destroyed the forest and then realized that it would be too costly to develop.

Again, Council will be meeting this Tuesday, Sept. 16, 7 PM in the Council Chamber, City Hall.
We also encourage you to write to your Councillor about any of the concerns you have about this development. Please send your comments before Tuesday at noon to the Mayor and Council (mayor&council@cityofkingston.ca) and copy it to the City Clerk (cityclerk@cityofkingston.ca).

Editor’s Note: For a more detailed account, see Vicki Schmilka’S “Where is the wetland?” on substack
Vickischmolka+tannery-after-the-july-2026-decision@substack.com

2. Kingston Name our City Bird Contest
Received from the City of Kingston, September 2025
https://getinvolved.cityofkingston.ca/name-the-city-bird?utm_source=ehq_newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=ehq-Get-Involved-Kingston-Child-Care-System-Plan-Name-our-City-Bird-and-more%utm_campaign=website&utm_medi…

What will be Kingston’s City Bird?
Kingston is home to a wide variety of bird species. Some live here year-round, while others pass through during seasonal migrations. Now we’re asking you to help choose one bird to represent our city.
To support Kingston’s bid to become a certified Bird-Friendly City in 2025, we’re inviting the public to help choose the bird that best symbolizes our community. A list of 16 locally found bird species  – getinvolved.citiyofkingston.ca/name-the-city-bird?tool=news_feed#tool_tab

These birds are native species and commonly found in the wild in various parts of the city. You’re invited to tell us which bird you think should win by taking the survey below!
Your input helps raise awareness about the importance of protecting birds in our region and celebrates the birds that call Kingston home! The winning bird will be announced on Oct. 11 to coincide with World Migratory Bird Day and will become the official City Bird.
Learn more about Bird-Friendly City certification by visiting Nature Canada’s website.(External link) This certification is awarded to communities that show a commitment to reducing the threats to birds in their municipality.
Survey: https://getinvolved.cityofkingston.ca/name-the-city-bird?tool=survey_tool#tool_tab3. Annual Brush & Leaf Pickup Season is Here 
Received from the City of Kingston Sept 15, 2025
Never miss a collection!
Enter your address on this site
https://www.cityofkingston.ca/garbage-and-recycling/collection-calendar
to find your collection day and see what is being picked up on your next pick-up date.  
You can also: 

• View, download and print your Collection Calendar 
• Sign up for reminders* (email, phone) 
• Print or upload to your personal calendar (iCal, Google Calendar, Microsoft Outlook)

Please use your main address because unit numbers or letters do not work in this system. For example, 3A Lundy’s Lane should be entered as 3 Lundy’s Lane. 
BRUSH COLLECTION
Brush collection rolls out across Kingston starting the week of Sept. 22. Visit www.CityofKingston.ca/Collection to find your collection week. Please have your brush piled loosely at curbside by 8 a.m. on the Monday of your collection week. 
Stack brush – pruned bits of bushes and trees smaller than 15 cm (six inches) in diameter and shorter than 90 cm (three feet) long – with the butt ends facing the street. No root balls, please. 
Note that brush will not be collected during leaf collection weeks, and leaves will not be collected during brush collection weeks. 
LEAF COLLECTION
Leaf collection begins the week of Oct. 27. Visit www.CityofKingston.ca/Collection for your collection week. Have your leaves ready for collection at curbside by 8 a.m. on the Monday of your leaf collection week. 
Only leaves in paper leaf bags or placed loosely in bushel baskets, garbage cans, or other rigid-sided receptacles will be collected. Yard waste like tomato plants and vegetable garden waste (but not brush) can be put out for collection during leaf collection week. Ensure your bags or containers do not weigh more than 20 kg (44 pounds). 
Leaves in plastic bags – or in bags that look like plastic – will not be picked up by the City. 
COMPOST YOUR YARD WASTE
Leaves can be used as mulch, and grass clippings may be left on the lawn to nourish it over the coming months. 
Yard waste may be dropped off year-round at 196 Lappan’s Lane, open Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Saturdays, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., or at Tomlinson Organics at 2069 Joyceville Rd. (call 613-546-0884 for their hours of operation).

4. Police Urge Citizens to Practice Caution When Scheduling Deliveries.
Received from the Kingston Police via the Portsmouth District Communitiy Assoc. Sept 12, 2025
Police urge citizens to practice caution when scheduling deliveries
The Kingston Police have seen a recent increase in the number of ‘porch pirate’ or package theft incidents being reported.
A majority of these incidents are occurring in downtown neighbourhoods, specifically neighbourhoods populated by university aged students.
Police are urging citizens to have packages delivered to a near by drop off/pick up site as opposed to their residence if they do not believe they will be home during the scheduled delivery time.
Individuals who have had items stolen are also urged to file a report by contacting the Kingston Police at 613-549-4660 ext. ‘0’ or by filing an online report at kingstonpolice.ca

5. Kingston Council Agrees to Lease-to-own Plan for Multisport Facility Received from the Kingston Whig Standard, Sept 9, 2025 Hit by added expenses from tariffs, the group planning to build a new 7,000-square-metre multisport facility in the city’s east end has been granted a new financing arrangement. In February, the city approved the sale of 4.4 acres of land at the east end of Innovation Drive to Kingston Multisport Investment Group Ltd. The agreement allowed the company to pay almost $1.9 million in development charges for the project over a 10-year period.

6. Draw the Line Cross-Country Day of Action 
Received from Seniors for Climate Action Now Aug 5
Kingston Parade for Climate, for People, for Peace,
Sat, Sept 20, 2025
Assemble at Victoria Park 1:30
Parade to McBurney Park, 2:00  pm
All fossil-fuel free modes of transportation welcome.
Feet. Cycles. Skate boards. Mobility devices. Stilts.
Costumes and Pupprts.
Contact: kingston@seniorsforclimateactionnow.org
to RSVP, endorse, sponsor and/or donate by etransfer
Watch: Our Future is at Stake https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QFYY5cBi2XY  

7. Have your say! City launches 2026 Budget Engagement
Received from the City of Kingston, Sept 5, 2025
The community is invited to help shape the City of Kingston’s 2026 operating and capital budgets and provide valuable feedback on City services.  
“We want Kingston residents to get involved and ask questions about how the City budget works and to have an opportunity to give input and influence on how their tax dollars are spent,” says Desiree Kennedy, Chief Financial Officer and City Treasurer. “It is important to be engaged, have your say and let us know what matters to you as we plan for the 2026 budget.”  
You can visit Get Involved Kingston to complete a short survey, and to share ideas on how to improve the efficiency of City services. 
Staff are also planning in-person pop-up events, including one at the Princess Street Promenade on Sept. 13. City staff will be available to answer questions and gather feedback through interactive displays – stop by and get involved! 
Watch the Get Involved Kingston project page to stay updated and for further details on how you can make your voice heard. 
Get Involved 

• Until Nov. 2, visit the Get Involved Kingston project page to take our survey and have your say about the 2026 budgets. Make sure to follow the page to stay in the know!
• Share your thoughts about service levels. Our project page includes the Ideas tool, where you can let us know how we can adjust services to be more efficient. 
• To complete a survey by phone or request a mailed copy of the survey, call 613-546-0000. 

8. Our Livable Solutions Update Video
Received from Crystal Wilson of Our Livable Solutions, Sept 7, 2025
OLS Climbing Out of Homelessness
I’m excited to share a new video created for Our Livable Solutions (OLS), a project that grew out of a presentation I gave at a Community Foundation of Kingston and Area event. That gathering sparked important conversations about how we can build stronger, more sustainable communities, and this video became a way for OLS to carry that conversation further.
Working on it was also a personal milestone. It was my first time in a professional sound studio, and I’ll admit I felt nervous walking in. But John, the owner of SoundeWise, brought patience, guidance, and kindness into the process. With his coaching, what could have been intimidating became comfortable, even fun. I owe him a big thank you for helping me bring this message to life. And I’m equally grateful to the Community Foundation for planting the seed that inspired the project.
In the video many of the scenic images come from my own mountain adventures. Hiking and climbing have long been my way of finding perspective and resilience. Before the pandemic abruptly interrupted that part of my life, I loved coaching my kids and friends to take on the challenges of steep trails, teaching them to push through the hard stretches, embrace uncertainty, and celebrate the joy of reaching a summit.
Those lessons feel just as relevant in the work I’ve been doing around homelessness. The people I’ve met navigating life on the margins show an incredible amount of grit, resourcefulness, and perseverance; qualities not unlike what it takes to face a mountain trail. My hope is that, once political climates shift and circumstances allow, I’ll be able to share the mountains with some of the people I’ve met along the way. I can picture a few already who I know would love the challenge, and who might find the same strength and renewal I’ve always found above the treeline.
I’d love for you to watch the video and share your reflections

9. Reconciliation Walk 2025, Sun, Sept 28 10 am
Received from True North Aid Sept 11, 2025
Reconciliation Walk 2025 – Kingston | Facebook
Museum of Health Care September Update
Received Sept 3, 2025
Celebration of Dentristry, Sept 25 from 5:00 – 8:00 pm
This event will showcase select treasures from the Museum’s renowned Crawford Dental Collection—recognized as one of the most significant dental history collections in North America—to celebrate the opening of our newest exhibit, Tooth Be Told.

10. Heritage Property Designation of 2555 Hwy 38
Received from Peter Lawton, Sept 15, 2025
I submitted this to the Whig-Standard as a ‘Letter to the editor” where it was received and I was told that it would be published shortly. I waited for it to be published but it never was. Clearly, the submission was rejected. I asked the Whig-Standard to tell me why it was rejected but my request has been ignored, and I have heard nothing. In the absence of any other information, I am concluding that it was rejected because it did not paint the council in a positive light.  Perhaps someone from council got to them before it was published. 

This is disappointing from a personal point of view because a good and thoughtful argument had been made critiquing the council’s decision. It’s disappointing from a community point of view because the Whig Standard is our primary community news medium. Next year is an election year and we need an objective news medium to carry unbiased community information and discussion. 
All the best,
Peter Lawton

Dear Members of Council, 
I was pleased to read about the Heritage Properties Committee’s recent decision and recommendation with respect to the heritage designation of the property at 2555 Hwy 38.

I am very proud and privileged to live in a home that has been designated as a heritage house. It was built in about 1840 by an immigrant family from the United States, who followed their earlier UEL family to Kingston.

This case is a classic example of how heritage decisions should be made. The decision to designate and maintain the designation of a property is not an emotional decision. It’s clearly based on the qualities and characteristics of the property itself, not the current circumstances of the owner. In this case, the owner claims that she cannot get insurance for the property at an affordable price. On the other hand, the insurance industry reassures us that a heritage designation does not increase maintenance costs and is no reason for insurance companies to deny insurance or to raise insurance rates.

The insurance companies are definitely getting tougher, but it’s also a very competitive industry. Insurance rates are based on a number of factors to do with maintenance, house improvements and owner financial viability. It also appears that the owner was motivated to appeal for support because of the financial situation she finds herself in. I’m very pleased that most of the committee did not fall for this personal story.

The beauty of heritage is that it’s here, it doesn’t need expensive building, it just needs care and protection. It’s true that heritage will never dangle the bright new shiny objects in front of council, with money and naming rights attached, that are so attractive to this council and its administration. Heritage attractions are already here, ready to be appreciated for the value that they have brought, and will continue to bring, to the pride and benefit of all Kingstonians and to our visitors.

I thank the Heritage Properties Committee for recognising and supporting the fact that heritage designations are decisions made in the best long-term interests of our community. We must protect the heritage that we have, because once it’s gone, it’s gone. I am very pleased that my own house is now safe and protected for the benefit and enjoyment of our future generations, because of its heritage designation.

The council should support its recommendation and not reverse their earlier decision to designate the property at 2555 Hwy 38.

Recommendations

1. The owner needs to do her homework. It’s the responsibility of anyone who owns property to research the insurance market for the best quote. One broker and two or three quotes is not sufficient to argue that reasonable insurance is not available in this marketplace. 

There are a number of discrepancies in the information provided in this case. For example, we are told that Aviva will not insure heritage properties or properties more than 20 acres, but Aviva has been insuring this property up to now, even though it is 200 acres! I am aware of a property that Aviva is quoting on today, for a reasonable price, that is well known as a heritage property. Why hasn’t this owner contacted Aviva directly for a quote?

Why are TD and Intact Prestige quotes so incredibly high when the actual house coverage quoted is not that excessive? There has to be more to these stories that is not disclosed. Perhaps it’s because of the extensive property updates and improvements, such as the hot tub and swimming pool, or perhaps she has a history of non-payment. 

1. Ask the Heritage staff to continue contacting insurance companies and to compile a list of ‘heritage friendly’ insurance agencies. 

The staff report says that: 
“Heritage staff have engaged with various insurance companies, brokers, the National Trust and the Insurance Board of Canada on this matter. Staff have also contacted insurance companies on behalf of property owners and successfully clarified the provincial policy on the matter of insurance and heritage designation, resulting in competitive coverage for the property owner.” 

It would be interesting for the current heritage house owners to know what the staff have learned about the insurers that have spoken to and what their plan is to continue this valuable research activity. For example, I have learned that a heritage designation is not an issue for CAA, it’s just that it’s their policy to not insure any buildings over 100 years old. If I had a question about my own house insurance, my first step would be to contact the heritage people at City Hall for advice. I would not expect a specific recommendation, but a list of heritage and age friendly insurance companies would be a very helpful and valuable start. 

1. Ask the Heritage staff to identify any available information on the effect of a heritage designation on property prices. 

The broker has pulled up a figure of a $400K increase in property value because of the designation. Where did this come from? Is it at all valid and reliable, because it sounds very suspicious? What is the research available, perhaps provincially, on the effect on house prices following a heritage designation? Perhaps house prices fall! What information do professional house appraisers have? It would make sense to say that a designation by itself is no reason to increase house insurance, but a realistic change in house evaluation may be. Again, I would look to the professional heritage staff at City Hall for this information.

Thank you,
Sincerely,
Peter Lawton
1553 Sunnyside Road
Kingston, Ontario
K7L 4V4
peterlawton@bell.net

11. Bird-Friendly City Grant Received from Little Forests Kingston, Sept 7, 2025

We’re excited to announce that we, in partnership with the 1000 Islands Master Gardeners, have been selected for a small grant to help make Kingston a bird-friendly city by Nature Canada! It’s amazing to have their support. We’ll be using the grant money to organise a hedgerow-planting workshop and demonstration to promote the plants and habitats that can support our avian kin, and we will also be sending the attendees home with their own hedgerow-planting kit.

But that’s not all! We’ll also be demonstrating how to make windows bird-friendly, setting up a display at our local friendly bookstore, Novel Idea, publishing a guide on planting and stewarding pocket hedgerows, and making a handout explaining how to make your windows bird-friendly.

There’s lots of stuff coming up so stay tuned for updates on Facebook, Eventbrite, or the 1000 Islands Master Gardeners newsletter! If you’d like to attend the hedgerow-planting workshop, we’ll be sending out an application form very soon – there is a limited number of plants we can get with our grant, so the number of spaces for attendees will be limited.   12. Little Forests Kingston Update: Planting Month is Coming Up Received from Little Forests Kingston, Sept 7, 2025

Hope your September is off to a good start! We’re now only a little more than a month away from our planting season for this year! Here’s what’s going on:

Grenville Park: Mark your calendars! The third and final phase of the Grenville Park Little Forest tree planting initiative will take place Saturday October 18 and Sunday October 19 from 9-4. We have 1,000 native shrub and tree seedlings arriving, so come on out and spend some time with neighbours and friends to help augment our City’s tree canopy! See you at the park on the corner of Westview and Grenville Roads in one of Kingston’s coolest communities. (BYO shovel, please).

13. Update from Friends of Battery Park
Received Sept 8, 2025 from batteryparkfriends.kingston@gmail.com
Greetings Friends,
As summer winds down, our work continues. Here’s a brief update as we head further into the month of September:
·         ✅ Productive meeting held with City staff
We had a constructive and respectful discussion last week with senior City staff about the proposed inflatable water park. We shared our concerns and asked key questions about site suitability, community consultation, and planning consistency.
·         🎬 New & Improved Video Shared with City
In preparation for that meeting, we revised our 5-minute video to share with the team, summarizing key concerns in a slightly more humorous fashion.
·         📽️ Watch this version… shared with the City
uc0df2df9af162acd4b59eb5cfb1.dl.dropboxusercontent.com/cd/0/inline/Cw_TDyBWa_xdb13NZovdpyEVck3k7TZkiyg5omeGurfHUQ2jgdCvbe5JAQwWJREdGmo1XBYhTVmjiZDoaBvlHPdGJHltF5rECHGFdAclVWlgVDrR-_gE_eZ-VoCCvTvuzf0-yWXn2A6N4ktL15xJvGsL/file#
(safe Dropbox link; no login or software download required)
·         📢 Please feel welcome to share the video with neighbours, friends, or community contacts who may wish to stay informed.
·         🕰️ Next steps pending
We are now awaiting a response from the City on how they plan to move forward. We’re hopeful that more dialogue — and public input — will be part of what comes next.

14. Kingston City Council Stays with 30% Emission Reduction Target
Received from the Kingston Whig Standard, Sept 5, 2025 – Elliot Ferguson
City council voted to retain the existing 30 per cent emission reduction target even though environmentalists had called for a more aggressive reductions, up to 40 or 50 per cent.
The decision to stay with the 30-per-cent target came after a consultant’s report stated that the city was likely to reach a “best case” corporate emission reduction of 25 per cent by 2030.
Instead of changing the target now, council opted to leave that decision to be made during a coming climate leadership plan review.
For the city’s purposes, Kingston greenhouse gas emissions are divided into two broad categories: corporate emissions produced by city-owned buildings, vehicles and operations; and community emissions generated by residents and businesses.

15. Three City-Owned Sites Being Considered for Redevelopment
Received from ygktoday@nauk,beeguuv,com Sept 5 – Grant Deme
City Council gave the go-ahead to start a public visioning exercise for Centre 70, the Kingston Memorial Centre, and the Portsmouth Olympic Harbour.
Kingston council’s moving ahead with a public visioning exercise to redevelop Centre 70, the Kingston Memorial Centre, and the Portsmouth Olympic Harbour.Centre 70 will also be decommissioned, which Councillor Wendy Stephens says is the right move, but still bittersweet. Community Services Commissioner Jennifer Campbell outlined what these visioning exercises do. 
Staff will also explore installing a second ice pad at the Memorial Centre as well as expanding the harbour into year-round usage. 
From Shelters to Suburbs: Kingston Tries ‘Creative’ Approach to Housing Crisis
Received from the Kingstonist Sept 3 – Bill Hutchins
From shelters to suburbs: Kingston tries ‘creative’ approach to housing crisis
City Council has endorsed $3.5 to purchase homes throughout the City of Kingston in a number of different neighbourhoods.
These housing units will be for homeless persons who are not acutely needy and will be designed to compliment the existing shelter system.

16. Kingston Art School Makes Historic Move to Providence Village
Received from ygk
Kingston Art School Makes Historic Move to Providence Village
The Kingston School of Art is setting up its easels in a brilliant new chapter at Providence Village this month. The school’s relocation to 1200 Princess Street will create a dedicated printmaking studio and expand community arts programming, bringing creative wellness to this growing non-profit hub.

17. Upcoming Williamsville Renewal
Received from the City of Kingston, Sept 8, 2025
In 2026 a portion of Princess Street in Williamsville from Division to Albert Street as well as Garrett Street will be completely rebuilt. Ahead of that work the City will be hosting two drop-in information sessions this fall to share project details and impacts, present the conceptual design for the Frontenac Street Green Street Initiative, and give community members the opportunity to learn more and ask questions.
Both Information Sessions will be drop-in from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. at the Memorial Centre in the southeast hallway (near Culligan Water Park). The first one will take place on Sept. 25 and the second one will take place on Nov. 20. For those unable to attend in person, information and project updates will also be shared on Get Involved Kingston.
“This stretch of Princess Street is scheduled for reconstruction to support the City’s ongoing growth and to renew infrastructure,” said Melanie Knowles, Project Manager with Engineering Services at the City of Kingston. “Once completed, it will help create a vibrant, active, and connected corridor through Williamsville.”
The reconstruction is being driven by underground infrastructure upgrades, needed to support growth in the area and separate sanitary and storm water sewers into separate systems. Since this underground work will involve digging up the corridor, the City will use this opportunity to implement portions of the Williamsville Main Street Transportation Plan. Once completed, this stretch of Princess Street will include:

• Installation of new cycle tracks along Princess Street.
• Upgrade accessibility at road crossings.
• Upgrade transit stops and infrastructure.
• Separate combined sewers and replace sanitary services.
• Install new watermain with service replacements.
• Upgrade Kingston Hydro infrastructure.
• Reconstruct sidewalks and curbs.
• Repave the roadway.
• Review and recommend options for side street parking areas to compensate for some of the parking spaces removed from Princess Street.
• Consider areas for street trees, planter boxes and other street furniture, such as benches.
• Construction of the Frontenac Street Parkette.

This will be an exciting upgrade for the Williamsville Neighbourhood and we look forward to sharing updates throughout the project and construction. To learn more about the project and stay connected with all future updates please visit the project’s homepage on Get Involved Kingston and subscribe for updates.
Editor’s Note: It would be great if something similar could be in the cards for the Inner Harbour – esp the need for cycle priority routes from the downtown to Kingston Secondary School – incorporating current and possible future sections of the K&P Trail.

18. Early Intervention Program for Kingston Area Schools Aims to Prevent Gender-based Violence
Received from the Kingston Whig Standard, Sept 3, 2025
A new partnership between the John Howard Society of Kingston & District and Sexual Assault Centre (SAC) Kingston has culminated in the launch of ’Rewire: Empowering Youth for Healthy Relationships,’ a new early intervention program aimed at preventing gender-based violence (GBV).

19. Kingston’s Inclusive Playground Officially has a Name: Jumpstart Inclusive Playground
Received from the Kingston Whig Standard, Sept 5, 2025
A new inclusive playground to be built in Shannon Park in Kingston has a new name and officials are excited to announce that it will be formally known as Jumpstart Inclusive Playground, according to a news release sent out by the City of Kingston.
The name was chosen thanks to grant funding from Canadian Tire Jumpstart Charities and the Kingston Canadian Tire dealers.
Jumpstart is a national charity that works to help youth overcome barriers to sport and play.
“Jumpstart is an excellent community partner and has been supporting initiatives in Canada to help kids play for 20 years and we are so excited to welcome their support in Kingston,” Amy Elgersma, director of recreation and leisure services for the city, said in a supplied statement. “The funding from this naming rights agreement is an important part of getting closer to the fundraising goal for the inclusive playground.”
In the spring of 2023, a group of Kingston residents met with City of Kingston staff to discuss the idea of an inclusive playground. Since then, the volunteers and partners of the Inclusive Play Project have raised hundreds of thousands of dollars.
“We are proud to help bring the Jumpstart Inclusive Playground to life in Shannon Park,” Stuart McReynolds, associate vice-president of programs & advocacy for Canadian Tire Jumpstart Charities, said in the release. “Jumpstart is committed to creating a more inclusive Canada by developing safe and inclusive play spaces for kids of all abilities. This partnership with the City of Kingston demonstrates our dedication to building stronger communities through the power of sport and play.”
The estimated cost of this playpark is $1,500,000. 
Various donors have already helped contribute to help get the project up and running. Those include support from Kinsmen Club of Kingston, Britton Smith Foundation, V2 Innovations, Swyrich Corporation and Kingston Construction Association.
To find out more about the project or to donate, head to inclusiveplayproject.com

FROM FARTHER AFIELD
20. Level 3 Low Water Condition Confirmed for Cataraqui Region
Received from Cataraqui Conservation, Sept 4, 2025
Level 3 Low Water Condition Confirmed for Cataraqui Region

21. Thousands of Ontario Family Doctors to Get New Compensation Deal
Received from TorStar, Aug 7 – Megan Ogilvie, Health Reporter
Doctors providing comprehensive family medicine in Ontario are poised to get a new compensation deal from the province — the first revamp of their payment structure in almost 20 years.
The Ford government and the Ontario Medical Association are close to finalizing a deal that will update the compensation model for doctors working in a family health organization, a move that will affect about 6,500 family physicians in the province.
The proposed deal comes amid a primary care crisis that has left two million Ontarians without a family doctor. Both the province and the OMA say the updated model will encourage more doctors to practise comprehensive family medicine — and prevent others from fleeing the profession.
“Family doctors are going to be better compensated for the work of being a family doctor,” said Kimberly Moran, CEO of the OMA, which represents roughly 43,000 doctors, medical students and retired physicians.
Ontario
Ontario has a family doctor crisis. Here’s one reason why it’s hard to find one
The updated model — called FHO+ — recognizes that practising comprehensive family medicine has changed in recent years, with administrative tasks taking up more of a doctor’s time. It will allow doctors to bill for clinical and administrative tasks, such as such as charting, reviewing test results and filling out forms.
Currently, doctors are not compensated for most of these tasks and the growing administrative burden has led to burnout and pushed a growing number away from the profession. According to the Ontario College of Family Physicians, doctors spend 19.5 hours a week on average on administrative work.
The lack of compensation for this behind-the-scenes clinical administration was among the top concerns for family doctors, Moran said.
“This model recognizes the additional workload that they’re carrying,” she said.
FHO+ is an update to the current family health organization model, in which doctors are paid through capitation. This means doctors receive payment from the government determined by the number and complexity of patients on their roster. In a family health organization, doctors can also bill OHIP for some services.
In Ontario, about 6,500 physicians work in a family health organization, according to the OMA. A spokesperson for Health Minister Sylvia Jones called a family health organization “the most widely adopted primary care model in Ontario.” Ontario has a number of family medicine payment models, including fee-for-service, which is not a part of the proposed deal.  
Among the updates, the FHO+ model opens additional spaces for doctors to join family health organizations. Both the OMA and the government say this will increase access to comprehensive primary care.
Ema Popovic, Jones’s spokesperson, said in a statement that FHO+ includes bonuses to encourage family health organizations to enrol new patients, while also strengthening incentives for after-hours care, helping more patients get access to their family doctor.
“The modernized model intends to retain current physicians, attract new ones, increase patient enrolment, and reduce administrative burdens for physicians,” Popovic said. She noted investments in FHO+ will help the province’s Primary Care Action Plan, which pledges to connect every Ontarian to a primary care provider by 2029.
Desperately seeking a family doctor. What a striking scene in one small Ontario town says about a brewing crisis
Negotiations between the Ministry of Health and the OMA are ongoing, with arbitration expected to wrap up in the fall. Moran said the arbitrator is working through a few final details, but that the majority of FHO+ has been agreed upon and will go a long way in encouraging family doctors to offer comprehensive, longitudinal care.
“We believe this will attract more doctors to the profession and lead to more doctors wanting to stay,” she said.

22. Ontario’s Cheapest Cities were Revealed and You Could Save $26,000/year by Leaving Toronto
Received from Narcity.com, Sept 10, 2025
Ontario’s cheapest cities were revealed and you could save $26,000/year by leaving Toronto – Narcity

Here are the top 10 most expensive cities in Ontario and the incomes you’d need to be comfortable:

1. Richmond Hill — $106,536/year
2. Milton — $106,392/year
3. Whitby — $105,624/year
4. Mississauga — $99,816/year
5. Toronto — $98,880/year
6. Markham — $98,016/year
7. Vaughan — $96,960/year
8. Burlington — $96,024/year
9. Guelph — $91,632/year
10. Oakville — $91,536/year

All 10 of these cities are over the $90,000 mark, meaning you’d need to be earning well above the national average just to feel financially stable there — not exactly great news if you’re on a budget.
Here are Ontario’s mid-range cities, ranked by their comfortable income estimates:

1. Barrie — $91,368/year
2. Kitchener — $90,888/year
3. Cambridge — $89,928/year
4. Belleville — $89,376/year
5. Oshawa — $89,256/year
6. Ottawa — $89,112/year
7. Hamilton — $88,344/year
8. Waterloo — $87,096/year
9. Windsor — $87,024/year
10. Pickering — $86,976/year
11. North Bay — $86,904/year
12. London — $86,832/year
13. Ajax — $86,520/year
14. St. Catharines — $84,792/year
15. Peterborough — $84,744/year
16. Welland — $84,720/year

The cheapest places to live in Ontario

If you’re looking to stretch your paycheque, the bottom 10 cities on the list could offer the best value for your money. These are the most affordable cities in Ontario based on what it costs a single renter to live comfortably.

1. Aurora — $84,504/year
2. Thunder Bay — $83,400/year
3. Brampton — $83,304/year
4. Niagara Falls — $82,824/year
5. Kingston — $82,488/year
6. Newmarket — $82,224/year
7. Greater Sudbury — $81,480/year
8. Brantford — $80,064/year
9. Sarnia — $74,208/year
10. Sault Ste. Marie — $72,744/year

There’s a $33,000 gap between Richmond Hill at the top and Sault Ste. Marie at the bottom — which is a huge difference in what it takes to feel financially comfortable.
And just because these cities are more affordable doesn’t mean you’re sacrificing quality of life. Cities like Sudbury and Kingston offer strong infrastructure, schools and health care, all while letting your budget breathe a little easier.

23. Brownfields Can be Rich Habitats
Received from the Guardian, Aug 10 – Patrick Barkham via Bruce Bursey.  Thanks Bruce.
Conservationists say Canvey Wick in Essex shows potential for brownfield sites as havens for nature

“You must see this!” Marc Outten shoulders past tangles of blackthorn and shimmies around hummocks of blackberries the size of buses and glades filled with wildflowers. What beautiful wildlife spectacle awaits?
Weaving across carpets of bird’s foot trefoil, we reach our destination: a vast, barren circle of asphalt, 70 metres across – the ruins of an uncompleted oil refinery.
“You’ll find rare bees and reptiles around the edge and you’ve got these lovely stonecrops and lichens,” enthuses Outten, a naturalist and RSPB’s site manager for Canvey Wick nature reserve. The derelict asphalt pad is buzzing with rare nature.

This “ruined” landscape – where disused street lamps poke up above rampant scrub – resembles some kind of post-apocalyptic London. But in its ruination, this brownfield site beside the Thames in Essex has become one of the most nature-rich places in Britain, home to 3,200 species including endangered shrill carder bees, pantaloon bees, water vole, cuckoos and long-eared owls.
Canvey Wick is celebrating its 20th anniversary as a site of special scientific interest (SSSI) as conservationists warn many similarly wildlife-rich brownfield sites are threatened by development, particularly in the Thames Gateway.
Tilbury ash fields, home to 185 invertebrate species of conservation concern including the great sneak-spider, is imperilled by plans to expand the port of Tilbury. Meanwhile, a Google datacentre is proposed on a local wildlife site close to Lakeside that is home to nightingales, rare plants and scarce invertebrates such as the brown-banded carder bee.
The site has attracted rare bees and wildflowers. Photograph: Linda Nylind/The Guardian
Canvey Wick shows what can happen when a brownfield site is protected. Since it was bought by the Land Trust and managed by the RSPB in partnership with Buglife, an astonishing range of rare species have made their home on its 93 hectares (230 acres): 11.7% of its 3,200 species are classified as rare, scarce, threatened or near threatened.
Eight years ago, there were no nightingales on Canvey Wick. Today there are 21 nightingale territories in the thickets of blackthorn, hawthorn and bramble – a vital new stronghold for the much-loved but endangered songbird.

“People assume that brownfield sites are very low value for biodiversity – until they see what a brownfield site can really do,” said Outten, on a tour of the site during which we find pantaloon bees, spectacular Jersey tiger moths and increasingly rare wall brown butterflies. “If brownfield sites are left to sit around for a while, they develop into really rich habitats. This would’ve been a very desolate space full of sand, concrete and tarmac and now we’ve got this wonderful nature reserve. There’s so much structural diversity and the more structural diversity you have, the more biodiversity you have – that’s what makes this place so special.”
Canvey Wick was green grazing marshes until humans ruined them – and inadvertently made one of the most nature-rich places in Britain.

An oil refinery was planned for Canvey Wick in the early 1970s. The ground was raised with dredging from the Thames: sands, shingle and even seashells. Concrete roads and street lamps were built. Thirty two and a half circular asphalt pads were constructed as bases for vast oil storage containers. And then the 1973 oil price shock halted work. The refinery was abandoned.
Over the next 50 years, nature raced in. The unusual diversity of soil types and hot microclimates attracted an unusual range of invertebrates: there are 250 species of bee, wasp and ant on the site, including the brown-banded carder bee, five-banded weevil-wasp and carrot mining bee. They feed on an unconventional mix of native and non-native flowers including bristly oxtongue and everlasting pea.
As the human ruins subside beneath greenery, conservationists must manage the rapidly changing site to balance the competing needs of different rare species. What’s great for nightingales – more scrub – will cause many heat-loving invertebrates to disappear. When the site was first designated an SSSI in 2005, there was just 15% scrub and tree cover. Today it is more like 70%.
Outten on the nature reserve, showing where man-made meets wildlife. Photograph: Linda Nylind/The Guardian
“Some scrub is great but having that open mosaic flower-rich grassland is really important,” says Outten. “How do you strike the balance between clearing areas and retaining nightingale habitat? A lot of this is cutting-edge stuff. ‘Restoring’ brownfield is not something many organisations have got into.”
A three-year project at Canvey has cut back some scrub, and created new scrapes of bare sand required by rare invertebrates and species such as adders. The cut-and-scraped areas are now burgeoning with wildflowers and insects again, while cleared ditches are home to scarce emerald damselflies and blue-eyed hawker dragonflies.
Conservationists hope it will inspire the creation of more brownfield nature reserves. “Canvey Wick demonstrates how brownfield sites can be transformed into vibrant green spaces that serve the community and provide important habitats for wildlife,” says Alan Carter, the chief executive of the Land Trust. “We are extremely proud of the regeneration efforts carried out since taking on the ownership of the site in 2012. The site is now one of the top locations in Britain for endangered invertebrates, an impressive achievement.”

Although important parts of Swanscombe peninsula were saved from development threats when Natural England designated it an SSSI in 2021, Buglife is calling on the government’s wildlife watchdog to urgently give more sites the same protection, including Tilbury ash fields. Natural England has “Thames estuary invertebrates” in Essex and Kent listed in its SSSI designation “pipeline” but the watchdog has been criticised for failing to designate many endangered places in recent years.
Carl Bunnage, head of nature policy at RSPB, said: “Brownfield sites are not always just dead, ugly and abandoned spaces. Indeed, as Canvey Wick shows, they can provide specialist habitats and be havens for nature – full of life of all kinds. With the government currently driving reforms to the planning system in England, and prioritising the re-development of brownfield sites, it is vital that the nature-value of sites is properly assessed before planning decisions are taken.”

Conservationists hope Canvey Wick can also inspire smaller ways of attracting rare wildlife: depositing piles of sand or crushed concrete on a place may not look conventionally pretty but it will create soils and microclimates where myriad wildflowers and invertebrates can thrive.
Outten, who was raised in the area, hopes Canvey will inspire the creation of other similar nature reserves so there is a network for rare species, which can be enjoyed by the local community as well.
“People feel passionately about it. We want to strike the balance between giving people a place where they can access green space but also protect the species that the site is important for. It’s a unique place. There’s nowhere else like it,” he said.

Editor’s Note: On this topic there is a wonderful book – Islands of Abandonment: Naure Rebounding in the Post-Human Landscape by Cal Flyn.  “From Tanzanian mountains to the volcanic Caribbean, Chernobyl,  the forbidden areas of France, the mining regions of Scotland, the de-militarized zone in the Mediterranean, Flyn brings together some of the most desolate, eerie, ravaged, and polluted areas of the world – and shows how, against all odds, they offer our best opportunities for environmental recovery.
By turns haunted and hopeful, this luminously written world study is pinned together with profound insight and new ecological discoveries that together map an answer to the big questions: what happens after we’re gone, and how far can our damage to nature be undone?”
Islands of Abandonment: Life in the Post Human Landscape, a nonfiction book by Cal Flyn — Cal Flyn, author and journalist

24. The Line 5 Tunnel Isn’t What We Were Told
Received from Flow Water Advocates, Aug 13, 2025 
Line 5 – the 72-year-old dual pipelines suspended across the bottomlands of the Straits of Mackinac – has been battered by anchor strikes and entangled by cables from passing ships. It is universally accepted that the exposed pipelines represent a clear and present danger to the Great Lakes and the regional economy should Line 5 fail.
In the final two months of Governor Rick Snyder’s second term in 2018, the State of Michigan hurriedly signed four agreements with Enbridge, the Canadian pipeline company that owns and operates Line 5, authorizing the construction of a tunnel beneath the Straits of Mackinac intended to contain and protect Line 5.
The agreements, hastily prepared without public hearings or public review of any kind, require the State of Michigan to take ownership of the tunnel once construction is complete, and to oversee the operation and maintenance of the tunnel for the next 99 years.
There is one notable  problem with this unusual partnership between the State and Enbridge: The tunnel the State agreed to manage is not the tunnel that Enbridge intends to build. 
“Almost every aspect of the tunnel’s design, construction, and operation is radically different that what was originally intended,” says Brian O’Mara, an expert with over 30 years of tunnel construction experience. “The tunnel project is so off track in so many ways, it is questionable that it can ever be successfully constructed, let alone operated safely.”
Basic design assumptions for the proposed tunnel.
The State’s participation in the tunnel project was based on a detailed report, Alternatives Analysis for the Straits Pipeline, authored in 2017 by Dynamic Risk Assessment Systems, Inc., a company providing engineering consulting services to the pipeline industry. Dynamic Risk’s assessment was based upon a tunnel design that was distinctly different from the tunnel design that Enbridge proposes today.
Dynamic Risk recommended a tunnel alternative for Line 5 pipeline based upon the following assumptions:

1. A thorough and comprehensive investigation of the lakebed would be conducted to understand the geological conditions that the proposed tunnel project would encounter.
2. The pipeline within the proposed tunnel would be permanently embedded in concrete that would completely fill the 10-foot diameter of the tunnel.
3. The tunnel would be bored through entirely sound and solid bedrock.
4. There would be minimal groundwater inflow and pressure.
5. There would be no methane or toxic gas (H2S) encountered.

None of these assumptions proved to be true or accurate.
How the tunnel has changed.
First, the Dynamic Risk evaluation assumed that “a comprehensive site-specific subsurface investigation and lab testing program would be required” by the State of Michigan, before construction to identify the characteristics of the rocks the tunnel excavation would encounter.
But the expert consultants, McMillen Jacobs Associates (MJA), retained by the Michigan Department of Transportation, identified numerous problems and red flags that were not adequately addressed in Enbridge’s investigation of the proposed tunnel path. For example, MJA found that Enbridge “did not adequately characterize the anticipated ground conditions on site” and that many of the rock sample borings intended to characterize the underlying geology did not reach the proposed depth of the tunnel, with only one boring sample taken from the most critical two-mile length of the tunnel’s proposed pathway.
Second, the tunnel design recommended and approved by the State’s consultant, Dynamic Risk, was a tunnel, 10 feet in diameter, with a “closed annulus,” meaning that the interior of the tunnel would be filled with an impermeable, inflammable cement surrounding the pipelines. The concrete would permanently seal the pipelines, preventing damage or leaks and affording an additional critical measure of safety. The present design is for an open, unsealed, 21-foot tunnel lacking the security and protection that a sealed tunnel would provide.
Third, the Dynamic Risk report on which the State relied assumed that the tunnel would be bored through solid bedrock. But Enbridge’s limited investigation found conditions that would be extremely challenging. It found that the tunnel route would encounter rock formations that are highly fractured and highly permeable, with most rock formations classified as “poor” or “very poor.” Moreover, the boring samples repeatedly encountered “voids”- open underground spaces that would need to be filled with concrete and grout before the tunnel boring machine could progress through the proposed route.
Fourth, the MJA consultants found that the extreme depth of the tunnel route will result in the boring effort encountering high “hydraulic conductivity and hydrostatic pressure” constituting “areas of significant risk impacting tunnel operations due to high groundwater inflows.” The MJA reports state that pressures may “overwhelm” the systems designed to treat water infiltration, estimated at 25,000 gallons per day. The US Army Corps of Engineers’ draft Environmental Impact Statement indicates that the pressures the tunneling machine would encounter may be the highest ever in a tunnel construction project.
Fifth, Enbridge reported that no methane of consequence was encountered in its limited geological investigation, but internal reports indicated that methane was detected in some of the samples and Enbridge failed to note that the proposed tunnel would be situated directly above the Collingwood-Utica Shale Oil and Gas play capable of yielding gas and oil in recoverable quantities. In 1971, a similar tunnel building effort in Lake Huron resulted in a methane explosion that killed 22 construction workers inside the tunnel.
A continued threat to the Great Lakes.
The tunnel project on the table today is substantially different from the tunnel project that was proposed when the agreements were signed by Governor Snyder. And the tunnel design recommended by Dynamic Risk and relied upon by the Michigan Public Service Commission (MPSC) and the Mackinac Straits Corridor Authority (MSCA) is not the design being advanced by Enbridge now. 
The proposed tunnel construction has the potential to impair both the Great Lakes bottomlands and the waters of Lakes Michigan and Huron.  A recent survey found that there have been 321 documented tunnel failures through 2020.  The proposed project is replete with “red flags” indicating the project will encounter extraordinary environmental challenges. It is clear that the proposed tunnel project is not as safe as Enbridge wants Michiganders to believe. The risks that the proposed project presents to the Great Lakes cannot be ignored. With the permitting process for the tunnel underway, we must all call on our federal and state agencies to protect the public interest in our shared freshwater resources.

25. Mayors Urge Federal Action to Boost Container Capacity in Great Lakes Ports
NOTL Local, September 3, 2025. In a joint letter sent this week to federal officials, including the Minister of Public Safety and the Minister of Transport and Internal Trade, members of the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Cities Initiative (Cities Initiative) expressed strong support for a renewed mandate and investments in the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) to enhance container capacity in this economically strategic region that connects the heart of North America to global markets.

FOR FUN AND GENERAL INTEREST
26. Foot of the Lakes Terminal – Enhanced Post
Received from Eric Gagnon via Randy Cadue.
Interesting historical piece.
https://hanleyspur.blogspot.com/2025/08/a-foot-of-lakes-terminal-enhanced-post.html?m=1

27. Whistleblower Exposes How AI Fuels Big Oil Growth
Received from Canada’s National Observer, Sept 8, 2025 – Marc Fawcett-Atkinson
Whistleblower exposes how AI fuels Big Oil growth | Canada’s National Observer: Climate News
Holly Alpine knew it was time to quit her dream job working on sustainability with Microsoft the day she realized her paycheque was “dripping in oil money.” 
For roughly a decade, she worked her way up the corporate ladder, carving out a niche by helping the tech giant improve its environmental record and meet its climate and environmental commitments. At first, the work felt meaningful: she was assisting the company to support sustainability initiatives in the communities hosting the company’s data centers and co-founded a group of employees pushing internally to improve environmental practices.  
But a tip from higher-up shattered her faith in those efforts when she learned that Microsoft had “dozens” of cloud computing and AI contracts with fossil fuel companies. Many of the projects were helping oil and gas companiesextract fossil fuels more cheaply by making their operations more efficient, or by accessing previously inaccessible deposits — what Alpine calls “enabled emissions.” 
For instance, in 2019, Microsoft’s Canadian branch announced a “multi-year partnership” with Suncor to “further accelerate” digitization of the oilsands giant’s work. An industry source told Canada’s National Observer that major oil companies, like Suncor, are developing proprietary AI systems, trained on company data, to find and exploit new or previously hard-to-access deposits — and these partnerships are widespread.
Alpine and the employee group she co-founded dug into the contracts, estimating their market size to be $75 billion annually. That’s means they could make up roughly half of the company’s revenue for cloud computing services, which includes products like Azure and Microsoft 365. 
“We realized we were basically working for an oil company,” she said. “There’s this part of [Microsoft] that is raking in billions of dollars by explicitly helping all of the oil majors … extend the age of fossil fuels and make fossil fuel projects cheaper and faster.” 
A spokesperson for the company told Canada’s National Observer that Microsoft “believe[s] that technology has an important role to play in helping the industry decarbonize” and pointed to the company’s so-called “energy principles.” 
“We realized we were basically working for an oil company,” said Holly Alpine, a former Microsoft employee who quit her dream jobwhen she realized the company, like most tech companies, is helping fossil fuel companies increase production.
These principles, published in 2022, guide the company’s business decisions, the spokesperson said. They state that Microsoft will sell commercially available software technology and cloud services to all customers, and provide fossil fuel companies with “technical and engineering resources” to help explore for new deposits and improve their drilling technology, provided they have a net-zero plan. 
Those net-zero plans only need to cover emissions generated by the oil and gas producers’ operations or energy purchases, not the emissions generated by burning the fuels they extract. Since 2022, most of the largest fossil fuel companies operating in Canada have walked back, weakened or fallen silent on their net-zero pledges.
There is widespread scientific consensus that we must stop exploiting new fossil fuel deposits and rapidly phase out existing ones to prevent catastrophic climate change. 
Microsoft is not the only tech company to cultivate close ties with fossil fuel producers. Those partnerships are becoming increasingly common, most visibly in recent headlines about the Trump administration’s efforts to support both. 
US President Donald Trump has gutted climate rules in an effort to boost fossil fuel production and is implementing a sweeping AI policy to “maintain unquestioned and unchallenged global technological dominance.” Those links were on display in a high-profile July summit between US fossil fuel firms and tech giants. 
Canada’s role
Similar dynamics have been playing out in Canada. 
In 2019, Suncor announced a “multi-year partnership” with Microsoft for cloud computing. The company’s 2020 and 2024 shareholder reports noted that its adoption of autonomous haulage systems at some of its oil sands facilities will “increas[e] production, reliability and efficiency.” Its 2024 annual information form stated that the technology is lowering costs and increasing productivity. 
The same year, Cenovus joined forces with IBM to implement a company-wide tech platform designed to improve its efficiency and ensure the company could adopt more complex AI systems in the future. The gas company Canadian Natural Resources’ 2019 annual report also noted that “leveraging technology, innovation and continuous improvement … drove significant value growth.” 
In September 2019, Imperial Oil announced a two-year partnership with the Alberta Machine Intelligence Institute (Amii), an AI research institute partially funded by the federal and Alberta governments, to help the oil major develop in-house machine learning capabilities that can support “more effective ways to recover oil and gas resources.” 
Two years later, Alberta oil producer MEG Energy announced that it had “successfully deployed” an AI system designed by Baker Hughes that maximizes oil and gas production and recovery. TC Energy also uses AI to maximize how much natural gas its pipelines can carry, according to a case study by its cloud service provider, Amazon Web Services. 
The Clean Resource Innovation Network (CRIN), an oil and gas industry group that says it “driv[es] Canadian energy competitiveness and improv[es] the environmental performance of hard-to-abate industries,” has also supported research projects and industry efforts to use digital technologies like AI in their operations. CRIN has received $110 million — about half the total costs for the project, according to Innovation, Science, and Economic Development Canada — in the form of federal funding between 2020 and 2025. 
For Alpine, months of unsuccessfully lobbying higher-ups at Microsoft to help ditch — or at least make public — its contracts helping oil and gas companies extract more fossil fuels, left her exhausted. The “cognitive dissonance” between her job and her environmental values became unbearable. 
So she quit, as did her husband Will, who also worked at Microsoft. The couple have since started campaigning against the tech industry’s role in enabling increased fossil fuel extraction. They want stricter regulations or shareholder pressure to prevent tech companies from helping fossil fuel producers extract more oil and gas, but even greater transparency about those deals would be a win. 
The transition from employee to advocate has been frightening and intense for the Alpines: “It is one of the greatest horrors of my life that Will and I are leading this campaign against some of the biggest forces on our planet: Big Tech and Big Oil,” she said. 

28. Biinaagami Giant Watershed Floor Map + Great Lakes Coastal Cleanup, in Kingston, Sept 28
Received from Swim, Drink, Fish, Sept 9, 2025
The Biinaagami team was able to attend events both big and small all over the watershed, showcasing the Biinaagami Giant Floor Map in many different capacities. Katie Doreen from Canadian Geographic led fellow teachers through using the map in their classrooms with Harmony, Chris Brackley presented the map at an international cartography conference. Grace Van Alstyne and Whadia Khwaja from the Swim Drink Fish team used the map to introduce groups of kids at Harbourfront Camps to the idea of being water stewards. 
Keep an eye out this fall for the Biinaagami team as we head to different events with the Giant Flloor Map.
 If you’re interested in booking the Giant Floor Map for your event or school, visit Biinaagami.org

29. When Mountain Dew Came to Canada
Received from Ottawa Rewind, July 14, 2025 – Andrew King
Approximately an hour and a half drive west of Ottawa will take you to the popular summer village of Westport, a quaint town nestled at the foot of Foley Mountain. Perhaps it was this mountain, or the fact it has always been a bustling summer tourist hub, that made it the place where Mountain Dew soda arrived in Canada with much fanfare in the year 1964
Mountain Dew, a refreshing citrus drink that was originally formulated in the 1940s as a personal whisky mixer, hit American shelves in the 1950s but would not reach the Canadian market until 1964. “Mountain Dew” was the nickname for good ole Tennessee Moonshine, a name used by Barney and Ally Hartman, two brothers that bottled their own whisky mixer as they had trouble finding a suitable one they liked at the time. The Hartman brothers were traveling on a train and offered a fellow passenger a sample of their “Mountain Dew” mix who happened to be Charles Gordon, a soft drink promoter of “Dr. Enuf” brand elixir.
The Hartman brothers and Gordon then worked out a deal with the Tri-Cities Beverage Corporation to bottle and sell Mountain Dew in 1950. Sold regionally around Knoxville, Tennessee it wouldn’t be until 1961 that Mountain Dew was formally launched to a greater market when Tri-Cities was merged into the Tip Corporation. Then things really started to take off for Mountain Dew when Tip was purchased by Pepsi Cola, bringing it into their national and international distribution scope.
Under Pepsi, Mountain Dew was marketed as a “Hillbilly” drink and branded the bottles with a design and the motto “It’ll tickle you inards!”
It was in that year that Pepsi took over the Mountain Dew brand that it arrived in Canadian stores, and according to the Rideau District Museum, there was a free meal and Mountain Dew sample promotion at the local Westport department/grocery store called “Genge’s”…(now The Village Green) These wonderfully rich and pure photos capture that moment in time when Mountain Dew arrived…
People lined up down the street to get a taste of the exciting new soft drink that summer in 1964, it is unclear if this was the first time in Canada launch that was in Westport, or if it was a coordinated launch across the country, but an amazing photo collection exists of the Westport Mountain Dew launch.
Despite the similar appearance and taste to the American version, the Canadian version of Mountain Dew did not contain any caffeine due to regulations that restricted caffeine to only be used in dark-coloured soft drinks. These regulations imposed by Health Canada, meant that Mountain Dew being a non-dark citrus flavoured soda, could not contain any caffeine. That regulation was dropped in 2012 and now Canadian Mountain Dew contains caffeine.
The HillBilly motif of the 1964 Mountain Dew only lasted 5 years when the logo was re-designed to appeal to a younger, more hip generation, a classic logo and font design that lasted until 1996.
Whether or not Westport, Ontario was the official Canadian launch spot for Mountain Dew beneath Foley Mountain, the incredible collection of photos from the “Wing Collection” of the Rideau District Museum captures the excitement of that moment in time and offers a glimpse through the looking glass to hot, summer days of the past when ice cold drinks in glass bottles were the best thing to quench your thirst. And still are.
Editor’s Note: Fun pictures available at https;//ottawarewind.com

30. Celebrating Diversity through the Arts:  Intercultural Arts Festival returns on Sept. 21
Received from the City of Kingston, Sept 4, 2025 
On Sunday, Sept. 21, the City of Kingston’s Intercultural Arts Festival returns to Confederation Park and Springer Market Square.
“Music, dance, crafts and culinary arts are opportunities for connection and sharing between artists, community groups and audiences,” says Megan Sirett, Manager, Events and Programs with the City of Kingston. “We encourage everyone to come out and experience this vibrant, family-friendly, outdoor festival.”
Sponsored by Empire Life, the festival runs from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. and features live music and dance performances, cultural pavilions, arts and crafts vendors and international cuisine. This year, 30 live performances and over 50 community booths and vendors will animate the waterfront at Confederation Park. The event is free to attend and everyone is welcome.
“Empire Life is proud to once again serve as the sponsor of the Intercultural Arts Festival. We look forward to celebrating the rich diversity of our city and promoting an inclusive community that welcomes and values all cultures, experiences and backgrounds,” says Jennifer McGregor, Vice-President, Human Resources, Empire Life.
This year’s festival will also include the City’s New to Kingston Fair in Springer Market Square, where anyone new to the area can access information about local programs and services that can help them feel more connected to the Kingston community.
“We’re excited to bring together the New to Kingston Fair with the Intercultural Arts Festival to welcome new citizens and connect through culture, art, and community.” says Vanessa Mensah, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) Manager, City of Kingston. “Together, we honour the rich traditions that shape our City’s present and future and build a more inclusive Kingston, one story, one song, and one welcome at a time.”
Learn more and stay tuned for updates to the event schedule on the City’s Intercultural Arts Festival page.

31. You’re Invited! McBurney Park Yard Sale and Block Party!
Received from Nico Koenig – 
Full event details: https://www.facebook.com/events/1117051143683088
On September 20th, the Skeleton Park (McBurney Park) neighbourhood is hosting its first annual neighbourhood-wide Yard Sale and Block Party. Expect second-hand goods, special events, music – and even a parade. But we can’t make this event a success without you!

The yard sale will take place from 12 pm – 6 pm on Saturday, September 20th, 2025. If it’s really raining, we’ll move the event to September 21st at the same time. A neighbourhood yard sale means that all residents of the neighbourhood are invited to set up a yard sale at their home. This is a chance to clean out your closets, hang out with your neighbours, and make a few extra bucks while you’re at it!

How to get involved?

• Wander & Explore: Stroll through the neighbourhood and discover dozens of unique yard sales and pop-up tables.
• Donate Your Stuff: Support Elizabeth Fry Kingston by contributing good quality items to their sale tables—proceeds go toward empowering women and families in our community. Drop off your stuff at Elizabeth Fry at 127 Charles St on Friday September 19 or the morning of the 20th.
• Host Your Own Sale: Do you live in the area or are you involved with a neighbourhood organization or business? Set up your own sale or give-away and join the neighbourhood-wide treasure hunt.
• Join a Sale Hub: Not a local, or simply want to be in a more centralized location? No problem! Email soldbyecho@gmail.com to secure your spot.   

The day will also feature Draw the Line: for People, for Peace, for the Planet, organized by Seniors for Climate Action Now!, and music by Carlos on Charles Street at 5 pm. The day will close with a movie in McBurney Park, presented by the Skeleton Park Arts Festival. For more details on the parade, click here, and for details on the movie, click here. 
For more information on setting up donations or sales, and for a full schedule of the day’s events, check out our facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/share/176owJgkTn/. We’re still working on setting up donation spots and sales hubs, so follow this page for updates!
The Yard Sale & Block Party is coordinated by the McBurney Park Neighbourhood Association, Elizabeth Fry Kingston, the Skeleton Park Arts Festival, and many community partners and volunteers

32. Ontario Tree Climbing Championship, Sept 19 – 20, 9 am Lake Ontario Park
Received from visitkingston.ca

This FUN, FREE event is open to the public. You can watch arborists showcase their skills, visit an outdoor industry tradeshow and even try climbing in a “Climb For All Ages” station under the guidance of a professional arborist. We’ll also have free educational sessions on tree planting, and tree pruning.
In the competition, 54 climbers will compete in five preliminary events demonstrating the exceptional skills required to work safely and efficiently in the trees. Preliminary winners will then compete in the Masters’ Challenge on Saturday afternoon. In this final round, the winners (top male and female) will be crowned the Ontario Champions. They’ll earn the honor of representing Ontario at the National and International Championships.  
Join us for an exciting competition, fun activities, and learning about trees!

Wishing you all a wonderful rest of September,
Cheers,
Mary Farrar,
Friends of Kingston Inner Harbour