Dear Friends of Kingston Inner Harbour
1) Honestly Amazing Turtles Hibernating Video
2) Kingston declares Climate Change Emergency!
+ Peterborough residents donate extra tax dollars for Climate Change
3) “Legal” Art Wall at Doug Fluhrer Park?
4) Exciting spring workshops: All About Turtles and Reconciliation in the Watershed
5) River Institute News
6) Marine Museum Timeline – 1978 to Present
7) Indigenous Ally Toolkit
8) Progress on Priorities: The City’s Annual Report for 2018
9) Early Start to Pothole Repairs
1) Honestly Amazing Turtles Hibernating Video
Lake Opinicon underwater video taken this past February.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?
2) Kingston declares Climate Change Emergency
+ Peterborough residents donate extra tax dollars for Climate Change
Motion to declare Climate Change Emergency passes unanimously at March 5 Council meeting!
Moved by Councillor Kiley Seconded by Councillor Neill –
“Whereas climate change is currently contributing to billions of dollars in property and infrastructure damage worldwide, stressing local and international economies;
Whereas climate change is currently jeopardizing the health and survival of many species and other natural environments worldwide, stressing local and international eco systems;
Whereas climate change is currently harming human populations through rising sea levels and other extraordinary phenomena like intense wildfires worldwide, stressing local and international communities;
Whereas recent international research has indicated a need for massive reduction in carbon emissions in the next 11 years to avoid further and devastating economic, ecological, and societal loss;
Whereas an emergency can be defined as ‘an often dangerous situation requiring immediate action’; Therefore be it resolved, that the City of Kingston, officially declare a climate emergency for the purposes of naming, framing, and deepening our commitment to protecting our economy, our eco systems, and our community from climate change.”
Some great media coverage: https://www.tvo.org/article/
Also – Peterborough residents offer extra tax dollars for Climate Change.
Should Kingston follow suit?
https://www.tvo.org/video/
3) “Legal” Art Wall at Doug Fluhrer Park?
https://globalnews.ca/news/
We are truly hopeful and excited about this possibility and very grateful to staff for bringing it forward.
The following staff recommendation passed unanimously at the Arts, Recreation and Community Policies Committee meeting on Thurs, Feb 28. It will be presented to Council at the March 19 Council Meeting. We will be doing a 5 minute delegation at the beginning of the meeting.
If you would like to come to show support that would be great.
“That the Arts, Recreation and Community Policies Committee recommend that Council grant an exemption to Section 4.17 of Property Standards By-Law Number 2005-100 in relation to the retaining wall on the Rideaucrest Property located adjacent to Douglas R. Fluhrer Park to allow staff to establish and manage a legal wall that features street art as a pilot project for ten months between July 1, 2019 and April 30, 2020, and
That Council direct staff to report back in Q2 2020 regarding the results of the legal wall pilot project, s well as future plans related to the potential development of an Integrated Street Art Plan as an appendix to the Public Art Master Plan, and the development of a Graffiti Management Strategy as a companion piece.”
4) Exciting free spring workshops planned:
“All About Turtles” and “Reconciliation in the Watershed”
All About Turtles
What: Four 90 minute workshops will be conducted by Ontario Turtle Conservation Centre leaders to get us excited about the upcoming citizen-science initiatives for this season. Come and see live Blandings, Painted and Snapping turtles and learn stuff you honestly didn’t know about the world’s most endangered species. Wendy and Rachel from the OTCC are truly excellent and their presentations are flexibly geared to all levels. Free. All welcome! But please register – see NOTES below.
When: April 16, 1:30 pm and 6:30 pm; April 17,10 am and 1:30 pm (Times can be altered to better suit school groups depending on individual school start and end times)
Where: H’Art Studios, 237 Wellington St. Kingston
NOTES: If you would like to come (or possibly arrange for a local school class to come) to one of the workshops please contact Mary at inverarymary@yahoo.com. We will do our best to accommodate.
”Reconciliation in the Watershed”
What: KAIROS Peterborough will connect us with one another and help us explore our relationship with our local Cataraqui watershed. The workshop will be conducted by KAIROS staff in partnership with Grandmother Dorothy from the Curve Lake Reserve. Guaranteed to affect you profoundly.
When: Saturday, May 18, 10 am – 4 pm
Where: Frontenac Village Common Room. To get there, go as far north as possible on King St. until you come to the cul-de-sac dad-end that is the entry to the parking garage. Signs will be there showing the way on foot. Wheelchair accessible. Please notify inverarymary@yahoo.com if you need wheelchair access as the accessible route to the Common Room is different.
NOTES: Free! Refreshments and light lunch included. Donations welcome but not necessary. Community members, both Indigenous and non-Indigenous, are invited to come together.
Space is limited to 30 participants.
If interested, please contact Mary at inverarymary@yahoo.com
5) River Institute News
Exciting new connection with this great organization, the River Institute, based in Cornwall.
Have a look at their Great River Rapport – An ecosystem health report on the Upper St. Lawrence River. And do fill out their survey on what you consider to be the most important issues and how you use the river.
http://www.riverinstitute.ca/
Save the date! May 8 – Leigh McGaughey from the River Institute will be doing a presentation in Kingston about the River Institute and its activities. Details to be arranged. Stay tuned.
Podcast – interview on Blue Fish Radio (first aired 1 March 2019, available anytime)
http://bluefishradio.com/
6) Marine Museum Timeline – 1978 to Present
Thanks so much Maurice Smith for the following:
– Since 1978 Marine Museum of the Great Lakes raises millions of dollars for renovation/restoration, collection care and programming
– Membership goes up to 600
– Collection largest horizontally, vertically integrated marine history collection in central Canada
– Much designated as Canadian Cultural Property
– 2010 Drydock restored, new hvac system installed, every expectation the museum would remain
– Feds continue to offer waterfront heritage property to the city
– City does not accept long standing offer from the feds.
– An election is called and to clear the books the conservative government sells to a private developer
– Developer pays slightly over $3 million.
– Museum and developer negotiate over some months, early 2016
– Developer says we are not getting anywhere to museum board.
– Museums evicted August 2016
– City helps by providing storage space for collection and a pop-up museum site at Portsmouth Olympic Harbour site
– Feb 2019 – developer gives up and lists property for sale
– Historic buildings and dry dock remain
– Will the four heritage buildings and Dry Dock remain protected?
7) Indigenous Ally Toolkit
Lots of people say they just don’t know what they can do to help and feel nervous about saying or doing the wrong thing. Here are some informative first steps.
https://gallery.mailchimp.com/
8) Progress on Priorities: The City’s Annual Report for 2018
KINGSTON, ONT./Feb. 26, 2019
The City’s 2018 Annual Report highlights progress made on the priorities set by the previous council in its 2015-2018 Kingston Strategic Plan. It shows 98 per cent of the 40 strategic initiatives trending in the desired direction.
It is available now at www.CityofKingston.ca/
These key stories and infographic highlights offer a snapshot of the City’s performance in the previous council’s six priority areas:
Create a smart economy – The Mayor’s Innovation Challenge supports solutions from young innovators.
Green the city – A sustainable parking solution in Shannon’s Corners Park, achieving waste-diversion goals (early!) and expanding the trail system.
Invest in infrastructure – High-level view of the 2018 work on the Third Crossing and Airport Expansion.
Advance a vibrant waterfront – Work at Breakwater Park is part of 30 year waterfront plan.
Plan a livable City of Kingston – Rideau Heights Community Centre. Library and expansion of Kingston Transit.
Foster open government – The City is engaging residents to improve City projects and making its data available for use by the public.
More info on final updates to the 2015-2018 Kingston Strategic Plan at www.CityofKingston.ca/apps/
9) Early Start to Pothole Repairs
KINGSTON, ONT./Feb. 25, 2019
As the City works around the clock to patch potholes, it reminds residents the patches made in the winter are a temporary fix. Once asphalt plants open in late spring the hot mix asphalt will provide a more effective repair to address this winter’s extensive road damage.
“Commuters are advised to slow down as we continue to patch the roads,” says Bill Linnen, director of public works. “We’ve had an early start to pothole season because of the constantly changing temperatures that creates the freeze/thaw cycle.”
Winters in Canada create potholes. When temperatures rise, water from thawed snow seeps into small cracks on roads and then expands when it freezes again causing cracks to grow.
Report a Pothole
Residents may report pothole locations to the City’s Customer Service Centre at 613-546-0000 or www.CityofKingston.ca/
Reporting potholes allows the City to efficiently plan and target its efforts.
More info? www.CityofKingston.ca/