Dear Friends of Kingston Inner Harbour
Thanks so much Debbie O’Grady for the Feb picture.
February sunshine is just so wonderful!
LOCAL NEWS
1. Local Groups Request Federal Impact Assessment for Tannery site
2. Tannery Appeal
3. Rural Transit Study – Your input matters. Deadline Feb 15
4. Kingston Health Coalition. Consider Joining
5. More on Homelessness
6. MPP Ted Hsu’s Monthly Newsletter Requests Input re Budget
7. Discuss Indigenous Perspectives with the KF&L Public Library –
8. Fort Henry Receives Federal Funding
9. New Zellers returning to the Cataraqui Town Centre
10.Warriors and Warships: Conflict on the Great Lakes and the Legacy of Point Frederick
A FEW THOUGHTS ON AGING AND HOUSING
11. Reverse Mortgage Information – not that I agree that it’s best option
12: Sharing an Alternative Hope/Dream for Senior Living
13. Preparing for an Aging City
14. I’m a sexually liberated woman – finally at age 80.
FROM FARTHER AFIELD
15. Quarry Developers vs. Turtles
16. Fish Sounds Could Help Scientists Understand their Watery World
17. Blue Fish News
18. How a new SE Ontario National Marine Conservation Area will Protect Ontario’s Fish
19. Storytelling Allows Elders to Transfer Values and Meaning to Younger Generations
20. Fun Valentine Crafts
LOCAL NEWS
1. Local Groups request federal Impact Assessment for Tannery site.
Media Release received from No Clearcuts Kingston, Feb 1, 2023
Several Kingston groups have voiced their support for No Clearcut Kingston’s recent request for a federal Impact Assessment regarding the risks placed by the proposed Tannery development on local areas of federal responsibility.
“As No Clearcuts pointed out in its request for the Impact Assessment, the Tannery site is right beside the Rideau/Cataraqui River,” said Jeremy Milloy, River First YGK. “This is a National Historic Site of Canada, a National Historic Park, and a Canadian Heritage River,and is inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage site. The federal government should be examining the Tannery proposal’s impact on federal waterways, water lots, and federally protected species.”
The groups also endorsed No Clearcuts’ concerns about the developer’s plans to cut down 1800 trees and dig up and export 400,000 tons of earth. They agree that the development proposal needs to be assessed under federal legislation, including the Fisheries Act, the Species at Risk Act, and the Migratory Birds Convention Act.
Also, because the development could bring up to 5000 people onto the site just across from Belle Island, a sacred Indigenous place, they believe that it is up to the federal government to intervene to protect Indigenous physical and cultural heritage, and human rights.
“We agree with No Clearcuts and feel it is essential for the federal government to assess the risks of the development proposal to the river, including itsimpact on the federal Inner Harbour clean-up project” said Mary Farrar, Friends of Kingston Inner Harbour.
“A growing Rights of Nature movement recognizes that ecosystems, including rivers and forests, aren’t merely property that can be owned,” said Joyce Hostyn, Little Forests Kingston. “Rather, they are entities that have an independent and inalienable right to exist and flourish. With governments around the world beginning to recognize the Rights of Nature, we call on the Federal Government to do the same.”
“We really appreciate having so much support for our Impact Assessment request,” said Kerry Hill, No Clearcuts Kingston. “It shows how much solidarity there is around the issue of saving nature in Kingston, especially as the climate crisis gets worse.”
No Clearcuts copied its Impact Assessment request letter to the Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations, the Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and Canadian Coast Guard, the Minister of Transport, Mark Gerretsen MP, Chief Dave Mowat (Alderville First Nation), Chief Donald Maracle (Mohawks of the Bay of Quinte) and John Bolognone, City Clerk.
The groups supporting the request are:
Building Kingston’s Future
Friends of the Kingston Inner Harbour
Kingston Field Naturalists
Little Forests Kingston
River First YGK
Seniors for Climate Action Now (SCAN)
350 Kingston
More information?
Jeremy Milloy – 416-740-0444 ext. 6
Mary Farrar – 613-544-1246
Joyce Hostyn – 613-893-4107
Kerry Hill – 613-542-3956
2. Tannery Appeal – Deadline or Written sumissions Feb 10, 2023
Here is the notice from the Chris Wicki, Senior Planner with the City of Kingston regarding Jay Patry’s appeal to the Ontario Land Tribunal. I have not included the attachment. Instead I have included summary information for those interested at the end of this piece.
Please find attached Notice of Ontario Land Tribunal Hearing regarding the Case Management Conference to be held on February 21, 2023, for 2 River Street and 50 Orchard Street (City file number D35-009-2017).
The subject site is located at 2 River Street and 50 Orchard Street (see attached Key Map). The property has an area of approximately 13 hectares, with frontage on River Street and Orchard Street. The property is designated Arterial Commercial, Residential, Open Space, and Environmental Protection Area on Schedule 3-A of the Official Plan and is zoned a site-specific Multiple Family ‘B3.135’ Zone, General Recreation Park ‘P’ Zone, Water-Area ‘P2’ Zone, Industrial ‘M6’ Zone, Environmental Protection Area ‘EPA’ Zone and Site-Specific Arterial Commercial ‘C2.136’ Zone in Zoning By-Law Number 8499, as amended.
The applicant is proposing the development of four (4) separate four to eight storey buildings with a total of approximately 1,670 residential units, approximately 3,600 square metres of commercial space, and 6,000 square metres of ‘flex’ commercial space. The proposal also includes new public and private roads, as well as private and public park space.
With best regards,
Chris Wicke,
Senior Planner
NOTES: As you know, we have offered many reasons in previous newsletters outlining what we consider to be major problems with this proposed development including but not limited to the following:
1 obliteration of current shoreline at-risk turtle habitat
2. developer claims of low onsite biodiversity not valid
3 cutting down 1800 trees in an urban forest
4. filling in a Provincially Significant Wetland to build on destroys wetlands needed to combat climate change.
5. lack of understanding of the difference between contamination and pollution. The contaminants are best left buried where they are not polluting.
6. transporting contaminated soil that is dug up creates pollution.
7.other sites that do not replace a vibrant shoreline forest are better suited for development. There are many in the North King’s Town area.
8. No consultation with Indigenous groups despite nearness to a sacred Indigenous burial site – Belle Island.
9. No hydrogeological studies done examining underground water flows
10. Many local scientists oppose this project concerned that disturbing the site will cause environmental and future flooding issues.
If you are interested in attending the Zoom hearing and might also be interested in contributing a few written comments, your comments would be very much appreciated by those who have done so much research about the proposed development and found it so lacking. The form is short. It will only take a few minutes of your time and could make a big difference.
Here is the link –
https://olt.gov.on.ca/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/Participant-Status-Request-Form.html
Or go to olt.gov.on.ca and click on Appeals Process and then Forms.
There you will find the very short form to fill out.
The Tribunal Case number is 2606609
The date of Case Management Conference/Hearing is Feb 21, 2023
Your filled out form needs to be e-mailed to Ben Bath – Ben.Bath@ontario.ca
It must be submitted by Feb 10, 2023
3.RuraL Transit Study – Your opinion matters. Deadline Feb 15
Received from The Kingstonist Jan 30, 2023 – Jessica Foley
The City of Kingston, the Town of Gananoque, the Township of South Frontenac, and Loyalist Township are undertaking a study regarding rural commuter transit.
“We need your help to inform the future of transit in the Kingston area!” the study webpage reads. “By completing this survey, you will provide the project team with important information that will help shape the vision, goals and design of a future transit service.”
The Rural Commuter Transit Study will look at the interest and potential uptake of transit use and routes connecting the four different municipalities and allowing commuters to travel to and from rural locations more freely.
According to organizers, the study will examine possible public transit solutions for residents, workers, students, and visitors. The objective of the study is “to review existing services, identify local travel needs, and develop a plan to address the needs identified.”
A pilot rural transportation model was one of the priorities of the 2019 to 2022 Strategic Plan for Kingston City Council. A funding application to assist with the costs of this study was approved in June 2022. The City is receiving $50,000 in federal funding, and the partner municipalities are providing a small contribution for the balance of the study cost.
This survey is completely voluntary, and the local municipalities said that the information will only be used for the purposes of this Rural Commuter Transit Study.
The survey closes on Friday, Feb. 15, 2023
.https://www.surveymonkey.com/survey-taken/?sm=ePN8dB5h5fFmpvdK3iC_2BPJuGlNLpHSEfP_2B_2FfP0CDf_2BTf1aO_2F16UVLwwOsvlt9okkxUwG5_2FN7WxNDK_2BYgFBGj8AwQtKkgrJG6x4nVLg6ABOg_3D
4. Kingston Health Coalition Consider Joining
Planning Meeting Feb 15 at 7 pm Do consider getting involved
More info and Zoom details: please contact the Kingston at kingstonhealthcoalition@gmail.com
5. More on Homelessness
Received from the Kingston Whig Standard, Jan 13, 2023 – Steph Crozier
Advocates, experts call for low barrier shelter solutions
A tent and a collection of belongings sit outside the St. Mary’s Parish Centre on Brock Street in downtown in December In a world full of barriers, those struggling with homelessness and substance dependency are consistently told, “You can’t.”You can’t camp here.You can’t use here.You can’t bring your dog in here.
Consistently facing barriers is why experts and advocates are calling for more overnight shelters that say, “You can.”
“Individuals who are experiencing homelessness are told repeatedly that they don’t belong, that they don’t belong anywhere,” Carrie Anne Marshall, a homelessness researcher and assistant professor in the school of occupational therapy at Western University, said in an interview Tuesday.“It’s important for policymakers to consider the prevalence of substance use disorder among individuals who are experiencing homelessness and provide services that specifically meet their needs. If we don’t, then we are leaving out a very important part of what we call the complex chronically homeless population.”
On the evening of Jan. 5, the City of Kingston announced “over 60 new drop-in and shelter beds” across the city. The next morning, city bylaw officers issued no-trespassing orders to those camping behind the Integrated Care Hub at 661 Montreal St., along the K&P Trail and in Belle Park. Those who were issued the order were told to leave by this past Wednesday at 5 p.m. As of Tuesday afternoon, only 52 new drop-in spots in the city were available, and none of them allowed clients to use or possess substances in their facility. The city initially included Dawn House’s new Emergency Transitional Shelter for Women at 805 Ridley Dr. in its tally, but executive director Maggie McLaren clarified it is not a shelter but transitional housing that clients need to apply to access. The housing is for women only and currently has six beds available. The plan is to have 15 total spaces for women by the end of January.
Tuesday evening, many of the 12 delegations told city council, which was considering the issuing of the no-trespass orders, that those living behind the Consumption and Treatment Services located within the Integrated Care Hub were using substances and accessing the site regularly. After much deliberation, council decided to delay enforcing the no-trespass order until March 21 and to add $149,000 in temporary facilities to the encampment. Council also declared a mental health and addictions crisis in the city and voted unanimously to call on the provincial government for “additional health-care resources, including treatment and rehabilitation beds.”
Marshall has lived in Kingston for more than a decade, working as an educational therapist in community mental health and in local shelters while she completed her doctorate in rehabilitation science at Queen’s University, before teaching at Western University in London.
Citing the “Prevalence of mental disorders among people who are homeless: An Umbrella review” systematic review, Marshall explained that up to 98 per cent of homeless individuals in developed countries are living with mental illness, and up to 61 per cent also have substance use disorder.Marshall’s own local research studies, funded by the Ontario Society of Occupational Therapists and the Canadian Institute of Health Research, found similar results in Kingston.
One local qualitative study, titled “‘We stick people in a house and say okay, you’re housed. The problem is solved’: A qualitative study of service provider and organizational leader perspectives on thriving following homelessness,” published in early 2022, interviewed 19 unhoused individuals experiencing homelessness in Kingston. “Nearly 74 per cent of those were individuals who identified as having substance use disorder,” Marshall said. “You see these different rates of prevalence across studies, but it is generally agreed upon that mental illness is very high among individuals who experience homelessness, and substance use disorder is quite common. “I tend to talk about substance use disorder as a mental illness, and so does the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, which considers substance use to be a (mental health) disorder.”
Marshall explained these individuals with concurrent diagnoses are more challenging to house due to their complex health and social needs, and it is difficult for them to leave homelessness for a long period of time. She said there is an argument to spend more resources on these individuals as they are continuously experiencing a high degree of trauma while living homeless. arshall suggested at least half, if not more, of shelter and drop-in spaces being offered should be low-barrier, and the total number of spaces should reflect how many homeless have been identified in the community.
The United Way of Kingston, Frontenac, Lennox and Addington’s last Point-In-Time count in 2021 captured 207 individuals experiencing homelessness. Marshall said the City of Kingston and County of Frontenac’s By-Name List is approximately 300. The list is compiled by clients filling out a Co-ordinated Intake form that adds them to the list and the city’s Homeless Individuals and Families Information System. The list is continuously updated by shelter and housing workers as they meet people. It does not include the hidden homeless or those uncomfortable with filling out the in-take form
In a June 2022 report to council, staff reported that there were 225 people on the list this time last year. That number decreased over the spring months and by June 1, 2022, the number of people on the list was 203. The Whig-Standard requested the most up-to-date number of individuals on the By Name List from the City of Kingston, but there was no reply by deadline.
By calling individual shelters, using the City of Kingston’s website and speaking with Ruth Noordegraaf, director of housing and social services, the Whig-Standard found there are 186 overnight shelter or drop-in, warming centre spots within the city of Kingston for women, men and youth aged 16-24. This includes the new spots announced last Thursday.
In the June report to council, city staff included “Overflow” from Addictions and Mental Health in their tally of shelter spaces indicating there were 10 spaces at the time, and they had hoped to have 18 by the fall of 2022.
Noordegraaf said Tuesday afternoon that the city and many of its partners have done everything they can to increase the capacity of shelters and warming centres, and have added more solutions to the system for the people they know are unhoused.
“I know obviously there is not a one-size-fits-all solution, so we know that not everybody will accept each service that’s available to them,” Noordegraaf said, citing mental health and addictions challenges. “As a city, we cannot address any health-care issues that are kind of out of our purview. “So, if we’re looking at the number of shelter beds or warming centre drop-in kind of spaces that we’ve created, we feel quite comfortable that we’re very close to the number of people — that we have enough, technically, warm places for people that are currently unhoused. The challenge is, I think, that we cannot force anybody to go to any of these places.”
While the majority of the overnight locations allow individuals under the influence to enter and stay, they can’t possess substances or use them while in the facility. Everyone there must also maintain good and safe behaviour. Trellis HIV and Community Care’s Integrated Care Hub operates a 25-bed shelter and 25-space drop-in warming centre. Gilles Charette, executive director of Trellis, said the same rules apply, however they do not search belongings and they have practices in place to support safety.
“We know that it’s possible that someone might use if they’re in a private space (i.e. a washroom), so we do five-minute wellness checks to ensure that people are OK,” Charette said. Those who need to access their substances are supposed to use the Consumption and Treatment Services located in the same building.
Noordegraaf said it is up to the individual shelter or drop-in centre to decide whether to allow substances, but she knows many are not necessarily equipped for people to use safely, whereas the Consumption and Treatment Services is. “As a city, we are trying to focus on the housing piece and the shelter piece, and are trying to work with health-care partners to really create more safe opportunities,” Noordegraaf said. “That is the crux of the conversation: how do we support people with addictions and mental health in this housing and opioid crisis?”
Mutual Aid Katarokwi Kingston called the new spots announced last Thursday “insufficient,” suggesting that the Integrated Care Hub is usually at capacity because it is “low-barrier.”
6. MPP Ted Hsu’s monthly update includes
Unhappy with the Government’s spending choices?
Let MPPs know what you want to see in the 2023 Provincial Budget when the Standing Committee on Finance and Economic Affairs comes to Kingston and the Islands for pre-budget consultations on February 7th.
These consultations are an important way for the Government to understand what it should or should not be spending on. Feedback from pre-budget consultations can affect provincial budgets.
Provide a written submission by February 14th at 7:00pm here:https://www.ola.org/en/apply-committees
Ted Hsu is also considering running for leadership of the Provincial Liberal Party and would appreciate your input. To be on his mailing list for monthly updates contact tedhsu.mpp.co@ola.org
Basic contact info? https://www.tedhsu.ca/
7. Discuss Indigenous Perspectives with KFPL
Received from the Kingstonist, Jan 27, 2023 – Jessica Foley
For the third year in a row, Kingston Frontenac Public Library (KFPL) is supporting lifelong learning by hosting discussion sessions based on the University of Alberta’s free online Indigenous Canada course.
“Education for reconciliation is part of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Calls to Action and is something with which every Canadian can engage,” KFPL said in a media release dated Friday, Jan. 27, 2023.
According to the release, the discussion sessions will support participants as they learn more about Indigenous cultures, worldviews, issues and movements.
The Zoom discussions will run Thursdays from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m., Feb. 16 to Mar. 23 and Apr. 13 to May 18, 2023. KFPL noted that Indigenous Canada is a self-led, 12-lesson, massive open online course (MOOC) comprised of video based lessons. Discussion group participants will complete a lesson before each Thursday’s discussion session, then talk about what they learned in the course, their questions and what they want to explore further.
Register for the University of Alberta course athttps://www.ualberta.ca/admissions-programs/online-courses/indigenous-canada/index.html and the KFPL discussion group at https://calendar.kfpl.ca/event/7683240 or over the phone at 613-549-8888.
The Kingston Frontenac Public Library is committed to reconciliation with Indigenous nations, including responding to calls to action involving education, the library stated.
“We’ve offered this discussion series twice in the last two years, and there’s been significant interest,” said Jake Miller, Librarian, Adult Programming. “People want to learn about Indigenous experiences and these diverse communities’ cultures, movements and histories. This KFPL program is a chance to connect with others and honour historical and contemporary Indigenous perspectives.”
8. Fort Henry Receives Federal Funding
Received from The Kingstonist, Jan 23, 2023 – Jessica Foley
Parks Canada sites in eastern Ontario, Fort Henry, Fort Wellington, Laurier House, and Sir John Johnson House national historic sites, are getting a funding boost to improve their aging infrastructure.
Today, Monday, Jan 23, 2023, Mark Gerretsen, Parliamentary Secretary to the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons (Senate) and Member of Parliament for Kingston and the Islands, on behalf of the Honourable Steven Guilbeault, Minister of Environment and Climate Change and Minister responsible for Parks Canada, announced approximately $12 million over three years for projects related to critical infrastructure improvements at these sites.
According to a release from Parks Canada, these upgrades help ensure public safety, quality and reliability in visitor offers, incorporate green technologies and climate resilience, while connecting Canadians with nature and history.
“The Government of Canada supports Canadians knowing, learning and experiencing this country’s rich history, and Parks Canada provides so many valuable sites,” Gerretsen said. “By ensuring the sustainability of Parks Canada administered places, we can support local economies, contribute to the growth of sustainable tourism, and strengthen their appeal as destinations to celebrate our country. These investments in the heritage infrastructure of Fort Henry, Fort Wellington, Laurier House, and Sir John Johnson House national historic sites are essential to ensuring the preservation of cultural resources for the benefit, appreciation, and enjoyment of present and future generations.”
Through this federal investment – part of the $557 million in funding announced by the Government of Canada in late 2022 – Parks Canada said that it will conserve the heritage value of these important cultural resources, ensuring high quality, meaningful visitor experiences and contributing to the country’s world-class tourism offer.
According to the release, the work supported through this investment includes:
- restore deteriorating stone walls, update sanitary systems and replace the main entry bridge at Fort Henry National Historic Site;
- protect Laurier House National Historic Site from the elements with a new roof;
- continue to preserve the battlements of Fort Wellington National Historic Site using the innovative approach that was successfully proven through a first phase of renewal in 2020; and,
- upgrade the fire alarm and protection systems at Sir John Johnson House National Historic Site.
Fort Henry National Historic Site is the centrepiece of the Kingston Fortifications National Historic Site of Canada, and part of a UNESCO World Heritage site, visited by over 100,000 people each year, Parks Canada stated. Completed in 1836, it was built to defend the Rideau Canal and Kingston’s naval dockyard from American attack. Owned and administered by Parks Canada, a partnership with the Province of Ontario enables the St. Lawrence Parks Commission to continue its internationally renowned programs in this impressive structure.
“The investment into restoring the stone walls and improving the facilities at Fort Henry National Historic Site will help continue its rich tradition of living history. This is an especially meaningful investment as 2023 marks the 85th anniversary of the founding of the Fort Henry Guard,” stated Michael Murphy, President of the Fort Henry Guard Club of Canada.
Formed in 1988, the mission of the Fort Henry Guard Club of Canada (FHGCC) is to promote and support the Fort Henry Guard, the world-renowned group of dedicated people who have brought history to life at Fort Henry since 1938. The FHGCC consists of Fort Henry Guard alumni, former staff, and friends of Fort Henry. Kingstonist inquired as to the amount of money that will come to Fort Henry specifically, but received no response by time of publishing.
The network of protected areas administered by Parks Canada is a gateway to nature, history, and 450 000 km² of memories from coast to coast to coast, according to the release. Investing in these locations helps support the protection of natural heritage and our rich history, increases climate resiliency and creates jobs in local communities, while providing visitors with high-quality, safe and meaningful experiences across the country, Parks Canada noted.
“National historic sites offer countless opportunities for Canadians to connect with history. Fort Wellington National Historic Site may be a small fort, however it played a significant role in ensuring the independence of this country,” said Francis Drouin, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food and Member of Parliament for Glengarry—Prescott—Russell. “With each of these infrastructure projects, Parks Canada ensures unique and leading edge techniques are used in the restoration work to conserve the heritage character value and authenticity of these national historic sites. This federal support will allow Parks Canada to continue telling the story of these treasured places and their integral role in Canada’s history for generations to come.”
Parks Canada’s wide-ranging infrastructure portfolio includes more than 18,500 built assets such as highways, bridges, dams and other marine infrastructure, historic buildings and fortifications, water and wastewater treatment facilities, campgrounds, visitor centres and operational buildings and compounds. Since 2015, the federal infrastructure investment program has enabled Parks Canada to improve the condition of approximately 5,000 assets across the country. These upgrades help ensure public safety, quality and reliability in visitor offers, incorporate green technologies and climate resilience, while connecting Canadians with nature and history.
Learn more about Fort Henry – https://www.forthenry.com
9. New Zellers Returning to the Cataraqui Town Centre.
https://www.kingstonist.com/news/zellers-returning-to-cataraqui-centre-in-2023/
10.Warriors and Warships: Conflict on the Great Lakes and the Legacy of Point Frederick
Who: Frontenac Heritage Foundation and the Kingston Historical Society join to present Robert D. Banks
Where: Memorial Hall, City Hall, 216 Ontario Street, Kingston
When: 2 pm Monday, Feb 20, 2023
NOTES: Light refreshments served. Books for sale by Novel Idea
Please RSVP tocontact@frontenacheritage.ca
https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=10226934977667993&set=a.2234237663003
A FEW THOUGHTS ON AGING AND HOUSING
Personally, I am not really in favour of seniors remaining in large 3-4 bedroom houses in the suburbs when there is such a housing shortage for young families. At no other stage in life would living in the past with our memories be advocated as a healthy lifestyle. It is important to live fully at ALL stages of our lives. This means accepting the fact that death is looming and it is time to downsize, not leave all of our junk for our kids to throw out. Some options include OASIS (https://www.oasis-aging-in-place.com),
finding a group of friends to share a house like students, inviting a student to come and live with you in exchange for helping with chores, co-housing, or moving into the same apartment complex with friends.
11. Reverse Mortgage Information – not that I agree that it’s the best option
I have included information on reverse mortgages for those who really can’t bear to leave their own homes. This informative paid opinion piece was published in the KIngstonist, Jan 18, 2023 https://www.kingstonist.com/?s=reverse+mortgages
12. Sharing an Alternative Hope/Dream for Senior Living
Received from Anthony Gifford, Jan 15, 2023
SHARING AN ALTERNATE HOPE/DREAM FOR SENIOR LIVING
The current ‘successful’ scenario for seniors is something like this: you live in your paid-off home until you find it too much work, at which time you move into a facility where you will be care-free and healthy. This system is ‘sold’ to us by the providers of these ‘homes’ as the only option for modern and smart people. It’s working great for the financial backers. It’s a growth industry like few others.
The problems of the above model are many. An increasing number of seniors don’t have homes to sell, nor do they have large (or any) pensions. (For each passing year, about one percent fewer Canadians have pensions. It is estimated that in ten years, the average senior will have monthly incomes of about twelve hundred dollars.) The cost of the retirement centers runs from just under $2,000.00 to well over $6,000.00. This is simply not a system that most can afford and the provinces cannot support.
And this model is deadly. People need to be needed, to be useful. To retain our humanity we must be worthwhile, to contribute something to the whole, to have a job of some kind. Vacations are fine, for a while. But they aren’t real living. To be put into a facility where you have no purpose is completely unnatural and deadly to the spirit and body. Statistically, there is no benefit what-so-ever in living in these facilities. While they are touted as ‘independent living’, they demand Complete dependency, seldom rewarding the very things that came to be valued over a lifetime. Life expectancy of those living in these facilities is less than the average. This is not admitted or, of course, advertised.
There is a growing alternate movement, Co-Housing, or ‘Shared Housing’. These terms cover any model where people are pooling their needs and resources, choosing to live together in ways that meet their needs. These people recognize that they can live just fine with a limited but well-defined personal space (a bed-sitting room, for instance) where they retain control, but agree to share most other spaces. Meals are more interesting and fun if shared. Health costs, security, looking after pets, freedom to go on holidays, housing costs, all these things and more are easily available, manageable and fun, if shared.
There are many co-housing examples where the individual monthly costs for housing and food are well below $1,000,00. Mainly, it can be a fun and adventurous way of living. And you are in control. People have to get along and safeguards put in place. But it is easily done.
What is needed? Five or six interested people are plenty. Money is seldom a problem for a facility that can be rented. Does anybody want to join the conversation and dream for possibilities in the Kingston area?
Anthony Gifford – author of ‘Dare To Share’
613-344-2322 anthonygifford42@gmail.com, SharedToLive.com
p.s. Dear friends, I’d love to give a talk based on this idea, anytime and anywhere. I’ve lived with four others in a shared house (118 Ford St.) for over three years now, so we have a lot to share. Thanks for any consideration.
13. Preparing for an Aging City
Received from the Toronto Star, Jan 19, 2023 – By Star Editorial Board – 3 min read
If we’ve learned anything from the pandemic, it’s that we have to do better by the older people
If Toronto’s 2023 budget has a theme, it is unpreparedness for the future.
Consider the fact that the budget, launched earlier this month, has a gaping hole in it: a shortfall of more than one billion dollars that the city is betting on other levels of government to fill.
Consider the fact that with climate change upon us, the city plans to raise fares and cut service on the TTC, actions that are likely to turn people away from transit even though Toronto has an explicit goal, according to its TranformTO strategy, to “increase access to low-carbon transportation options.”
But there is another front on which Toronto and by extension Ontario is unprepared for the future and it concerns the city’s most critical component: it’s people. Specifically, it’s older residents.
The city highlighted investments of its 2023 budget that included more money for additional police, firefighters and paramedics. But municipal budgets will have to increasingly account for a growing demographic of the city’s population.
According to census data, the number of seniors in Canada aged 85 and older could triple over the next 25 years, reaching nearly 2.5 million. And older seniors, it turns out, are city slickers.
Statistics Canada tells us that “in three-fifths of the country’s large urban centres, there is a higher percentage of people aged 85 and older living in the downtown core than in the large urban centre as a whole.” This is because downtowns are rich in health services and amenities that seniors rely on.
Yet despite the reality that seniors are one of the fastest growing populations in the country, in Toronto, the wait list for residents seeking a spot in the one of the city’s 10 long term care homes sits at around 5,700.
In addition to this backlog there is the troubling truth that the city and province at large faces a nursing shortage, one made arguably worse by the Ford government’s wage restraint legislation, Bill 124.
This grim picture is not by any means the fault of a Toronto government that is largely at the mercy of provincial funding and politics. The city’s work to develop CareTO, an “emotion centred approach” to seniors care that prioritizes resident-caregiver relationships is groundbreaking and commendable.
Investments to support the city’s current and future senior residents have a direct impact on their quality of life and their safety. That can happen through direct contributions to the city’s seniors services and long term care department, or — if safety is a primary concern of Mayor John Tory’s — through increased contributions to services like snow clearing, sidewalk ramp repairs, and accessibility modifications in homes. After all, falls are a leading cause of hospitalizations among older people.
Ultimately though, the province must invest significantly more in programs that will benefit city dwelling seniors who want to age both in long term care and at home.
According to Jennifer Dockery, the general manager of seniors services and long term care for the city, the provincial government has made a commitment to increase the “hours of care in LTC homes.” But when it comes to increasing the number of homes themselves, Dockery said that in a high cost market like Toronto, the long-term care sector “would benefit from an even higher construction premium from the ministry to help secure upfront funding and fast-track even more construction of long-term care homes.”
If we’ve learned anything from the pandemic, it’s that we have to do better by the older people in our communities. Where governments are concerned that means putting their money where their mouths are.
14. I’m a sexually liberated woman, finally – at age 80
Thanks to Sadiqa for suggesting this beautiful piece by Laurie Lewis from 2013.
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/facts-and-arguments/im-a-sexually-liberated-woman-finally—at-age-80/article11666277/
It’s not quite my idea of being sexually liberated but it is beautiful.
FROM FARTHER AFIELD
15. Quarry Developers vs. Turtles
https://thenarwhal.ca/ontario-blandings-turtle-quarry/?utm_source=The+Narwhal&utm_campaign=e91471dbd0-Jan.+19%2C+2023+%E2%80%94+Newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_f6a05fddb8-e91471dbd0-108710124
16. Fish Sounds Could Help Scientists Understand their Watery World
Received from the Times Colonist, Jan 24, 2023 – Hina Alam
Fish, it turns out, are a chatty lot. They communicate about everything from what area of the sea has the best food to where predators might be hiding and, of course, their desire for a mate.
Now, researchers from universities in Canada, the United States and Brazil have put together an online portal called FishSounds that lets people sift through an inventory of sea creature noises. People can listen to the underwater recordings and learn that a sablefish emits a rasp, while the orange-lined triggerfish makes a drumroll sound.
Sarah Vela, senior data manager with a Dalhousie University marine environmental research group and lead developer of the portal, said FishSounds provides researchers with information about whether a fish species makes noise along with its geographical range.
“It’s a data set that hasn’t really existed before. Whereas there’s lots of projects out there that are working with killer whale noises … right whale noises,” she said. “Fish is one that’s understudied.”
Scientists use a hydrophone, or underwater microphone, to monitor and record these sounds, which are then identified by an expert, Vela said. The project also involves teaching a computer to associate sounds with certain species of fish to build up machine learning.
The portal includes data on about 1,200 fish species compiled from scientific literature and other sources. Of those, 1,061 were shown to make some type of detectable sound, a study published by the portal’s creators last month in Ecological Informatics said. The site so far holds recordings of more than 260 fish species.
“The remote sensing of active and passive fish sounds through passive acoustic monitoring presents the opportunity to answer numerous questions related to ecology, evolution, and management in marine, brackish, and freshwater environments,” the study said.
Co-author Kieran Cox of Simon Fraser University said sound is a medium for fish to exchange large amounts of information, just as humans do. He said this exchange of information is crucial because the deeper the ocean, the darker it gets and visual interaction is not always possible.
“Fish have been singing a lot longer than birds have been singing,” Cox said. “And I just mean that from an evolutionary perspective.”
While diving to research fish sounds in Belize, he said he could hear fish munching coral and seagrass near a reef.”There’s a certain element of that soundscape that I think we all are kind of aware of, but then you can fail to really appreciate unless you know what you’re listening for.”
Fish, he said, produce two kinds of sounds: active and passive. Active sounds are made intentionally using mouths or other body parts and can involve release of bubbles, manoeuvring different muscles to make a certain noise or moving bones around to get a repetitive click. Others make a sound like the beating of a drum with their swim bladders, he added.
The plainfin midshipman, a species of fish found in the eastern Pacific Ocean, lives most of its life in the depths but comes up into the intertidal zone to breed, with males building nests for females to lay eggs. The males produce a distinct hum to attract a mate, Cox said.
“Basically, the name of the game with the nest is to build almost an amphitheatre for the sound. Think about it as a concert hall, if you will. It’s a rock wall nest they sing from. They use this to attract mates, and the females come to lay eggs in these nests. The amount of eggs that they give a male will be proportional to the quality of their song, the length of their song, and how well they can hear it outside of the nest. It’s really a whole interaction that’s facilitated by noise,” Cox said. “If you’re down on a beach at night and these fish are present, you can hear them humming through the night.”
Passive sounds are those made incidentally as they go about their day-to-day life, like chewing or digging. “You can imagine that if a fish is enjoying a nice meal, that’s going to create a lot of noise, and that noise provides valuable information to other nearby fish,” he said.
There are 34,000 species of fish in the world, and scientists know that more than 1,000 make some kind of noise and contribute to the soundscape, he said. But the seas hold more secrets of fish sounds that scientists have yet to discover.
Learning about fish sounds will help scientists understand, preserve and restore habitat drowned by noise from ships and boats, he said. It can also help understand fish behaviour as climate changes, with some parts of the ocean heating up faster than others, Cox said.
“There’s a biological cacophony of sounds in the ocean,” he said. “If we don’t understand that, then we’re not going to understand how it’s changing as we introduce large amounts of noise pollution. We’re also not going to understand how we can conserve it.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 24, 2023.
Hina Alam, The Canadian Press
17. Blue Fish News
Received Jan 25, 2023
| What’s New at Blue Fish Canada: Our leadership role in the Great Lakes Fish Health Network is generating results. Maybe not yet in terms of improving fish health, but in bringing the issue to more tables. Not a minute too soon either as new reports out of the United States are ringing alarm bells about the health and safety of eating Great Lakes fish due to PFAS “forever” chemicals. These are the new Mercury, PCB and DDTs and desperately require our attention. Articles are being written and published, webinars hosted, and presentations at bilateral councils organized with the support of the Canadian Environmental Law Association – stay tuned… |
This Week’s Feature — Lake Ontario Eastern Basin Fishery Stakeholders (Part 3)
By L. Gunther
Over three weeks in the summer of 2022 I visited with a number of stakeholders involved with fishing on the eastern basin of Lake Ontario and Bay of Quinte. Stakeholders that represent commercial fishers and processors, fishery researchers, scientists and conservationists, First Nations, recreational anglers, guides and outfitters. A goal of Blue Fish Canada is to gather and convey this local, traditional and scientific knowledge so everyone understands what fishing means to people, their communities, and the ecosystem.
The Great Lakes Fisheries Commission recognizes that fishing on the Great Lakes is valued at over $9.3 billion Canadian, and represents the most valuable freshwater fishery in the world. This doesn’t even take into consideration the value of fish captured, released or harvested by recreational and sport anglers, or fish harvested by First Nations for commercial, food, social or ceremonial purposes. We also know that extreme weather and other human activities have and continue to cause significant stress on Great Lakes ecosystems and biodiversity. All agree that the Great Lakes deserve to be treated with greater respect.
The federal government has committed to protect 30% of Canada’s oceans, lands, rivers and lakes by the year 2030. So far, Canada has designated two “national marine protected areas” on the Great Lakes — lakes Huron and Superior, many others along Canada’s coastline, and recently announced $800 million to establish four large “indigenous conserved and protected areas” across northern Canada. What these conservation initiatives mean to nature and people is not widely understood. The process being used to designate and conceive these protected areas seems to still be a “work in progress”. What’s becoming evident however, is that stakeholders are growing increasingly vocal about their interest in being consulted about the location and protection of future sites.
What Blue fish is undertaking by speaking with and sharing the thoughts of Lake Ontario’s eastern basin’s stakeholders is not part of any future consultation process meant to establish a “national marine conserved area” that would include Canada’s portion of Lake Ontario’s eastern basin and Bay of Quinte. Our goal is to help make sure the public and others associated with establishing any future protected area are aware of what this largely silent ecosystem means to the cultural, social and economic sustainability of the people who live by and from the water.
Part One of these conversations introduced the topic of a Lake Ontario eastern basin “National Marine Conserved Area” by speaking with a highly regarded scientist of many years who lives on Wolfe Island just off shore from the city of Kingston. Dr. Barrie Gilbert spent much of his career researching apex predators along Canada’s west coast, but he never forgot his roots and moved back to Wolfe Island upon retirement. Dr. Gilbert now serves as a senior advisor to Nature Canada — the conservation NGO leading the charge to establish the NMCA on the east basin of Lake Ontario including Bay of Quinte. I was surprised to learn that not only is Dr. Gilbert supportive of including recreational fishing in the proposed NMCA, but it was his view that the lake had much more to offer despite past abuses. His opinion is that even though the Great Lakes have been poorly treated over the past 150 years in terms of human impacts to water quality and fish health, and that unsustainable commercial fishing negatively impacted Lake Ontario during the early 1900’s, it’s now the case that Lake Ontario’s fisheries are now vastly underutilized. You can listen to my conversation with Dr. Barrie Gilbert by linking to the below episode of The Blue Fish Radio Show:
https://bluefishradio.com/lake-ontario-east-basin-proposed-protections-and-dr-barrie-gilbert/
Part Two of Blue Fish Canada’s conversations with stakeholders involved sitting down with Chief Donald Maracle of the Mohawks of Bay of Quinte. I first met Chief Maracle not long after he was first elected chief in 1993 while taking part in a week long First Nations awareness training program involving the First Nations Tyendinaga community located on Lake Ontario’s Bay of Quinte. Our conversation focused mainly on First Nations reconciliation and jurisdiction over their traditional lands and waters. However, when it came to details about commercial and subsistence fishing for food, social and ceremonial purposes, the chief suggested I speak with a specific member of his community who fishes. When I asked his thoughts about establishing an NMCA that would include his community’s traditional waters, his reaction was unfavourable to say the least; however, this could have more to do with the idea coming from outside his community and not an indigenous led process. No doubt, any hopes of merging the proposed “national marine conserved area” with an “indigenous conserved and protected area” will take considerable discussion. You can listen to my conversation with Chief Maracle by linking to the below episode of The Blue Fish Radio Show:
https://bluefishradio.com/chief-donald-maracle-of-mohawks-of-bay-of-quinte/
In this Third conversation just released as a podcast I speak with Kendle and Joanne Dewey. This commercial fishing team and couple live and fish together using hoop nets and traps. Their knowledge of the history and current state of Lake Ontario’s eastern basin and Bay of Quinte is long and extensive. Fishing is a choice both made after having served as fish biologists and park interpreters for many years. After having spent an afternoon speaking with the couple in their kitchen I have little doubt that fishing is also much more than a means to generate a living – it’s their passion. Despite their concerns over steadily increasing levels of bluegreen algae and how it’s making it more difficult to fish, the two believe strongly that the potential of the fishery overall is being largely underutilized.
I asked Kendel and Joanne why the consumption of freshly caught local fish doesn’t figure into Prince Edward County’s highly popular summer tourism seen along with the numerous micro breweries, wineries, eateries, resorts and spas. They told me most of their catch is either purchased privately, or shipped to a processing plant on the shores of Lake Erie and then exported. But, it’s not like they haven’t tried to introduce fish into the local market, and suggested I speak with a young refugee from Syria that they recently helped to establish a fish processing and marketing business in the area. To learn more about how Kendle and Joanne Dewey fish sustainably, their life stories, and their thoughts on how to revive a fishery in decline, link below to listen to The Blue fish Radio
https://www.spreaker.com/user/5725616/e381-lake-ontario-commercial-fishers-joa
Blue Fish Canada has lots more conversations to feature and people with whom to follow up. With respect to establishing any sort of protected status to Lake Ontario’s eastern basin and Bay of Quinte. People always ask me during my conversations what such status would offer the lake itself. In fact, it’s a question I have been asking of others. As near as I can say at this point, protecting the lake and bay is not meant to stop fishing. In fact, it’s meant to ensure fish and fishing will be around for many years to come by highlighting the bounty of the waters and the need to better understand what we must do or do differently to ensure its viability. Designating the area as conserved or protected, is not only meant to enhance fish habitat, fish health, and the sustainability of local fisheries, but to give tourists one more reason to visit the area. And by doing so, strengthen local fisheries and nearby communities. Just as importantly, it makes it possible for researchers to secure the funding to better understand how to maintain and strengthen the health and numbers of different local fishes. Last but certainly not least, planning and implementing such a system in partnership with local First Nations will hopefully establish a transparent, productive, equitable and sustainable shared fishery for many more generations to come.
Having personally fished the Bay of Quinte both competitively and recreationally for bass and walleye aboard boats and through the ice, and having spent many days fishing Lake Ontario’s eastern basin, I can personally attest to the quality fishing that the area offers. Being situated an over two hour drive from cities like Toronto and Ottawa make it just a bit to far to fish without staying over in a hotel or campground though, which means it doesn’t get as much fishing pressure as it might otherwise. Below are links to several related articles about fishing in the area I’ve written over the years that you can read on my Feel the Bite blog:
All Aboard “Fresh Off the Boat”
Feeling Around for Some Bay of Quinte Beauties
Ontario Bass Nation Qualifier
Late fall and Where’s the Bay of Quinte Walleye
Below is a link to a blog I wrote for Nature Canada on fishing on Lake Ontario’s eastern basin and Bay of Quinte:
18. How a new National Marine Conservation Area will Protect Ontario’s Fisheries
This Eastern Basin protected area would include Wolfe and Amherst Islands.
Important to be informed.
https://naturecanada.ca/defend-nature/how-you-help-us-take-action/safeguard-lake-ontario-for-tomorrow/?
https://naturecanada.ca/news/blog/learn-about-lake-ontarios-fisheries-and-how-a-new-national-marine-conserved-area-will-protect-them/
19. Storytelling Allows Elders to Transfer Values and Meaning to Younger Generations
Received from The Conversation, Jan 19, Mary Ann McColl
https://theconversation.com/storytelling-allows-elders-to-transfer-values-and-meaning-to-younger-generations-197766
“People don’t necessarily tell the same stories over and over again because they’re losing cognitive function, but because the stories are important, and they feel we need to know them. Shutterstock
If you spent time over the holidays with elderly relatives or friends, you may have heard many of the same stories repeated — perhaps stories you’d heard over the years, or even over the past few hours.
Repeated storytelling can sometimes be unnerving for friends and families, raising concerns about a loved one’s potential cognitive decline, memory loss or perhaps even the onset of dementia.
Our research at Queen’s University suggests there is another way to think about repeated storytelling that makes it easier to listen and engage with the stories “
20. Fun Valentine Crafts.
https://www.womansday.com/home/crafts-projects/g2138/valentines-day-crafts-for-kids/
Thanks so much for being part of the Friends of Kingston Inner Harbour and receiving our newsletters.
Wishing you February sunshine,
Cheers,
Mary Farrar, President,
Friends of Kingston Inner Harbour
www.friendsofinnerharbour.com
p.s. Our webpage really needs updating.
If any of you might be interested in helping out, that would be wonderful.
Do get in touch.