Hi Friends of Kingston Inner Harbour,
Happy 2013 to you all. Looking forward to the trail getting started this spring!
Plans are afoot to do the small section at the Sewage Pumping Plant just north of the Kingston Rowing Club. More anon.
Three current news items:
Belle Park
The City is suggesting that a large section of the Belle Park Fairways Golf Course be replaced by a 30 acre solar farm.
A consultant’s report suggests four options: a) keep the money-losing course, b) privatize the golf course, c) make it a “passive park”, and c) create a 30 acre solar farm and use the remaining 58 acres of road way, golf course, Belle Mountain and scrub land as trail and park.
Our concerns are a) that Belle Park should have a public visioning exercise like all the other parks as there are clearly many other possibilities for this prime waterfront land, b) that public parks should remain public parks in keeping with the City’s priority to “Create and Protect Green Space” and c) that there are better locations for solar farms than waterfront parks. Other possible options we have heard for the Belle Park space include: a Pitch and Putt open to international tournaments using the Legion’s banquet facilities, an arboretum, a mountain biking course, Frisbee Golf, a soccer field, a maze, an open-air concert space. And then there are those who really would like to see the golf course remain in an improved form. There have also been concerns expressed about environmental issues such as whether the shifting land of the former garbage dump is suitable for solar panels.. Come out, learn more, and share your concerns. Development here will have significant impact on our trail!
http://www.cityofkingston.ca/cityhall/council/council_agenda.asp or contact Heather Woodlands at the clerk’s office hwoodland@cityofkingston.ca
Public information meeting January 29, 2013, at Portsmouth Olympic Harbour at 7 pm. VERY IMPORTANT Please come if you can.
If you would like to contact the mayor his e-mail address is mgerretsen@cityofkingston.ca
In bold and upfront you can also request that your message be forwarded to all the councilors.
“Shoreline Shuffle” Event: Sunday, June 23, 2013
An event celebrating the whole of Kingston’s waterfront is being planned for Sunday, June 23. We hope you can come! Do mark it on your calendars. Plans are evolving at the moment but so far the Friends of Kingston Inner Harbour are in charge of the Douglas R. Fluhrer Park kick-off in the morning. Trailhead has agreed to do kayak lessons; Cycle Kingston will offer Family Cycle lessons; and Yellow Bike Action will do bike checks and minor repairs. We are also hoping to have some Native water ceremony and some Native component celebrating Molly Brant as, after all, she lived just behind what is now Rideaucrest. We are also trying to organize some art and dance components. Following the Doug Fluhrer events, participants will wend their way along the shoreline by an “Armada” of canoes and kayaks as well as by a procession of cyclists and walkers that possibly also includes dancers, drummers and musicians. Art installations along the way are envisioned. We are hoping to do a 7 km trek in total. Ad hoc participation of interested groups along the way such as walking groups, the Pump House Museum and the Marine Museum is being encouraged. If you know of any groups that might be interested in participating in some way, (e.g. pop-up displays, activities, active living groups of all ages) do get in touch. It promises to be a different way of connecting with the waterfront and really fun event for the whole family.
Community Strategic Plan Meeting (with the Mayor) – Public Meeting – Thursday, January 31, 2013 at 7:00 p.m. at Memorial Hall
(This news item was submitted to us by our Councilor for King’s Town Rob Hutchison)
Central Questions: What have we, Council, achieved in the last two years? Where are we going in the next two years?
I think that King’s Town residents might well have some questions in these regards: On zoning and the effectiveness of zoning and City planning in maintaining the integrity of neighbourhoods? Transit? Third Crossing? Wellington St. extension? Davis tannery? North Block? Casino? Development in general – who is calling the shots at City Hall (questions on this posed by residents Monday night at the Pittsburgh-Countryside meeting re: heritage interests and densification on the east side, eg., ‘why do developers always seem to get what they want?’)? taxes and maintaining social and other services? the 2.5 % increase? progress on environmental/sustainability issues? affordable housing?
The great thing about representing King’s Town is that I know there are a large number of people who care about these issues, including many who care about all of them. I hope you can make it out on January 31st.
Rob Hutchison. Councilor, King’s Town District
Once again, thank you all so much for your support. It is so very much appreciated.
Cheers,
Mary, President, Friends of Kingston Inner Harbour