Author: Bryan Paterson

Earlier this year, I joined several mayors and mental health organizations from across the province to push the provincial government for more funding to address the ongoing health and homelessness crisis. Kingston like other communities across Ontario is experiencing an overwhelming surge in the number of vulnerable and unhoused residents. After some continuous advocacy from Kingston City Council and countless others, I am encouraged to see a significant increase in homelessness funding for municipalities in last month’s…
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Here in Kingston, we are fortunate to have one of the best and most beautiful downtowns anywhere in the country. Keeping the downtown strong and vibrant requires finding new ways to bring more people into the downtown to sustain our local shops and small businesses. A great example is the proposal for a new downtown conference centre. At…
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Each night this week, City Council is meeting to discuss the 2023 budget. It’s an important budget with new spending for affordable housing, supports for homelessness, and investments in roads, parks, and city facilities. It’s also an important budget given the rise in inflation and interest rates we’ve seen over the last year. During the…
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When I first became mayor a number of years ago, the big economic development challenge at the time was how to attract new businesses to Kingston. Things have changed dramatically since then, with an expanding electric vehicle industry and several other rapidly growing sectors. We now have a host of different companies wanting to either…
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Like many cities across the province, in Kingston we’ve seen a big increase in the number of unhoused individuals in our community over the last few years.  As a city, we’re responding to this by creating new shelter spaces and investing in supportive housing. With existing shelters at or near capacity, this month the city…
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The last two years have been difficult for everyone, but it’s been especially challenging for our most vulnerable residents. For a kind and caring community like ours, it’s important to help people get back on their feet. First and foremost, that means pushing the provincial and federal governments for more funding for supportive and transitional…
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Over the last couple of years we’ve been working on a new concept that will enhance the way visitors and residents can experience our amazing waterfront. The idea is to build a walkway on the Confederation Basin Promenade and create a new public space where people can take a walk, go for a swim, or…
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With the continued shortage of housing options available in Kingston, there’s never been a more important time to get housing built in the city. We need more of all types of housing – starter homes, townhouses, tiny homes, condos, rental apartments, supportive and transitional housing units, and more. This month, City Council is taking an…
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