This has been a big year for tourism – from the national spotlight of The Tragically Hip concert, to the Amazing Race episode, to the Kingston Penitentiary tours, and our award winning festivals and events! Building on this exciting momentum is the new collaborative tourism brand for Kingston – ‘fresh made daily’. This new…
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School closures can be difficult for any community to deal with, but with some creative thinking at the city level we can turn a negative into a positive by encouraging smart redevelopment. A good example of this approach is with the former St. Joseph/St. Mary Catholic School at the corner of Brock and Napier Streets…
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Check out the latest version of From the Mayor’s Chair, where I break down the decisions of Council in 3 minutes or less. Highlights from the September 6 Council meeting include debate and discussion about the future of the the former St. Joseph/St. Mary Catholic School located at 671 Brock Street, approval of the exterior look…
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Economic development is critical to the future prosperity of our city, and in my view one of the most important ways we can grow our economy is by growing new businesses right here in Kingston. This is a key part of my vision to make Kingston a smart city, where we create an environment where…
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August 20 – The Tragically Hip Day in Kingston – is a night that I, along with all Kingstonians, will always remember. As I reflect on the night I am filled with pride and gratitude. I am grateful to Gord, Paul, Rob, Gord and Jonny, our hometown boys who became national music icons, but…
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Earlier this week I was in Windsor attending the Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO) conference. The AMO conference is the largest annual municipal gathering in Ontario with over 1,700 municipal leaders in attendance – a great chance to compare notes and share ideas with other mayors from across the province. Ranked ballots, Uber and…
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Check out the latest version of From the Mayor’s Chair, where I break down the decisions of Council in 3 minutes or less. Highlights from the August 9 Council meeting include an update on Kingston’s new integrated tourism strategy from Kingston Accommodation Partners and Tourism Kingston, the introduction of the made-in-Kingston Youth Employment Strategy, and…
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A new feature has been added to the debate over residential intensification in our downtown: community benefits. Community benefits, outlined in the provincial Planning Act, are additional offerings provided by a developer that can be included when amendments to zoning are being pursued to allow more height or density. A city is responsible for negotiating…
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One of my key priorities as mayor is to advance the Third Crossing, a project that will connect Kingston’s east end and north end with a new 1.2km bridge across the Cataraqui River. City Council approved a plan to make the Third Crossing project ‘shovel-ready’ and staff have been working to develop the preliminary design, a…
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During the 2014 election I ran on a platform to move Kingston forward together. As your mayor I work daily to move us forward by ensuring we make investments that improve the quality of life across our community. This includes the investments being made to increase the supply of affordable housing in Kingston, which can…
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