There’s a significant need for more supportive housing in our community. For many of our most vulnerable residents, affordable housing is only part of the equation. What they really need is housing that offers on-site support with staff who are there to help residents deal with the challenges that, when left unaddressed, can often lead…
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The COVID-19 pandemic has caused the biggest economic disruption since the Great Depression, and many sectors of our local economy have been hit especially hard. We are working to help local businesses and workers respond to the immediate challenges they face, while also working on strategies to bring our economy back better and stronger on…
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When we talk about building a smart and livable city, we’re talking about building a city that encourages active transportation, that promotes healthy lifestyles, and overall makes life better and easier for residents. That also means designing city infrastructure in a way that aligns with these goals, which is why I’m really excited about Kingston’s…
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The pandemic has had a major impact on our community and on city resources. Given the needs and challenges that have come up, it made sense for council to re-visit the priorities we made for this term. What became clear from the feedback from residents, and from our council discussion, is that overall our priorities…
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Last week City Council approved a plan to build much needed affordable housing here at the corner of Princess Street and Hillendale Avenue. The plan is to partner with two non-profit housing providers – Kingston Co-operative Housing and Kingston Frontenac Housing – to build 128 housing units on this site. The goal is to create…
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Among the challenges our community is facing, housing remains one of the most significant. Supply is short across the entire city, and the downtown commercial core is especially fragile with fewer tourists this summer and fewer students returning this fall as a result of the pandemic. The need for housing in the core, to ensure…
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First, I want to say thank you for sharing your comments, questions and concerns with me about the recent sermon excerpts from Third Day Worship Centre (TDWC). Since the release of these videos I’ve taken time to be with my family and those closest to me, to reflect and to consider all the feedback I’ve…
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As we head into the fall, this is traditionally a time of year when we see instances of large unsanctioned street parties. In the midst of the current pandemic, large house parties and unsanctioned street parties are not just a nuisance to our community, they’re also a real public health concern. Public health rules prohibit…
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Early last year Kingston City Council came together to establish strategic priorities that would guide the work of the city over this council term that runs until the end of 2022. We developed an ambitious plan with five diverse but interconnected strategic priorities: strengthen economic development opportunities; increase housing affordability; demonstrate leadership on climate action;…
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A few months ago I brought together community and business leaders to form the Kingston Economic Recovery Team. The purpose of this team is to work with representatives from the sectors of our local economy that have been hardest hit by the COVID-19 pandemic, and to help workers that have lost their jobs and small…
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