When it comes to recovery from the pandemic, there’s a particular challenge that has really come to the forefront this year. All over the community I’m hearing about the difficulties businesses are having in finding new employees. Whether it’s restaurants or retail stores, manufacturing or service industries, there’s a major crunch as businesses need new…
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We all know affordable housing is a critical need in our community. That’s why I’m proud that we’re making the biggest investment in affordable housing that the city has ever made. At our City Council meeting this week, we approved over $18 million in city capital funding to advance three different affordable housing projects in…
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Several years ago we began to explore options for a deep water dock for cruise ships here in Kingston. A deep water dock is a great way to grow our local tourism industry and to attract the increasing number of cruise ships traveling through the great lakes. The pandemic put those plans on hold but…
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Earlier this month, the City learned details about the plan to redevelop the property here at the former Prison for Women. This property has been vacant for more than 20 years, so it’s exciting to see a new vision come forward for a development called Union Park. The plan calls for renovating the existing heritage…
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Housing affordability continues to be a top priority for myself and City Council. We’re working on a number of different policies and strategies to provide lower cost housing options. One recommendation from the Mayor’s Taskforce on Housing was to explore opportunities to build tiny homes which are smaller and more affordable than other traditional types…
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This week the federal government announced funding for VIA Rail’s new high frequency rail service in eastern Ontario and southern Quebec. This funding will enable a new rail line to be built between Toronto and Ottawa enabling faster trips between the two cities. Even though this new rail line doesn’t pass through Kingston, it’s still…
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One of the most exciting industries seeing growth in Kingston right now is film productions. In the midst of a pandemic, the City has been able to host a variety of filming projects. Extensive protocols have been in place such as frequent COVID testing, medical grade safety equipment and PPE and physical distancing to keep…
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As the economy begins to reopen over the coming weeks, one of my top priorities will be working with the Kingston Economic Recovery Team to help bring businesses and employment back to full strength. The Kingston Economic Recovery Team (KERT) was formed last spring to help our local tourism sector, restaurants and retail stores, cultural…
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One of the best ways we can help our most vulnerable residents is to expand the supply of supportive housing here in Kingston. Supportive housing offers not only an affordable place for people to live, it also provides staff and services on site to help residents overcome the life challenges that can lead to homelessness.…
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With COVID cases on the decline and vaccination rates continuing to rise, I believe now is the right time for the province to look at reopening schools here in Kingston. The third wave of the pandemic has been tough on everyone in our community but it’s been especially difficult for children and youth. The Maltby…
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