A busy transition coming for City of Kingston's garbage and recycling collection services
(Kingston, Ontario) Curbside garbage and recycling collection is being overhauled this year as the City of Kingston moves to implement a new automated cart system for weekly pick-up of household garbage and organics, while shifting away from collecting blue boxes.
Big changes are coming. To summarize the main points:
Local News Is Dying. The Consequences Are Worse than You Think
Unreliable information, uninformed citizens, unchecked governments
::: spoiler Section relevant to Kingston:
DONNA FORSTER and her husband, Joe Fardella, experienced the retrenchment of local journalism first hand on Thursday, July 18, 2024, when they settled in to watch the 6 p.m. local news in Kingston, Ontario. They expected to see Bill Hutchins, the affable news anchor on CKWS Global News Kingston, deliver the better part of an hour of local news and interviews from the station’s downtown broadcast centre, just as he’d done for twenty-seven years. Instead, their TV screen was blank.
“We just had no idea what had happened,” Forster says. The next day, they learned that the Kingston station had fallen victim to spending cuts by its troubled parent company, Corus Entertainment. When the revamped supper hour newscast appeared four days later, it was unrecognizable. About two dozen on-air personalities, reporters, and support staff at CKWS and the two local Corus-owned radio stations lost their jobs. Hutchins, then president of the broadcast centre’s
Rental brokers and property managers in places like Kingston, Ont., and Surrey, B.C., are noticing less demand for student housing
Of relevance to Kingston:
For the last 10 years, Amélie Brack’s property-management company had no trouble renting out both halves of a duplex near St. Lawrence College in Kingston, one of Canada’s most notable student-dominated cities renowned for its high proportion of out-of-town students, with both St. Lawrence and Queen’s University in the area. This year, it’s still not rented out as the fall school term is about to start – a first for her. It’s not the only unit going empty, after demand for student housing in Kingston drastically fell in the past few months. “Up until last year, we would get 25 to 50 inquiries per week in August. This year, it’s been crickets. It’s quite a surprise,” said Ms. Brack, leasing manager for Limestone Property Management.
It’s a phenomenon that hasn’t shown up yet in any official statistical reports. But it’s one that many at ground level are observing, a noticeable U-turn from the last few years where there were often frantic bidding wars for
Cataraqui Woods Dr extension open (sort of)
Rode my bike on this new section of Cataraqui Woods Dr today! You can now go from Centennial all the way to Sydenham Rd. Technically, there was still some heavy paving equipment working on a part of it so I'm not sure it is fully open to all traffic at this point? But they had taken down the barricades.
Noticed a circus at the riocan today
I think they’re here through the weekend?
Full eclipse on April 8th
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I was told by someone at Tourism Kingston that they are expecting more than 70K visitors to descend on the city for this, which is insane!
Kingston City Council to vote on enclosing Memorial Centre Aqua Park
Enclosure of Culligan Water Park to provide year-round aquatic services, expanding from 3 months to 12 months per year. It is anticipated that this initiative would add 0.75 aquatic service capacity and could be implemented in the short to medium term based on cost and financing. This initiative supports additional community use but will not be able to accommodate any competitive use.
...
Recommendation:
That Council endorse the enclosure of the Culligan Water Park to make it a year-round facility based on the concepts with open space and glazing attached as Exhibit A to Report Number 24- 002; and
That Council approve a budget of $25.1M for the Culligan Water Park enclosure to be funded by $5.0M in development charges, $5.1M in Municipal Capital Reserve Fund and $15.0M in debt issuance;
See [Report 24-002 Aquatic Facilities Options](https://www.cityofkingston.ca/documents/10180/40092225/City-Council_Meeting-09-2024_Report-24-002_Aquatic-Facilities-Options.pdf/c1352402-
Likely beaver activity on K&P Trail
This is not far from where it crosses Little Cataraqui Creek, so they are probably trying to dam the creek. I should probably contact someone with the city? Anyone know who to call?
Huge turnout today to remember the cyclist struck on this rural stretch of Taylor Kidd
If you drive west from Collins Bay Rd, you should now see a "ghost" bicycle painted white on the south side of the road marking where the fatal collision occurred. Personally, I have lived in cities in which a cyclist fatality would barely garner attention by the local media, but as tragic as this is, I am glad the community here has not become jaded about such events.
Billy Talent at Leon's Centre last night
I'd forgotten how much I missed going to concerts during the pandemic. They put on a good show!
Ribfest & Craft Beer Show
It's down at the Memorial Centre. This was from yesterday, but if I'm not mistaken, it's free admission today until it closes up at 6?
Santo Christo festivites
This was at Our Lady of Fatima up the hill from Division. The food was awesome!
Good band and eats today at Greekfest
It’s across from the library downtown. They’ve closed the whole block for it. I overheard there are dancers coming from Montreal at 7 pm!
Wolfe Islander IV in operation?
Good things come to those who wait - thank you to Cindy Greenwood, who drew attention to the first passenger runs this afternoon by the Wolfe Islander IV She looks like she was made for this - what...
Came across a facebook page showing the new electric ferry in service, but can't find any other news confirming this. Is this for real?
City of Kingston looks to automate curbside garbage collection with standard carts
The City of Kingston is looking to automate the collection of curbside trash and green bins within the next few years, but says the switch will not result in layoffs.
This could be an interesting move. If you're wondering what it might look like, this video from the City of Guelph is super helpful: Automated Waste Collection
Odd question: premium hotdogs?
Alright, here's an odd question. I'm hosting family for my son's birthday, and he's asked for hotdogs for lunch. We've got some foodies in the family, so I don't want to skimp and just go with your typical Maple Leaf dogs.
Does anyone know where I could get some premium, potentially locally-made hotdogs? Does such a thing exist?
Cormorant near Cat Centre
Saw this bird on the way to work today. It was perched on a log sticking out of the pond at Lions Civic Gardens. That's that little park south of the mall where the library is. The Merlin app ID'd it as a double-breasted cormorant. Possibly a juvenile given its coloration, though it was a good size!
