SPEAKingston

As we enter one of our most challenging years ever as a municipality, these pics illustrate the ever-shifting retail landscape of #ygk downtown. Thanks Marc Shaw for these photos. #shoplocal #LoveKingston

Happy Holidays and best wishes for a healthy New Year ! #ygk #love #peace

Mayor Paterson's Holiday Story Time @ Kingston Frontenac Public Library! Sign up for Storytime Express #ygk #BeSafeAndEnjoy

Homestead drops appeal to Rideau Marina LPAT decision in Kingston

Our Dec 9 2020 newsletter has arrived !! Love Kingston - shop local! These are the businesses that support our local hospitals, sports teams, artists and family events. Let's show them how we love Kingston! #ygk #LoveKingston https://bit.ly/3733USF

The Love Kingston initiative by Tourism Kingston will be receiving almost $100,000 from the provincial government to light up Kingston during the holiday season through Ontario’s Reconnect Festival and Event Program to help deliver innovative, safe experiences, such as virtual festivals and events, and support tourism operators as they deal with the impacts of COVID-19,. #ygk #BeSafeAndEnjoy

The Capitol Condo Project (which has been reduced to 12 floors and re-designed for improvements in terms of traffic, parking, wind, shadowing and heritage impact) was recently approved by the City’s Planning Committee. The fate of the Capitol Project will be determined by a City Council vote on Tues Oct 6. SPEAKingston fully supports this project! ... The re-designed Capitol project will add to the housing supply downtown, it will provide investment, create direct and indirect jobs and it will add to the vibrancy of our downtown neighbourhoods with more people downtown. It will also have benefits for the environment and climate change, with more people living, working and walking downtown and commuting less. The need for projects like this has become acute and urgent, given the negative impacts of COVID19 and the economic recession, which is causing numerous downtown businesses to close. Please call or email your Councillor before Tuesday evening to convey your support. You can make a difference for the future of our City! #ygk #SmartGrowth #ActionRequired

"The current pandemic has had a major impact on our community and on city resources. In light of these emerging needs and challenges, last week city council did a review of our strategic priorities for the term. " #ygk #strategicpriorities

The intersection at John Counter Boulevard/Leroy Grant will convert to an AAA (all ages and abilities) cycling intersection. #ygk #SmartGrowth #activetransport

The Grand Parade of the Niagara Grape and Wine Parade was cancelled, but that did not prevent parade organizers from bringing the parade to the people. "New Orleans does a porch parade during Mardi Gras and that was the inspiration. 20 neighbourhoods applied to be on the route and 6 were chosen. Footage was streamed on the Grape and Wine Facebook page #ygk #Ideasforygk

Such vision ! #ygk #Ideasforygk #publicArt

Since 2014 Mr. Smith and Homestead Landholdings have donated $845,000 towards the revitalization of the RYK facilities. In 1978, RKY built the original Homestead with the help of Mr Smith and hence "was named the HOMESTEAD #ygk #BuildingCommunity

The history of civilization is the history of cities and civic spaces. Cities are the future, statistically more so today than ever before. The consequences of historical city crisis (fire, smog, sickness) yielded fireproof buildings, sewage systems, green parks, the automobile. The crises of the day hastened and magnified the arrival of these new design standards. 'History also tells us that the future is not 2-m distancing. The last major pandemic of 1918-20 created deser...ted city centres, face masks, lockdowns and quarantines. But it also heralded the social and cultural revolution of the 1920s with newly built gathering spaces: department stores, cinemas and stadiums. What might be the equivalent hallmarks of our coming age, after Covid-19?' #ygk #SmartCity #HealthandWellbeing #Covid19

A review of the city’s strategic priorities should see most of council’s initiatives move forward as planned: increase affordable housing, improve roads address climate change.... City councillors met in a virtual meeting last night to review the strategic plan and decide what initiatives can go ahead and which ones need to be delayed or halted because of the COVID-19 pandemic. #ygk #Budget #Covid19 #StrategicPriorities

Sept 24, 2020 SPEAKingston Newsletter has arrived! In this issue, we feature : the NEW Frontenac Club Inn and SPEAKingston’s smart growth mission & the need for urgent action https://bit.ly/2Ezrw5S... #ygk #SmartGrowth #shoplocal

Congrats Loyalist Township on your FCM 2020 Sustainable Community Award in the Water category. Loyalist created a constructed wetland that uses biological processes and native vegetation to help treat wastewater. A cost-effective alternative to UV disinfection, it also gives residents access to green space. #southeasternOntario #SmartGrowth

The Davis Leather Tannery was a large Kingston industry at the end of Orchard Street. It provided significant employment for decades before closing and abandonment, but its sad modern-day legacy is being one of the most toxic brownfield sites in the province. #ygk #BrownfieldCleanUp #SmartGrowth

The redevelopment of the Block D site on Ontario Street has given more Kingstonians access to that part of the waterfront than they have had since the early 1800s. The construction, residential tax and tourist benefits of the revitalization is incalculable. #ygk #SmartGrowth

The federal government will provide $1 million to help Kingston’s tourism sector recover from the COVID-19 pandemic. The funding offers up to $20,000 to tourism-oriented businesses and is expected to help up to 100 businesses. #ygk #Staycation #ShopLocal

Mayor Bryan Paterson has issued a new emergency order requiring physical distancing on sidewalks, streets and boulevards to discourage congregating and loitering in the downtown area. The order is restricting groups to be no larger than 10 people in specific areas (see map). Additionally, this new order requires individuals to wear face coverings while in any enclosed common area of a multi-unit residential building #ygk #BeSafe #BeKind