Fatal Crash

There’s been a terrible tragedy north of Kingston as the school year winds down.

A single vehicle crash on Rutledge Road has claimed the lives of two teenagers.

A 16 year old female and 16 year old male were pronounced dead at the scene of the crash around 10:45 last night.

Provincial Police say the vehicle went off the road and rolled over.

A 17 year old male was taken to hospital with life threatening injuries.

The 16 year old female driver and another 16 year old female suffered non-life threatening injuries.

New School Name

Kingston’s new elementary school has been named.

Trustees with the Limestone District School Board decided on Molly Brant Elementary School at the regular board meeting last night.

It was one of four names considered by trustees for the new 10.6 million dollar school.

It will combine students from First Avenue and Frontenac Public Schools on the QECVI property.

Preliminary construction work will begin this July on the Lyons Street site. A ceremonial groundbreaking is tentatively scheduled for September 2015.

School Board Budget

Trustees with the Limestone School Board have approved the budget for the 2015-2016 school year.

The balanced budget will see the board spend almost $252 million.

The trustees had to deal with declining enrolment and reduced provincial funding.

The budget includes funding for the city’s bus pass program that has been extended to grade 12 students.

Capital projects coming up this year include the new Molly Brant Elementary School.

The new 36 million dollar high school to replace QECVI and KCVI and $6.6 million for work to upgrade existing schools…more than double the amount spent last year.

Gerretsen Awards

Two students have been chosen by the Limestone School Board as the first recipients of the John Gerretsen Youth Leadership Award.

LCVI student Lauren Carson and Lloyd MacPherson of QECVI have been selected to receive the bursaries.

Carson will get $500 to help pay for a Wilderness Instructor Course and MacPherson will receive $1,500 to support a one-day student conference he’s organizing for grade 9 student leaders at QE and KCVI.

Torchbearers

Canadian Forces Base Kingston has announced its Pan Am Games Torch runners.

The torch will arrive at the base on July 3rd before it makes its way to downtown Kingston.

CFB Kingston’s Civilian and Military Person of the year Dan Simms and Corporal Brad McGarvey will carry the torch along with two members from Soldier On…Corporal Ethan Nielson and retired Navy Cadet Sean Stadnisky.

The torch will arrive in Toronto on July 10th for the official opening of the Pan Am Games.

Upgrade Money

Five organizations in Kingston are getting a total of $200,000 dollars for repairs and renovations from the Ontario government.

Kingston Interval House, Community Living Kingston, Extend-a-Family, Christian Horizons and Ongwanada Hospital will use the funding to improve their facilities.

Kingston Youth Services

A new program to help young people with housing is being launched in Kingston today by Home Base Housing.  It has combined its own program with a new Prevention and Housing Case Management Program.

Kingston Youth Services will provide comprehensive and coordinated housing and related services for youth.

Home Base Housing says it has already been able to help 49 young people who were either homeless or “at risk” of becoming homeless.

It’s hosting a BBQ and tours at 540 Montreal Street from 3-5 this afternoon followed by its 27th Annual General Meeting.

Downtown Skyline

Kingston will have to decide if its downtown skyline will be dotted with a series of high rise towers.

An 18 storey development is already being proposed for the former Empire Theatre property on Princess Street near the corner of Montreal Street.

Proposals for high rise developments on two other key downtown properties will be coming soon.

Homestead Landholdings is expected to reveal plans for the land known as the North Block.  The two developments are in the works for properties on Queen Street and King Street.