Homestead High Rises

The battle lines are being drawn between people who want downtown Kingston to stay the same and those in favour of high rise development.

The Planning Committee meets tonight…and among other things…it will discuss Homestead’s proposal to build two 21-storey high-rises on Queen Street in downtown Kingston.

The meeting takes place in city council chambers starting at 6:30 tonight.

It will also discuss an application by ABNA Investments for a commercial development in the former quarry and soccer dome location off Division Street near the 401.

Planning Committee Agenda:

https://www.cityofkingston.ca/residents/city-calendar-events?p_p_auth=eg2WiAW8&p_p_id=8&p_p_lifecycle=0&p_p_col_id=column-3&p_p_col_pos=1&p_p_col_count=4&_8_struts_action=%2Fcalendar%2Fview_event&_8_eventId=12309257&_8_redirect=%2F

Fire – Cherry Street

Kingston Fire and Rescue says nobody was injured in an early morning fire in a house at 57 Cherry Street.

The fire caused $60,000 damage.

A news release from the fire department says the fire originated in the laundry area and the tenant had tried to extinguish it using a home fire extinguisher.

Bombardier – Millhaven

Massive layoffs announced by Bombardier yesterday should only have a minimal impact on the company’s facility west of Kingston.

Bombardier is cutting 7,000 jobs but says it expects fewer than 10 job losses at its research, design and testing facility on Taylor Kidd Boulevard.

It currently employs about 320 people.

Company spokesperson Marc-Andre Lefebvre says the impact of the cuts on the facility is still being evaluated.

KEDCO Review

The committee reviewing the future of the Kingston Economic Development Corporation has established a subcommittee to follow the money.

It will oversee an audit of monthly expenses by KEDCO officials going back five to 10 years.

A second working group will look into how the committee is communicating with residents and what communications will be in the future.

City Council

Kingston City Council met last night after its regular meeting on Tuesday was postponed because of the big snowstorm and councillors agreed to do some extra spending.

Council approved spending $50,000 to study the visual character of the Highway 15 corridor as part of an environmental assessment on widening the road between Highway 2 and Gore Road.

Council gave the green light to a $20,000 grant for Loving Spoonful to oversee a community gardens program and decided to approve giving Sustainable Kingston $10,000.

Sustainable Kingston will use the money to promote reducing greenhouse gas emissions in the institutional, commercial and industrial sector.

Shoplifting – Knife Pulled

A 47-year-old Kingston woman is facing multiple charges after police say a knife was pulled on a loss prevention officer after a shoplifting incident.

The officer confronted the woman at the Metro on Barrie Street Tuesday night and brought her back to the security office.

Police say the woman became belligerent and uncooperative, pulled out a knife and threatened the officer before they arrived.  In addition to a shoplifting charge…the woman faces charges of assault with a weapon, possession of a dangerous weapon, uttering threats to cause death and two counts of breach of probation.

Megabus – Tuberculosis

People who travelled on a Megabus from Montreal to Toronto and back with stops in Kingston in late August are being urged to get tested for tuberculosis.

A passenger on Megabus No. 771 was diagnosed with contagious tuberculosis.

The bus from Montreal arrived in Kingston at 7:25 on the night of Thursday, August 20th and went on to Toronto.

The person was also on Megabus No. 778 that left Toronto on Sunday, August 23rd – arrived in Kingston at 7:25 p.m. and went on to Montreal.