The City of Kingston’s public works department will be informing residents this winter when significant precipitation events prevent crews from doing a perfect job.

Bill Linnen, acting director of public works, explained on Thursday that significant weather could mean that while their crews are out 24-7, the heavy precipitation falling could mean that they may not hit their normal response times. When this happens, the city will be able to declare a “significant” weather event.

“We’re not saying we’re not going to respond to the storm; we’ll respond to the storm like we always have,” Linnen said. “We’re going to have the trucks and the equipment out there, but we’re not necessarily going to meet those level of service standards if it’s a significant event. …

“When you get a lot of snow falling in a short period of time, by the time the truck or the sidewalk plow gets back to the start of the route, there still could be a lot of accumulation.”

While some may think common sense would prevail, there were some complaints made to public works about snowplowing last winter after some heavy winter storms. The plan is to give the community a heads-up via news bulletins and social media if residents’ expectations need to be altered.

“We’re actively out there, [the declarations are] not an out,” Linnen said. “We’re not parking the trucks or equipment, but the weather even could be so severe that we’re not going to have it cleaned up in our expected time, or we’re not going to be able to get back to the start of a route before the accumulation is at a significant depth again.”

Public works operates 29 snowplows for 1,800 kilometres of roads, and 15 sidewalk plows for more than 600 kilometres of sidewalks. During normal winter conditions, the department aims to have arterial roads cleared in four hours, collector and transit routes done in six hours, and residential streets cleared in 16 hours. The time frame goals are part of the city’s winter maintenance policy that is available on the city’s website.

Cities in Ontario are now able to make the notifications, due to a revision of the provincial Municipal Act that regulates minimum maintenance made last May. The revision allows municipalities to declare a significant weather event.

“There’s a very clear and strict criteria on what would trigger that,” Linnen said. Basically, it is linked to Environment Canada’s weather alert, warning system. “[They post them] in the winter for when there’s expected to be a large accumulation or freezing rain, or significant weather events.”

While there were two or three storms, Linnen would have declared significant, he noted that the department will be using their own judgment when making the declarations. Even if Environment Canada sends out an alert, if Linnen thinks crews will be able to hit their response times, he won’t declare the weather “significant.”

Linnen said his department is ready for the winter that is already being predicted to be busy and full of snow. The city’s domes are full with sand, the plows were installed in October and they’ve moved over to their 24-hour shift schedule for crews.

“I always like to ask people to try to be patient,” Linnen said. “Plow trucks are large, they’re out there for people’s safety, so give them room to do their job and everyone can be safe.”

For more information on the city’s winter maintenance policy, go online to www.cityofkingston.ca/residents/roads-and-traffic/snow-removal.

scrosier@postmedia.com

twitter.com/StephattheWhig

WALK ON: A free, drop-in volunteer-led indoor walking program offered at six sites in Kingston, Frontenac, Lennox and Addington from November to March: Invista Centre and Memorial Centre, Perth Road Public School, Napanee District Secondary School, La Salle Secondary School, and Rideau Heights Community Centre. For the full schedule, go online to www.kflaph.ca/en/clinics-and-classes/Walk-On.aspx or call 613-549-1232, ext. 1180.

PLAY EUCHRE, CRIB, BRIDGE, SKIP-DO: A group of fun-loving ladies and gents. We meet the second and fourth Friday of each month at St. Peter’s Anglican Church, 4333 Bath Rd. (we are located just east of Coronation Boulevard. Look for the St. Peter’s sign.) We start at 7 p.m. and play cards for two hours and then enjoy refreshments. Freewill offering. Contact is Jan Reid at 613-389-3037. We welcome everyone, even if your card-playing skills are rusty.

39 CLUB OF KINGSTON DANCE: 7:30-11 p.m. at Royal Canadian Legion Branch 631, 4034 Bath Rd., Collins Bay. Music by Hallman and Hoffman. Admission $12, members $10. Lunch at 11 p.m. Everyone welcome. For more information, call Crystal Gurnsey at 613-544-5100.

DONNA’S GOODTIME KARAOKE: At Royal Canadian Legion Branch 560, from 8 p.m. to midnight with $3 cover for non-members. Everyone welcome.

LOCAL HOLIDAY MARKET AND MUSIC FRIDAY NIGHTS: Until Dec. 22 at 168 Wellington St., Kingston (old Scotiabank), Fridays 5:30-8:30 p.m., Saturdays 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., Sundays 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

CLOTHES FOR KIDS-ROCK ‘N’ ROLL-A-THON: Keeping our children warm this winter with new snowsuits. Bring money to share warmth or a new snowsuit for infants up to 13 years old and teen jacket sizes 14-16 to St. Paul’s Catholic Church, 1111 Taylor-Kidd Blvd., from 11 a.m. to noon. All ‘bobby-soxers’ are welcome to join us. ~ come and clap along, sing along and move along to the jukebox tunes. For more information call Dee at 50+Rock ‘n Roll Fitness at 613-389-6540.

YOGA: 9:30-10:30 a.m. at Westbrook United Church, 3526 Princess St.

CLOTHING DEPOT: Thursdays 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., Fridays and Saturdays 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Used clothing and small items, reasonably priced at Westbrook United Church, 3526 Princess St.

NOELS ANCIENS: French Christmas, 12th to 18th centuries. Escape the Christmas rush at our calming Advent and Christmas concert. A program of all French music, it includes the mystical sounds of chant from Medieval France, soothing motets, familiar French Noels, and uplifting instrumental music of Boismortier. The concert finishes in the high Baroque with Charpentier’s stunning “Messe de Minuit”. 7:30 p.m., at St George’s Cathedral. Tickets $25, students $10, available on Snap’d, or at Novel Idea, St. George’s Cathedral Office, Long & McQuade, through our website Melos-earlymusic.org, or at the door. More information is available online at Melos-earlymusic.org, email Meloskingston@gmail.com or phone 613-767-7245.

IN GOOD TASTE: A fine-dining experience for single seniors and will meet at The Keg, 300 King St. East., at 5:30 p.m. If interested to attend, contact Norma at 613-542-3622 or Shirley at 613-384-5719.

NAPANEE CHRISTMAS SALE: Items from Peru, Zambia, Uganda. Sale to support the work of Helping Cope Through Hope in these countries. The sale is from 3-8 p.m. in the lobby of Napanee Giant Tiger. All proceeds go back to the poor in the countries above. Items include alpaca sweaters, ponchos and tuques from Peru.

FRIDAY AND SATURDAY PLAYGROUP: 9:30-11:30 a.m. at LARC, 465 Advance Ave., Napanee.

BAKE SALE & TURKEY FEAST: Delicious christmas turkey feast for only $12 at the Napanee branch of the Royal Canadian Legion. A hearty homemade meal served every Friday at 11:30 a.m. Everyone welcome.

EUCHRE: Play starts at 8 p.m., at the Napanee branch of the Royal Canadian Legion. Everyone welcome.

NAPANEE PIONEERS: Are welcoming new dancers to learn how to square dance. Every Friday, first two nights are free. No partner and no special clothing is required. Come out and join in, make new friends, and enjoy a social evening. All ages welcome. If you can walk, you can dance.

MODERATE EXERCISE GROUP: 9 a.m. at the Deseronto Public Library, 358 Main St. Participate in a walking exercise video workout. Donations to the food bank are appreciated. For more information, call 613-396-2744.

12 DAYS OF CHRISTMAS: Call for crafts, times and availability. Until Dec. 22 there will be fun Christmas crafts to participate in at the Deseronto Public Library, 358 Main St. There is limited space for each craft. Call 613-396-2744 for details and registration.

TODDLER TIME: 10:30 a.m. at the Deseronto Public Library, 358 Main St. Children ages 18 months to three years and their caregivers will enjoy stories, finger rhymes, and a craft. For more information, call 613-396-2744.

BINGO: 7:30 p.m., $500 jackpot at the Tamworth branch of the Royal Canadian Legion.

LEGION LUNCH: Every Friday come join us for lunch at Royal Canadian Legion Branch 623, 120 County Road 4, Millhaven.  11 a.m. to 6 p.m., fish and chips.

EUCHRE: Every Friday night at Royal Canadian Legion Branch 623, 120 County Road 4, Millhaven. Play starts at 7:30 p.m. Everyone welcome.

~~~~~

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Two 14-year-old boys have been charged by Ontario Provincial Police after emergency services were called to a collision and subsequent fire last Saturday.

OPP said in a news release that at about 5:35 p.m., officers were called to the area of Highway 15 and Leo Lake Road in Kingston for the collision and fire. When they arrived, they were told that the people involved in the crash had left the scene. The two boys were found nearby by an assisting OPP officer from the Leeds County Detachment.

The OPP contacted the owner of the SUV the boys had crashed and confirmed that it had been stolen.  As a result, the two Kingston youths were arrested.

The teen who was driving the SUV was charged with dangerous driving, possession of stolen property worth over $5,000, failing to remain at the scene of a collision, and driving a motor vehicle without a licence.

The second youth was charged with possession of stolen property worth over $5,000.

The boys were released on a promise to appear in the Ontario Court of Justice in Kingston on Jan. 22, 2019.

KINGSTON – The Street Health Centre is looking for city council support as it tries to continue operating its overdose prevention site in line with new Ontario government regulations.

The Kingston site, located at Street Health’s Barrack Street office, opened in July.

“Since then, the site has been used more than 700 times by 102 unique individuals,” a report to city council stated. “Each month, the number of individuals accessing the site continues to increase, demonstrating the development of trust and rapport amongst people who use substances.” 

To continue operating, however, the agency must apply to the government for approval and funding before the end of the year, and part of that process is getting a motion of support from city council.

Kingston, Frontenac and Lennox and Addington Public Health ranked ninth among 35 public health units for the highest opioid-related death rate in 2017. 

According to Street Health, crystal methamphetamine is the most commonly consumed substance at the Kingston site, with about 46 per cent of the people using the site.

About four per cent of the people coming in were using a combination of crystal methamphetamine combined with an opioid known as a speedball. 

“Individuals consuming crystal methamphetamine require far more behavioural/emotional supports from staff, which also means that the duration of the engagement and referral to additional services can take longer,” the report to city council stated.

The staff at the Kingston site included a Frontenac Paramedic Services paramedic, harm reduction workers from Street Health and HIV/AIDS Regional Services, and community support workers, who bring their own life experiences with drug use.

The Street Health site already has written support from KFL&A Public Health, Frontenac Paramedic Services, HIV/AIDS Regional Services, Addictions and Mental Health Services, the Kingston Police and other agencies.

Statistics from the police show there has been “no increase or changes in calls” from the location since the site opened, and local residents and businesses have expressed no concern.

In July, the same month the Kingston site opened, Minister of Health and Long-Term Care Christine Elliott announced government plans to review funding for the overdose prevention and safe injection sites.

In October, Elliott announced a policy shift for the sites from overdose prevention to also include a longer-term goal of helping drug users receive treatment and rehabilitation services.

The 21 existing overdose prevention sites open at that time were invited to reapply for approval and funding to stay open.

City council is to consider the request to support Street Health’s site at its Tuesday night meeting.

– with files from Postmedia Network and The Canadian Press

Kristin Kellermann holds a photo of her mother, Susanne, who died in June 2018 from cancer. Kellermann is thanking her St. Lawrence College program facilitators for holding a graduation ceremony for her at her dying mother’s bedside, something she describes as a gift of a lifetime. (Meghan Balogh/The Whig-Standard)

Kristin Kellermann-Lowe’s eyes well with tears when she thinks about her graduation from St. Lawrence College.

Six months ago, she donned cap and gown to receive her diploma in Fitness and Health Promotion at a special ceremony planned in her parents’ Kingston home.

Her family attended and watched her receive her credentials with pride, but it was one set of eyes for whom the special home graduation ceremony was orchestrated.

Kellermann-Lowe’s graduation took place in her mother Susanne’s home in June 2018, only days before Susanne died at the age of 60 after a seven-year battle with cancer.

Kellermann-Lowe and her family knew that Susanne’s time was close, and that she wouldn’t be able to attend Kellermann-Lowe’s ceremony at the end of June because of her condition.

So Kellermann-Lowe approached program facilitators Grant Bradley, Natasha Agaoglu and Sarah Pardy about the idea of a home graduation, and they jumped into action.

They brought flowers, music and spoke to the gathered family.

“They made these wonderful speeches. It was very professional. It was just lovely,” Kellermann-Lowe said. “They spoke to my mom like she was the proud, smart, incredible woman that she is. There was no pity. It was amazing.”

Grant Bradley and Sarah Pardy stand on either side of Kristin Kellermann-Lowe, who holds her nieces Ayla and Finn, after her home graduation ceremony, organized so that her dying mother could watch her graduate. (Supplied Photo)

Susanne had pancreatic cancer that metastasized in her reproductive organs. The prognosis for pancreatic cancer is usually five years, Kellermann-Lowe said. Her mom fought for seven, and she believes that her mom’s battle with an aggressive cancer continued for so long because she wanted to make sure her kids were going to be OK.

“She wanted to make sure we were good, we were taken care of, in a direction. I feel like it helped her, and it 100 per cent helped me. Still to this day … one of the things that gives me acceptance and peace is that day. She could see, she could hear from them. They made me out to be a fantastic, incredible person to my mom, and those were her last feelings.”

In January 2018, Susanne had undergone brain surgery for cancer that had spread from her reproductive organs. After the surgery, Kellermann-Lowe said, her mom wasn’t quite the same. Susanne lost her ability to speak, but she was able to express her joy at her daughter’s graduation, which she watched from her home hospital bed.

“There were parts where she would clasp her hands, and she was smiling,” Kellermann-Lowe said. “One of the big things that I always go back to and think about is that she got to watch me graduate. That was so important to her.”

Kellermann-Lowe’s teachers also attended Susanne’s funeral, and even read her obituary for the service.

“Since then, I still get emails from them,” Kellerman-Lowe said. “It’s not even just me and my situation. Everyone in my program, they want you to succeed so bad. They really care about things. Every time I walked through those doors.”

The care and compassion she was shown, not only during her mother’s final days but all through her program, reduce Kellermann-Lowe to tears regularly. She says she is so grateful for the community that her teachers built around the Fitness and Health Promotion program for not only her, but for all of the students.

“I need people to understand that St. Lawrence College, to me, that was my oasis,” she said. “I felt like I had a family. They had this kinship that they created, and everyone supported each other. I’d be a mess in my personal life, but I would look forward to going to school.”

Susanne gave her children six months to grieve her loss. Then, she told them, they had to move on with their lives.

One day shy of exactly six months since her death, Kellermann-Lowe spoke to the Whig-Standard about the deep gratefulness she feels for the St. Lawrence College program and teachers. She said she wanted to tell her story to express that gratefulness.

“Everyone around this time of year is buying presents. I needed to just explain the best gift that I have ever gotten in my life, without a question,” Kellermann-Lowe said. “It’s something that will stay with me my whole life. They are so effortlessly kind and caring, and that warm feeling that I’ll always have my whole life was from people you’d never expect. It was something that was life-saving and life-changing for me.”

mbalogh@postmedia.com

KINGSTON — The new city council is wasting little time in getting the process moving toward using a ranked ballot system in the next municipal election.

At its first regular meeting since being sworn in, council is to consider on Tuesday night a motion to direct staff to carry on researching the potential of using the system in the 2022 municipal election.  

“Results of the referendum question demonstrate that a clear majority of the electors voting in the 2018 municipal election are in favour of ranked ballot voting to elect the mayor and district councillors, and council is of the opinion that the results of the referendum question be respected and acted upon,” stated a new motion from Mayor Bryan Paterson and Sydenham District Coun. Peter Stroud.

Staff are to look at potential costs and to continue work started in 2016, when they were instructed to monitor the use of ranked ballots in the 2018 municipal election. 

Only London used ranked ballots to elect its council.

Paterson said the day after the election in October that city council would act quickly on the results of the referendum.

Kingston and Cambridge both held referendums to gauge the public’s opinion on the system. 

Of the nearly 33,000 people in Kingston who cast votes in the ranked ballot referendum, almost 21,000 — close to 63 per cent — voted in favour of using the system to elect future city council members.

To be legally binding, more than 50 per cent of the city’s eligible voters needed to vote in the referendum. That threshold was not reached, but many of the newly elected councillors committed to supporting the initiative. 

In a ranked ballot system, also known as a preferential voting system, instead of voting only for a single candidate, electors can rank the candidates in order of preference.

To win, a candidate must get 50 per cent plus one of the votes.

Votes are first counted for candidates based on the first choice marked on each ballot. If a candidate has received 50 per cent plus one votes to reach the threshold, that candidate is declared the winner and the vote count stops. If none of the candidates have enough votes to reach or cross the threshold, the candidate with the fewest votes is eliminated. The votes for that candidate are then redistributed to the next choice marked on each ballot that was cast for the candidate.

The ballots are counted again, with remaining candidates receiving the votes they received in the first round and any that were redistributed from the candidate who was eliminated after the first round. If all of the candidates ranked on a ballot are eliminated, that ballot becomes exhausted and is no longer counted.

The process continues until a candidate reaches 50 per cent plus one.

In London, the ranked ballot system seems to have not radically changed the results of the election. All of the candidates who led after the first ballot ended up winning their seats.

A previous city staff report estimated that the cost of using ranked ballots to elect city council would be about $220,000 and would increase the cost of an election to close to $1 million.

– with files from Postmedia Network

Heritage Resource Centre winter hours

The Heritage Resource Centre at City Hall will be changing over to winter hours starting in January 2019.

The centre will be closed from Wednesday, Dec. 19, through Wednesday, Jan. 2.

Starting Jan. 3 and through to February, it will be open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

The Heritage Resource Centre, currently staffed by heritage planners and volunteers, is located on the ground floor in the Market Wing of City Hall and operates as an advisory centre and community hub for built heritage conservation, cultural heritage, and an interpretative gallery space presenting Kingston’s history and stories.

For more information, the staff at the Heritage Resource Centre can be reached via email at hrc@cityofkingston.ca.

McBurney Park wading pool upgrading to splash pad

The City of Kingston is in the planning stages to convert the existing wading pool in McBurney Park to a splash pad. This will also include upgrading the washroom building and making it accessible.

The project will be introduced at two informal drop-in information sessions at Artillery Park Aquatic Centre, 382 Bagot St., on Monday, Dec. 17, from 2:30 to 5:30 p.m., and Tuesday, Dec. 18, from 10 a.m. to noon.

According to staff, they plan to use the footprint of the existing wading pool for the new splash pad and will conduct archeological studies before beginning construction.

“McBurney Park sits on the former Upper Burial Ground. It was Kingston’s primary cemetery until 1850 when Cataraqui Cemetery was established. It is estimated that up to 10,000 people were buried on the property prior to 1864. The city has conducted two major studies in McBurney Park in the past 15 years: an archeological study ahead of road work on Alma, Balaclava and Ordnance streets, and another as part of the McBurney Park tree replacement program.”

Construction is subject to budget approval and is anticipated to begin in 2020. The city will continue to engage the public on this project into 2019.

For accessibility feedback related to the proposed improvements, contact Patrica Sharpe at psharpe@cityofkingston.ca (in accordance with Ontario Regulation 191/11).

For more information, go online to CityofKingston.ca/Projects.

Wellness Pass

Looking for a way to beat the winter blues or help get a start on that New Year’s resolution? Try giving the gift of a Wellness Pass from the City of Kingston.

The city’s all-inclusive Wellness Pass membership provides access to both the Invista Centre Fitness and Wellness Centre and the Artillery Park Aquatic Centre.

“A Wellness Pass can be a life-changing gift to yourself, too,” Lynda Breen, supervisor, recreation programs, said. “They are great for anyone who lives in the west end and works downtown or vice versa because they offer access to both municipal fitness facilities.”

The Wellness Pass includes:

• Use of the Invista Centre and Artillery Park Aquatic Centre fitness centres, including cardio machines and the strength training circuits.
• Drop-in fitness and wellness classes.
• Lap swims, a leisure swim or the sauna.
• Use of the gymnasium equipped with basketballs, volleyballs, badminton equipment and more.

A Wellness Pass membership is $35 per month for adults, based on a one-year membership. Gym-only memberships are $19 a month (plus HST).

Memberships can be purchased at the Invista Centre, 1350 Gardiners Rd.; Artillery Park Aquatic Centre, 382 Bagot St.; or Rideau Heights Community Centre and Library, 85 MacCauley St.

Learn more at www.CityofKingston.ca/Facilities.

Toys for Tickets

The 2018 City of Kingston Toys for Tickets campaign collected 370 toys on 300 tickets representing $7,000 in parking fines waived by the city.

“Great turnout this year,” Marissa Mascaro, manager, parking services, said. “It was so heartening to see the presents that accumulated under the tree and to know that Kingston residents had taken the trouble to turn a parking ticket into a gift for a local child.”

The campaign ran from Nov. 1 to Dec. 7 and gave Kingston drivers the option to pay for their parking tickets with a “new, unwrapped toys equal to or greater than the amount of the fine.”

The toys will be distributed to children over the holidays through a local charity.

It’s been a huge week for the campaign as we push closer to the $100,000 mark. Some very generous donations have arrived, including a $10,000 anonymous donation from a local company. It’s so heartening to see such generosity. This will go a long way to help ensure more than 3,000 households will receive a food hamper with all the trimmings for Christmas. The food hamper provides enough food for many days and, for those in need, really brightens up the holidays.

With only two weeks left in the campaign, we are now looking for volunteers to help with packing on Dec. 19 and deliveries on Dec. 21. Those interested can contact Michelle Kreps at 613-548-4411, ext. 129, or email christmashamper@kingstonsa.ca.

Recipient families or individuals who are picking up their food hamper at the Frontenac Mall can do so between 9 a.m. and 6 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 20.

Even though the food will be delivered, the campaign accepts donations up to Dec. 31. We remain hopeful that we can achieve this year’s goal of $155,000 during the final two weeks.

Donors who sponsor families and volunteers who pack and assist with deliveries help us keep costs lower and ensure that the donations go toward food for the recipients. We thank everyone who has already signed up for packing and deliveries and look forward to seeing you next week.

Jerome Taylor Memorial/Whig-Standard Christmas Hampers of Hope Fund

How to Donate:

Make your cheque payable to: The Salvation Army Kingston — Hamper Fund

Drop off or mail donation to: The Salvation Army Christmas Hamper Fund, 342 Patrick St., Kingston, ON K7K 6R6

Acknowledgement: We will publish your name in our column. Please indicate if you wish to remain anonymous.

Tax Receipt: A tax receipt will be issued for any amount over $10.

Questions or credit card donations: Contact Bonita McCourt at 613-548-4411, ext. 121, or email cfsdirector@kingstonsa.ca; or Sam MacLeod at 613-548-1600, ext. 153, or email citadel@kingstonsa.ca.

Our Donors

Joan Simeon $100

Anonymous $315

MTO/MGCS Yoga Club $215

George and Julia Merry $100

Diane Kelly $100

Ann and Lorne Wemp $25

Anonymous $50

John F Black Barrister and Solicitor $100

Jennifer L. Sims Barrister and Solicitor $350

Anonymous $50

In Loving Memory of Ralph Heferty $100

In Loving Memory of Bill and Madeline Wright $100

Ronald Holden $1100

Mary Carmel Foster $100

In Memory of Dan and Peggy Oneill Simpson $50

In Memory of Lesley, Brian, Bob, Bent, and Gord $50

Virginia Frost $80

Anonymous $75

Lawrence and Pamela McCurdy $100

Donna Forbes $50

Donald and Marilyn Marshall $100

John and Charlotte Hunt $100

In Memory of Helmut and Oscar $300

V.I. and Jacqueline G. John $200

In Memory of Madeline and Gerald Bailey $100

Patricia Patterson $300

Arthur and Gail Leeman $75

In Memory of John Grass $50

In Memory of Christine Hemsworth and Pauline Haberle $150

In Memory of Cliff, Pearl, and Ray $50

Anonymous $50

John and Angharad Holmes $100

Gordon McDiarmid Barrister and Solicitor $100

Peter and Catherine Schenk $1000

In Loving Memory of Purdy & Helen Good $100

Sandra Baird $25

Barry and Joanne Blay $150

Zuber Professional Corporation $250

Hickey & Hickey $150

Anonymous $43.65

Jacques J. Menard Barrister, Solicitor, and Notary Public $25

Leslie H. Morley Morley Law Office $125

Solowa, Wright LLP $200

Alyssa M. Miller $20

Anonymous $370

Mackillop Law Professional Corporation $100

Tom and Wendy MacKay $100

Chong & O’Neill LLP $250

Limestone City Dragon Boat Club $372

Anonymous $600

Bob & Elaine Gain $150

Rick, Laura Lee, Rachel, Anna, and Divine $100

Hilary Warder Barrister and Solicitor $100

In Memory of Steve Rose $100

Trudie Easson $100

In Memory of Bill Pickell $50

In Memory of Hermina from Jack and Rosemary Lawlor $250

In Memory of Husband Jerry and Son Patrick $100

Sonya & Jeff Briggs $200

Clifford Robert $250

Christine Sypnowich and David Bakhurst $200

Religious Hospitallers of St. Joseph $1000

Anonymous $50

Susan Van Volkenburgh $200

In Memory of Arthur Poek $100

Bob and Mavis Morrison $200

In Memory of Bill and Rusty McRae $250

Anonymous $50

David Mitchell and Judith Fair $200

In Memory of June Sears $100

Anonymous $100

Earl and Audrey Johnston $25

David and Elizabeth Hudson $150

In Memory of Bryan Evans $100

Susan McCans $200

Garry and Donna Wheeler $75

Edwina Entwistle $200

John Dunbar $500

In Memory of Bert, Joyce, and Barbara $100

Graeme Swain $100

Anonymous $40

Gary and Edith Warwick $75

Anonymous $25

Anonymous $25

Lawrence and Renee O’Farrell $50

In Memory of Helen Laird $100

In Memory of Evelyne (Peggy) Burns $100

Kirsten, Kevin, and Matthew Walker $500

In Memory of Osmond Nolan $200

In Loving Memory of Helmut and Oscar Bauer $1000

Wayne and Gwen Orr $250

Grace Yung $100

Gary Tranmer and Monica Heine $200

Allan English and Gina Gushue $200

Anonymous $100

Susan Miklas $50

Anonymous $250

In Memory of My Beloved Ron Jarvis $100

Edward and Gillian Burton $100

Alison Dickenson $125

Kathy Brock $250

Lorraine Farrar $100

Providence Manor Residents $50

In Memory of Larry Mullin $50

Eleanor Scott $50

Ina Ray Burke $12

Donalda Gow and Eckford Gow Glenburnie $50

Anonymous $250

In Memory of John Henry Neal $200

Noel & Carole Coward   $100

Ada Chambers   $70

Anonymous $200

Anonymous $100

Beatrice Breen $100

Anonymous $50

In Memory of Harold and Alice O’Connell $300

Breanne, Autumn, and June Houle $100

Margo Marin $50

Elliot and Shirley Samuels $50

Leslie Flynn and Stephen Vanner $500

Edwina and Gordon Shepherd $100

Ross and Elaine Webster   $12

God’s Men of Harmony $100

Anonymous $150

Anonymous $100

Steve and Paola Wideman $100

Rorabeck Sowerby Theriault LLP $500

Doris Mann $25

Milton Borenko $100

Norma Rinaldi and Charlotte Rosenbaum $25

Margaret Stewart $100

Nancy McFetrick $50

James and Glenda Pritchard $25

Anonymous $100

Kenneth and Brenda Lee $300

Remembering Scott Winnie $100

Carol Ann Northcott $75

Leona Stewart $100

In Memory of Oscar and Helmut Bauer $25

Anonymous $40

1361336 Ontario Inc. $10,000

Barbara Potter $50

Sisters of Providence of St. Vincent de Paul $2000

Robert and Marilyn Campbell $100

Patricia Loyst $50

Anonymous $50

In Memory of Bud and Jiggs Cleary $50

Prepco Kingston Co-Operative Inc. $200

Jane Cunningham $100

Anonymous $30

In Memory of my Son Rick $50

Ken Burns $70

Donald & Sheila Turner $100

John & Elaine Eaton $100

Patrick & Jane Oosthuizen $100

Robert and Elaine Spence $100

Barry and Dona Riddell $100

J.D. and Beverley Boyd $100

Robert and Joan Palmer $60

In Memory of Charles Fullerton $100

Joan and John McFarlane $100

Graham and Geraldine Moss $100

In Memory of Robin and Chris Cooper $100

Anonymous $25

Dora Milton $50

Nancy Stableforth $50

Bernard Gelineau $100

In Memory of Max $20

Anonymous $75

Jacqueline McCaig $50

David and Barbara Hunter $100

Patricia Ransom $150

Sophie Pepin $2000

In Memory of Carmel Purtell $100

Lorraine McGinnis $200

Bruno & Assunta Gallinaro $20

Anonymous $50

Mary Millar $100

The Trophy House $400

Anonymous $50

Douglas Graham $100

Bonita Clancy $50

Elaine Forshaw $100

In Memory of our parents Jack and Jean Lloyd, and Ray and Elaine Feeley $200

In Memory of Arlene Wall $100

Janice Ley $100

Kingston Lodge of Perfection $250

Leo and Irene Jonker $100

Anne Thomson in Memory of Cathey Depew $200

Alan and Jackie Thomson $300

Wayne and Brenda Amey $50

Kevin Shipley and Carol McGarity $100

In Memory of Bob Cooper $75

Gus Coulter $300

John Peacey $200

Janet Mitchell $200

Kathryn & Ralph Wirsig $50

Anonymous $50

Joan Martin $100

Anonymous $100

In Memory of William F. Walker $200

Grant Henwood $400

Michael and Carol Sheedy $100

Anonymous $50

Juliet Milsome $150

Anonymous $500

Susan Wright $200

Hamilton Smith Limited $750

Anonymous $25

Ruth Blacklock $50

Running Total: $93,063

Campaign goal: $155,000

KINGSTON — The city is to host an international chess tournament next year.

The North American Youth Chess Championships are to be held at Queen’s University, Aug. 16-20.

The tournament, expected to attract players form Canada, the United States and Mexico, is to be organized by the Canadian Chess and Math Association.

The tournament is to be the first World Chess Federation event hosted by Kingston, and the city is only the fourth Canadian city to host the nine-round tournament.

“The Chess Federation of Canada looks forward to hosting its North American Youth Chess Championships, this time in Kingston, Ontario,” Larry Bevand, executive director of the Chess and Math Association, said in a statement. “Once again the Chess and Math Association has stepped up and lent their world-class organizing expertise to this elite youth chess event. The 2019 NAYCC promises to be a memorable tournament.”

The tournament is to be staged at the university’s Ban Righ Hall.

“During the summer months, Queen’s University offers hotel-style accommodations and dining, allowing this large group of chess players and their families to stay on campus,” Nicole Braatz, sales and marketing manager with Queen’s Event Services, said. “Our Ban Righ Hall conference centre offers over 9,000 square feet of flat floor space, which provides a perfect spot for this tournament.”

“We’re thrilled to have the opportunity to host a world chess event and to showcase Kingston’s vibrant culture to domestic and international visitors,” Murray Matheson, interim executive director of Tourism Kingston, added. “We are delighted to work with Queen’s University to offer a centralized atmosphere for participants.”

HARTINGTON – A 13-unit subdivision could move ahead after a planning appeals body sided with developer Terry Grant.

The development, on the west side of the hamlet north of Kingston, was sent to the Ontario Municipal Board (OMB) in 2016 and a hearing took place in May 2017.

The appeal was launched by Grant, who said the County of Frontenac had not dealt with the project within the required 180-day time frame and the Township of South Frontenac had been too slow to pass the needed zoning bylaw. 

Last week, 18 months after the hearing, the Local Planning Appeal Tribunal (LPAT), the agency that replaced the OMB, sided with Grant and approved the draft plan of the project and directed the township to amend the zoning bylaw to allow the project to go ahead. 

The project can now move to the final approval stage with the county. 

The Hartington Community Association also challenged the project on the grounds that it would threaten the groundwater supply and could poison nearby wells.

But in the decision, LPAT member S.A. Sills said testimony by a hydrogeologist, Wilf Ruland, hired to provide expert testimony about the threat to the area’s water, lacked evidence to back it up.

Sills determined that the development’s construction would not threaten local groundwater and other water issues could be contained.

“The best available technical evidence that has been placed before the tribunal indicates that the supply demands for quality drinking water can be met, and that appropriate storm water management measures are available,” Sills wrote.

“The tribunal is satisfied that sufficient water quality and quantity investigation and storm water management study has been advanced to warrant the granting of conditional Draft Plan Approval.”

The original development proposal included about 47 residential lots, two parks and a storm water management pond on a 45-hectare site between Boyce and Petworth roads.

In response to local residents’ concerns, Grant scaled back the project to 13 lots, each with their own well and septic system and all of them to be built within the hamlet’s boundaries near Boyce Road.

Sills wrote that the project meets the criteria set out in provincial policy statements on rural development and the township and county official plans.

Both of South Frontenac Township’s representatives on county council, Mayor Ron Vandewal and Coun. John McDougall, voted in favour of the project.

Vandewal said they both “took a lot of crap for it,” but he said the LPAT’s decision showed it was the right decision.

Kelly Pender, the county’s chief administrative officer, told council that LPAT’s decisions since it started hearing appeals earlier this year illustrate the need for township and county official plans to be in line with each other and provincial regulations.

“What LPAT has done is made it vitally important that your plans follow both the official plan of the county, the township and the provincial policy statements,” he said. “If they do not, they will get overturned.”

ARTISTRY IN WOOD 2019: Call for entries. Attention all woodworkers. You are invited to submit your finely crafted wood objects in the Kingston Wood Artisans Inc.’s first-ever juried exhibition, which will take place on April 6, 2019, at the Tett Centre for Creativity and Learning. Application fee is $25 per entry, and multiple entries are allowed. Application deadline is 5 p.m. on March 15, 2019. For entry guidelines, go online to kwoodartca.wordpress.com/special-events/artistry-in-wood-2019/.

RUNAWAY COWBOYS: At Royal Canadian Legion Branch 560, from 8 p.m. to midnight with $5 cover for non-members. Everyone welcome.

CHILDREN’S HOLIDAY PROGRAMS AT THE LIBRARY: Until Jan. 5, the Kingston Frontenac Public Library is offering a wide range of festive activities to get kids and their families in the holiday spirit — from storytelling to seasonal crafts and even a Nutcracker Ball. Some events require registration. For more information, call 613-549-8888 or go online to www.kfpl.ca/programs-and-events?page=1/.

MUSIC LOVERS: 1–5 p.m. music by Rewind at Royal Canadian Legion Branch 631. Charge $5. Everyone welcome. For more information, 613-389-6605.

CHRISTMAS WITH SUSAN AGLUKARK: This three-time Juno award winner will perform a rare concert at The Spire/Sydenham United Church, 82 Sydenham St. Doors open 7 p.m. General seating. Tickets $25 at Novel Idea or online at aglukarkchristmas.bpt.me or at the door. This concert is a benefit for The Arctic Rose Foundation and Walking The Path of Peace Together initiative to support projects for Indigenous Youth and Families.

ANNUAL CHRISTMAS CAKE SALES: At the Kingston District Shrine Club, 3260 Princess St. Every Saturday in December from 10 a.m., to 2 p.m. or call Kevin Corcoran at 613-540-4953 or Kingston Shrine Club 613-384-9554 for weekday purchases.

LOCAL HOLIDAY MARKET AND MUSIC FRIDAY NIGHTS: Until Dec. 22 at 168 Wellington St., Kingston (old Scotiabank), Fridays 5:30-8:30 p.m., Saturdays 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., Sundays 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

PIP’S SIXTH BIRTHDAY BASH: Noon to 4 p.m. at the Leon’s Centre. A way to help a local charity doing so many community projects, all because of a little girl named Pip, who is turning six. Outrageously awesome silent auction with things like Ottawa Senators tickets, a free week of summer camp, $500 cosmetic baskets and a private hockey lesson with Kingston Frontenacs captain and coach. Spirit tickets are available for anyone around the world who is celebrating Pip’s sixth birthday with us in spirit. Admission is $6 for one and $20 for four.

CLOTHING DEPOT: Thursdays 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., Fridays and Saturdays 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Used clothing and small items, reasonably priced at Westbrook United Church, 3526 Princess St.

CHRISTMAS DANCE AT GANANOQUE LEGION: Featuring Tim & Terry from 7-11 p.m. Large dance floor in the banquet hall. $8 at the door.

SATURDAY NIGHT ENTERTAINMENT: At the Napanee branch of the Royal Canadian Legion with James Ryce & Top Shelf playing from 8 p.m. to midnight. Small cover charge, everyone is welcome.

LIVE NATIVITY: McNichols’ Farm 3429 County Road 4, 4 p.m. Hosted by Newburgh and Centreville United churches. Everyone is welcome to witness the portrayal of the wonderful story of Christmas and join in the carol singing. Refreshments will follow. Contact Connie at 613-379-2573 or Karen at 613-378-2307 if necessary.

12 DAYS OF CHRISTMAS: Call for crafts, times and availability. Until Dec. 22 there will be fun Christmas crafts to participate in at the Deseronto Public Library, 358 Main St. There is limited space for each craft. Call 613-396-2744 for details and registration.

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Submit information for the Community Listings a minimum of 14 days before the date of publication to KingstonEvents@sunmedia.ca. Include a brief description of the event, location (with the address), time and the name and phone number of the person submitting the information, within the body of the email. Weekly or repeating listings need to be resubmitted each month.

LOCAL HOLIDAY MARKET AND MUSIC FRIDAY NIGHTS: Until Dec. 22 at 168 Wellington St., Kingston (old Scotiabank), Fridays 5:30-8:30 p.m., Saturdays 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., Sundays 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

THE LASALLE CAUSEWAY SWING BAND: With the Odessa Children’s Choir will present a free Christmas benefit concert at 2:30 p.m. at Chalmers United Church (in the triangle of Barrie, Earl and Clergy streets). Donations will be accepted for FINCA Canada (micro-loans for women entrepreneurs living in poverty around the world) and the Chalmers’ benevolent fund, which puts 100 per cent back into the community to help those who are hungry and in need.

CHRISTMAS DINNER AND CONCERT AT CROSSROADS: Turkey and all the trimmings $17. Freewill offering for Frontenac Concert Band in support of Sistema Kingston. Dinner at 5:30 p.m.; concert at 7 p.m. Contact Crossroads United Church for tickets at 613-542-9305. Located at 690 Sir John A. Macdonald Blvd.

SUNDAY SERVICE: 11 a.m. every Sunday at Seeley’s Bay United Church.

CHRISTMAS CANDLELIGHT SERVICE: 7 p.m. at Morven United Church. Refreshments follow.

PRAYER AND PRAISE SERVICES: With Christmas carols and songs of praise at 3 p.m. at Harrowsmith Free Methodist Church. All are welcome.

SUNDAY BREAKFAST: 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Bath branch of the Royal Canadian Legion. Everybody welcome.

COMMUNITY CHRISTMAS SINGALONG: 2 p.m. at Bethel Community Church, 677 Napanee Rd., Marlbank. With the community choir, The Nativity, George and Friends. Refreshments to follow.

ANNUAL CHRISTMAS PARTY: Napanee District Old Tyme Fiddlers welcomes you to our annual Christmas party from 1-5:30 p.m. Cost is $12 and takes place at the Napanee Lions Hall. Turkey supper to follow, dessert or a gift would be appreciated.

ALL YOU CAN EAT BREAKFAST: Bath and District Lion’s Club are hosting from 9 a.m. to noon at St. John’s Hall, Bath. Only $7 for adults, $3.50 kids six to 12 years, and under five years free. Open mic with Fred Brown and Friends.

~~~~~

Want your event included?

Submit information for the Community Listings a minimum of 14 days before the date of publication to KingstonEvents@sunmedia.ca. Include a brief description of the event, location (with the address), time and the name and phone number of the person submitting the information, within the body of the email. Weekly or repeating listings need to be resubmitted each month.

Kingston Police are asking the public to help them locate Linda Collinson, 74, who went missing in Kingston on Saturday, Dec. 15, 2018. supplied photo

Kingston Police are asking for the public’s help to locate a missing elderly woman.

Linda Collinson, 74 years old, went missing on Saturday, Dec. 15 from the area of Kingston General Hospital.

A media release from Kingston Police said that there is concern for the woman’s safety, as she “can become confused at times.”

“In the past she has been known to go to the areas of King Street West and around Providence Care,” the release stated.

Collinson is described as Caucasian, 5 ft. 7 in. tall, 140 lbs., with long, straight grey hair.

“She is believed to be wearing purple winter coat with a shiny red top underneath, and black winter boots,” the release said. “She uses a walker for assistance.”

The release said that Collinson has lost weight since the photos that the police are using to seek her whereabouts were taken.

Anyone with emergent information is asked to call the Kingston Police at 613-549-4660.

Non-emergent information can be left with investigating officer Detective Bill Ross at 613-549-4660 ext 6232 or via email at bross@kingstonpolice.ca.

Lennox and Addington County Warden Eric Smith. supplied photo

The reeve of Stone Mills Township was acclaimed as Lennox and Addington County warden during county council’s inaugural meeting on Wednesday.

Eric Smith will serve as warden for the county for the first time.

Smith was elected as a councillor in Stone Mills Township in 2006. In 2010, he was elected as deputy reeve and was appointed reeve in 2016 after the death of Reeve Clarence Kennedy. He was elected as reeve in 2018.

Smith has been running a family farming business near Tamworth since 1970 with his wife, Linda.

“My priorities for 2019 will focus on social housing, homelessness and our financial pressures,” Smith said in his inaugural address to Lennox and Addington County council. “The January opening of the Youth Hub and the spring opening of the new Stone Mills ambulance base will be exciting accomplishments for county council.”

Six-year-old Pip McCallan paints the face of her friend Karlee Jalbert at Pip’s Birthday Bash, a fundraiser for Happy Soul Project that took place at the Leon’s Centre on Saturday. (Meghan Balogh/The Whig-Standard)

The little girl who was the catalyst for a Kingston grassroots charitable organization celebrated her sixth birthday in a big way on Saturday.

Reid McCallan, or Pip as she’s known to her family and to the world, was the guest of honour at a huge “birthday bash” at the Leon’s Centre on Saturday, an event to not only celebrate Pip’s birthday but also to raise money for Happy Soul Project.

Happy Soul Project is a non-profit organization with a number of campaigns and projects that aim to promote inclusion for children with special needs or children with differences. The organization spearheads the Different Is Beautiful campaign, which goes into schools to talk about inclusion, and has given out more than 7,000 superhero capes through its Kick-It Capes initiative to kids battling cancer around the world.

Tara McCallan and her daughter Pip at Pip’s Birthday Bash, a fundraiser for Happy Soul Project that took place at the Leon’s Centre on Saturday. (Meghan Balogh/The Whig-Standard)

Founder Tara McCallan is Pip’s mom. Six years ago she started writing a blog when her daughter was born with Down syndrome and was diagnosed with many other medical conditions, including Type 1 diabetes.

“Happy Soul Project started when my little girl Pip was born,” McCallan said. “She was born here in Kingston and happened to have Down syndrome and a bunch of other diagnoses. I started a blog called Happy Soul Project at the time as a way of handling it, and it’s just kind of exploded into this big, huge non-profit organization.”

Today the non-profit is spreading a worldwide message of love, strength and acceptance.

“We run a number of projects here locally and worldwide,” McCallan said. “We really try to keep it grassroots. We have a Queen’s Happy Soul Project club with hundreds of Queen’s [University] kids. We try to do lots of school initiatives. We go into schools and give our Different Is Beautiful talks, which is a really big campaign, spreading the awareness that everybody’s different and everybody has value. We give assemblies and do a calendar that preaches that message.”

Happy Soul Project also partners with Kingston General Hospital to provide superhero capes to babies who are born premature, and Kids Inclusive to provide more superhero capes to kids who need that boost of strength and encouragement.

The birthday bash brought together food and craft vendors, raffle prizes, silent auction items, photos with Santa, a public skate on the Leon’s Centre ice, face painting, and even a DJ for kids to get up and dance to some tunes.

It was The Happy Soul Project’s first large-scale fundraising event, and Pip’s biggest birthday party ever.

McCallan said that her daughter Pip is the “most incredible person” she’s ever met. Pip has gone through 20 surgeries and has had to deal with many health problems in her short life, but she has also brought a lot of joy to people, her mom said.

“Pip is a whirlwind that has just exploded in my life and is just the most fabulous, beautiful thing I’ve ever seen,” McCallan said. “The feelings I had when she was first born, it’s hard to remember even feeling those. When Pip was first born and was diagnosed with Down syndrome, we knew nothing about it. We were not expecting it, and it completely threw us for a loop. There was a period of grieving that diagnosis. I try to tell moms now that that’ll pass. It’s hard to even remember those feelings.”

Pip spent her fifth birthday in a wheelchair after double knee surgery. McCallan said that she and her family wanted Pip’s sixth birthday to be a big celebration of her.

“Dancing is her favourite thing in the world to do, so this year I was like, she needs to dance, she needs to be celebrated,” she said. “She has brought so much to this community. She has, in a sense, put Kingston on the map in the special needs community. Happy Soul Project is a really big initiative, it’s a worldwide thing, and we wanted the community to come out and celebrate that.”

mbalogh@postmedia.com

Firefighters with Greater Napanee Emergency Services went into the freezing Napanee River to practise ice and open water rescue tactics on Saturday and Sunday. (Meghan Balogh/The Whig-Standard)

Thirty-two Napanee-area firefighters jumped into the icy waters of the Napanee River to complete ice and open water rescue training.

“This is Day 2 for our crews,” Bill Hammond, deputy fire chief for Greater Napanee Emergency Services, said on Sunday morning on the riverfront. “This started two weeks ago with theory sessions, where all of the firefighters had to learn about water hydrology, ice characteristics, what ice tells about its strength and where we can work and where we can’t, as well as hypothermia drills. Now we’re testing them in the water.”

Firefighters with Greater Napanee Emergency Services went into the freezing Napanee River to practise ice and open water rescue tactics on Saturday and Sunday. (Meghan Balogh/The Whig-Standard)

All of the firefighters who participated in the rescue training on the weekend completed swim tests in a pool beforehand. They were equipped with waterproof immersion suits with thermal protection, a flotation device, a signalling device and a helmet.

Firefighters completed a number of drills, including swimming out to rescue a mock patient, a method considered high-risk, and also using a rapidly deployed craft (RDC), which rescuers can use on ice or in water.

“The lesser risk is using the RDC. They can stay out of the water and retrieve the patient who is either trapped on the ice, or in open water,” Hammond said. “It works very well on ice. They would walk out, and if the first person fell through [the ice], the person in the stern would drop the boat and kneel on it, the front person would bring himself back onto the boat, and then they would either get out of the boat themselves to get to the patient or find another way around.”

The ice and water rescue training is an important part of emergency services training.

“Greater Napanee Emergency Services has responded to open-water emergencies in the past year,” Hammond said. “We’ve had to put people in the water for overturned kayakers or boaters hitting a shoal. We’ve had to rescue people out of the water who try to swim in and realize it’s too far.”

With the unseasonably mild winter, ice conditions are unstable. Hammond said the firefighters are completing this training two months early, in case of emergency.

“This time of year, with the freeze-and-thaw cycle that we’ve had, the ice is unstable everywhere. We’re now in preparation, being proactive, getting our folks out and into gear, into training so that we have a level of proficiency when we do show up on a scene where there is a person in the water. We’re being hyper vigilant. Usually we train in January and February, where the ice conditions are more stable for us to get out and work on an ice shelf. However, with the ice conditions being so weak this year, we want to make sure that our crews are response-ready.”

A “patient” swims out into the freezing Napanee River to await rescue by firefighters with Greater Napanee Emergency Services as part of ice and open water rescue training on Saturday and Sunday. (Meghan Balogh/The Whig-Standard)

People who become submerged in freezing water have approximately one hour to be rescued before succumbing to hypothermia, and rescue crews are taught that time is of the essence.

“What we know about a person who falls into the water at this time of year is called the 1-10-1 principle,” Hammond said. “They have one minute to compose themselves — slow down their breathing, not hyperventilate — 10 minutes of meaningful movement, and then one hour before they become incapacitated with hypothermia. We have about an hour to get to them and get them out to medical care.”

Hammond encouraged people seeking recreation around water at this time of year to do their research before heading out to ice fishing huts, on snowmobiles, skating or otherwise.

“Be prepared when you do go out onto the ice. Check with local authorities, conservation authorities, those whose business it is knowing about ice and the stability of ice.”

Hammond said that with water levels being as much as more than a metre lower than usual for this time of year in area waterbodies, there will be ebb and flow.

“As the rains come and leave and more snow melts, be cognizant and check with local authorities before you venture out. In our world, no ice is safe ice: it’s ice that will hold us and ice that won’t.”

mbalogh@postmedia.com

Kingston Police have released a surveillance photo of a suspect wanted for allegedly stealing a wallet.

On Sunday, Dec. 9, the complainant discovered a window in his vehicle had been smashed out and his wallet stolen. The suspect used a stolen debit card at three different locations in the early morning hours of that day.

Anyone with information on the man’s identity is asked to contact Const. Harvey Kolff at 613-549-4660, ext. 6253, or via email at hkolff@kingstonpolice.ca.

Tips can be provided anonymously by calling their general number 613-549-4660, ext. 0, and asking to be anonymous or by calling Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS).

Robbery suspect arrested

A joint effort between Kingston Police Major Crime Unit, Kingston Police Street Crime Unit and Toronto Police Hold Up Squad has resulted in the arrest on Thursday of 19-year-old Abdullah Waseem of Kingston, wanted in relation to multiple armed robberies in Toronto.

Waseem was located and arrested without incident in a Kingston residence around 2 p.m. on Thursday.

He was charged with four counts of robbery, three counts of armed robbery, four counts of disguise with intent, conspiracy to commit an indictable offence, two counts of point firearm, possession of property obtained by crime, fail to comply with probation, theft of motor vehicle, and theft over $5,000.

He was scheduled to appear in a Toronto court on Friday.

Stealing e-bike among charges

A Kingston Police patrol officer came across a 29-year-old man around 6:30 a.m. on Sunday morning standing in the middle of the road on Joseph Street with an e-bike. The man looked back at the police cruiser, but then turned his attention back to the e-bike and failed to move out of the way. The officer observed the man drop a hatchet and also discovered the e-bike had just been stolen from an address on Joseph Street.

The accused was arrested and found to be in possession of a Remington tool converted into a firearm loaded with a .22-calibre round, bolt cutters, pliers, and a small quantity of suspected crystal methamphetamine.

The accused was transported to police headquarters, where he was held to attend bail court.

He was charged with possession of property obtained by crime, possession of a weapon dangerous to public peace, four offences related to possession of a prohibited weapon, carrying a concealed weapon, possession of a loaded firearm, possession of break-in tools, possession of a controlled substance, theft of a motor vehicle, and breach of probation.

Pursuit ends after 40 kilometres

Kingston Police reported a 27-year-old man failed to remain at the scene after being involved in a collision in the downtown area of Princess Street in the early morning hours on Monday.

With the assistance of a witness, officers located the accused vehicle travelling eastbound on Union Street near Sir John A. Macdonald Boulevard.

When the officer activated emergency lights, the accused failed to stop and ran multiple red traffic lights. The pursuit continued to Highway 15, where the accused slammed on his brakes in an effort to damage the police cruiser. With the assistance of the OPP, the accused was caught on Highway 32, more than 40 kilometres north of Kingston

The accused was arrested and transported to police headquarters, where he was held to attend bail court on Tuesday.

The local man was charged with two counts of failing to stop at an accident scene, dangerous operation of a motor vehicle, flight from police, driving while under suspension, and two counts of breaching probation.

Impaired charge follows dangerous drive

Kingston Police received a 911 call at around 1:10 a.m. on Sunday regarding a 27-year-old woman driving erratically on Bath Road and striking several street signs. Police said she then made her way to the area of Polson Park, where she eventually drove down a wide walking path that connects Casterton Avenue to Portsmouth Avenue.

On Dedrick Drive, a pedestrian was forced to run while crossing the street as the woman drove toward him at a high rate of speed. As she continued along Dedrick Drive, the woman struck two vehicles and failed to remain at either collision. She then made her way to Norman Rogers Drive, where she lost control of the vehicle, exited the roadway and collided with three parked vehicles in a shared driveway.

A responding officer observed the woman was impaired by alcohol. The accused was arrested and transported to police headquarters, where she provided two breath samples. She was found to have approximately three times the legal limit of alcohol in her system.

The Sydenham woman was charged with dangerous driving, two counts of failing to remain at the scene of an accident, impaired driving, and operating a vehicle with over 80 mg of alcohol.

The accused was later released with a future court date. Her driver’s licence was automatically suspended for 90 days and she would face a one-year licence  suspension if convicted. The vehicle was seized and impounded for seven days, with the accused being responsible for all fees and fines.

Accused chased by citizen

A 47-year-old local man was chased by a citizen on foot on Friday around 9:15 p.m., after allegedly striking a parked vehicle while driving on North Bartlett Street. During the pursuit, both the citizen and the accused were located by police officers in a parking lot off Smith Lane.

An officer made observations that the man was impaired by alcohol. The accused was arrested and transported to police headquarters, where he provided two breath samples. The man was found to have approximately three times the legal limit of alcohol in his system.

He was charged with failing to remain at the scene of an accident, impaired driving, and operating a vehicle with over 80 mg of alcohol.

The accused was later released with a future court date. His driver’s licence was automatically suspended for 90 days and he would face a one-year licence suspension if convicted. The vehicle was seized and impounded for seven days, with the accused being responsible for all fees and fines.

imacalpine@postmedia.com

twitter.com/IanMacAlpine

One of several drivers who reportedly failed to respect picket lines set up outside St. Lawrence College during last year’s strike by college faculty, counsellors and librarians has pleaded guilty in Kingston’s Ontario Court of Justice to dangerous driving.

No conviction was registered against the 24-year-old motorist, however, and he consequently has no criminal record.

Instead, Justice Larry O’Brien granted Nathan Smith an absolute discharge after his lawyer, Robb MacDonald, provided documents to the court supporting his client’s claim to have a diagnosis of Asperger syndrome, an autistic spectrum disorder that the judge accepted could have influenced his comprehension and reaction to the situation.

Assistant Crown attorney Jennifer Ferguson said the incident involving Smith occurred on Nov. 7, in the third week of the strike. She told Justice O’Brien there were about 20 people on the picket line that day a few minutes before 1 p.m. when Smith drove a silver Mercedes sedan off Portsmouth Avenue toward the college’s main entrance.

He was impatient with pickets impeding his progress, Ferguson told the judge, and was honking his horn and yelling when he bumped a woman passing in front of his car.

She told Justice O’Brien that the striking Ontario Public Service Employees Union (OPSEU) members then got in front of the sedan and tried to talk to him. But Smith refused to roll his window down and continued to edge forward in a stutter of starts and stops, bumping a second picket before reaching and entering the college.

Justice O’Brien was told the two OPSEU members were struck in the knees and neither sustained any serious injury, although Ferguson said both found it necessary to place hands on the front of the vehicle to steady themselves.

Justice O’Brien had contemplated giving Smith a conditional discharge, which would have required him to complete a period of probation. He decided it wasn’t necessary, however, after he was told the 24-year-old had, on his own initiative, already performed 50 hours of community service at Martha’s Table, made a $500 donation to Partners In Mission Food Bank and wrote a letter of apology to the union.

syanagisawa@postmedia.com

A kindergarten teacher accused of five counts of assault against two of his young students has been found not guilty of all charges.

As Justice Geoffrey Griffin read his judgment on the final count, teacher Christopher Leger nodded his head and smiled to his defence attorney, Erin Dann. As court was adjoined, he went back to his supporters and hugged his wife for a long time as they whispered to each other happily.

While the majority of the trial was held in Napanee, Griffin explained at the previous appearance on Oct. 29 that he wished to give his judgment in the small community where the offences were said to have occurred. Many of the individuals in the makeshift courtroom left loudly before the courtroom was even adjourned. They did not appear to be there in support of Leger.

The alleged assaults were said to have occurred in the winter and spring of 2017. Griffin read that the first incident was when Leger pushed a girl’s head toward her feet as she sat on the ground, in order to get her to put her shoes on. He said that during their final remarks at the previous appearance, Crown Janet O’Brien conceded that the incident was an appropriate corrective measure covered by Section 43 of the Criminal Code of Canada, and as result, lawful.

Section 43 of the Criminal Code allows teachers, parents and other adult assuming the role of a parent to use reasonable force to correct a child.

The next incident was alleged to have been in March. The Crown claimed that Leger forced a boy with developmental disabilities to the ground and yelled at him. The next two incidents were alleged to have been against the same little girl as before, this time when she didn’t put away her belongings. Witnesses called by the Crown testified that he jerked her back aggressively, then about 15 minutes later he picked her up, shook her and told her not to be stupid.

The final incident was alleged to have occurred on June 7, 2017, and it was what prompted Ontario Provincial Police’s investigation and subsequent charges. Griffin said Leger was said to have carried the girl out of his classroom by her arm, much to the shock of many witnesses.

Leger never denied that contact occurred between himself and his students, but it was never made out of anger, he testified in October. Griffin said that in each incident, the Crown failed to prove beyond a reasonable account that contact was beyond the scope of Section 43.

Griffin stated that Leger’s testimony “makes sense” and was believable, while other witnesses, especially the testimonies of both of the school’s educational assistants and its French teacher, were sometimes slanderous toward the school’s administration, but mostly unreliable and inconsistent.

scrosier@postmedia.com

twitter.com/StephattheWhig

A Kingston Fire and Rescue captain has beat out 25 other applicants to become the Town of Renfrew’s new fire chief.

Renfrew town council on Tuesday agreed to hire Kevin Welsh, who has been with Kingston Fire and Rescue for the past 24 years. He said he’s looking forward to working with the “incredible team” in Renfrew.

“I’ve had an incredible chance to move through the ranks at [Kingston Fire and Rescue] and this is a natural progression, to move into the administrative side of things,” Welsh said.

Welsh’s official title when he starts on Jan. 7, 2019, will be chief and community emergency management co-ordinator.

Welsh has been a firefighter in Ontario for 28 years. He graduated from the Ontario Fire College and holds a bachelor of arts degree from the University of Waterloo and a master of public administration degree from Queen’s University. He is certified in incident command and hazardous material response as well as ice/water rescue, confined space and high angle rescue.

While there is some stress around moving to a new town, Welsh said he is looking forward to putting shift work behind him and having more time at home with his wife, Corinna. The father of four and grandfather of eight admitted it will be difficult to leave such strong ties in Kingston.

“We’ve done a great deal here in town, and we look forward to taking that energy into Renfrew and being part of ensuring that community spirit,” Welsh said.

Welsh is replacing longtime Chief Guy Longtin, who was fired by the town after 26 years of service because he was 61 years old. In May,  Renfrew’s council voted behind closed doors to enforce a mandatory retirement at age 60. Longtin is suing the town for $1.35 million.

Kingston Fire and Rescue Captain Kevin Welsh will be moving to Renfrew as its new fire chief and community emergency management co-ordinator in January. (Supplied Photo)

Welsh would not reveal his age, but said he’ll be able to give Renfrew “quite a few good years of service.”

“My intention is to be part of taking that department in a direction that will be forward-thinking and forward-looking,” Welsh said. “I’ve always said in any relationship we are who we are from what we’ve gone through, but it doesn’t dictate where our future is going to go.

“I’m able to give them some good years of service, create a succession plan up there that will hopefully see, at my departure, the position be filled from within.”

Kingston Fire and Rescue Chief Shawn Armstrong said his department will miss Welsh’s strong leadership.

“He’s a professional leader; he’s got tons of integrity,” Armstrong said. “He’s a great communicator and was really able to get the job done for us there at Woodbine Road. … He’s embarking on a really important leadership role and I know he is up for the challenge.”

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— with files from Postmedia Network

Kingston Fire and Rescue Captain Kevin Welsh with his wife, Corinna. Welsh will become Renfrew’s new fire chief in January. (Supplied Photo)