Some Challenges We Face

Candidate for City Council, District 7 — Kingscourt-Rideau 

I hear about these issues everywhere I go, in the community, on doorsteps, through emails, and across social media, and I also come across them through the research and governance oversight I do regularly. I know they are not going away on their own. Here is what I believe we are up against, together:

• Municipal Service Corporation (MSC)

• Housing: unattainable for many, low-income, geared-to-income, and affordable, both rental and ownership

• Roughly 600 overdue sidewalk deficiencies, according to the City of Kingston's own numbers

• Mental health, addiction, and homelessness

• Memorial Centre redevelopment

• Cleanliness of parks and neighbourhoods, and maintenance of public facilities

• Decisions made without citizen input

• Development outpacing environment and quality of life

• Accessibility/mobility issues

• KSS: traffic/drop-off, accessible parking, flooding, portables

• ICH/CTS transitioning to new HART Hub model

• Proposed $100M+ aquatic centre (INVISTA Centre/YMCA partnership)

• New KHSC hospital campus planned for Kingston's west end

• Urban boundary expansion

• St. Peter Catholic School (Seventh Avenue): city to purchase, future still undecided

• Lemoine Point Farm's future

• Return of commercial passenger flights to YGK

• Division Street Bridge replacement

• Policing and crime

• 19% Council Pay Raise

• Lack of efficiency in city systems

• Infrastructure and road maintenance 

• Underinvestment in Kingscourt-Rideau Heights: bare bus shelters and neglected upkeep in a community that doesn't feel heard

• Garbage and bin storage in Rideau Heights: an unresolved problem for years, needing real partnership between Kingston & Frontenac Housing Corporation, the City, and residents.