Prison Farms – Advisory Panel

The return of farms to Joyceville and Collins Bay Institutions is another step closer to reality.

The federal government is setting up an advisory panel to provide advice on the merits of reopening the prison farms.  The panel members include farmers, inmate advocates and a school trustee.

Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale, says he hopes the advisory panel will help determine the best way ahead for re-establishing the prison farms.

The former Conservative government closed the two prison farms in Kingston in 2010 along with prison farms in New Brunswick, Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta.

TECTA-PDS

A drinking water technology company founded at Queen’s University has announced it is opening its new business headquarters in downtown Kingston.

The company had been bought by a European multi-national but recently regained its independence and is entirely Canadian owned.

Its new name is TECTA-PDS and the company’s head office, engineering facility and manufacturing facility are now located in Kingston.

Its technology for testing water for e. coli contamination is being used in more than 25 countries and the company says it is rapidly expanding.

 

http://www.tecta-pds.ca/

Flood Warning

The threat of flooding has prompted the military to take action to protect some key pieces of infrastructure along the shoreline of Lake Ontario in Kingston.

A flood warning remains in place for Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence River and water levels are expected to rise with rain in the forecast for Saturday and Sunday.

Soldiers from CFB Kingston and cadets from the Royal Military College piled sand bags around properties near the LaSalle Causeway and RMC’s Point Frederick yesterday to try and stop flooding in low lying areas.

Navy Bike Ride

HMCS Cataraqui is hosting the first annual Kingston Navy Bike Ride tomorrow…It’s a preview to the National Navy Bike Ride next weekend in Ottawa.

The event is raising money for The Royal Canadian Navy Benevolent Fund and the Support Our Troops Program.  The public is being encouraged to take part and help raise money.

There’s a 4k family ride and a 30k Challenge.

Registration starts at 8:30 tomorrow morning at HMCS Cataraqui.

Science Rendezvous

Science Rendezvous returns to the Rogers K-Rock Centre on Saturday.

Queen’s University is hosting the session to promote science from 10am to 3pm.

There will be special presentations throughout the day and the first 1000 families will receive a booklet filled with experiments that can be done at home and passes to local museums.

 

https://www.facebook.com/ScienceRendezvousKingston/

Electoral Reform

The Conservative, NDP and Green Candidates who ran in the last federal election in Kingston are promoting electoral reform.

Andy Brooke, Daniel Beals and Nathan Townend held a news conference in front of Kingston and the Islands MP Mark Gerretsen’s office this morning.

They want the Liberal Member of Parliament to keep his promise to support reforming the way people vote in federal elections.  They’re demanding Gerretsen to vote in favour of a motion coming up in the House of Commons this month that would enact some form of proportional representation.  Prime Minister Trudeau rejected reforms earlier this year.

Filed under: Advisory Panel, Electoral Reform, Flood Warning, Navy Bike Ride, Prison Farms, Science Rendezvous, TECTA PDS