Fire – Joseph Street

Fire has caused extensive damage to a house on Joseph Street in Kingston.

The fire broke out at the home in the 100 block of Joseph Street around seven last night.

Flames were coming through the roof before Kingston Fire and Rescue was able to get the fire under control.

Nobody was injured and at this time there is no dollar estimate on the damage and the cause of the fire hasn’t been determined.

Second Councillor Apologizes

City Councillor Mary Rita Holland has apologized for taking a pub break during Tuesday night’s special meeting of Kingston City Council on the Third Crossing.

Holland says she needed a break to compose herself after two and a half hours of listening to delegations express their opinions about the bridge.  She says she was confident she knew everything in the staff briefings and decided to take a quick break.

Councillor Peter Stroud has already apologized for joining Holland at the Tir Nan Og pub Tuesday night.

They say they took a ten minute break for dinner.

Mayor Bryan Paterson says the city clerk and solicitor will decide if complaints will be forwarded to the Integrity Commissioner for further investigation.

The Hip – Order of Canada

The Tragically Hip is getting the Order of Canada from Governor General David Johnston.

It’s one of Canada’s highest civilian honour.

A news release says the Kingston born band will be made members of the Order of Canada for their contribution to Canadian music and support of various social and environmental causes.

Gord Downie will be presented with the honour in a special ceremony on Monday in recognition of his outstanding Indigenous leadership.

Rob Baker, Johnny Fay, Paul Langlois and Gord Sinclair will be honoured during a ceremony at a later date.

Arrest – Purse Snatching

Kingston Police have arrested a 22 year old man and are looking for a second after an attempted purse snatching.

Two men tried to grab a woman’s purse around 6 p.m. on Wednesday.  The woman held on despite the fact one of the men had produced a knife.

The pair took off.

The woman wasn’t injured and was able to call police who searched the area and located one suspect.

He’s been charged with robbery, possession of a weapon, and assault with a weapon.

Invictus Games – Kingston

Canada’s team for the Invictus Games in Toronto this fall is training in Kingston.

The 90 member team was introduced at Fort Henry yesterday.

The games were founded by Prince Harry as a way to inspire recovery, support rehabilitation and generate a wider understanding and respect for wounded and injured men and women in the armed forces.

About 550 competitors from 17 countries are expected to compete in 12 sports, including track and field, swimming and golf.

Wolfe Island Garden Party

The goal of the first Wolfe Island Garden Party this weekend is to celebrate music, art and agriculture on the island.  The weekend of events is a collaborative presentation by Wolfe Island Records, the Wolfe Island Spring Brewery, Frontenac County and local farmers.

It features live music and 13 open houses at farms and studios on the island.

Frontenac County economic development manager Richard Allen will chair a panel discussion with local farmers on the opportunities and challenges that face local food and agriculture on the island.

Profits from the Garden Party will be used for the Marysville Public School garden project and for a greenhouse for the school and seniors centre at the Wolfe Island Community Medical Clinic.

Distracted Driving – Checkpoint Results

Survey says…about 12% of drivers in Kingston were texting or talking on their phone while driving.

Kingston Partners for a Safe Community conducted the survey at two busy locations on Wednesday.

4,122 drivers were observed passing through the intersections over a two hour period.

Seventy were seen using their hand held cell phones.

That’s about the same result as a similar survey conducted last year.

Flood Warning Continues

The water level on Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence River has started to drop but a flood warning remains in place after record high levels this spring.

The International Lake Ontario – St. Lawrence River Board has increased the flow at the Moses Saunders dam in Cornwall and is draining away the equivalent of four Olympic size swimming pools every second.

The level has been going down by about a centimetre a day this week and is expected to go down by about six cm a week.

Filed under: Arrest, City Councillor, Fire, Fort Henry, Invictus Games, Joseph Street, Kingston, Mary Rita Holland, Order of Canada, Purse Snatching, The Tragically Hip, Third Crossing, Wolfe Island Garden Party