Kingston News September 4, 2018

SSchool Safety – Buses

It was back to school for students today and drivers were being asked to watch out for young people walking to school and for school buses.

Police were reminding drivers it is the law to stop for school buses with red signal lights flashing.  The minimum fine for failing to stop is $400 and 6 demerit points.

Students – Parties

Students who arrived in Kingston on the weekend took to streets in the Queen’s student ghetto area on both Saturday and Sunday night and closed University Avenue.  Police managed to re-open it to traffic but Frontenac Paramedic Services says its ambulances were delayed getting to patients and hospitals.

Kingston Transit announced yesterday it is cancelling its service on University Avenue between Brock Street and Union Street after 9 p.m. because of the weekend trouble.

Police haven’t released details of how many charges were laid.  Under Kingston’s new Nuisance Party Bylaw the people who were charged will have to appear in court and can’t simply pay the fine.

Fatal – 401

A fatal crash on the 401 on Saturday morning claimed the life of a man who had stopped on the highway and got out of his vehicle.  He was hit by a car just before six in the morning and died at the scene.  The driver of the vehicle that struck the man swerved into a ditch.  He was treated and released from hospital.

The name of the man who died hasn’t been released.

The 401 was closed until around one in the afternoon on Saturday while police investigated.

Tragedy – Rockport – Missing Boy

Tragedy for an Ottawa family vacationing on the St. Lawrence River in Rockport.

Five people were thrown into the water west of Rockport when the boat they were in capsized on Saturday afternoon.  Four people were rescued – but an 11 year old boy failed to resurface and could not be found.

Search crews failed to locate the boy on the weekend and the search will continue today.

Updated – Family comment – Fairfield Manor West

One family member calls it a mess after residents who lived in Fairfield Manor West were moved out of the facility.  The city issued a news release from Kingston Fire Chief Shawn Armstrong saying there were insufficient staff on duty to evacuate residents if there was a fire and the home had failed to comply with fire safety regulations.

The news release says all of the residents have been relocated…but the family member who called it a mess says some were taken to Kingston General Hospital until beds become available.

Occupancy Permit Denied

Tenants who had planned to move into a brand new apartment building on Princess Street on the weekend may be able to move in this week.

The city refused to issue an occupancy permit for the building at 630 Princess Street on Friday saying it didn’t meet the minimum requirements of the Ontario Building Code.

The site supervisor for the building has requested a re-inspection of the building today.

Nut Drive

You might see some purple people on the streets of Kingston later today selling cans of nuts.  The Annual Rotary Club Nut Drive is taking place today.  Queen’s engineering students will be going door to door selling cans of nuts from 4pm to 8pm.  Money raised during the Nut Drive supports Rotary’s charity programs for children.