Fire – Kepler Road

A lightning strike on Sunday afternoon is being blamed for a fire that damaged a home in rural Kingston.

Kingston Fire and Rescue was called to the home in the 2600 Block of Kepler Road around 4:45 yesterday afternoon.  Firefighters found fire burning at the back of the house and District Chief Glenn Roy says it started when the line from a propane tank was struck by lightning.  There were no injuries in the fire. Damage is estimated at 30 thousand dollars.

 

Chinese Workers – Kingston

A company based in British Columbia that owns and operates five single family houses in Kingston has been ordered to make repairs and address serious life-safety issues at the properties.

The five homes have been used to house up to 88 people from China brought to Kingston to work on construction of the massive Chinese infant formula factory.

Kingston Fire and Rescue conducted inspections of the homes last June and July….but nothing about this surfaced until it was reported in the online publication Kingstonist on Saturday.

The company was given months to make the necessary changes to the properties.

 

ATV’s

The OPP was on ATV Patrol in the Kingston area on the weekend as people took to the trails to take a break from things.

Police issued a three-day license suspension for an ATV driver for alcohol and helmet charges, charged four drivers with trespassing…2 people with failing to register their machine…one person for not wearing a helmet and one person with having no insurance.

The OPP is asking people to obey the rules of safely operating all-terrain vehicles.

 

Speeders

Some people have the need for speed even during a pandemic.

Leeds OPP stopped a vehicle going 178 km/h in the rain on the weekend.  It was the second stunt driving charge for the 21-year-old man.

Another vehicle was clocked going 195 km/h. It didn’t stop for police but was later found.  The driver was charged with having no insurance, unauthorized plates and stunt driving.

 

By the Numbers

The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Canada is now 6,258.

The number of COVID-19 cases in Ontario was 1,355 as of yesterday.  There has been no update from KFL&A Public Health since Friday afternoon when it reported 17 confirmed cases in the region.

The Kingston Health Sciences Centre confirmed on Friday a health-care worker at its Kingston General Hospital site tested positive for the coronavirus.

 

Kingston Updates – Ontario

In case you missed the news on the weekend – the City of Kingston has closed play structures in parks.  It has also closed dog parks, sports fields and baseball diamonds after declaring a state of emergency last week.

You are still able to walk through parks in the city – but are being asked not to stop and sit on benches or at picnic tables.

The government of Ontario has also prohibited gatherings of more than five people, with a few exceptions.

 

Trudeau – Help

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has announced a 7.5-million-dollar contribution to Kids Help Phone and another nine-million to United Way Canada to deliver services to seniors.  The funding is meant for practical help with such everyday chores as grocery shopping, filling prescriptions or getting meals delivered. Trudeau says additional help for charities is coming.

 

 

Good Stuff

There have been all kinds of signs of hope and acts of kindness in Kingston and the area during these exceptional days.  These things range from messages written on rocks along the water in Lake Ontario Park and on some sidewalks to a girl performing a ballet dance for her grandparents on the front lawn of her grandparent’s home.

A country musician from the popular band Ambush also performed outside the Kingsdale Retirement Home and signs of hope and encouragement have been posted in the windows of St. Lawrence Place on Ontario Street.

And from St. John’s Newfoundland…

All the ships in the harbour played a tune on their horns at 7:00 p.m. on Sunday and people played along with their car horns as a salute to essential workers.