Canada Day – Pan Am Festival

A beautiful sunny day is on the way today after people in Kingston had to dodge some rain for Canada Day. The Town Crier led the Red and White people parade to city hall where Mayor Bryan Paterson handed out community awards. 20 people were sworn in as new Canadians during a ceremony in Memorial Hall at Kingston City Hall. There was music in Confederation Park and it was topped off with fireworks last night – the biggest fireworks display the city has ever put on thanks to a contribution from Fort Henry. It’s hosting a free Pan Am festival through July 4th. The city is also holding a Pan Am festival today in Confederation Park. The torch relay for the games is scheduled to travel to Kingston from Gananoque. It will arrive at City Hall at 6:30 tonight for an aboriginal ceremony.
The torch will then continue on to Fort Henry for the official ceremony and cauldron lighting at 7 tonight. Tomorrow…CFB Kingston will be hosting a torch ceremony that’s open to the public with entertainment from 12:45-1:40 p.m. in the McNaughton Parade Square the torch ceremony begins at 1:45 tomorrow afternoon and the torch bearers will then carry it out of Kingston.

Napanee Thieves

A daring daylight burglary has netted a pair of thieves a rifle, a couple of rings and some collector cash from a home in Great Napanee.  A man and woman were seen walking north on Slash Road following the break in at a home between 1 and 3 p.m. on Tuesday.  Both were wearing white baseball caps and the man was carrying a canvass bag.  Missing from the home were a 303 Lee Enfield bolt action rifle, Masonic ring…a Shriner’s ring and assorted cash including 30 silver dollars from the 50’s and 60’s were stolen.

Ruth Wilson – Order of Canada

The vice-president of Medical and Academic Programs at Providence Care in Kingston has been named to the Order of Canada.
Dr. Ruth Wilson was named to the Order by Governor General David Johnston on Canada Day.
Wilson is a practicing family physician and professor of family medicine at Queen’s University. She is also North American president of the world organization of family doctors.
She was named one of Canada’s Top 100 Most Powerful Women in 2010.
Her mother, Lois Wilson, was the first female moderator of the United Church of Canada and is a Companion of the Order of Canada.

Sir JAM – Picton

Sir John A. Macdonald made a grand entrance in Picton on Canada Day.
A life sized bronze statue of Macdonald was unveiled in Picton.
The statue depicts Macdonald as a young lawyer during his first court case in Picton on October 8th, 1834.
It was made possible thanks to a $300,000 Canadian Heritage grant.