SPEAKingston’s Chair Peter Kingston and Co-Chair Wanda Williams gave a presentation to both the Community Committee and to Kingston City Council regarding Kingston’s Community Standards Bylaw changes. The Bylaw was voted in by Council on November 21, 2023.
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Lanie Hurdle, the City’s CAO, recently presented a study from Watson and Associates to the SPEAKingston Board on Kingston’s housing, population and employment. The report notes that the City’s is forecast to increase by 60,400 permanent residents and 27,000 permanent households over the 2021 to 2051 period. Employment is forecast to increase by 33,400 from 2023 to 2051.
Read MoreThe purpose of my presentation this evening is to fully support the development of a downtown Kingston Conference Centre. This topic has been discussed for many years, in fact over a decade- but no decision has ever been made by past Councils to advance it. Now is the time!
Read MoreSPEAKingston represents over 400 members from Kingston who support smart growth as a strategic direction for our city. We are writing to express our support for the approval of the Queen Street Project (corner of Queen and Barry) proposed by developer, Podium Development Management Corporation, and recommended by City of Kingston staff.
Read MoreThe Official Plan is a pillar of the community, providing a framework for how our community will progress. This important tool has the power, through thoughtful and insightful policies, to create resilient communities. As such, it should apply long-term planning principles that support the public interest. It can be challenging to define the public interest; however, “housing for all” is unquestionably a goal that is in the public interest. Smart growth demands affordable and attainable housing, as well as a diverse, market-based range of housing. This must be a central focus of the strategic plan and the Official Plan.
Read MoreYou may have watched your favourite tv show or movie lately and thought that the background looked familiar. Chances are you might be right, given the growth in Kingston’s film industry over the past few years. With amazing locations, and now, a growing group of trained crew members, Kingston is quickly becoming a hotspot for both local and major international productions.
Read MoreFor over 70 years, Quattrocchi’s Specialty Foods has been offering the finest in fresh food products to customers in Kingston and beyond. With a focus on farm-fresh produce and an incredible selection of international flavours, this family-owned business has thousands of loyal customers, including long-time residents and new immigrants looking for familiar tastes from home.
Read MoreSPEAKingston recently wrote to the Land Planning Appeal Tribunal in support of the Homestead building proposals for Queen and Ontario streets. What do you think about downtown densification and the future of our city? Take our survey!
Read MoreEntrepreneurs need to be quick thinkers even during the best of times – but the COVID-19 pandemic has meant that local business owners have had to get creative. Learn how Black Dog Hospitality Group and 1000 Islands Soap Company have transformed their businesses to survive and thrive during these challenging times.
Read MoreThe past year has been a challenging one for everyone, but even more so for the disenfranchised members of our community who struggle to find food and shelter every day. The pandemic has exacerbated food and housing insecurity, while shutting down some agencies who provide services to the most vulnerable members of our population. Lionhearts, a local charity, has stepped up to meet this challenge, bringing people and resources together to help those most in need.
Read MoreA recent HuffPost article ranked Kingston as one of the top 5 cities for Torontonians who want to get out of the big city.
Read MoreDaughters General Store opened its doors on October 27, 2020, offering unique grocery items to the Inner Harbour community!
Read MoreMicaela Hoglund and Brent Lowry are the co-owners of F45 Training, a new fitness studio designed to provide a functional full-body workout while improving energy levels, metabolic rate, strength and endurance. Read more about their company and why they chose Kingston to start their business.
Read MoreThe Frontenac Club has opened its doors after a nearly two-year extensive transformation. We spoke with General Manager Sean Billing about the history of the Club and the exciting new features for guests and locals alike!
Read MoreSPEAKingston was formed several years ago as a community advocacy group for Smart Growth, a strategic direction for Kingston with 4 tenets
Read MoreOpening a new restaurant is challenging. But opening a new restaurant with a sustainability focus during a pandemic takes that challenge to a whole new level. Two enterprising young alumni from Queen’s have returned to Kingston to do just that, opening Miss Bao Restaurant + Cocktail Bar and offering a new sustainable dining experience for Kingstonians.
Read MoreSPEAKingston had an opportunity to speak with Nanci Corrigan on C3Inc’s podcast Channeled. Sandy Sheahan and Brian Cookman spoke about how SPEAKingston is helping to make Kingston an amazing place to live, work, play and invest. Listen to the podcast
Read MoreThe province’s appeal tribunal rejected a plan to construct an apartment building on the site of the former Rideau Marina.
Read MoreResidential intensification and high-rise development in downtown Kingston.
Read MoreDid you know that Montreal Street was once considered the main street for industrial Kingston?
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