kingston residents encouraged to display canadian flag amid trade war
'together we can show the world that we are proud to be canadians.'
2 minute read
kingston city council vote tuesday to spend $10,000 to provide flags to residents in kingston
elliot ferguson
/
the whig-standard
kingston — the city is to spend $10,000 to distribute free canadian flags to residents.
the plan is a response to requests from residents for the city to do more in response to the ongoing trade war and diplomatic rift with the united states.
the author of the motion, kingscourt-rideau dist. coun. brandon tozzo, said the plan was meant to promote canadian patriotism instead of expressing anger at the u.s. government’s actions.
“we have an opportunity in this moment to be bringing people together instead of being anti-american, let’s be pro-canadian,” tozzo said. “this is a small measure but i think it shows that we can get through this together.”
the motion was unanimously supported by the rest of council.
“together we can show the world that we are proud to be canadians,” said trillium dist. coun. jimmy hassan.
“from what i’ve seen living in this country my whole life, is we have a quiet sort of humble pride. but it’s also fierce when it is awakened and sure as heck it has been awakened,” added pittsburg dist. coun. ryan boehme. “as with every conflict that we’ve ever been in, we’re going to come out stronger and more unified as a nation.”
“i think this just reminds us that every once in a while we need to be a little louder, a little prouder, and to put it out on display, and that’s what the flags will do for us,” said sydenham dist. coun. conny glenn.
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no go on vacant home tax
city council followed a staff recommendation and shelved a plan for a vacant home tax.
the proposal, put forward about two years ago, proved to be an expensive and largely ineffective plan.
doctor recruitment funding
city council unanimously approved $600,000 to continue efforts to attract family doctors to kingston.
since 2022, the city has spent $3 million to recruit 25 doctors, including replacements for 17 retiring physicians and eight new doctors.
the new doctors are now taking care of 8,100 people who previously did not have a doctor and the replacement physicians prevented 14,500 people from losing care.
the city’s primary care clinic grant also allowed doctors at five clinics to add 6,000 patients and helped two clinics to retain 5,700 patients.
“this is fantastic news for kingston residents. we are definitely headed in the right direction,” portsmouth dist. coun. don amos said.
city and health officials expect that all kingston residents could have access to a family doctor by the end of the year.
penitentiary heritage designation
city council unanimously approved a heritage designation for the former kingston penitentiary.
the 8.5 hectare property had been listed by the federal government as a property available for housing redevelopment.
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since its closure in 2013, the prison has been a popular tourist attraction and city council has asked that the property be preserved.
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