Kingston news

• Kingston high-speed rail station could cost $3.9 billion, report says

  08-07-2026 13:03 via thewhig.com
  
  KINGSTON — Rerouting the Alto high-speed rail line into Kingston and adding a local station here could cost almost $4 billion, according to a new report from the Canadian Taxpayers Federation.A report to be released Wednesday by the organization estimated a Kingston station would add about 52 kilometres to the route.At $75 million per kilometre — the mid point of the government’s estimated cost — the extra high-speed rail line distance would cost $3.9 billion.The 1,000-k
  
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• Limestone graduates earn major scholarships, Ernestown student embraces life-changing award 

  08-07-2026 16:37 via thewhig.com
  
  When Haleigh Knetsch opened an email telling her she had been awarded a scholarship worth over $64, 000, the Ernestown Secondary School graduate could hardly believe it. “I just got an email one day saying, like, you have gotten a scholarship,” Knetsch said in an interview on Saturday.The scholarship is from the Queen’s University’s Promise Scholars program, which is valued at between $60,000 and $100,000 over four years depending on a student’s program. The award
  
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• Weekend Spotlight July 10 to 12: Things to do in Kingston area this weekend

  08-07-2026 16:30 via thewhig.com
  
  1. 36th Kingston Buskers Rendezvous Weekend, various times, downtown Kingston : Get ready for four days of jaw-dropping performances, laugh-out-loud entertainment, incredible circus acts, giant bubbles, marionettes, music, acrobatics, and plenty of surprises around every corner. Watch world-class street performers transform Springer Market Square and the surrounding downtown streets into one giant outdoor stage.Festival performances take place in and around Springer Market Square Thursday throug
  
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• Haaima trial adjourned again at request of defence

  08-07-2026 15:56 via thewhig.com
  
  KINGSTON — After a month’s hiatus, the sexual assault trial of Michael Haaima has been adjourned for another week after Justice Robyn Ryan Bell granted a defence request based on exceptional personal circumstances affecting defence counsel.The request was made at the outset of proceedings Monday morning. Appearing by Zoom, defence attorney Natasha Calvinho asked that, following the morning’s scheduled testimony, the trial be adjourned for the remainder of the week.Assistant Cr
  
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• Replica of Gord Downie's iconic hat heads to auction for charity

  08-07-2026 15:42 via thewhig.com
  
  A decade after The Tragically Hip’s historic final concert in Kingston, the designer behind the late Gord Downie’s iconic purple hat has created a replica and put it up for auction to mark the anniversary.Over the years designer Karyn Ruis , owner of Lilliput Hats, said she has been reluctant to recreate any of Downie’s hats, worried they would become souvenirs.“In the past I’ve had lots of people asking me, ‘Hey, can I buy that hat or could you make that hat
  
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• Kingston high-speed rail link could cost $3.9 billion, report says

  08-07-2026 13:03 via thewhig.com
  
  KINGSTON — Rerouting the Alto high-speed rail line into Kingston and adding a local station here could cost almost $4 billion, according to a new report from the Canadian Taxpayers Federation.A report to be released Wednesday by the organization estimated a Kingston station would add about 52 kilometres to the route.At $75 million per kilometre — the mid point of the government’s estimated cost — the extra high-speed rail line distance would cost $3.9 billion.The 1,000-k
  
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• OPP lay over 19,000 traffic and marine charges during Canada Day week

  07-07-2026 18:24 via thewhig.com
  
  With an increased amount of traffic on the roads during the week of Canada Day, the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) laid over 19,133 traffic and marine charges.Those charges included 8,603 for speeding, 1,454 for those not wearing a seatbelt, 412 for impaired driving, 311 for stunt driving, and 243 for distracted driving.The OPP also reported 49 helmet charges, along with 11 marine safety equipment charges.According to Police, the campaign’s goal was aimed at safety along the roads and wa
  
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• Fight Ford organizers hope to expand support in Kingston

  06-07-2026 21:04 via thewhig.com
  
  Protesters, including members of Ontario labour organizations of the Fight Ford movement, gathered at Confederation Park on Saturday, where they protested Premier Doug Ford’s government and called for transparency.Protesters carried signs and handed out information sheets to Kingstonians as part of Fight Ford, a movement opposing Ford and members of the Progressive Conservative Party in Ontario.Gaelyn Scarlett, an organizer and volunteer for Fight Ford in Kingston, shared her understandin
  
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• Alto begins looking for suppliers to build high-speed rail line

  06-07-2026 19:35 via thewhig.com
  
  KINGSTON — The Crown corporation developing the high-speed rail line between Toronto and Quebec City launched its outreach to businesses that may be interested in bidding for contracts related to the project.Late last month, Alto and its partner, Cadence, launched their initial market engagement process meant to gauge interest from businesses in “proposed early procurement activities, anticipated work packages and timelines for the first phase of construction between Ottawa and Mont
  
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• Kingston biotech firm continues developing climate-resilient canola, new federal backing

  06-07-2026 18:59 via thewhig.com
  
  As climate change brings longer droughts, more frequent heat waves and increasingly unpredictable growing conditions to Canada’s farm belt, a Kingston biotechnology company is working to help protect one of the country’s most important crops.Performance Plants Inc. is developing a new generation of canola designed to better withstand drought and heat while storing more carbon underground — a combination the company says could help farmers maintain yields as environmental press
  
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• Local comic book creators play a role in Kingston's first gaming expo

  06-07-2026 18:24 via thewhig.com
  
  Indie game developers, esports competitors, comic book creators, and pop-culture enthusiasts gathered at Slush Puppie Place this past weekend for the inaugural Eh! Game Expo.The event was a three-day festival that organizers hope will become an annual event in Kingston. The expo featured esports competition, cosplay, trading card games, artists and exhibitors from across Ontario and Quebec.The event also included the Fight for the Throne esports tournament, bringing competitive players together
  
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• Glenora ferry out of service until further notice due to mechanical issue

  06-07-2026 17:37 via thewhig.com
  
  The Ministry of Transportation (MTO) has informed area residents and visitors that the Glenora Ferry has suspended service until further notice due to a mechanical issue.According to the MTO, the issue is in regard to the ferry’s shore ramp.Officials said the ferry will return to service after repairs are completed. Alternate access is available via County Road 49, Highway 62 and Highway 33.When service resumes, the ferry will return to the seasonal schedule through Thanksgiving Weekend.
  
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• Glenora ferry back in service following mechanical issue

  06-07-2026 17:37 via thewhig.com
  
  This article has been updated to reflect new information at 3:25 p.m. The Ministry of Transportation (MTO) has informed area residents and visitors that the Glenora Ferry is back in service following a mechanical issue to it’s shore ramp.According to the MTO, it went out of service Monday morning shortly after 10:30 a.m.Following repairs, it was back in service by 3:25 p.m.Alternate access to Prince Edward County is available by using County Road 49, Highway 62 and Highway 33.The ferry wi
  
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• 'It's a mental game': First women to join gruelling three-day paddle to Ottawa

  06-07-2026 17:29 via thewhig.com
  
  When Keisha Halladay first agreed to take part in the Yakathon, she envisioned paddling for a day.By the time the group gathered at Kingston Mills Locks for a final practice and equipment check before departure, she was packed for all three.Halladay is one of 28 kayakers who set out Sunday on this year’s Yakathon, a gruelling 200-kilometre paddle from Kingston to Ottawa that sees participants spend more than 50 hours on the water over three days.The annual challenge is marking its 11th ye
  
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• 'It's a mental game': First women to join grueling three-day paddle to Ottawa

  06-07-2026 17:29 via thewhig.com
  
  When Keisha Halladay first agreed to take part in the Yakathon, she envisioned paddling for a day.By the time the group gathered at Kingston Mills Locks for a final practice and equipment check before departure, she was packed for all three.Halladay is one of 28 kayakers who set out Sunday on this year’s Yakathon, a gruelling 200-kilometre paddle from Kingston to Ottawa that sees participants spend more than 50 hours on the water over three days.The annual challenge is marking its 11th ye
  
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• Kingston Police looking for vandal

  05-07-2026 21:27 via thewhig.com
  
  Kingston Police are looking for an individual suspected of causing property damage with an edged weapon.The incident occurred in the area of Fisher Crescent and Evangeline Avenue, where the person was trespassing on Friday between the hours of 3:30am and 5:30am.According to a statement from police, the individual is described as male, approximately 20 years of age, and was wearing blue shorts, a black t-shirt, and dark-colored clogs (Croc-style) with white socks.Police are asking residents in t
  
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• Cataraqui Conservation issues flood watch for Charleston Lake, Gananoque Lake

  03-07-2026 21:32 via thewhig.com
  
  KINGSTON — Catarqui Conservation issued a flood watch on Thursday afternoon for Charleston Lake and Gananoque Lake, and a water safety statement for inland lakes and streams due to elevated and increasing flows and water levels.While widespread flooding is not expected, thunderstorms over the Canada Day holiday have increased water levels in area lakes, and the conservation authority is reminding people to be cautious.“It appears that the Gananoque River system received more rainfal
  
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• Kingston-based filmmaker, activist receives Order of Canada for international impact on 2SLGBTQI+ rights

  03-07-2026 20:11 via thewhig.com
  
  KINGSTON — Across a lifetime of art and activism, Nancy Nicol has maintained her sense of hope.“I never feel hopelessness,” Nicol told the Whig-Standard on Wednesday.Nicol, a documentary filmmaker and a professor emeritus at York University, taught in the visual arts department there from 1989 to 2016. She has travelled the world making films about and connecting with people fighting for the rights of those who identify as 2SLGBTQI+ — Two-Spirit, lesbian, gay, bisexual,
  
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• Jim Hegadorn to take over as warden for Lennox & Addington County

  03-07-2026 18:47 via thewhig.com
  
  NAPANEE — Jim Hegadorn was elected Warden of Lennox and Addington County on June 24. Hegadorn’s new role comes as the previous warden, Nathan Townend, recently announced his departure .Councillor Tony Fritsch nominated Hegadorn, describing him as “capable and extremely dedicated”.“He’s been deputy warden for this term, and his becoming warden is the natural progression,” Fritsch said. “He’s also very capable and extremely dedicated, and I be
  
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• Kingston Police ask for public's help with three-vehicle collision

  03-07-2026 18:15 via thewhig.com
  
  Kingston Police are looking for witnesses of a motor vehicle collision that took place on Taylor Kidd Boulevard on Thursday.At approximately 10:23 a.m., Kingston Police received a report of a collision in the area of Rockwell Drive and Taylor Kidd Boulevard involving three vehicles.Two people — a man and a woman — were transported to hospital by paramedics with minor injuries, according to police.The collision closed Taylor Kidd Boulevard between Bexley Gate and Gardiners Road in bo
  
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• Kingston undergoes a squishy sensation

  03-07-2026 17:53 via thewhig.com
  
  Last Friday, an hour and a half before doors opened at 10 a.m., Kingston’s local toy store, The Rocking Horse Toys, had a line of around 30 people, all there for the same thing: a NeeDoh.NeeDohs are a squishy, colourful toy, like a stress ball. Available in dozens of different colours and shapes, NeeDohs are sought after for their satisfying feel. They were launched by the toy company, Schylling, in 2017, but they have blown up over the past year, as a result of viral TikTok videos and so
  
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• Kingston Police, CSC extend partnership to combat prison drone contraband

  03-07-2026 16:38 via thewhig.com
  
  A successful partnership between Kingston Police and the Correctional Service of Canada (CSC) aimed at combating the growing threat of contraband drone drops into federal institutions has been extended for another three years.What began as a pilot project has evolved into an ongoing collaborative effort, strengthening the ability of law enforcement and correctional officials to detect, investigate, and disrupt the use of drones to deliver prohibited items into correctional facilities.According
  
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• Kingston family wins $42,912.50 in school board 50/50 draw 

  02-07-2026 20:57 via thewhig.com
  
  A Kingston family has taken home more than $42,000 after winning the Algonquin and Lakeshore Catholic District School Board’s largest 50/50 raffle to date, the board said In an announcement last week.Cierra Beattie, whose son attends a local school in the board, won $42,912.50 in the spring draw, with the total pot reaching $85,825 before closing on June 19, according to raffle organizers.Beattie said she first learned about the fundraiser through her son’s school and decided to tak
  
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• Kingston city council to look at a set of road-related motions

  02-07-2026 20:52 via thewhig.com
  
  KINGSTON — City council is to consider a set of motions aimed at addressing road and pedestrian issues.Four motions from city councillors dealing with traffic, parking and pedestrians are to be considered at council’s Tuesday night meeting.Williamsville District Coun. Vincent Cinanni is to put forward a motion to direct staff to design a new all-way stop with pedestrian crossings and traffic calming features for Alfred Street between Princess and Concession streets.Lakeshore Distric
  
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• Kingston cardiologist's cross-border impact recognized with Order of Canada

  02-07-2026 20:10 via thewhig.com
  
  KINGSTON — When physician-scientist Dr. Stephen Archer graduated from the school of medicine at Queen’s University in 1981, he headed out into the world to practice.Decades later, he returned to Queen’s to bookend a lifetime of significant contributions to his field of work and study.Now, those contributions are being recognized by the Canadian government. On June 26, Archer was appointed as a Member of the Order of Canada.Archer’s career path criss-crosses the Canada U.
  
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• Napanee Connect: 'We're hosting one big block party so we can help residents host a hundred more'

  02-07-2026 17:26 via thewhig.com
  
  Greater Napanee Connect is throwing a big neighbourhood celebration this month, but organizers hope it’s only the beginning.“We’re hosting one big block party so that we can help residents host a hundred more,” said Greater Napanee Connect Chair Tiffany Lloyd.The free Block Party Kick Off on July 17 will officially launch the organization’s new Block Party Lending Program, designed to make it easier for residents to organize neighbourhood gatherings of their own.Th
  
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• Lennox and Addington pauses removal of centuries-old oaks after emotional debate over safety and heritage

  02-07-2026 17:13 via thewhig.com
  
  When I am among the trees …they give off such hints of gladness, I would almost say that they save me, and daily.— Mary OliverAlong County Road 9 in Greater Napanee, oak trees stand like sentinels, forming a broad, canopied tunnel. They might have been young trees when the Mississauga Anishinaabeg travelled the region, and they have grown and stood through the arrival of the Loyalists after the 1783 Crawford Purchase, the coming of the railway, and the birth of modern Canada &mdash
  
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• Intimate partner violence survivors raise concerns over Bill C-16

  02-07-2026 13:15 via thewhig.com
  
  Intimate partner violence survivors and victim advocates are raising concerns about Bill C-16 , warning the changes in legislation could have unintended consequences for those seeking safety and justice.While supporters say the bill aims to reform Canada’s criminal justice system by protecting women and children affected by intimate partner violence, some fear the changes may make it more difficult to hold offenders accountable and could leave victims feeling less protected.The bill inclu
  
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• Kingston braces for heatwave ahead of Canada Day; temperatures near record highs a threat to life and property

  01-07-2026 14:42 via thewhig.com
  
  A day after circulating a warning for extreme weather and a threat of tornado winds, Environment Canada has issued a heat warning in Kingston and the surrounding area for Canada Day and July 2, which will run into the weekend.The government weather service is cautioning that daytime high temperatures will hit 31 C and up to 35 C on Wednesday and Thursday, while dropping to night-time lows of 21 to 25 C.The average daytime high temperature for Kingston in July is 24 to 25 C, according to various
  
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• Weekend Spotlight July 3 to 5: Things to do in Kingston area this weekend

  01-07-2026 13:49 via thewhig.com
  
  1. Eh! Game Expo 2026 — Kingston Gaming, Esports & Cosplay Festival Weekend, various time, at the Slush Puppie Place, 1 The Tragically Hip Way : A three-day gaming festival bringing together competitive players, casual gamers, creators and the wider community. Whether you want to compete, spectate, play casually, cosplay, shop, or discover something new, this weekend gathering is for people who love games. For tickets, go to eventbrite.ca/e/eh-game-expo-2026-kingston-gaming-festival-ju
  
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