OPSEU – Kingston Community Counselling

 

Staff at Kingston Community Counselling have voted in favour of joining the Ontario Public Service Employees Union.  The agency is also known as K3C Counselling and has offices in Kingston, Ottawa, Belleville and Whitby.  It provides services including women’s counselling, youth and family counselling and financial counselling.

The employees had previously reject unionization but voted last week and OPSEU says the employees voted in favour of joining the union.

 

Barge Sinks

 

A barge being used to transport trucks filled with gravel to Amherst Island has sunk in Picton Bay.  It’s believed ice in the harbour caused a two foot hole in the hull and it is now half submerged at Picton Terminals.  The sinking caused a small gas leak and booms are being used to contain the leak.

Officials met yesterday to discuss how to remove the barge and hope heavy equipment can be used to remove it from the harbour.

 

Sports Tourism

 

It’s called Sports Tourism and Kingston will get a big economic boost next month when 600 top athletes, coaches and their families compete in the Trampoline & Tumbling 2nd Ontario Cup.

The Kingston Aeros Trampoline Club is hosting the competition from April 7th to 9th at the Queen’s Athletics and Recreation Centre.

The Kingston Aeros was established in 1971 by Dave Ross, the current Canadian Olympic coach.

 

Pot Legislation

 

The government of Justin Trudeau will announce legislation next month to legalize marijuana.

CBC News is reporting the legislation will be announced during the week of April 10th and the government plans to make it legal by Canada Day, 2018.

The report says the Liberal caucus was brief on the roll out plan during meetings on the weekend.

The federal government will be in charge of licensing producers and the provinces will be in charge of deciding how marijuana is sold and will be allowed to set the price and Individuals will be allowed to grow up to four plants.

 

Youth – Firearm Injuries

 

New research has found firearms either kill or injure a child or youth almost every day in Ontario.   A new study by doctors at Toronto’s Hospital for Sick Children is published in today’s Canadian Medical Association Journal.  It analyzed hospital records of millions of Ontario children and found there were an average of 355 firearm injuries each year among young people.  Three-quarters of the gunshot wounds were unintentional.