College Strike

The strike by faculty at St. Lawrence College and the other colleges in Ontario begins its fifth week today.

Faculty will vote on an offer from the colleges on Wednesday and Thursday of this week.  If they accept the deal the strike will end…if not…the strike will continue.

The Ontario Public Service Employees Union is recommending faculty reject the offer.

As the strike drags on…colleges are establishing a fund to help students experiencing financial hardship.  Money for the fund will come from unpaid wages and other savings during the strike.  Colleges reported five-million dollars in savings after an 18-day strike in 2006.

Navy Memorial

Kingston navy veteran Bill Fitsell is ready to do battle to save Navy Memorial Park.

It’s located at Lower Union and Ontario Streets and the fire route for a proposed 20 story high rise on the former Marine Museum site would go right through the center of the park.

Fitsell says he will fight to maintain the park and he has support from Kingston Mayor Bryan Paterson.

Paterson tells the Whig he would never support anything that could negatively impact the park.

Driver – Hospital

A Kingston man remains in hospital following a crash early Friday morning that closed Front Road and Kingston Street West.

A minivan hit two utility poles at about 1:25 in the morning.  Firefighters had to pry the driver out of the vehicle and he was taken to hospital with serious injuries.

Utilities Kingston had to replace two poles and power wasn’t restored to the two buildings in the area until Friday night.

Police haven’t said what caused the crash.

Feihe – Baby Formula Plant

Construction is underway on Kingston’s new baby formula factory.

The ground breaking for the plant in the Cataraqui Estates Business Park took place on Friday.

Feihe International is investing $225 million in the state of the art facility.

It has established a Canadian corporation called Canada Royal Milk to operate the facility.

It’s China’s biggest investment in Canada’s agri-food sector and will create 200 jobs when it is finished in two years.

Hometown Hockey

Rogers Hometown Hockey put Kingston in the national spotlight last night…Ron MacLean and Tara Sloan hosted the show spotlighting Don Cherry’s hometown.  Cherry helped highlight the military connections.  They also talked about to the Rogers K-Rock Centre and International Hockey Hall of Fame.

Gord Downie’s brother Mike and his sisters Charlyn and Paula were also on the show.  Mike says the Downie – Wenjack fund will support the efforts of Canadians who are doing concrete things to make a difference.

Officer – Special Olympics Honour

A Napanee OPP constable is being honoured for her work with the Special Olympics.

Constable Stacey Campbell is getting the national Rob Plunkett Law Enforcement Torch Run Award.

Campbell has been involved in supporting the Special Olympics for 26 years.

She’ll receive the award at a ceremony in Toronto on Thursday.

Provincial Food Initiative

The Ontario government is giving the Kingston Community Health Centres close to half a million dollars to evaluate a program aimed at helping people break the cycle of poverty.

The organization will use $437,900 to help evaluate their CIRCLES program.

The project helps adults, children, and single parents move toward food and income security.

The funding was announced by Kingston and the Islands MPP Sophie Kiwala on Friday.

Filed under: Baby Formula, College Strike, Driver, Driver Hospital, Feihe, Hometown Hockey, Hospital, Navy Memorial, Officer, Plant, Provincial Food Initiative, Special Olympics Honour