Last Day of our Comment Contest
Just a quick reminder that today is the final day of our first ever comment contest. Simply by telling Kingstonist.com what you did for Earth Hour, what you consider to be Kingston’s Ugliest Building, or who you’d pay to see at the K-Rock Centre will enter you into our draw for a $20 gift certificate from your choice of local merchants including: Minotaur, and 4 Colour, 8 Bit. By commenting on the articles you see at Kingstonist.com, we’re able to target the types of stories our readers are most interested in. Furthermore, your contribution helps start a dialog regarding important issues in and around the Limestone City. Simply register if you already haven’t done so, and let us know what you think. We’d really appreciate it!
Participated in by Some…
So last night was Earth Hour, and after I turned off all my lights and computers, I took a twilight stroll downtown to gauge the results. I must admit that I was pretty disappointed with some of the local merchants who kept their signage brightly lit, especially those who weren’t even open for business. I mean, if the Golden Arches can be turned off for an evening, I don’t think it’s a stretch for Scotia Bank, Very Sherri and numerous others to dim their lights for an hour. Restaurants including the Chien Noir and Atomica were quite dark, with an ample amount of candle light setting the mood inside. This was also the case inside Second Cup, however Starbucks was lit brighter than the sun. As promised the City turned off all the street lights on Princess Street, and City Hall could only be seen in the shadows. When I approached Market Square, I came across a group of folks congregated around an NDP banner, talking about the significance of Earth Hour, sustainable energy and the importance of making Kingston a greener place to live. On that note, walking to and from the downtown was amazingly dark, which is a good sign that Earth Hour was supported by many households.
With any luck this event will grow next year, with more and more people taking the time to switch off. Be sure to check out the Kingstonist YouTube Channel for a few of the dark videos I took while wandering around last night. To give you a better idea of the scene, there are also some decent Earth Hour pictures on the Kingstonist Flickr page.
Kanceled Centre
My opinion of the Krock has really taking a turn for the worse over the past couple weeks. Leading up to the grand opening, I maintained an optimistic outlook regarding Kingston’s newest mega-centre when the community called into question the location, building design, land purchase, transportation network, and parking scheme. I even told friends that we should re-elect Rosen in order to ensure the project didn’t get canceled, and ultimately end up costing the City more in the long run. That’s not to say I’m a big fan of our Mayor, but lately I couldn’t help but agree with his utter disgust over the serious mismanagement of the K-Rock Centre. What the hell is going on over there? Read more
What are you doing tonight?
Today I thought I’d give you an overview of some of the goings-on in Kingston on a Friday night. Now that spring has sprung (knock on wood) it’s time to come out of hibernation and check out what this town has to offer!
RMC:
Today from 4:30pm to 6:00pm RMC’s class of 1958 presents Dr. Thomas Homer Dixon, award-winning author of Upside of Down: Catastrophe, Creativity and the Renewal of Civilization in Currie Hall as part of an undergraduate symposium on “National Security and the Environment”. The presentation is entitled “A Climate for Conflict? Resource and Environmental Stress as a Cause for Mass Violence in the 21st Century”. Check this out and then have plenty of time to spare to hit the town for one of these other events.
The Merchant Tap House:
For two years now, Emily Fennell has been playing at The Merchant on Friday nights. If you haven’t already been to see her, what are you waiting for?! She gives audiences two great ways to hear her. From 5pm-7pm she plays a solo acoustic set and then at 10pm she is joined by her super talented and energetic band. I dare you to stay off the dance floor.
Raxx:
Tonight Raxx is welcoming touring cover band Love Circus. The reviews are good. Check ‘em out.
The Artel:
Looking for something completely different? The Artel, along with Workscited presents BLUE. The second episode of a series entitled “The Primaries”. This multimedia performance promises a psychological ride, music and free food. No charge.
The Tir Nan Og:
Tonight the Nog presents one of Kingston’s premiere cover bands, The Ones. This solid, energetic group will have you on the dance floor for sure.
No live music tonight but every Friday stop by for $2.75 Corona, Heineken and Stella till midnight!
Friends of Skeleton Park
Recently, Apple Crisp Records released its first CD, entitled Friends of Skeleton Park. The CD was produced in support of The Skeleton Park Music Festival , a celebration of the summer solstice in McBurney Park. The CD is a compilation of 20 artists from Kingston and the surrounding area including Sarah Harmer, Jenny Whitely, Sheesham and Lotus, Kyra and Tully, The Lady Racers and many more. Read more
Kingston’s Worst…Buildings
Greetings Kingston! A bit of a break from the typical reporting on events and general news, as today we’re calling on you for help. Essentially we need you to provide input on a future series that will focus on Kingston’s “ugliest” buildings. We’re not looking for derelict shacks, or abandoned warehouses, but rather we want your list of architectural disasters in a city that’s celebrates exposed limestone walls, and magnificent domes. So whether you’re favorite candidate is the new K-Rock Centre, the old Police Station, or that strange house around the corner, please let us know by submitting your entry in a comment below. Remember, each time you comment you’re automatically entered into our March draw for a gift certificate from either Minotaur Gifts and Games, or 4 Colour, 8 Bit.
Lights Out Kingston
In case you haven’t heard, Earth Hour is taking place this Saturday, March the 29th from 8pm until 9pm. The ultimate goal is to get as many people around the world to go sans electricity for an hour, and you can rest assured that Kingston will be doing it’s part. In an announcement late last week, the City advised that all non-essential downtown street lighting would remain off until 9pm. This will also be the case in Portsmouth Olympic Harbour, and at various business locations across the city, however “safety lighting” will remain functional for your, er…safety? In addition to dimming the lights, all of the refrigeration units at municipal outdoor rinks will remain off during Earth Hour, which will help reduce the cities’ overall consumption.
If you’re looking to celebrate this great initiative with like minded folks and take in some entertainment at the same time, I recommend that you check out the candle lit show going on at the Leopard Frog Recording Studio on Queen Street, featuring the Night Sun, Jenica Rayne, Brian Flynn and more! Otherwise, what are you planning on turning off on the 29th? Will you be busting out some candles and boardgames, or simply enjoying old fashioned conversation with friends and family? Be sure to let Kingstonist know, as each time you comment this month, you’re entered into our draw for a gift certificate from either Minotaur Gifts and Games, or the comic book and video game haven, 4 Colour, 8 Bit.
The Welly Boot Throw
Easter greetings from all the contributors of Kingstonist.com. Although we are full of turkey, ham, and foil wrapped chocolate eggs, we managed to roll down to the Kingston Brew Pub today for their annual “Welly Boot Throw.” This event challenges teams to brave the elements and toss the Brew Masters old rubber boot as far as they can. Entry fees get the teams a free meal, and a pint of beer, while all the proceeds are generously donated by the Brew Pub to Hospice Kingston. For a better explanation, as well as sights and sounds from this unique Kingston event, check out the podcast below, and our new Flickr page.
Special thanks to David Bailey for the podcast. More to come in the near future. In the meantime, don’t forget that every time you comment you are entered into our monthly draw.
The Welly Boot Throw [7:47m]: The Soul of the Drum
Samba Kingston is an organization modeled after the many schools around the world who carry on the tradition of the Brasilian Escola de Samba (Samba School). The organization is three years old now and has hosted many workshops and fundraisers in it’s short lifetime. Samba Kingston supports an 18-player samba, funk and reggae group called Wuawuanco (pronounced wa-wan-co) Todos. The group is community based and open to anyone interested in working with other musicians to make energetic, rhythm-centric music.
Read more
Sumthin’s Wrong Here
I want to start by clarifying that I am not a big fan of Sum 41, a rock band that hails from Ajax, Ontario. I recognize that they’ve achieved pretty solid success on both sides of the border, sharing the stage with the likes of Pennywise, K-Os, Tommy Lee, and Judas Priest, but I’m just not interested in their sound. Even so, when I heard that the trio was playing at Stages last night, I must admit that I was rather bewildered as to why these so-called superstars weren’t playing at the Krock? Was our new money pit full of Frontenacs, or Harlem Globetrotters riding around in Monster Trucks last night? Read more
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Friends & Supporters
