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The following is a submitted Op-Ed. The views and opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect those of The Kingstonist. Nearly one year ago, Belle Park became the epicenter of the homelessness crisis in Kingston. With rising COVID-19 case numbers, declines in shelter capacity to accommodate social distancing, and stringent isolation
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The following is a submitted letter to the editor. The views and opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect those of The Kingstonist. Our neighbours, who declared they’d had enough of dysfunctional shelters, bug ridden housing, and support services which are disjointed and not supportive, took their well-being into their own
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The following is a submitted Op/Ed photo essay. The views and opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect those of The Kingstonist. The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated governmental failures to provide housing for all across Canada. Mounting rent burdens, the lifting of provincial eviction moratoriums, and the rollback of federal income
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City Councillor Mary Rita Holland is calling for more transparency around the outcomes for individuals experiencing homelessness in Kingston after they interact with City bylaw enforcement officers. At the council meeting on Tuesday, Sep. 15, 2020, Holland will table a motion for a review of the City bylaw number 2009-76,
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The following is a submitted open letter to the Kingston City Council. The views and opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect those of The Kingstonist. Dear Mayor Paterson and elected councillors of the City of Kingston, I am writing to you today, a week after the forced eviction of remaining
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The City of Kingston has responded to questions regarding the forced eviction of Belle Park residents on the afternoon of Tuesday, Sept. 1, 2020. Robert Hosier, Communications Officer for the City of Kingston, provided the following responses to the Kingstonist via email. 1) At what point and by whom was
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The following is an open letter to Mayor Bryan Paterson from Councillor Jim Neill concerning the removal of items and shelters from Belle Park on Tuesday, Sept. 1, 2020. The views and opinions expressed do not neccessarily reflect those of Kingstonist. Hello Bryan; I just came from Belle Park. So
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The City of Kingston reports that they have taken “the final steps to remove what remains of an encampment at Belle Park” this afternoon. At approximately 1 p.m. on Tuesday, Sep. 1, 2020 City Staff escorted by members of Kingston Police reportedly arrived at Belle Park with trucks and heavy
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On the morning of Tuesday, Aug. 11, 2020, City of Kingston Staff began implementing City Council’s decision to extend the bylaw exemption allowing campers to remain in Belle Park until the end of July, 2020. The temporary services that had been provided to those camping at Belle Park which have
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The City’s Integrated Care Hub at Artillery Park opened on a part-time schedule on Monday, Jul. 20, 2020. Originally announced as a 24/7 drop-in centre opening this week, the hub appears to have launched with a soft opening, from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. daily, and closed for one hour
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The meeting of Kingston City Council on Tuesday, Jul. 7, 2020 immediately got down to business, first tackling the deadline for the bylaw exemption allowing for the homeless encampment at Belle Park to remain. In fact, that’s almost all Council was able to accomplish of the full agenda that lay
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Approximately 200 people came out in solidarity with the homeless occupants of Belle Park at an on-site rally on the evening of Tuesday, Jul. 7, 2020. Hosted by Mutual Aid Katarokwi Kingston (MAKK), the event saw park residents and community supporters take turns speaking and playing music before a masked,
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