Kingston News, December 2, 2016

KINGSTON TRANSIT FAIR HIKE
Kingston Transit will change their fares effective Jan. 1,  2017.  According to a release from the City of Kingston, the fare change, the first in three years, will help maintain and support transit operations and improvements.  The cost to ride the bus goes up a quarter from $2.75 to $3 for cash fare. Monthly adult passes go from $72 to $76 and Seniors and student passes will increase by $3 from $53.50 to $56.50

BELLEVILLE TRANSIT RATIFY CONTRACT
The City of Belleville and its 29 unionized public transit workers have ratified a new 4-year contract. The agreement was approved by city councillors in a special closed door meeting this week, and by members of Unifor Local 18-39. It gives workers a 2-percent pay increase in 2016, and a further raise of about 1.5-percent in each of the next 3 years.

LE BOAT COMES TO SMITHS FALLS
A new business is ready to power its way on the historic Rideau Canal. “Le Boat” – Europe’s largest self-drive recreational boating company – will be opening in Smiths Falls in 2018. The company is investing 16 million dollars to operate state-of-the-art “horizon” cruisers. The self-driven rental boats are expected to attract thousands of vacationers from Canada, the U.S, and Europe.

KNIGHTS INN MOTEL FIRE
Kingston Fire and Rescue were called to a fire at Knights Inn Motel, Thursday night about 815.  Tenants were evacuated while fire crews worked to put out the blaze. The unit in which the fire began was completely destroyed, and several surrounding units were heavily smoke damaged. Two residents were treated on scene by Frontenac Paramedics for smoke inhalation and transported to hospital.

POLICE SEARCH FOR ASSAILANT IN TRENTON
O-P-P say they are looking for a woman who allegedly attacked a teenage girl in Trenton. They say the girl was walking along a street Wednesday afternoon when she was approached by a woman who struck her in the face multiple times. The girl suffered minor injuries. The woman is described as about 30 to 40 years old with bleached blond hair and was wearing a blue and white striped jacket and dark blue jeans.

HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS IS THIS WEEKEND
Sydenham Ward will look even more like a scene from a Victorian Christmas story this weekend. Kingston Chamber Choir’s Home for the Holidays brings carollers to the streets and opens the doors of  area 19^th century  homes to the public on Saturday.    This year, the holiday house tour takes the public inside four homes built from 1828 to 1882, including Hotel Belvedere, Stone Cottage, a Victorian row house and McIntosh Castle.

INFANT FORMULA MANUFACTURER COMES TO KINGSTON
Feihe International Inc., a China-based manufacturer of infant formula, is opening a manufacturing facility in Kingston that is expected to create approximately 200 full-time jobs. It’s an investment worth $225 million. The approximately 300,000-square-foot plant will be located in the Cataraqui Estates Business Park. It will be Canada’s first and only wet infant formula facility and North America’s first and only goat milk infant formula manufacturer

AIR MILES SUSPENDS POINTS DEADLINE
The company that runs the Air Miles loyalty points program says it is cancelling plans that would have seen collectors lose any miles not used within five years. But the change of heart swiftly angered some who had scrambled to redeem their miles before the expiration policy was to take effect Dec. 31. LoyaltyOne announced Thursday it was walking away from the policy, effective immediately, citing an uncertain legislative environment throughout the country.