Byelection

 

The Conservatives have easily hung onto the Tory stronghold of Leeds-Grenville-Thousand Islands and Rideau Lakes by scoring a convincing victory in yesterday’s federal byelection.

Conservative candidate Michael Barrett — a municipal councillor — racked up 58 per cent of the vote.  Liberal contender Mary Jean McFall was second with 36 per cent, while the N-D-P trailed with three per cent — just 24 votes ahead of the Greens.  The riding became vacant when Conservative MP Gord Brown died in May.   He had been the MP since 2004.

 

City Council – Inaugural Meeting

 

Kingston’s newly elected city council will be meeting for the first time tonight.

The Mayor and City Councillors will take their oath of allegiance and declaration of office and Mayor Brian Paterson will give his inaugural address to council.

No other business is scheduled for council tonight.

 

Scientists – Advocacy

 

A Queen’s University award winning environmental scientist and two other prominent Canadian scientists have released a letter calling on federal politicians to put aside partisan differences to address climate change.  They are calling it a crisis.

Queen’s environmental biologist John Smol says…”The situation has gotten so severe, we don’t have the luxury of being complacent anymore.”

Smol also argues…in a newly published article…scientists have to become more publicly active to address what he calls…a crippling lack of scientific literacy in Canada.

 

Fatal Crash

 

Kingston Police are asking for anyone with information about a fatal crash to come forward if they haven’t already. A 16 year old girl from Amherstview died of injuries she suffered in the single vehicle crash on Coronation Boulevard in Kingston on Friday night.  Kingston Police says the vehicle was being driving by a 16 year old male when it veered off the road south of Taylor Kidd Boulevard and hit a rock cut around 10:15 Friday night.

The male driver was conscious and able to talk with first responders when they arrived.  The female was unresponsive and had to be extracted from the vehicle.  She later succumbed to her injuries.

 

Belleville – Kingston Assault

 

A 48 year old man from Belleville faces seven charges, including assault, robbery and choking after a violent incident involving a woman in a Kingston motel room in October.

The woman was assaulted and the man took her money and phone.

Kingston Police were able to identify their suspect last week and arrested the man at an address in Belleville last Thursday.

 

St. Lawrence – New Executives

 

St. Lawrence College has announced the new members of its executive team that are replacing two people who have retired.

Eileen DeCourcy is the new Senior Vice President – Academic.  She replaces Lorraine Carter.  DeCourcy comes to St. Lawrence from Humber College in Toronto where she was Associate Vice President of Teaching and Learning.

Kathy O’Brien is the new Senior Vice President, Strategy, Communications & Advancement.  She was most recently at Queen’s University.  She replaces Gord McDougall.

 

Today in History

 

From Tony’s Today in History file…Celebrating an influential Liberal politician born on this day 183 years ago.

Sir Richard Cartwright was born on December 4th, 1835 in Kingston.

He served in the Canadian Parliament for 43 years and 5 months.  Sir Richard Cartwright was Canada’s Finance Minister from 1873-78, and Minister of Trade and Commerce from 1896 to 1911.  He had been a Conservative and supporter of Sir John A. Macdonald but crossed the floor to the Liberals in 1869 when Macdonald appointed someone else as his finance minister.

 

Lottery Winner

 

The luck of the draw has blessed a Kingston man with $50,000.

OLG says Michael Roberts won in the November 24th Lotto 6-49 Super Draw that offered 50 guaranteed prizes of 50 thousand.

He bought the ticket at The Store Famous on Barrie Street.