School Threats

School will be taking place as usual in Kingston today after phone calls threatening attacks on three high schools.

Kingston Police say they responded to a threat to do harm with weapons and explosives at Regiopolis Notre Dame Catholic High School around 9:30 yesterday morning, at 11am at Bayridge Secondary School and at 1pm at Holy Cross.  The schools were placed in lockdown along with several others.

Nothing was found when police conducted searches and the schools were placed in a hold and secure for the rest of the day.

Someone started a Twitter account taking credit for the threats and posting updates yesterday.

Kingston Police are asking anyone with information about the threats to contact them or Crime Stoppers.

The Limestone District School Board and Algonquin and Lakeshore Catholic District School Board both cancelled extracurricular activities yesterday.

 

Candlelight Memorial and Vigil

A memorial service and candlelight vigil will be held in Kingston today for the National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women.

On this day in 1989, a gunman shot and killed 14 women at Ecole Polytechnique in Montreal.

The gathering in Kingston today starts at 5:30 at Sydenham Street United Church.  Organizer say it will also honour all women who live with and have died as a result of gender based and racialized violence.

 

Contraband Found

Police and the Correctional Service are both investigating after a package of contraband was found outside the wall of the maximum security unit at Collins Bay Institution.

Correctional staff found the package around 6:40pm on Monday.

It contained two cell phones, chargers, 83.3 grams of cannabis and 83.3 grams of tobacco.

The estimated value of the goods inside the prison is $11,000.

 

Pedestrian Signal

There is now a pedestrian crossing signal on King Street at Beverley Street to make it safer for people going to Breakwater Park and the Gord Edgar Downie Pier.

The city says the pedestrian signal has red, amber and green lights.  When a pedestrian presses the button to cross…vehicles will have to stop when the light turns red.

Temporary fencing that had been installed along King Street has now been removed.

 

Shop with a Cop

As Kingston Police raced to three high schools facing threats on Wednesday, a group of other police officers went shopping with 17 students.

The students were selected for the shopping spree in the annual Shop with a Cop promotion and were taken to the Cataraqui Centre yesterday to buy presents with a $200 gift card.