Latest / North Shore News / March 25th, 2026

Transcript

March 25th, 2026 · North Shore News

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  Welcome to North Shore News and Interviews on
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  Amherst Island Radio. Each week we keep you updated
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  on newsworthy events, happenings and conversations
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  that we've had with people in the local community
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  and beyond. Loyalist Township Council approved
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  an amendment to a zoning bylaw that will permit
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  the Windsor in Amherstview to house an alternative
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  health facility and add additional site -specific
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  provisions, including more parking. This matter
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  has come back to Council multiple times and has
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  now been approved. Kingston Health Sciences Centre
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  also made a presentation about the facility at
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  the meeting. Executive Director for Patient Care
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  and Deputy Chief Nursing Executive with Kingston
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  Health Sciences Centre, Tom Hart, spoke about
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  the feedback they received and the work they've
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  done since. Of course we take our role very seriously
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  and after the council meetings and public feedback
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  we had a KHSC senior leadership debrief on the
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  feedback from both the public and the council
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  and we were already taking action to try and
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  alleviate some of those concerns so we've engaged
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  a real estate agent to try and look for parking
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  options. We've worked with the owner of the home
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  to try and arrange a saddle shuttle for employees
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  to alleviate some of the parking congestion.
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  We've asked that the owner of the home commit
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  to having a stop sign prior to the sidewalk,
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  which they have committed to do. Hart noted the
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  type of activities that go on in the building
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  and how their partnership with Loyalist Township
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  can move forward. All activity within the building
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  is regulated, supervised and aligned with provincial
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  health policy and the Public Hospitals Act. We
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  have a robust governance, safety and operational
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  controls in place. And of course, they're subject
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  to continuous monitoring and improvement. Our
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  commitment to the community and council, KHSC,
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  we have a very long history and proud history
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  of collaboration with our municipal partners
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  and we are very committed to transparency and
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  ongoing dialogue and we respect for the local
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  concerns along with our regional health obligations.
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  We are certainly open to input on additional
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  safeguards and operational adjustments and very
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  willing to work with council and the public to
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  strengthen. assurances and comfort level. Residents
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  came forward again with concerns about on -street
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  parking and public safety. It's just kind of
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  a concern of being bullied. I don't feel as a
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  member of this street that they are equal neighbours
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  to us and their initial plea to amend the Residential
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  Uses Act and have themselves considered residences
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  when it's primarily a temporary facility is I
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  think a bad form and bad taste. This small infill
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  subdivision of ours has gone through a lot. We
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  finally had our developer finish the work and
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  there's a lot of problems with that developer.
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  Now we have this Windsor thing, we have the school
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  ongoing. It's 250 meters of road but it seems
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  a lot of the development And a lot of the problems
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  are in this one area. And as residents, you're
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  constantly being bombarded by this. The Windsor
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  had already been housing the alternative health
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  facility before they received official approval
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  from Council. They will now provide 64 on -site
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  parking spaces, an increase of 13 spaces from
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  what was initially proposed, and an increase
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  of 30 spaces from what exists today. Councilor
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  Paul Proderick noted residents' concerns. We've
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  had lots of presentations. I think the views
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  of the populace along Park are fairly clear.
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  The parking issue, the school construction, all
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  these different things. It's like the residents
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  have been bombarded for X number of years. And
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  I'm hoping that we can develop a parking through
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  the staff, some kind of parking zoning commitment
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  to whatever that alleviates some of that stress.
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  and that further down the road when the building
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  across the street is finished we might look at
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  a more permanent a permanent solution to some
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  of the stresses on Park Street because we all
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  know when it was built the entrance to the old
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  church was there but certainly it was a different
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  once a week type thing and having been a member
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  of that parish we didn't fill the parking lot
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  very often so I can appreciate what the residents
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  have said Our hands are tied in terms of legislation,
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  Ontario Land Tribunal, and this is the best result
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  for the residents, a situation that is challenging
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  at best. Deputy Mayor Nathan Townand assured
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  residents they're doing all that they can. We
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  want the public on park to know that we've heard
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  them. and that we are doing what we can within
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  the limited tool set that we have to try and
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  address those concerns meaningfully. Councillor
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  Mike Buderich showed his confidence in staff
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  coming up with a viable solution. We will have
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  an adequate solution proposed by staff, I can
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  guarantee that. For Amherst Island Radio and
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  the Local Journalism Initiative, I'm Ted Evans.
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  This is North Shore News. Loyalist Township will
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  be running a programming pilot through the spring
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  and summer as they look to transition the use
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  of the Leisure and Activity Center to the W .J.
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  Henderson Community Center. Council approved
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  a staff recommendation to formally close the
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  Leisure and Activity Center as a direct programming
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  space on August 1, 2026. Staff's report noted
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  the programming pilot will help ensure service
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  continuity while improving operational efficiency
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  and optimizing the use of township recreation
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  assets. With leisure programming, fitness amenities,
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  aquatics, library services, and select municipal
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  payment services under one roof, staff says it
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  offers residents a more convenient, connected,
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  and accessible experience. They also noted increased
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  public transit access at the W .J. Henderson
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  Community Center. The Leisure and Activity Center
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  has served as a secondary municipal programming
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  space for many years. However, staff's report
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  noted its condition, accessibility limitations,
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  and operational inefficiencies have increasingly
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  challenged its long -term viability. Recent reviews
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  and facility condition assessments have identified
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  significant capital needs including HVAC modernization,
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  accessibility retrofits, and lifecycle renewal.
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  Projected annual operating savings from the service
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  consolidation are estimated to be between $55
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  ,900 and $92 ,000. $2 ,600 in recurring cashi
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  as 28 to 32 hours per wee manager of recreation
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  par with the township Matthew the recommendation.
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  We did and the asset replacement items that are
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  included and as we're nearing some financial
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  pressures that within the wreck FM divi moving
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  forward to remove that pressure from our sustainable
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  services moving forward is to not segment our
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  services and try to move towards additional savings
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  that would be associated with. let's say delaying
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  potential capital projects. Sibolsky spoke about
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  the evaluation process for the programming pilot.
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  We do have three pivot periods that are built
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  into the trial plan that outline if we're not
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  necessarily meeting milestones that are anticipated,
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  we will have a review period at that point. The
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  goal is to have our residents participate that
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  are over at the L. A. C. As users participating
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  in the pilot program over at the W. J. H. And
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  then there will be a pilot evaluation framework
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  that will be asking users, instructors, as well
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  as staff to all complete. Councillor Paul Broderick
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  noted his concerns with the programming pilot
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  and staff recommendation. My concern is that
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  when you put a hard date on something and and
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  do a trial run before that, it almost looks like
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  the decisions made before the trial run. And
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  honestly, I'm having trouble seeing a class in
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  that community room, given my experience with
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  the. the facility. Residents who use the Leisure
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  and Activity Center regularly brought concerns
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  to council including the size of the space, privacy,
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  and the costs associated. The committee room
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  at the Henderson Center is quite small. I don't
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  personally understand how you could fit 16 people
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  in there given the size of the exercise requirements.
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  Right now the Henderson Center does not have,
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  in my opinion, appropriate facilities to run
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  exercise programming. There's a bigger picture
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  here and it's not just about dollars and cents.
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  Right now the community that participates in
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  the Leisure Centre, we're anxious because to
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  put an August 1st date and then do trial runs
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  through this spring, we've all taken a hike over
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  to the W .J. Henderson to see what facilities
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  will be available and it doesn't suit what we're
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  providing. And I understand the idea of making
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  everything in one building, but it looks like
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  there was no consideration done to build a leisure
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  facility with fitness components to it. We're
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  talking dollars and cents or something that we
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  need. You close it down, the building is still
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  going to be there. Why are they thinking of forcing
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  us into that little room which takes 16 people?
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  It just doesn't, it doesn't make sense. There's
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  a time and time for dollars and cents and this
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  is not the time for dollars and cents. We're
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  a senior center. The only thing that we have
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  in this area and it should be kept going. Deputy
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  Mayor Nathan Townand addressed concerns. I understand
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  the concerns raised by residents, but you know.
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  It's more than simply dollars and cents. The
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  dollars and cents are that this township's invested
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  nearly $50 million in a recreation facility that
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  is part of a recreation master plan to consolidate.
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  And change is difficult, but this is the direction
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  that we as a council have chosen. And I think
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  we need to follow through with. That said, I
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  think there needs to be very careful attention
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  paid to the impacts of that change on the residents
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  who have spoken and provision for council to
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  be able to keep touch with them and address those
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  concerns how we may following the pilot. Sabolsky
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  spoke about how staff are addressing concerns
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  as well. We have taken some considerations for
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  some assessments regarding privacy. requirements
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  at the WJH community room. So some of those considerations
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  are for privacy screenings as well as spatial
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  needs for the space or for the for the area in
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  the layout. There is a capacity of that community
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  room of around 60 participants to be in that
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  space for general meeting purposes. And we have
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  used a formulaic approach to outline our capacities
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  that for certain classes would be 12 to 16 in
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  capacity, 16 to 20 in other areas, depending
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  on programming and specific needs. Outside of
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  the privacy assessment that would be implemented
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  to, let's say, upgrade the features of that community
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  space to be utilized for a direct programming
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  facet. We have looked at a scheduling matrix
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  and paradigm regarding additional outlets for
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  access. So this would include additional programming
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  schedules for early morning programs, afternoon
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  programs, evening programs. After staff and council
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  weighed in, it was a close three to two vote
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  in favor of the recommendation. For Amherst Island
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  Radio and the Local Journalism Initiative, I'm
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  Ted Evans. This is North Shore News. The town
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  of Greater Napanee and Lennox and Addington County
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  will be going ahead with the reconstruction of
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  Center Street and Isabella Street in Napanee.
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  As part of a successful joint application this
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  year, the town and county received funding under
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  the municipal housing infrastructure program
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  health and safety water stream. The town expects
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  to receive funding covering up to 73 % of the
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  project's estimated total cost of just over $10
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  .5 million. As part of this project, staff plan
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  to replace all water infrastructure on Center
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  Street and Isabella Street. The project will
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  also include new asphalt, curbs, sidewalks, and
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  traffic lights as required. This includes installing
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  approximately 600 meters of trunk water main,
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  along with valves, fire hydrants, and services
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  on Center Street between Dundas Street and Isabella
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  Street, as well as 250 meters of similar works
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  on Isabella Street between Center Street and
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  West Street. The project will also replace 600
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  meters of wastewater main and associated maintenance
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  holes and services on Center Street, as well
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  as 175 meters on Isabella Street. 690 meters
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  of stormwater main, maintenance holes, and catch
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  basins will be replaced on Center Street between
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  Dundas Street and Isabella Street as well. Engineering
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  work is expected to be completed in 2026 with
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  the intent of releasing the project for contractor
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  bidding later this year. Construction is anticipated
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  to occur over two construction seasons beginning
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  in early 2027. Additional project information
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  will be presented to Council later this year,
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  providing Council with the opportunity to consider
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  the proposed approach and budget and then later
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  to make a decision on the construction contract
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  award. Christy Kelly, Director of Environmental
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  Services, Growth and Infrastructure Services
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  with the Town of Greater Napanee, speaks about
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  the project's timeline. With this, we're hoping
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  to move forward as part of the town and utilities
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  budgets for 2026 with engineering and hoping
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  to break ground in 2027. Likely will be a phased
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  project over two years, but we'll work with the
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  engineers and the contractors when we get to
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  that time to determine the phasing and rerouting
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  and that sort of thing. Kelly, explain some of
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  the work staff has done and what they'll be doing
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  moving forward. We have just started some engineering
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  work. There was a little bit prior to the funding
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  application, but this year's budget allowed us
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  to, the 2026 budget will allow us to move forward
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  and complete the engineering for the project.
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  And with most of our procurement processes, this
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  will be a public tender allowing. applicants
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  to determine the successful contractor for the
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  project. Michael Nobes, General Manager of Growth
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  and Expansion with the Town of Greater Napanee,
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  talks about the county's plans for new traffic
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  lights. The county has confirmed with us that
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  their intention is to build in traffic lights
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  where the pedestrian crossing is currently, replace
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  that, that's an interim measure, and the lights
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  would be installed as a permanent fixture through
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  this project specifically. Councillor Michael
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  Shank noted his concerns about the disruption
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  of traffic on Centre Street. I have a hard enough
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  time, you know, you have a little bit of a rush
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  hour now and when you start tearing up Centre
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  Street, how are you going to bypass the volume
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  of traffic to get south? All I'm saying is how
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  does the average Joe go down Centre Street when
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  Centre Street is no longer there for a year or
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  two years? I can see Center Street in 15 or 20
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  years time, it's going to be backed up immensely.
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  So there's got to be an alternative route because
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  the only reason why, cause you look at the city
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  of Kingston, if I want to get to the other side,
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  you know what I mean? That are past RMC and thank
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  goodness they put the bridge in when they did
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  because what it's done, but I can see that same
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  problem happening here. Knobs noted that traffic
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  planning is a high priority for staff. That is
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  the ultimate question on our minds at this moment
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  in time, but there's going to need to be very
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  careful traffic planning to go along with that.
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  We have a substantial amount of time to plan
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  that out, but that is the number one question
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  on our minds right now and with the county too
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  is how are we going to accommodate that traffic
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  flow and lessen the burden as much as possible
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  on residential areas east and west. out of center
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  street. Nob that upcoming county pla the future
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  of roadways in where future collector order roads
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  are planned that are going to be under the jurisdiction
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  of the county. But the county is also very soon
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  going to be presenting, county staff will be
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  presenting to county council the county transportation
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  master plan update which will look into considerations
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  such as that. Knobs noted the possibility of
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  widening the area beside the street. There's
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  no intention on Center Street to expand the limits
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  of the road right of way, the ownership, because
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  it's almost building wall to building wall. There's
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  really no room there. But there is the opportunity
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  to look at overall lane widths and therefore
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  that would open up more room for sidewalk width.
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  We would need to consider existing utilities
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  that are in there and relocating them to get
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  them out of the way of the sidewalk. There's
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  a lot that would need to go into it, but both
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  vehicular and pedestrian movement is going to
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  be top of mind in the design efforts that would
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  be underway very shortly. For Amherst Island
• 17:11
  Radio and the Local Journalism Initiative, I'm
• 17:14
  Ted Evans. This is North Shore News. This has
• 17:19
  been North Shore News and Interviews. If you
• 17:22
  have an idea for a story or want to create stories
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