After many years of pressure from the citizens of Kingston, the City now has its first-ever Waterfront Master Plan, unanimously approved by City Council in March 2016. Two members of the Water Access Group sat on the Working Group that developed the plan, under the guidance of thinc design from Toronto. The Plan outlines a 30+ year plan to revitalize and connect the 280km of shoreline in Kingston. It is a comprehensive and thoughtful plan. HOWEVER, with only $64 million allocated to the work over a three decade period it could be much more ambitious.
Here is a letter to the editor we wrote on the topic....
Letter to the Editor – Whig Standard, March 17, 2016
A Waterfront Plan we can (mostly) celebrate
Finally! After decades of neglect Kingston has a Waterfront Master Plan. Well, almost. Council will vote March 22 on whether or not to approve the 700-page report that lays out a vision for 280km of waterfront in our city over the next 30 years.
There is much to celebrate about this proposal. It was remarkably inclusive in its consultation and evaluation. Hundreds of people attended more than a dozen meetings. There were extensive discussions held with interest groups and land owners. There were opportunities for online engagement and input. Clearly, the need for a waterfront plan captured people’s imagination.
As a result, the plans have something to offer everyone. From recreation to culture, from suburbs to downtown, from young to old, it offers a variety of ways to engage with our lakes and rivers and encourages a better understanding of our water’s history and future.
Moreover, the plan is concrete and do-able. There are 138 recommendations – including six large ‘signature’ projects – with clear budgets and timelines to accompany them. The plan is measureable and we can monitor its progress.
For all these reasons Council should approve it unanimously.
But there are some major challenges ahead. The biggest one is the budget – a mere $64 million over 30 years. To put this in perspective, we just spent $68 million widening a few kilometers of John Counter Blvd.
If we want meaningful change for the most important resource in this city we must accelerate our investments in the waterfront and find additional sources of funding (including funds from provincial and federal governments). Enhancing public access to Kingston’s water resources will make our city a more livable and lovable place; not more roads and strip malls.
We also need to make our waterfront plan a ‘living’ document. Too many well-intentioned proposals sit on shelves and gather dust. We must take collective and individual ownership of this waterfront strategy and use it as an opportunity to promote understanding and engagement with our waterways – our greatest natural public resource. We also need to hold Council and city staff accountable, to ensure that these plans are implemented as quickly as possible.
What can you do in this regard? Learn more about the waterfront plans (available on the City’s website) and how they affect you. Push your Councillor for faster change and more resources. Host events that promote awareness of water in your neighbourhood. Participate in the fine tuning of designs for future waterfront projects.
And what about the private sector? An enhanced waterfront will improve tourism and boost other economic activities. Those that benefit most should contribute to making things happen, and partner with the city to speed projects up.
The good news is that we finally have a long-term vision for our waterfront. The challenge is rolling it out quickly with the necessary resources.
Signed,
David McDonald (Coordinator, Water Access Group), John Curtis (President, Wind Athlete's Canada), Mary Farrar (President, Friends of Kingston Inner Harbour), Rosemary Wilson (Commodore, Kingston Yacht Club), Mike Hill (Preserve Our Wrecks Kingston), Andrew Kelm (Owner, Ahoy Rentals), Mike Broekhoven (Kingston Kiteboarding Association), Ed Jezak (Cataraqui Canoe Club), Steve Black, Justin Connidis
Here is a letter to the editor we wrote on the topic....
Letter to the Editor – Whig Standard, March 17, 2016
A Waterfront Plan we can (mostly) celebrate
Finally! After decades of neglect Kingston has a Waterfront Master Plan. Well, almost. Council will vote March 22 on whether or not to approve the 700-page report that lays out a vision for 280km of waterfront in our city over the next 30 years.
There is much to celebrate about this proposal. It was remarkably inclusive in its consultation and evaluation. Hundreds of people attended more than a dozen meetings. There were extensive discussions held with interest groups and land owners. There were opportunities for online engagement and input. Clearly, the need for a waterfront plan captured people’s imagination.
As a result, the plans have something to offer everyone. From recreation to culture, from suburbs to downtown, from young to old, it offers a variety of ways to engage with our lakes and rivers and encourages a better understanding of our water’s history and future.
Moreover, the plan is concrete and do-able. There are 138 recommendations – including six large ‘signature’ projects – with clear budgets and timelines to accompany them. The plan is measureable and we can monitor its progress.
For all these reasons Council should approve it unanimously.
But there are some major challenges ahead. The biggest one is the budget – a mere $64 million over 30 years. To put this in perspective, we just spent $68 million widening a few kilometers of John Counter Blvd.
If we want meaningful change for the most important resource in this city we must accelerate our investments in the waterfront and find additional sources of funding (including funds from provincial and federal governments). Enhancing public access to Kingston’s water resources will make our city a more livable and lovable place; not more roads and strip malls.
We also need to make our waterfront plan a ‘living’ document. Too many well-intentioned proposals sit on shelves and gather dust. We must take collective and individual ownership of this waterfront strategy and use it as an opportunity to promote understanding and engagement with our waterways – our greatest natural public resource. We also need to hold Council and city staff accountable, to ensure that these plans are implemented as quickly as possible.
What can you do in this regard? Learn more about the waterfront plans (available on the City’s website) and how they affect you. Push your Councillor for faster change and more resources. Host events that promote awareness of water in your neighbourhood. Participate in the fine tuning of designs for future waterfront projects.
And what about the private sector? An enhanced waterfront will improve tourism and boost other economic activities. Those that benefit most should contribute to making things happen, and partner with the city to speed projects up.
The good news is that we finally have a long-term vision for our waterfront. The challenge is rolling it out quickly with the necessary resources.
Signed,
David McDonald (Coordinator, Water Access Group), John Curtis (President, Wind Athlete's Canada), Mary Farrar (President, Friends of Kingston Inner Harbour), Rosemary Wilson (Commodore, Kingston Yacht Club), Mike Hill (Preserve Our Wrecks Kingston), Andrew Kelm (Owner, Ahoy Rentals), Mike Broekhoven (Kingston Kiteboarding Association), Ed Jezak (Cataraqui Canoe Club), Steve Black, Justin Connidis