Unemployment at 8.6%? Kingston Can—and Must—Do Better
Kingston’s unemployment rate sits at 8.6%, the highest in years and one of the worst in Ontario. But that number isn’t just a statistic it represents real people. Friends. Neighbours. Families struggling to find steady, full-time work that lets them build a life here.
I see this reality every day in my work in insurance. When incomes are shaky and jobs are scarce, people cut back on home repairs, reduce protection for their businesses, and let go of the security their families depend on. The quiet cost of unemployment isn’t just lost wages it’s lost confidence, lost plans, and a growing sense of falling behind.
And this challenge touches everyone: workers, renters, homeowners, and businesses large and small.
This isn’t about left or right—it’s about what Kingston needs to thrive today, tomorrow, and years from now. And the truth is: Kingston City Council has the power to make meaningful change.
Here’s what Council can—and must—do:
Speed Up Permit Approvals
New businesses, expansions, and renovations all need timely approvals. When City Hall delays permits, projects stall, jobs disappear, and investment fades. We need to streamline this process—so good ideas don’t die waiting on paperwork.
Unlock Affordable Land for Business & Industry
We talk a lot about affordable housing—but we need affordable space for businesses too. Kingston owns land and can zone wisely to make room for employers of every kind, from small shops to manufacturers. Growth requires space.
Cut Red Tape for Local Startups
We should make it simpler—not harder—for local entrepreneurs to start and grow businesses here. That means reviewing and cutting unnecessary rules and barriers that discourage local risk-takers and job creators.
Expand on Local Trades & Training Programs that city council already provides
Kingston’s council can partner with local colleges, unions, and trades programs to close the skilled labour gap. Our builders, electricians, tech workers, and skilled tradespeople are ready—but they need affordable training and local opportunities to stay.
Prioritize Affordable Housing Near Jobs & Transit
Workers need homes they can afford—close to where they work. Zoning smarter, approving infill projects faster, and encouraging mixed-use developments near transit routes helps both residents and the businesses that rely on them.
None of these steps require waiting on other levels of government. City Council has the tools now. But they need to use them—with purpose, courage, and focus on what really matters.
Big employers will only choose Kingston if the costs, space, and support make sense. Small businesses will only take risks if City Hall helps, not hinders. And workers will only stay if they can afford to live here.
As someone who sees the risks businesses face every day in the insurance world, I know how fast confidence can erode when uncertainty and costs pile up. Hiring slows. Investment stalls. The cracks deepen.
But this is fixable.
We can make Kingston the best place in Ontario to start a business, build a career, and raise a family—if we choose to act. Let’s speed up approvals. Open affordable land. Cut red tape. Train workers. Build housing near jobs.
This isn’t politics—it’s common sense.
I believe Kingston can do better. I know we must.
We deserve better than 8.6%. And with the right leadership at City Hall—leadership that puts Kingston’s people, businesses, and future first—we can build a city that works for everyone.
No More Band-Aids: It's time for Real Supportive Housing Solutions in Kingston
Title: No More Band-Aids: It’s Time for Real Supportive Housing Solutions in Kingston
Every day in Kingston, more people fall through the cracks. The faces change, but the story stays the same—someone sleeping rough, struggling with addiction, caught in a system that wasn’t built to support them. And as this crisis grows, so does the frustration of residents, the burnout of frontline workers, and the sense of helplessness that spreads through our city.
But it doesn’t have to be this way.
We have a chance to do something bold, compassionate, and long overdue: create a network of long-term supportive housing—places where people can not only survive, but begin to heal.
Right now, the Integrated Care Hub (ICH) is doing essential, life-saving work. But the space it’s in was never meant for this. It’s too small. Too tense. Too close to residential and business areas to serve as a stable, long-term hub. Staff are stretched thin. Clients are at risk. And frustration is rising across the community.
We need to stop asking emergency services to fix what only housing and care can.
With feedback from community members—especially those with lived experience and disability justice advocates—I’ve moved away from focusing on any one specific site. Instead, we should focus on what must be built, not where. Any solution must be developed in consultation with the communities it serves, avoiding institutional models and centering autonomy, choice, and inclusion.
Here’s what we should be building, across our city and in community settings: 
Small-scale private housing units for people at different stages of recovery
24/7 mental health and addiction care built into community housing 
Detox and stabilization beds integrated with supportive housing 
Secure, medical-grade crisis care for people in acute distress 
On-site peer workers and staff to provide dignity, safety, and respect
This is how we stop managing crises and start building solutions.
We don’t need more emergency shelters or temporary band-aids. We need long-term care built around human dignity and individual needs. That means building in multiple neighbourhoods—not concentrating services in one place—and listening to what people actually need to recover and thrive.
We have the need. We have the knowledge. Now we need the political will.
Let’s demand a coordinated, compassionate response—one rooted in housing, healthcare, and community. Let’s build a Kingston where support is accessible, distributed, and designed for healing.
Let’s get to work.
