(Editorial Note: Rather obsolete in the wake of the election results, but this endorsement of the Green candidate in Kingston is what started it all.)
The Limestone City has rarely been regarded as
forward-thinking; perhaps due to its old-fashioned architecture and
institutional character, Kingston has long been a bastion of the establishment.
Deprived of its former importance in trade and industry, the city’s economy has
chugged along from the consistency provided by prisons, universities, and the
military. The downtown has managed to retain its lively character but many
vacancies and empty lots exist. Fortunately though, there has been a strong
wind of change blowing through this city in the last few years.
Faced with an unstable world and climate, our society’s
grassroots has chosen to confront our local economic crisis and the general
climate crisis. Complemented by the response to injustices such as the closure
of the rehabilitative prison farms, there has been a massive movement towards
local food and agriculture in the city and surrounding region. Community
supported agriculture operations, or CSAs, have become a newer way of allowing
urban residents to access local organic produce and reduce their carbon
footprint, along with the long-standing city market, and relatively new farmer’s
market. Restaurants catering to this trend and serving up cuisine using
closely-sourced ingredients have also contributed. These individuals and groups
are to be congratulated for assisting in the transition to a post-carbon
future.
While many would chose greener transportation and living
options, the economic situation often makes this unfeasible. Rising rents in
the core for businesses and residents alike have strangled growth and make it
even harder to prosper. Policies of suburbanisation, despite their
short-sightedness, have continued unabated: former farmers’ fields are now
cookie-cutter suburbs. Though public transit ridership and efficiency is
improving, zoning and development continue to favour car-centric designs; high
rates of vehicular use now result in traffic snarls across the city.
Kingston must embrace its green future by creating green
industry, spurring job growth for young graduates, finding ways to densify the
core of the city, and provide options to draw commuters away from the almighty
automobile. Growth and development can be achieved in a more environmentally
friendly manner; by becoming a walkable, prosperous, ethical community, we can
provide an example in how to face the climate crisis. Kingston’s new mayor and
relatively fresh city council should take this chance, rather than bulldoze
parks to build more roads.
In October – or perhaps sooner – voters of this city will
face a choice in a federal election. The Conservatives have seemingly sought to
punish Kingston for its resistance to their overpowering parliamentary
majority. The Liberals both locally and nationally seem to believe that
leadership is genetically sourced, have too often followed the Conservative
lead, and lack the bold vision required for change. While the New Democrats
have the potential to be part of the big solution, their resistance to
cooperation with other parties in the face of the global climate crisis
undermines their commitment to the cause. Residents of Kingston and the Islands
should choose hope over cynicism, get to the polls, and select newer and
Greener alternatives for our political representation.
