🔦 In This Issue of Kingston Spotlight
🏅 Know a Kingston Hero? Nominate Them for a 2026 Civic Award - by May 1!
⚽ Gananoque Soccer Star Willow Baldree Is Staying a Razorback!
👔 Holy Cross Students Are Suiting Up for a Good Cause
🏥 Relief for Kingston: A HART Hub Will Replace the Closing Consumption Site
⚽ Kingston Is Getting Its Own FIFA World Cup 2026 Party - and It's Free!
🎙️ Twenty Years On the Air and Still Going Strong: CJAI Amherst Island Radio
🚌 Heads Up, Transit Riders: Cataraqui Centre Transfer Point Moving April 13
🎨 Little Artists, Big Ideas | Art Noise, Kingston | Mondays, April 13 - May 4
🎷 Jazz Appreciation Month (JAM) | Various Kingston Venues | All of April 2026
🏆 Vote for The Spire | Next Great Save | Now Until April 24, 2026
🎨 Little Artists, Big Ideas | Art Noise, Kingston | Mondays, April 13 - May 4
🎷 Jazz Appreciation Month (JAM) | Various Kingston Venues | All of April 2026
🚌 City Trolley Tour | Visitor Information Centre | Weekends in April
🍽️ Spring Countylicious | Prince Edward County | Now Until April 26, 2026
🥑 Guac for Griff | Lone Star Kingston | Until May 10, 2026
🏛️ History Exposed: Enslavement of Black People in Canada | Kingston City Hall | Until May 22, 2026
📰 Kingston & Area Local News
🏥 Relief for Kingston: A HART Hub Will Replace the Closing Consumption Site

Integrated Care Hub at 661 Montreal Street
Photo by Elliot Ferguson / The Kingston Whig-Standard
The Province has announced that a new Homelessness and Addiction Recovery Treatment (HART) Hub will open the very day after Kingston's Consumption and Treatment Services (CTS) site on Montreal St. is set to close, with $6.3 million committed to ensure no gap in care for vulnerable residents. The new hub will offer mental health and addiction support, primary care, housing, and employment services, and will be Kingston's piece of a growing network of 29 HART Hubs across Ontario.
Read the full story here: Kingstonist
⚽ Kingston Is Getting Its Own FIFA World Cup 2026 Party - and It's Free!

Kingston is officially part of the Canada Celebrates the FIFA World Cup 2026 tour, and the city is throwing a free, all-day street party at Springer Market Square on Saturday, June 27. Think pop-up football pitch, cultural programming, live entertainment, food, and a big-screen match livestream - right in the heart of downtown Kingston!
Read the full story here: City of Kingston
🎙️ Twenty Years On the Air and Still Going Strong: CJAI Amherst Island Radio

CJAI 101.3 FM - Canada's first island-based community radio station - hit a major milestone this month, celebrating 20 years on the air! What started with an antenna on a silo in a milkhouse on Amherst Island has grown into a beloved voice for Loyalist Township, Kingston, Napanee, and beyond. The community came together on April 11 to mark the occasion in true Island Radio fashion.
Learn about the station here: CJAI Amherst Island Radio
🚌 Heads Up, Transit Riders: Cataraqui Centre Transfer Point Moving April 13

Starting Monday April 13, the Cataraqui Centre Transfer Point is temporarily relocating while construction gets underway on new, modern transit stations. All Kingston Transit routes serving Cataraqui Centre will use the temporary transfer point on the north side of the mall, accessible from inside via Entrance #4 on the second floor near LL Bean and H&M. Elevators and clear signage are in place to help. The upgrade promises better signage, improved comfort, and a better overall rider experience once complete.
Read the full story here: City of Kingston
🏆 Community Champions
🏅 Know a Kingston Hero? Nominate Them for a 2026 Civic Award - by May 1!

Kingston's Civic Awards are back - and nominations are open now through May 1! Whether it's a lifetime of selfless service or a young leader making waves in their school or community, the City wants to hear about them. Categories include the First Capital Distinguished Citizen Award, the Honourable Achievement Award, and the Mayor's Awards for Youth Volunteerism (elementary, high school, and post-secondary). Nominate online or drop off a form in person at City Hall or any Kingston recreation centre.
Read the full story here: City of Kingston
⚽ From Gananoque to the Razorbacks: Willow Baldree is Arkansas-Bound!

Gananoque's own Willow Baldree is proving that small towns produce big talent. The forward has officially committed to play soccer at the University of Arkansas, joining the Razorbacks while currently competing in Buffalo, New York. Global News featured her story as part of their Building Bright Futures series - and we couldn't be more proud to call her one of our own!
Read the full story here: Global News
👔 Holy Cross Students Are Suiting Up for a Good Cause

Screenshot from CKWS Global News video
As grad season approaches, students at Holy Cross Secondary School are collecting gently-used formal wear for Well Suited Kingston - a local non-profit that empowers people on their path to economic independence by providing professional attire and career development tools. The drive ensures that everyone has the chance to cross the stage - or walk into that job interview - feeling confident and ready. Got formal wear to donate, or need some? Visit wellsuitedkingston.com or find them on Instagram at @wellsuitedkingston.
Read the full story here: Global News
🆕 New Events In and Around Kingston
🎨 Little Artists, Big Ideas | Art Noise, Kingston | Mondays, April 13 - May 4

A new art medium, a new project, a new skill - every Monday! Art Noise's Kids Art Studio is a drop-off program for budding artists ages 7-12, where all materials are provided and creativity is the only requirement. Sign up for a single session or the full 4-week run - either way, your young artist is in for a great time.
Register here: Art Noise
🎷 Jazz Appreciation Month (JAM) | Various Kingston Venues | All of April 2026

April is Jazz Appreciation Month (JAM) in Kingston, and the Kingston Jazz Society has lined up a full month of free live performances across multiple venues, including the RCHA, Kingston Marriott, Venvi St. Lawrence Place, Hotel Wolfe Island and others. There's something for every jazz lover, from Dixieland to Duke Ellington tributes to contemporary originals.
Check out the full schedule here: Kingston Jazz Society
📅 Events Calendar
🎨 Little Artists, Big Ideas | Art Noise, Kingston | Mondays, April 13 - May 4
🎷 Jazz Appreciation Month (JAM) | Various Kingston Venues | All of April 2026
🏆 Vote for The Spire | Next Great Save | Now Until April 24, 2026
🍽️ Spring Countylicious | Prince Edward County | Now Until April 26, 2026
🚌 City Trolley Tour | Visitor Information Centre | Weekends in April
🥑 Guac for Griff | Lone Star Kingston | Until May 10, 2026
🏛️ History Exposed: Enslavement of Black People in Canada | Kingston City Hall | Until May 22, 2026
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All feedback and suggestions are appreciated!
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What would you like to see more of, and less of?
Email Les at [email protected]
📣 Your Turn: Share a Local Gem
Do you have a favourite local business, community champion or organization that deserves a moment in the spotlight? (You can nominate yourself too!)
Help us celebrate the people who make the Kingston area shine. Tell us who they are and why they’re great—or give us the "inside scoop" on your own mission or business!
🌊 This Newsletter is just the tip of the iceberg
Beyond the Inbox ➕
I find way more "local gold" every week than I can actually fit in this newsletter without turning it into a novel! If you want the daily updates, extra tips, and the cool stuff that didn't make the cut, come hang out with us on our social channels.
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