HIGHLIGHTS OF RECENT PROGRESS & ACTIVITIES
Business Development
Minister John Gerretsen, MPP Kingston & The Islands announced on June 29 that Bombardier Transportation was the successful recipient of $750,000 Eastern Ontario Development Fund support towards their initiatives in design of new state-of-the-art monorail and energy-efficient transit technologies at the Millhaven facility.
To expand on its role as the centre of competence for Mass Transit and key testing facility for Bombardier Systems Division, Bombardier has invested over $10 million in the construction of a monorail test track. The new monorail test track will add to the two existing onsite rail test tracks, and include testing and maintenance facilities, which will be used for the monorail development program and existing contracts in Saudi Arabia and Brazil.
These initiatives will see the creation of 20 new jobs for Bombardier Millhaven plus additional job creation by local suppliers such as Anchor Concrete and Len Corcoran Excavating.
On July 7, Jeff Garrah, CEO and Jennifer Baker, Business Development Project Manager will be in Ottawa meeting with representatives from the US Embassy and colleagues from other Canadian cities to discuss building and utilizing Sister City relationships for economic development. Kingston is currently “twinned” with US city Scottsdale, Arizona.
Tourism Kingston
Tourism Kingston is pleased to showcase the restoration of the Visitor Information Centre (VIC) at 209 Ontario Street which is now complete. Featuring a new slate roof with copper accents and new finials, along with new exterior paint and “pigeon proofing”, the historic railway centre has been returned to its former glory.
Special thanks to city staff and all the subcontractors who undertook the work and to City horticultural staff for their landscaping of planters and flower boxes. Throughout the summer season, the VIC is open Sunday – Wednesday from 9:30am to 8pm; and Thursday to Saturday from 9:30am to 9pm.
Corporate
The KEDCO offices will be closed on Friday, July 1 for Canada Day. Regular operating hours will resume on Monday, July 4 at 8:30am.
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Release source: Kingston Economic Development Corporation
