Connor Hamlyn, a 4th year Queen’s University student will be embarking on a 900 km hike along the Bruce Trail tomorrow raising money for Lionhearts. Hamlyn has volunteered and worked as a summer student at Lionhearts over the past few years, and will be spending the next month hiking the Bruce Trail to raise funds and awareness for the organization. Lionhearts has various initiatives which support the Kingston community, including the Student Food Box Program, gathering and redistributing food and household goods to local nonprofits and community groups, and running two overnight shelters ..read more

By: George Kofi Danso, Queen’s University, Ontario Canada has prided itself on being a welcoming haven for students from around the world. But beneath the surface of this inclusive narrative, a troubling resentment is brewing. A wave of anti-immigrant rhetoric has cast a shadow over international students, turning their pursuit of knowledge and cultural exchange into a complex challenge. The surge in hate crimes against South Asians in Waterloo Region aligns with the significant increase in the number of international students in Canada, especially those from India. Advocates argue that anti-i ..read more

Favourite places — we all have them. Some places make you feel a little bit better when you’re there: more relaxed, more connected, more free to be yourself, maybe even more alive. Sometimes we share that place with special people. For many people in Ontario, Topsy Farms on Amherst Island is one of those places. The story of Topsy Farms began on New Year’s Eve, 1971. A group of hippies purchased a farm on the northwest corner of Amherst Island, intending to form ‘Headlands Community,’ a commune for like-minded people who sought respite from conventional middle-class society’s materialism and r ..read more

The local Youth Imagine the Future (YIF) Festival was named second place in the Canadian Youth Climate Action Awards, which looks to celebrate young people taking action against climate change. The 2024 winners were announced by Pivot Green on Earth Day, and last Saturday youth ambassadors of the YIF Festival accepted the award at the Calvin Park KFPL branch. YIF’s focus is on combating rampant climate anxiety, encouraging youth to look towards solutions and highlighting those positive stories within what can feel like an onslaught of bad climate and environmental news. Jerri Jerreat, the fest ..read more

Stand up comedy in Canada and around the world is booming, with social media and streaming services like Netflix bringing a renewed focus to the art form in recent years. While comedy clubs were hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic and Kingston’s only dedicated club was shuttered in January of 2022, the local scene, much like the broader comedy scene, is seeing a resurgence over the last couple of years. Comedians trapped inside and with nowhere to perform took to social media to promote themselves and their work, and many used it as an opportunity to vault their personal brand forward in a way t ..read more

Via Rail is expanding their service in the Ottawa to Toronto corridor, and with the new rides Kingston residents will have a new option for traveling to Toronto. A release from the commuter train company says that as of May 27, an eagerly awaited early bird train will be added in the service corridor between Ottawa and Toronto. The new 641 morning train is being introduced from Monday through Thursday, with the train leaving Ottawa at 4:19 AM and arriving in Toronto at 8:48. The train is scheduled to stop in Kingston at 6:18 AM each morning before making subsequent stops in Belleville, Cobourg ..read more

Convocation ceremonies will be missing a familiar tune this year. On April 18th, the Queen’s University Senate formally voted to remove the singing of the British National Anthem following a recommendation from the Senate Committee on Academic Development and Procedures (SCADP). A spokesperson for Queen’s University confirmed that the vote passed and will be reflected in the upcoming convocation ceremonies. Western University was the last university to eliminate the singing of the Royal Anthem in 2023, stating that it would be an “inclusive step that most others have already taken in support o ..read more

With the closure of the LaSalle Causeway causing traffic disruptions both by road and by waterway, impacted cruise line businesses are considering legal action against the federal government. In a release sent from St. Lawrence Cruise Lines, the company says several vessels have been trapped in the inner harbour due to construction delays, in addition to leading to what is effectively a shutdown of the only dry dock in eastern Ontario. Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC) is responsible for the repairs of the bridge, and though they provided a letter to St. Lawrence Cruise Lines’ lett ..read more

The decision to move forward with the development at 4085, 4091 and 4097 Bath Rd. has been delayed. Prior to Tuesday’s council meeting, environmental advocates in Kingston were calling for council to delay the decision to move forward with this development near Collins Creek, raising concerns with the impact on the surrounding forest and wildlife. When the motion came before council, Coun. Conny Glenn asked that the development be singled out for discussion. In addition to environmental concerns, Glenn also pointed out the pressure this would put on the already congested roads in the ..read more

By: Elena Koning, Queen’s University, Ontario; Elisa Brietzke, Queen’s University, Ontario, and Marco Solmi, L’Université d’Ottawa/University of Ottawa In the mid-20th century, psychedelics were deemed illegal substances with little medical purpose, a high potential for abuse and a lack of safety. However, emerging evidence suggests the opposite; a potential role for these “mind-altering” substances in the treatment of conditions like depression, PTSD and substance use disorders. With an increasing cultural spotlight, there has been substantial economic growth of the psychedelic drugs market ..read more