Community worries about college closures
Algonquin College’s Perth campus is up for sale, with plans to leave the town by the end of August 2026. A listing from the property broker, CBRE, indicates that the campus includes five buildings covering just over 42,000 square feet on a 12.34-acre plot. The college intends to raise funds through this sale to help cover budget shortfalls. No asking price has been provided by CBRE. During a town council meeting earlier this year, a local group named Save Our College, led by former Shopify COO Toby Shannan, urged the provincial government to stop the sale so the campus could be repurposed into a non-profit centre for skilled trades. In another development, a report from Strategy Corp suggested that St. Lawrence College should close its Brockville and Cornwall campuses unless it receives more support from the province. In response, St. Lawrence president Glenn Vollebregt reiterated his commitment to both communities.VIA Rail express service plans delayed
VIA Rail has put on hold a pilot project intended to have its express routes skip eastern Ontario. A mid-September announcement revealed that VIA’s express trains between Montreal and Ottawa would not stop in eastern Ontario except for Ottawa itself. This plan was expected to cut travel time by up to 40 minutes per trip according to VIA’s news release. The company mentioned that CN Rail, which owns the rail lines, couldn’t accommodate the updated schedule. A statement from VIA noted they will collaborate with CN to eventually restore faster service and pointed out that 70 percent of passengers requested downtown-to-downtown travel.Chemtech initiatives create buzz in Kingston
A new center focused on green chemistry innovation and commercialization has opened in Kingston thanks partly to a $3-million investment from the City of Kingston. The RXN Hub (Reaction Hub) features a 30,000-square-foot space combining chemistry wet labs with modular piloting and pre-manufacturing areas all under one roof. The city’s announcement stated that this Hub was first established in 2024 and will be located at 945 Princess St., within facilities managed by Ottawa-based construction company Modern Niagara-one of several partners involved alongside Queen’s University and various chem-tech as well as cleantech organizations.Talks continue for Hawkesbury business park
A business group in Hawkesbury is working hard to speed up discussions between the town and neighboring Champlain Township aimed at launching a business park. The Hawkesbury Industrial Investment Association acquired 130 acres in Champlain back in 2022 due to interest from many companies looking to set up operations there. To attract these opportunities, water and sewer services would need adding at the site. Patrick Tallon, an association board member stated they hope either Hawkesbury can provide services directly or take over management of the entire land parcel while expanding services there. He noted one obstacle is that Champlain Township stands to gain financially through increased property tax revenue while Hawkesbury needs reimbursement for hydro connections made at their expense. “The type of businesses we want to attract aren’t interested in well and septic,” Tallon told OBJ. “Our prime minister said we want to double our exports to Europe and sell more across Canada,” added Tallon who also serves as CEO of Tulmar Safety Systems based in Hawkesbury. “This is a great opportunity for us given increased defense spending alongside greater reliance on Canadian agriculture and food production.”No Name grocery store stays open in Brockville
Loblaws announced earlier this year that its three-store pilot program featuring No Name grocery stores has wrapped up with only one location remaining operational. The company indicated locations in St. Catharines, Ont., and La Salle, Ont., failed to develop a sustainable customer base over time; however, Brockville’s store will continue serving customers. This simplified shopping option next door to Dollarama shares plaza space with No Frills grocery store features shorter hours along with a smaller refrigerated section available for shoppers.Kington maintains steady American tourism numbers
Tourism Kingston reported data for early 2025 showed U. S. visitors remained consistent when coming into Kingston known as Limestone City.“No matter what’s going on geopolitically today Americans are still visiting Kingston specifically,” remarked Megan Knott CEO of Tourism Kingston during her update presented before city council members.” Being near enough via car close enough towards U. S border means continuing conversations targeted towards those tourists.”
In her Oct.21 address she credited collaboration efforts combined together operating along side Destination Ontario yielded positive outcomes directed towards reaching American tourist audiences.”Pertaining visitors statistics revealed Americans accounted second largest portion after domestic travelers making up five percent total overall traffic influxes seen during Q2 ’24 representing notable uptick equaling ten point two percent compared previous year-on-year comparisons observed throughout same period data shows confirmed reports disseminated respectively across multiple channels within region.
