Tell Me More About...the Customer Experience Department

The City of Kingston will be kicking off a new Official Plan and Integrated Mobility Plan. The city is growing and expected to reach 220,000 people in the next 25 years and these two plans will set the foundation for how the City will plan for future land use and transportation. How we plan today will shape how Kingston is in 2051  In this episode we speak with Laura Flaherty and Matt Kussin, who are leading development of these two plans about what they are and why they matter to everyone.   There will be much more to come, to learn more and sign up for updates visit Get Involved Kingston.     Opening Track:  Tell Me Twice by the Meringues – courtesy of the Meringues. themeringues.com  Find our closing track on YGK Music. 

Over the last 15 years Kingston Transit has evolved with improvements like the addition of Express Routes or real time tracking but what comes next?   Join us for a conversation about what the future hold with Ian Semple, Director of Transportation and Transit, and Christopher Norris, General Manager of Kingston Transit. From improvements to the customer experience making it easier to ride or pay, to routes that adapt to our changing City, future infrastructure improvements and more!  Want more info on Kingston Transit’s future? Check out this Council education session From February 2024 .   For more information and career opportunities with Kingston Transit, visit City of Kingston | Bus Operator.    Opening Track: Tell Me Twice by the Meringues – courtesy of the Meringues. themeringues.com Find our closing track on YGK Music.

It’s no secret that Kingston is steeped in history. Just visit any of the 24 museums and historic sites in the community, including two City-owned museums, and you’ll get a sense of how deep our respect for and commitment to the preservation of heritage is. But who takes care of all the stories our city tells? In this episode we sit down with Melanie Banks, manager of Heritage Programming, to talk about her team’s role in maintaining the City of Kingston’s historical artifact collection and public art pieces, as well as the programs and exhibits coming to Kingston in 2024. Get excited about the future of history! Want to learn more? Visit the History page on our website.   Opening Track:  Tell Me Twice by the Meringues – courtesy of the Meringues. themeringues.com  Find our closing track on YGK Music. 

On our first episode of 2024, we meet with Committee Clerks, Iain Sullivan and Christine O'Connor. Their job is to help provide residents with the chance to directly advise City Council and make a difference in our community. Sit back and relax as we tell you more about Advisory Committees. Want to learn even more about The City of Kingston's committees and boards? Visit our Committees & Boards page. Have an idea for our next episode? Email us at [email protected]   Opening Track: Tell Me Twice by the Meringues - courtesy of the Meringues. themeringues.com Find our closing track on YGK Music.

Innovation requires collaboration, ideation, implementation and value creation – how you do that though, well that’s the challenge. What is the Mayor's Innovation Challenge? Why should I participate? Will the construction work taking place outside our podcast studio ruin the season finale? These questions - and more - will be answered. Joining us for the occasion is Amber Bryant-Peller who works on Special Projects for the Strategy, Innovation & Partnerships Office. Interested? Learn more about the Mayor's Innovation Challenge and how to participate on our about page. Opening Track: Tell Me Twice by the Meringues - courtesy of the Meringues. themeringues.com Find our closing track on YGK Music.

Starting in 2025, Kingston will begin transitioning garbage and green bins to an automated cart system. Between now and then there is a lot of work that has to happen. This month Adam Mueller joins us to chat about this switch, why now and how province-wide changes to recycling collection may impact Kingston. Want to stay up-to-date on the waste cart rollout? Sign up for updates at Get Involved Kingston Opening Track: Tell Me Twice by the Meringues - courtesy of the Meringues. themeringues.com Find our closing track on YGK Music.

Applying the academic with the Queen’s University PhD Community Initiative. It matches students pursuing advanced degrees and Kingston organizations who need an academic edge. It’s a program that the City of Kingston has benefited from, by leaning on the research skills in the Queen’s community. In this episode of Tell Me More, Craig Desjardins, Director of Strategy, Innovation and Partnerships at the City of Kingston, joins us to talk about the Queen’s University Community PhD Initiative and how the City and community have benefitted from this program. Looking to learn more? Check out this miniseries podcast produced by students in the Initiative. They speak with Civic and University leaders about the Sustainable Development Goals. Find out more about the Queen’s University PhD Community Initiative. Opening Track: Tell Me Twice by the Meringues - courtesy of the Meringues. themeringues.com Find our closing track on YGK Music.

Public engagement is more than a survey. It’s a promise and a commitment to use public feedback to constructively improve things. It’s not always an easy process and it frequently brings together divergent opinions, beliefs and visions.  This month on Tell Me More, the City of Kingston podcast, Jen Pinarski, Manager of Communications and Public Engagement at the City of Kingston joins us to talk about the review of the City’s public engagement process, which is currently underway. Learn about how the City is using your feedback to improve how we conduct public engagement across the entire organization. Visit Get Involved Kingston, the City's online engagement hub.

Every year thousands of students pour into Kingston to pursue higher education. This month we dive into what the City and community have to offer to students. You’ll hear from Queens University and St. Lawrence College grads who now work at the City, Lauren Desroches, a Communications Officer, and Soren Christianson, a Project Manager in Climate Leadership. They’ll delve into what motivated them to choose Kingston for their studies and why they decided to stay here after graduating.  Looking for some more student support? Check out vital City services from transit, utility account setup, parking info and more at CityofKingston.ca/Students Opening Track: Tell Me Twice by the Meringues - courtesy of the Meringues. themeringues.com Find our closing track on YGK Music.

Have you ever wondered how the creative murals or inspiring sculptures that populate Kingston came to be? Or what's next? In this month’s episode, we have Danika Lochhead, Manager of Arts and Sector Development and Taylor Norris, Public Art Coordinator at the City of Kingston at the mic. They’ll share some insights into the process behind delivering captivating public art, fostering creativity, and enriching the community experience.   As we all know, podcasts are primarily an audio experience but you can see images of the works in the full description. This way, you can see what we’ll be discussing and follow along with us during this episode.  Want to see the art in person? Check out the City's Arts Walk, a self-guided tour of the City's Public Art. Opening Track: Tell Me Twice by the Meringues - courtesy of the Meringues. themeringues.com Find our closing track on YGK Music. Photos by Chris Miner 168 Division St. Mural Horse and Cart Manidoo Ogitigan Renewal Wilds of Kingston Skeleton Parks Arts Festival Crosswalk Murals