Meet Kingston, it's your home!

Welcome! Whether you've lived here all your life or you're new to the city, you are an important part of this community and we're so happy you're here. You help make our community vibrant and dynamic and we are thrilled you have chosen to pursue your academic goals in Kingston.

City programs and services may have been altered due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Please check below to learn more. 

COVID-19: Help keep Kingston safe!

To prepare for the student move-in, the City has been working closely with community partners, including Queen’s University and KFL&A Public Health. Queen’s students are encouraged to review this COVID-19 Information & Planning for Fall 2020 Term so that they know what to expect.

Learn more about the steps being taken by our community partners:

KFL&A Public Health

Visit the KFL&A Public Health website to find answers to your COVID-19 questions.

• Individuals are currently required to wear a face-covering while inside any commercial establishment in the KFL&A area. Learn more about about mandatory face coverings.  

Queen’s University

Queen’s encourages students from areas with community outbreaks or active community transmission to get tested for COVID-19, even without symptoms, at their local testing site before travelling to Kingston given that there is the potential for asymptomatic transmission.

Under the direction of KFL&A Public Health, Queen’s also strongly recommends that all students upon arrival limit contact with anyone outside their household for a period of 14 days. The university is currently working with Kingston Health Sciences Centre and local public health authorities to establish a COVID-19 testing centre on campus.

Visit the Queen’s University Coronavirus (COVID-19) webpage for more information on measures in place on campus.

Stay up to date on COVID-19 in your community

Watch for changes to other municipal pandemic measures over the coming weeks. Sign up for City Matters to receive pandemic-related updates on City services directly in your email.

Stay up-to-date with the City’s COVID-19 changes by visiting the City’s COVID-19 webpage.

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Kingston 101

Moving?

Here are some tips to make your move go smoothly.

What to do with unusable items and garbage

The Kingston Area Recycling Centre, 196 Lappan's Lane, accepts all curbside recycling materials, oversized cardboard, oversized styrofoam (white only), clothing and small scrap metal items like microwaves, hot plates, kettles or any other item mostly made of metal.

Oversized (larger than 135L), overweight (over 44lbs) or untagged garbage bags cannot be handled curbside by City waste collection staff and need to be taken to a waste disposal site, like the ones listed below. These locations charge a reasonable fee for waste disposal by weight. Items brought to them end up in landfill.

Drop off items for paid disposal

These locations charge a fee for waste disposal. Items brought to them end up in landfill.

• Waste Connections of Canada, 1266 McAdoo’s Lane,  613-548-4428. Open Monday to Friday, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Saturday 8 a.m. to 12 p.m.

• Waste Management, 62 St. Remy Pl., 613-549-7401 ext. 252. Open Monday to Friday 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. and Saturdays 8 a.m. to 12 p.m.

Don’t have a vehicle? A number of private waste haulers are listed on the web or in the Yellow Pages.

Buy bag tags to put out more bags/containers of garbage

You are entitled to place one untagged bag of garbage at curbside on your usual collection day (maximum 44 lbs). Additional bagged garbage will be collected – if it is tagged. 

Garbage tags are $2 each and can be purchased online (shipping of tags takes 7-10 business days during the COVID-19 pandemic). See other locations selling garbage tags. 

City bylaw states that garbage containers/bags, recycling containers, and Green Bins cannot be place at the curb prior to 5 p.m. the night before your collection day. Waste containers (empty or not) need to be removed from the curb before 8 p.m. on your collection day.

Don't know how to throw it out? Use the City's waste look up tool.

Leave your recycling boxes and Green Bin behind

In Kingston, recycling boxes and Green Bins belong to the property, not the people living there. Please leave them behind when you move out.

Remember to open or close your Utilities Kingston account!

If you are moving, contact Utilities Kingston as soon as possible to open or close your account. A minimum of five business days' notice is necessary to ensure your utility services are opened or closed on the date requested.

You can open or close your account using the convenient online form.

To avoid delays, it is necessary for the account holder or a representative to be at the service address if the meters are not accessible from the outside. The only person authorized to make any changes to the account is the person whose name appears on the bill. If your name appears on the bill, you are considered fully responsible for the account until your cancellation request is received and processed.

Utility services can also be opened or closed by calling the customer service centre, Monday to Friday, between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. at 613-546-0000.

Hydro One electricity customers can call 1-888-664-9376. Enbridge natural gas customers can call 1-866-763-5427.

Administrative Monetary Penalties

The City recently introduced Administrative Monetary Penalties (AMPS) for Nuisance Party and Noise Bylaw infractions. This means that fines for contravening these bylaws can now be issued and resolved directly through the City. However, Kingston Police and Municipal Enforcement Officers will still be able to issue fines through the standard process, meaning that a fine under the Nuisance Party Bylaw could still result in a Part One Court Summons.

Students are encouraged to learn more about the many City measures in place to discourage unsanctioned large gatherings, including the Noise and Nuisance Party bylaws and the University District Safety Initiative . 

Property Standards & the Yards and Solid Waste Bylaws

The City requires that all yards and municipal property be maintained and clear of garbage, debris, furniture, appliances etc. Enforcement staff will be out in full force during move-out to issue warnings and, where necessary, lay charges. To avoid possible fines or trouble with your landlord, please be sure to discuss proper disposal of unwanted items with your roommates to work out strategies to deal with your garbage and unwanted items.

If you see anyone cutting open garbage bags, emptying garbage containers, or disposing of garbage, debris, furniture, etc. on your property or on roadways please call general bylaw at 613-546-4291 ext. 3135.

You could be on the hook for contracted clean-up costs

Once a bylaw enforcement order has been issued you have 24 hours to comply with solid waste infractions and 48 hours for yards violations. If an order is not complied with the cost of the clean-up is charged to the property owner and legal action may be taken. Landlords: work with your tenants to maintain property standards and avoid possible clean-up costs (plus an administration fee of $141.80 under the Yard Bylaw).

Questions about bylaws?

If you have questions or wish to report violations of the Yards or Solid Waste Bylaws please contact bylaw at 63-546-4291 ext. 3135 or by e-mail at bylawenforcement@cityofkingston.ca

Tag extra garbage and sort recycling properly.

The City has a one untagged garbage bag limit per week along with the ability to buy extra tags as required (see above).  Failure to tag garbage bags will result in your garbage not being picked up. Well-sorted recycling is always picked-up. Not sure where it goes? Use the waste-sorting lookup.

Have extra recycling items or missed collection

Extra Blue and Grey boxes items can be dropped off at the recycling depot located at the Kingston Area Recycling Centre, 196 Lappan's Lane. Open Monday - Friday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Other services offered at the Kingston Area Recycling Centre include:

• a scrap metal bin that can be used for end of life items that are made mostly of metal or steel. Acceptable items include bikes, metal lawn furniture, smaller household appliances, etc.;
• clothing donation bins;
• Household Hazardous Waste Depot ONLY open on Thursdays 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturday 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. (April-November). Acceptable items include paints, batteries, CFL light bulbs, solvents, etc.;
• Yard waste transfer station. Acceptable items include brush, leaves, grass and  other yard wastes; and
• sale of bag tags.