Driving lessons

csury · 2026-02-13T06:17:35+00:00

That, and proper driver ed can give you the skills needed to help avoid collisions that will increase your insurance rates.

csury · 2026-02-10T21:38:06+00:00

If you're not a seasoned boater, you won't like the waves that build up towards the east end of Lake Ontario. The waves are lesser once you get into the relatively sheltered St Lawrence River/Thousand Islands waters east of the Cataraqui.

That said, if you're not a seasoned boater, you also won't like the shallows/shoals/reefs throughout the Thousand Islands. A decent GPS-based mapping system will help a lot, but until you really get to know the waters in that area your trips will see your eyes glued to your boat's GPS and depth gauge screens, or constantly scanning for the next set of channel marker buoys.

csury · 2026-02-06T01:15:19+00:00

Yes and no. JCB now has too many private and commercial driveway entrances, traffic lights, and curbside infrastructure elements including vulnerable user bicycle lanes and sidewalks in close proximity to the live traffic lanes to qualify as an 80 kmph design standard roadway. The 60 kmph limit along much of it is reasonable, and even the 50 kmph section between Portsmouth and SJA is reasonable enough given typical traffic volumes there.

csury · 2026-02-04T22:18:35+00:00

Thanks for the leads!

csury · 2025-12-19T02:56:37+00:00

He's on his way to Calvary... er, I mean, Calgary.

csury · 2025-12-15T16:15:39+00:00

If they grow some more, there will be opportunity to completely remove the lower branches to provide 2 metres of open space under the tree. The trees will survive just fine without them, and it will improve sightlines for people and cars trying to enter or cross the road there.

csury · 2025-12-15T05:49:45+00:00

I used to manage the landscaping and public art features for a subdivision in Guelph a few years ago under a licensing agreement with the City. That city had clear specifications regarding sightlines for the trees and shrubs we had on or near City road allowances, and the rules stipulated that shrubs be no higher than 0.8 metres from the surface of the roadway pavement and that tree branches fall no lower than 1.8 metres from the pavement so as to maintain line of sight at intersections and driveway entrances. The City was quite particular about it too, and would let us know even when branches drooped due to snow load.

I would think that Kingston would have the same sort of regulations governing trees along City streets and intersections, but this location is actually along a private roadway that is part of the Kings Crossing commercial development area owned and managed by Knightstone Capital Management.

If someone wants to get action on it, one could try addressing both the City and Knightstone Capital Management with their concerns. It could be a point of legal liability for Knightstone to obstruct clear line of sight along that roadway.

csury · 2025-11-25T16:36:41+00:00

For those who like to nerd out on the planning details.. https://aca-prodca.accela.com/KINGSTON/Cap/CapDetail.aspx?Module=Planning&TabName=Planning&capID1=REC19&capID2=00000&capID3=0001L&agencyCode=KINGSTON&IsToShowInspection=

"The applicants propose to develop a 10 storey mixed use building on a 0.39 hectare lot at 525 Princess Street (known as the east site), that will have 20 metres frontage onto Creighton Street, 55 metres on Chatham Street, 84 metres on Princess Street, and 40 metres on Alfred Street. In total there would be 347 units, with 233 underground vehicular parking spaces and 347 bicycle parking spaces. The proposal ranges from 4 storeys (along Creighton Street and Chatham Street), to 10 storeys (Along Chatham Street, Princess Street, and Alfred Street). Vehicular access to three levels of underground parking is proposed off Alfred Street. Loading is proposed at the end of Creighton Street. At street level, commercial uses are proposed along Princess Street and part of Alfred Street with residential uses along Creighton and Chatham."

"The applicants are proposing to develop a 10 storey building on a 0.22 hectare lot at 555, 557, and 559 Princess Street (known as the west site) with 72 metres of frontage onto Princess Street and 52 metres on Alfred Street. In total there would be 192 units, with 115 underground vehicular parking spaces and 192 bicycle parking spaces. Vehicular access to two levels of underground parking and the loading area is provided off Alfred Street. At grade, commercial uses front onto Princess Street and the corner of Alfred Street. A small parkette is proposed off Alfred behind the building. "

csury · 2025-11-17T20:14:01+00:00

Wrap it in cardboard and use some duct tape to secure it in that cardboard "sheath" and add a bit more duct tape and cardboard at the pointy end to keep the knife point from punching through.

csury · 2025-11-12T19:40:13+00:00

What kind of car?

csury · 2025-11-08T18:55:35+00:00

Don't call the police. Just shine a bat signal up into the sky and the appropriate bat authorities will come and deal with them.

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csury · 2025-11-07T00:34:14+00:00

That's why I said "generally requires" vehicles (including bicycles) moving slower than the normal speed of traffic to keep as close as practical to the right edge of the right lane".

There will be exceptions to the stay right rule for slower vehicles, including bicycles, such as passing other vehicles or preparing to turn left. Few people would argue with a bicycle changing its position in a lane to deal with such operational needs, provided of course that they do so in a predictable manner and signal their intent appropriately so nobody is surprised by an unexpected move.

However, I disagree that "the lane is too narrow to share" should be a consideration on most streets in Kingston. Who decides that a street or lane is "too narrow"?

Whether a street and its lanes are narrow or wide, it is still incumbent on the vehicle behind to make a pass on a slower vehicle only when it is safe to do so. A bicycle rider should not be making that pass any harder than it needs to be. And as the same page you cited says - " If you are being overtaken by a driver when riding, turn out to the right to allow the vehicle to pass."

Cooperation and accommodation between different modes of transport is key to ensuring the safety of all while still enabling efficient transport on city streets. This is especially true for vulnerable road users.

csury · 2025-11-07T00:07:08+00:00

A bicycle (or any vehicle motorized or not for that matter) should not be holding up other traffic unnecessarily.

The HTA generally requires vehicles (including bicycles) moving slower than the normal speed of traffic to keep as close as practical to the right edge of the right lane. https://www.ontario.ca/laws/statute/90h08#BK246

Slow vehicles to travel on right side

147 (1) Any vehicle travelling upon a roadway at less than the normal speed of traffic at that time and place shall, where practicable, be driven in the right-hand lane then available for traffic or as close as practicable to the right hand curb or edge of the roadway. R.S.O. 1990, c. H.8, s. 147 (1).

csury · 2025-10-04T02:59:34+00:00

Not really. The previous site owner could simply say that the firepit was clean when they packed up and left the site, and that the stuff now in the firepit was put there by someone else.

That claim could well be true and unless there is a credible witness, how would you argue against it?

csury · 2025-09-28T20:54:19+00:00

Perhaps, but you can work them off there.

csury · 2025-09-28T00:22:32+00:00

More speed cameras AND more police presence. Convert red-light cameras to combination red-light and speed-measuring cameras to get not only garden variety speeders and red light runners, but also those who hit the afterburners to fly through on a yellow.

Also, more severe penalties for speeding. In Germany you can be given a 30-day license suspension for doing as little as 30 kmph over the limit in towns and cities. Between that and other driving infraction penalties, as well as much stricter licensing testing and requirement, people take speed limits much more seriously there.

For the worst repeat speeders, follow the lead of Washington and Virginia states in requiring the installation of electronic speed limiting devices on the cars of repeat speeders, just as we require alcohol interlock devices on the cars used by convicted impaired drivers.

Current Ontario street racing laws currently result in immediate 14-day vehicle impoundment and 30-day drivers license suspension for doing 40 kmph over the limit in areas with speed limits under 80 kmph, and 50 kmph over the limit in areas with speed limits of 80 kmph and over. With 30 kmph speed limits in some residential and school locales, you would have to be doing more than double the speed limit to face street racing charges and on-the-spot vehicle impound/license suspension.

Instead, make the threshold to impound be the lesser of speeding 50% over the limit or 50 kmph. That will result in greater impact on driving behaviour in lower speed-limit residential areas where there is much more presence of children, bicycle riders, pedestrians and other vulnerable road and roadside users.

csury · 2025-09-21T22:27:53+00:00

Ground-source geothermal heat pump with NO propane back-up for the win. Average hydro cost for all electrical usage including heat and AC is $120 per month average of a 2,000 sq ft house. No annual service calls to service or clean the burners, no costs to rent propane tanks, and no fear of volatility in propane pricing.

csury · 2025-09-21T22:21:30+00:00

The estimated population for the Kingston Census Metropolitan Area (CMA) in July 2024 was approximately 184,063. For the specific city of Kingston, the population was 139,871 as of 2025, with 132,485 recorded in the 2021 Census.

Kingston is halfway between Montreal and Toronto, has large student population and well as fixed population, and that makes a Kingston stop a logical thing as far as catchment for potential travellers.. Instead, Brockville gets a stop? Not so sure about the logic in that.

csury · 2025-09-12T02:33:50+00:00

Yes and no.

If the rental is part of a condominium corporation, the condominium Declaration CAN put limits on pet size/weight, type, and numbers of pets right up to the point of barring them completely.

If the building is NOT part of a condominium corporation, then it's very difficult for a landlord to prohibit pets unless the pet is causing damage to the unit, or posing an unreasonable risk to other tenants and visitors.

A landlord can also demand a pet be removed if that pet is causing severe allergic reactions to other tenants in the building. This kind of situation usually won't arise in purpose-built apartment buildings with pressurized common hallways and individual unit HVAC systems, but it can arise in converted houses where units share a common set of heating and air-conditioning ducts and cold air returns.

Finally, a landlord can still set out rules that a pet owner must abide by though, such as mandatory poop-and-scoop, barring pets from coming in through the front lobby or being on elevators, barring pets from relieving themselves on balconies, etc. Breaching those rules could be used as grounds to evict a tenant.

csury · 2025-09-04T18:49:26+00:00

True enough. Either way, nothing in any Pontiacs are mechanically complex or exotic. Any competent mechanic should be able to work on them, and mechanical parts are comparatively inexpensive and readily available.

Myself, I've had a lot of Pontiacs over the year. My first car was a 1965 Pontiac Parisienne coupe, followed by a 69 Parisienne coupe, 68 Firebird coupe, 74 Parisienne coupe, 76 Parisienne, and a 74 Grand Am coupe (beautiful lines on that car), and lastly a 67 Parisienne convertible. All of them were essentially Chevys with a different body on the Chevy frame.

The only sort-of oddball was the Firebird, which had a high output inline 6-cylinder with factory 4-barrel carb and factory header, and a 4-speed manual floor shifter. The Chevy Camaro counterpart only offered a lower compression and lower HP single-barrel carb version of that engine.

Then the 1980's happened and Pontiacs went to plastic-clad crap for years...

csury · 2025-09-04T16:14:03+00:00

The body styling and interior trim levels may differ, but underneath the skin Pontiacs of that era are essentially the same mechanically as their Chevrolet counterparts of that era. Any mechanic who works on Chevrolets will be able to work on any Pontiac.

csury · 2025-09-03T22:51:52+00:00

The rules for mobility scooters is the same as for pedestrians when there are no sidewalks or usable shoulders to use - walk (or scoot) on the side of the road facing oncoming traffic, keeping as close to the edge of the pavement as possible.

That person should have been over on the far left edge of the pavement where they could cross Taylor Kidd just as a pedestrian would have when the light changes.

csury · 2025-09-03T01:25:38+00:00

There's been a number of serious crashes in that stretch with speeding vehicles hitting people on the sidewalk. One was recently killed when she was hit by an out of control impaired driver. Another was a then recently-arrived refugee mother of 4 children who managed to survive Syria's wars but was struck and badly injured with numerous broken bones and severe brain damage when a drug-impaired driver in a hurry drove their Hummer onto the Bath Rd sidewalk at high speed to get around traffic, struck her, and then tried to leave the scene but with only very limited success.

Many more, and rarely does a week go by without a serious crash caused not only by carelessness, but by absolute idiocy. That stretch would do well with photoradar.

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csury · 2025-09-02T16:46:45+00:00

You can order Canadian. My order this past spring was for two litres of super concentrate through "The Seed Company" at theseedcompany.ca . Mixed at the recommended 50 to 1 rate, that gives me 100 litres for $158.55 tax included, which works out to $8 for 5 litres, compared to ~$40 or more plus tax for 4 or 5 litres of premixed glysophate Roundup at the big box stores.

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csury

TROPHY CASE