by Adam Gault & photo submitted
New Fire Chief in Kingsville
The Town of Kingsville has a new Fire Chief in John Quennell, following the departure of previous Fire Chief, Charles Parsons.
A career firefighter, Quennell served with Windsor Fire for 32-years before retiring as Assistant Fire Chief in 2010. He then went on to serve as Deputy Fire Chief for the Town of Lakeshore from 2011 to 2019.
“The Town of Kingsville is fortunate to secure John Quennell, along with his emergency response expertise, team building skill set, and overall professionalism to lead as Fire Chief during these critical times,” Kingsville Mayor, Nelson Santos, said. “The Chief is well-respected and is a strong and capable leader.”
Quennell joined the Kingsville Fire Department this past October, serving as an interim Deputy Chief, while Parsons had been on an indefinite leave of absence, after a Lake Erie water rescue ran into difficulty in September.
Kingsville Fire had responded to a distress call in poor weather from a vessel with three individuals on board. Kingsville responded with a two-firefighter rescue boat, which capsized in the conditions, which left the firefighters in the water.
Both the firefighters and boaters were rescued.
In a news release from the Town of Kingsville, it notes, “In October 2020, Quennell answered the call to help the Kingsville Fire Department and filled a leadership void as a temporary Deputy Fire Chief. A recent review of the Kingsville Fire Department concluded that a change in leadership within the fire department was necessary.”
Quennell will be responsible for the overall management and operation of the Fire Department. He will report to the Town’s Chief Administrative Officer, lead all emergency responses, including the Covid-19 crisis, and will participate as a member of Kingsville’s Senior Management Team.
CIP funding application approved for Cottam business
A Cottam Community Improvement Plan (CIP) funding application has been approved for an accessibility upgrade for a new Cottam business.
OG Pizza is currently in the process of opening a location at 127 County Road 34 West, and had requested the funding for the installation of an automatic door opener as part of its renovations.
Total cost of the project is estimated at $2,500, with 25 percent, or $625, to be covered through the CIP program.
First launched in the fall of 2017, the Cottam CIP was founded to support and enrich the downtown Cottam area through funding opportunities for local businesses and organizations.
Overall funding was set at $50,000, over a five-year timeframe, for projects such as façade upgrading, new signage, landscaping infrastructure, energy efficiency improvements, and accessibility upgrades.
Council supports Lions Club playground campaign
Council has committed to supporting the Kingsville Lions Club in its efforts to construct a new accessible playground at 23 Mill Street West, should the Club meet its fundraising goal of $65,000.
As part of these fundraising efforts, the Town of Kingsville will collect donations and contributions, along with issuing tax receipts, in addition to holding the funds in a reserve allocated for the playground structure.
In addition to a new accessible play structure, a final concept plan for the park shows a new basketball court, a multi-use court for ball hockey in the summer and ice skating in the winter, bocce ball, and a 16’ by 24’ shade structure.
“In 2021, I’m really glad to hear a lot of people using the word ‘accessible,’” Kingsville Councillor, Larry Patterson, said. “I can’t wait to see how we’re going to proceed with that.”
As the success of the project hinges on the Lions Club’s fundraising efforts, further decisions on the project will be made this coming June, when the current fundraiser is scheduled to end.
If successful, the project is tentatively scheduled to begin in 2022.