Led by Dan Corbett, KIFLA Planning Director, more than twenty-five KIFLA members and supporters gathered at a local venue to discuss how the riding association can best move forward after a successful local federal election amidst low national numbers.  Great ideas came out of the sessions where people met in roundtables to discuss the possibilities that lie ahead.

Kingston Liberals show their pride in Canada as they get ready to walk in the City of Kingston Red and White People’s Parade down Princess St.

Congratulations to Brigette McConnell, long time Liberal member, who received the First Capital Distinguished Citizen/Honourable Achievement Award to recognize individuals who have made a difference in the community through volunteerism. She was given her award at the Canada Day Ceremony.

Member of Parliament Ted Hsu gives the opening speech at the Canada Day Ceremony in front of Kingston City Hall. Click here to watch video.

Hope to see you all at our next event!

For answers to these and any other questions that you would care to pose, please come to Kingston’s historic City Hall on Saturday March 26th at 1:30 pm to participate in our public town hall meeting on the future of Canada’s democracy, featuring Carolyn Bennett, MP (Liberal Opposition Critic for Democratic Renewal) and Ted Hsu (federal Liberal Candidate for Kingston and the Islands).

It is a great pleasure for me to send greetings to the members of the Federal Liberal Association for Kingston and the Islands attending the 2011 Annual General Meeting.

As you know I have been travelling across our great country and meeting with Canadians from all walks of life. Currently, I am taking our message of hope and vision for the future of this country to our fellow citizens in ridings which we do not hold (yet). As a party we need to continue speaking on behalf of those still without work, those worried about their pensions, those caring for aging parents, and those who care about the environment. We must continue to fight for those in rural and farming communities faced with financial hardship through no fault of their own.

A riding like Kingston and the Islands also knows the importance of research and innovation. A Liberal government will base its decisions on facts and science. We will not get rid of sources of valuable information and data like this Harper Conservative government.

The riding and Parliament will be losing a great Canadian and a great public servant in the Honourable Peter Milliken who will take his well deserved retirement. I know that you have all worked so hard over the years on his behalf and I want to thank you for that. I am proud of the dedication and effort of Liberals like you right across the country. With your hard work and dedication I know that Ted Hsu will be the next Member of Parliament for your proud riding.

Please accept my warmest regards and best wishes for a wonderful meeting.

Michael lgnatieff
Leader of the Liberal Party of Canada

Assemblée générale annuelle de l’association libérale fédérale Kingston et les Îles

C’est un grand plaisir pour moi d’adresser mes meilleures salutations aux membres de l’association libérale fédérale de Kingston et les Îles qui assistent à l’assemblée générale annuelle de 2011.

Comme vous le savez, je voyage présentement à travers notre grand pays et je rencontre des Canadiens de tous les milieux. Actuellement, je transmets notre message d’espoir et notre vision pour l’avenir du pays à nos concitoyens dans les circonscriptions où nous ne siégeons pas (pour l’instant). En tant que parti politique, nous devons continuer à parler au nom de ceux qui n’ont toujours pas d’emploi, ceux qui s’inquiètent pour leur pension de retraite, ceux qui prennent soins de leurs aînés et ceux qui se préoccupent de l’état de l’environnement. Nous devons continuer de nous battre pour ceux qui vivent dans les régions rurales et agricoles, aux prises avec des difficultés financières dont ils ne sont pas à l’origine.

Un comté comme Kingston et les Îles connaît également bien l’importance de la recherche et de l’innovation. Un gouvernement libéral basera ses décisions sur les faits et la science. Nous n’éliminerons pas les sources d’information et les données comme l’a fait le gouvernement conservateur de Harper.

Dans la personne de l’honorable Peter Milliken, qui prendra une retraite bien méritée, le comté ainsi que le Parlement perd un grand Canadien et un serviteur du public sans pareil. Je suis conscient de tout ce que vous avez accompli pour lui au fil des ans et je tiens à vous en remercier. Je suis fier du dévouement et des efforts des libéraux comme vous, aux quatre coins du pays. Grâce à votre travail acharné et votre dévouement, je sais que Ted Hsu sera le prochain député pour cette circonscription de renommée historique.

Je vous adresse mes plus chaleureuses salutations et je vous souhaite une réunion des plus agréables.

Michael Ignatieff
Chef du Parti libéral du Canada

Ted Hsu will carry the Liberal banner into the next federal election. Hsu, a longtime Liberal who is executive director of SWITCH, a non-profit alternative energy coalition, topped a field of five candidates vying to replace Peter Milliken as the candidate for Kingston and the Islands… 

To read the full article, visit:   http>//www.thewhig.com/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=2835375

Gone are the decades when the nomination of this riding’s federal Liberal candidate was a sedate affair, always conducted in a ballroom at the Ambassador Hotel with only a few hundred party members on hand to preside over the coronation.  When local Liberals gather on Nov. 7 to elect a successor to Kingston & The Islands MP Peter Milliken, they will have to do it at the downtown arena, because there isn’t another space in the city large enough to hold them all.  The local federal riding association is currently the biggest in the country with 2,800 paid-up members ready to elect a candidate to replace Milliken, who is retiring after more than two decades…

To read the full article, visit:   http://www.thewhig.com/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=2814664

Wednesday, August 11, 2010 – Ron Hartling, President, Kingston and the Islands Federal Liberal Association

http://www.thewhig.com/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=2707173