Annie's Priorities
HOUSING DONE RIGHT
Everyone deserves quality housing they can afford – in the right places, with proper standards and accountability. I'll advocate for strategic growth that benefits everyone in the community.
LIVEABLE NEIGHBOURHOODS
Our district's heritage character, tree canopy, walkable streets, parks, and strong community didn't happen by accident. These aren't luxuries – they're what make Sydenham worth living in. I'll work to protect and enhance them even as we grow.
COMMUNITY VOICE AT CITY HALL
We shouldn't need planning degrees to understand what's happening in our neighbourhood. I'll work to make processes accessible, engage residents earlier, and bring your priorities into council deliberations.
SUSTAINABLE GROWTH + ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION
Protecting our green spaces, urban forest, and ecological assets is an imperative while planning for growth. I'll push for smart development that reduces car dependence, preserves natural areas, and builds climate resilience into our infrastructure and decision-making.
About Annie
I've been connected to Sydenham my whole life – I lived on Traymoor as a kid, my cousins grew up on Earl and Ellerbeck, and my family spent years restoring a heritage limestone home on King Street East.
Community Leadership
-
SDA Planning Liaison (since 2024) – analyzing development proposals, coordinating community feedback, advocating for smart growth
-
Downtown Kingston BIA – Streetscapes & Public Spaces Committee Vice-Chair (since 2025)
-
Helped champion the Student Housing Strategy adopted by Council (in February 2026)
Planning Expertise
-
Dual master's degrees in Landscape Architecture (MLA) and Urban Design (MS-UD)
-
Over a decade working in community advocacy, urban design, and strategic engagement
-
Principal, A Palone Design
-
Research Assistant to Queen's Professor Emeritus W. George Lovell (since 2018)
Why I'm Running
The Ford government's changes to the Planning Act have stripped away local control. We've lost the power to require good outcomes from developers, which means showing up early in the planning process is now more critical than ever.
A 2022 investigation found that 97% of Ontario Land Tribunal (OLT) decisions favoured developers over municipalities and communities – and recent provincial legislation has further stripped residents' ability to challenge those decisions. As your councillor, I'll fight to make sure Sydenham's voice is heard.
I'm running to bring planning expertise, community advocacy, and strategic thinking to City Hall. Sydenham deserves a councillor who will fight for liveable, affordable, sustainable growth, while prioritizing community voices and neighbourhood feedback.
Why Urban Design Matters
Urban planners work in rules and regulations – words, paragraphs, zoning bylaws, and GIS polygons. Their tools are policy frameworks and official plans: the black-and-white infrastructure that governs what can and can't be built.
Urban designers work in colour. In experience, imagination, and placemaking. In renderings and drawings that convey what it actually feels like to be somewhere – not just what's permitted there. My training in Landscape Architecture adds another layer: plant palettes and seasonal change, pollinators and habitats, ecological connectivity. The relationship between people and living systems. My graduate research in Child Friendly Urbanism asked how we design cities where children – and people of all ages – can have meaningful relationships with their environments. How we cultivate environmentalists, even in urban settings.
The City of Kingston employs many talented planners. But urban design thinking in the Council chamber? That's a gap I'd like to fill.
Community Endorsements
My campaign is supported by a broad coalition of Sydenham district community members. My nomination was endorsed by university students and professors, business owners and retirees, city planners and restaurant workers, landlords and tenants, doctors and bartenders, transportation advocates, local musicians, and community leaders from Sydenham District – a genuine cross-section of the neighbourhood I'm running to represent.
Get Involved
Register To Vote
Make sure you and your loved ones are registered to vote! Online @ RegisterToVoteON.ca
Promote Team Annie
+ Wear or share a button pin or flyer! Want flyers delivered to your building or street? Email us to request a drop off.
+ Talk about the campaign to your neighbours.
+ Host a candidate meet & greet or fundraiser.
Want to talk?
Book a 15-minute chat with Annie →
Request A Sign
Put a sign in your window now & sign up to request a yard sign for September installation.
I'm planning to use a limited number of strategically placed signs, in order to reduce plastic waste while maintaining a visible presence across the district. If you'd like to show your support before lawn signs go up in September, a poster displayed in your window is a great alternative. Download a printable PDF here, or shoot us an email including your address and we'll drop one off.
Volunteer
Want to help make Sydenham District a better place to live? Join Team Annie!
All volunteers must be individuals who normally reside in Ontario.
There are lots of ways to contribute – big and small:
+ Canvassing – come knock doors and meet the neighbours with me
+ Lit drops – deliver flyers to streets and buildings
+ Social media – help create content and spread the word
+ Events – help set up and run campaign events
+ Research – policy and community research support
Students: Queen's and St. Lawrence College students may be able to earn course credits or volunteer hours through their programs. Ask your department about placement opportunities!
High school students: Need your 40 community involvement hours? Campaigning counts! Get real-world civic experience while making a difference in your neighbourhood.
To get involved, email TeamAnnie2026@gmail.com or fill out the form below.
Donate to the Campaign
Online @ donate.anniepalone.ca
E-transfers (include your name and address) to: TeamAnnie2026@gmail.com
Or fill out a pledge sheet & we’ll follow up with you
How To Vote
The Municipal Election is 26 October 2026. Voting hours from 10am – 8pm.
Advance Voting: Friday October 16 and Saturday October 17, 2026
Internet Voting: Wednesday October 14 – Monday October 26, 2026
Register or confirm your registration: RegisterToVoteON.ca
Are you eligible to vote?
You can vote in Kingston's municipal election if you are a Canadian citizen, at least 18 years old, and live in Kingston (or if you or your spouse own or rent property here).
Post-secondary students
If you're living in Kingston for school, you can vote here AND in your home community.
Make sure you're on the voters' list
Check or update your registration at Elections Ontario's Register to Vote tool.
*** The deadline to be added is August 12, 2026. ***
Free transit on voting days
Ride Kingston Transit free on Advance Voting Days and Election Day (9am – 9pm) – just show your Voter Card.
For full voting details visit cityofkingston.ca/elections
Donate to the Campaign
Support the Campaign
Your contribution helps get Annie out knocking doors, printing flyers and signs, and making the case for a better Sydenham District. ♥️ Every dollar counts – and every donor matters.
How to Donate
Donate via Stripe here. Or send an Interac e-transfer to TeamAnnie2026@gmail.com
In the message field, please include your full name and mailing address – this is required by Ontario election law so I can issue your donation receipt.
Contribution limits (Ontario Municipal Elections Act):
+ Maximum $1,200 per person to a single candidate
+ Only Ontario residents who are Canadian citizens or permanent residents may contribute
+ Corporations and unions cannot donate
+ Contributions are not tax deductible
Questions? Email TeamAnnie2026@gmail.com. Thank you for your support.
Authorized by the CFO, Annie Palone Campaign