First elected in 2022, Don Amos has been acclaimed for another four-year term representing Portsmouth District, which includes Queen’s West Campus and St. Lawrence College.
Amos was the sole candidate registered for the district, leading City Clerk and Returning Officer Janet Jaynes to declare him elected by acclamation as district councillor on Aug. 24.
An election by acclamation occurs when the number of candidates is equal to or less than the number of available seats, eliminating the need for a vote.
As district councillor, Amos represents Portsmouth residents on City Council and serves as a link between constituents and municipal government. The district gives Amos a constituency made up of both students and long-term residents.
In an interview with The Journal, Amos identified food security and housing affordability as the biggest issues currently facing Portsmouth District.
“I recognized partway through [my] term that there was no real fresh food security in the district,” he said.
As councillor, Amos said he worked with Lionhearts Kingston to introduce pop-up markets in Portsmouth, such as in the Seniors Association Kingston Region building on Francis St. and at St. Lawrence College. He said he would like to see another market or vendor operate consistently at Portsmouth Olympic Harbour.
Amos said the district currently lacks a full-service grocery store, describing it as “absent of food.”
He added that a potential development on the “provincial lands” across from St. Lawrence College could help address the gap. If the lands are sold for development, he said commercial space should be included in the project to allow for a grocery store in the area.
“We need to ensure that commercial space is brought into any project that is developed there in the future to ensure a grocery store can be in that area,” Amos said.
On his campaign website, Amos said he wants to work with landlords, students, and postsecondary institutions to prevent and address issues that may arise.
When asked what issues he expects to deal with, Amos pointed to housing affordability. He said he would like to see additional student residences built at both St. Lawrence College and Queen’s, particularly for first-year students.
Amos said he met with administrations from both institutions during his first term. He said that the institutions understand students are struggling with housing affordability, but that new residence projects could cost millions of dollars. He hopes to encourage the institutions to explore federal and provincial funding opportunities to help move the projects forward.
Having served as deputy mayor from April to May in both 2023 and 2024, Amos said the experience allowed him to see the full scope of the City’s work.
He said the role helped him understand how the “tiny moving parts” of municipal government contribute to Kingston as a whole, giving him a broader perspective when making decisions as Portsmouth District councillor.
His campaign website also highlighted an initiative Amos calls “Green Kingston,” which proposes expanding the City’s electric vehicle fleet, building more structures with a zero-carbon footprint, and developing additional green space.
Amos said keeping Portsmouth residents informed about sustainable practices, such as recycling, is one of his priorities.
“Communication, communication. [It] all comes down to that,” Amos said.
Amos said he plans to continue distributing constituent cards annually with information for residents, including municipal phone numbers and recycling information.
Tags
2026 municipal elections, City Councillor, Elections, Portsmouth District
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