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Kingston is an ideal destination for any type of traveler. Located in Ontario, it has something for everyone! Our travel guide has the best information about Kingston regarding places to visit, things to see and do, accommodations, dining, and much more! When visiting Ontario, you will find that the shopping, night life, and beautiful scenery has some of the top standards in the country, and will definitely leave you wanting to come visit this city again. Take a look at our Canadian listings and find all the information you need about Kingston, and all its surrounding cities and travel spots. So don't waste another minute, and starting planning your vacation to Kingston!
Kingston is located at the northern coast of the Ontario Lake at the point, where the Rideau Canal flows into the lake, and nearby the place, from which the Saint Lawrence River outflows. The city is located at the distance of 150 km to the south-west from Ottawa. Starting from the 17th century Kingston has been one of major trade posts at the Great Lakes, through which fur was forwarded to Europe. In 1673, at the point, where the Saint Lawrence River outflows from the Ontario Lake, the French built Fort Frontignac. Till now from the fort there preserved only north-western bastion and a part of the wall, which can be seen in Kingston. Major destination of the city is Fort Henry built in 1832. Every day here one can enjoy performances getting the visitors acquainted with life of British military men of the 19th century.
Nearby Kingston, coast waters cover shipwrecks, which attracts lovers of fresh water wreck-diving. Virtually all the shipwrecks were built in the second half of the 19th century and wrecked at the beginning of the 20th century. Underwater visibility varies from 15 to 30 m, while depth of submergence may reach 35 m. From Kingston one can enjoy cruise along the Saint Lawrence River.
Along the Saint Lawrence River, from Kingston to Brookville there stretches famous tourist region called the Thousand Islands. It covers a variety of small islands in the riverbed, where at the times of colonization of North-American territories the French built fortes. Also here one can find the Saint Lawrence Islands National Park. The park was founded in 1904 to preserve rich variety of flora and fauna of the islands. In 2005, the Saint Lawrence Islands National Park became part of vast biosphere reservation called Frontenac Arch that was created by UNESCO.
Westwardly from Kingston, at the coast of the Ontario Lake there is the city of Bellville. Bellville is known for unlimited fishing opportunities. It is one of the best areas of the country, where one can catch perch, pike or zander. Nearby Bellville, at the coast of the Ontario Lake there is a small resort town of Picton. Here you can enjoy sandy beaches, woods, cottages by the lakeside, and fishing facilities. We have much more information about the first priest of Kingston, who found this beautiful St. George Cathedral. Blue memorial tablet in front of the cathedral stands here to honor the priest. Father John Stewart was born in Pennsylvania; he got his rank in England and went back to colonies with a mission to evangelize Indians. But the war occurred.
The house of Stewarts was robbed and burnt, and the priest ran to Quebec, where he met the French, which was not at all an improvement. In 1784, father John joined a small colony of Grassa. John Stewart was the first Anglican priest in Canada, who organized regular services, first in the rebuilt premises of fort, and then in the first wooden church, which was erected at the distance of 100 m to the right from the present church. In 1792, in this church Lieutenant-Governor of Canada swore the first oath of loyalty to the new motherland, which at the time had no proper name yet. This is how Kingston for the first time happened to be connected with national identity of the new country.
In its present shape the church was built approximately 150 years ago. It used to be the church of the Upper Canada (former name of the present-day Ontario province), and an appointed bishop ministered in the church. In 1838, Kingston gained status of a city. It was the most populated city in the Upper Canada with as many as 5,000 residents. Naturally, such big town could easily qualify for the status of a capital, when in 1841 Queen Victoria Кdecided to unify the Upper Canada and the Lower Canada under single government and make its colony relatively independent. Meetings of Canadian deputies were held in Kingston hospital. There was no other appropriate building in the city. However, its residents were inspired. They had extensive plans. Unfortunately, the first governor general, who promoted Kingston as a potential capital, passed away in half a year.
He was buried in St. George Cathedral. The next governor general did not like Kingston and could not figure out what to do with it. He thought of it as of boondocks with the Americans located nearby ready to attack. In two years, without having made any decision, the second governor general also passed away. The third one moved the capital to Montreal. So Kingston was left with nothing. However, the residents still benefited. Firstly, after the deputies left the city they got their hospital back. And secondly, they managed to start construction of a beautiful city hall on state funds. American-Canadian War of 1812 did not last long and had relatively small amount of blood spilled. The parties soon got tired of fighting and came to agreement, but after the war the Canadians started to strengthen the border. Inside the tower, behind a 4 m thick wall there stands a huge cannon on rails. The cannon was designated for destruction of ships of American landing troops. The towers were on watch approximately up to 1880.
There was no military need in these towers, so military service here rather favored moral decay. Within the last thirty years management of the towers gave up protection of the border, and the towers became a place of peaceful family life. Inside there lived six soldiers with families, which occupied six tiny caponiers with area of 4-5 sqm. One can visit the tower and see these awful conditions on one’s own. The inhabitants had meal together on a kitchen, which at the same time served as an armourer shop. I saw a report on inspection of the tower, according to which defensive trench around the tower was all in a muck, the conditions were insanitary, and the cannon was used by soldiers’ wives to dry clothes. Soon after the report they cancelled honorable military service in the towers.
Also Kingston has a large fortress called Fort Henry. Today it represents a grand historical monument with guard mounting, paved streets and all the (relatively) ancient stuff that might intrigue the younger generation. I did not visit the fortress, for I’m no longer of the required age for that. Rather large tourist destination, especially for school children is a museum, which is a house of the first prime minister of Canada sir John McDonald. He was brought here from Scotland at the age of five. The country gained its independence very evolutionally. The first governor general in 1840, parliament and the first prime minister in 1867, its own constitution in 1982. 1867 is considered to be the year when the country was established. So John McDonald appeared to be at the right time and place. He had rather interesting career and not quite happy life. He achieved a lot, but he also lost a lot and had no success in many things. By the way, he was not only the first prime minister of the country. He also was the first prime minister who was reasonably accused of corruption. It was quite interesting for me to read his biographical notes. McDonald was buried in Kingston.
The first civilized Canadian market with time table of working hours and official rows of shopping stalls trade rows, which was registered in 1820, - there it is, right in front of you. I almost bought wonderful slippers from bison skin here. They also have gloves, very soft and fancy. But the color is strange – canary-yellow. Why didn’t I get them? I didn’t need those actually. All the buildings around the market square, including this savings bank, are historical, to the extent they can be historical in such small town. Buildings at the previous picture have strange words “masonic buildings” along the fronton. I couldn’t find any explanation to these words. They might mean nothing, just brick buildings, which are rare here: most of the buildings are made of limestone. But they also might be somehow connected to the community of Freemasons, which, by the way, exists in Canada even now. I had a pleasure of rather lasting conversation with one of the present masons in a perfectly redesigned freemason's lodge. It was a life-sized model of a locomotive. They wouldn’t let me into a real lodge, but into the model – be my guest. That guy told me lots of exciting stuff. I should have taken notes, but I didn’t, so now I can only remember scrappy passages, alas.
Another extremely beautiful building of Kingston is county court. Kingston churches are very pretty. There is a great number of those for such small city, and they catch attention. This beauty is united methodist church. They say the hall has extremely favorable acoustics and is one of the best halls in the country. The first fire station. You can see souvenir shops where horse stables used to be. Kingston has two universities – one military university, and one regular university, perhaps the best and the most prestigious in whole Ontario. In campus ancient buildings are well combined with the most up-to-date structures. In the University of Kingston there study over 20,000 students. The university itself is a reminder of times when the city used to be the capital: Queen Victoria gave personal order to establish the university in the same 1841.
However, principal income item is not represented by universities or tourism. It accounts for prisons. Prisons of Kingston have 75% of all the prisoners of Canada. Here they also have a single female prison with almost 200 years of history.
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