Canadian Roadstories

Stories & Pictures about Canadian People, Places and Things

Social

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Pinterest
  • Home
  • Canadian People
  • Canadian Places
  • Canadian Things
  • Canada’s First Peoples
  • About

Why Kingston, Ontario?

June 22, 2016 by Jo 4 Comments

kayaks at Kingston Ontario

IN KINGSTON, ONTARIO, ON A SUMMER’S SATURDAY AFTERNOON, if you’re not in the water, on the water or above the water – you’re probably on your way to a lake or river, or strolling along the historic city’s waterfront. When I visit our big urban neighbours, I casually mention that I can leave home and have my canoe in the water in 15 minutes. Eyeballs pop.

canoe in Kingston, Ontario

Easy water access is just the first of many selling points. Locals scratch their heads, perplexed at why more Big City dwellers don’t ditch the traffic gridlock, the sky high real estate prices and the rush-rush-rush, and trade it all in for an affordable cost of living in a city where you can still get most places on a bicycle.

Kingston Thousand Islands view

Kingston is perfectly situated (did I mention the lakes?) – equidistance from Toronto, Montreal and Ottawa, with topnotch health care services, two universities and a community college. With the post-secondary students come music, film, theatre, culture and tempting dining (the rumour is Kingston has the most restaurants per capita in Canada).

If you’ve lived in Kingston for a while (I’m celebrating 30 years), you’ll know that it’s near impossible to walk the downtown streets without bumping into people you know. Yet the city is just large enough (area population: 159,000) that they may know you, but your secrets are still yours to keep.

aerial view Thousand Islands

WE HAVE WIND. There’s the big expanse of water, of course – Lake Ontario – with world-renowned sailing conditions and a downtown harbour full of boats bobbing in rows of slips. Kingston hosts the annual Canadian Olympic-training Regatta Kingston (CORK) and the waterfront just west of downtown has become a popular hangout for kiteboarders and windsurfers.

Scuba divers claim the intersection of the St. Lawrence River and Lake Ontario has some of the best freshwater wreck diving in the world, thanks to almost 200 shipwrecks resting in the deep waters. At one time Kingston was a major shipyard and sailing vessels plied their trade up and down the river and into the Great Lakes. The motorcycle on the deck of the scuttled Wolfe Islander II ferry is a popular spot for divers to snap photos.

locks near Kingston Ontario

One of the most budget-friendly and least complicated ways to get onto the water is to let someone else do the piloting. The touristy thing is to hop aboard one of the cruise line boats, like a 1000 Islands Cruises sightseeing tour or sunset dinner cruise. My favourite way to get out there is to grab a picnic meal and ride the free Wolfe Islander III ferry between downtown Kingston and Wolfe Island. Round trip is about an hour and the view of the city skyline, Royal Military College and Fort Henry National Historic Site is fantastic.

lock gates Kingston Ontario

MANY LANDLUBBERS ZIP BY THE LOCKS of the UNESCO Rideau Canal – the 202-km waterway linking Kingston to Ottawa – because they think it is for watercraft only. They are missing out on some of the best stops in this part of Ontario.

Built in the mid-1800s, the Rideau Canal cut through the rocky wilderness as a secure wartime supply route, although it never saw military action. Fast-forward to the 21st-century and it is a scenic byway for boaters, picnic grounds, slices of history and a spot for anglers to toss in a line.

locks near Kingston Ontario

The locks begin just north of the city at Kingston Mills where the lockmaster still regulates water levels in the massive locks using the original hand-cranked mechanisms. Rideau Tours is a one-stop shop of ways to explore the Rideau Canal – by boat, bike, kayak or even by helicopter.

I’ve seen this watery kingdom from the air, from the dockside and from my canoe on the water. It’s summertime bliss. And I never forget to remind myself that I can be there in 15 minutes.

Kingston Ontario ferry

WHERE TO RENT WATERCRAFT:
Ahoy Rentals rents canoes, tandem kayaks, stand-up paddleboards and sailboats.
Trailhead Kingston rents stand-up paddleboards, kayaks and canoes.
Treasure Island Marina (just east of Kingston) rents power and sailboats.
Fully equipped houseboats can be booked through Houseboat Holidays, located between Kingston and Gananoque.
Powerboats for fishing excursions can be rented at Spencer’s Riverfront Cottages, 22-km east of Kingston.
Get info at Tourism Kingston.

– 30 –

Kingston Ontario boat

Filed Under: Canada, Canadian Places

Comments

  1. Glenn says

    June 30, 2016 at 11:38 am

    Thanks Jo.

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

RANDOM ROADstories

open road with golden fields

Fall color road trip in Canada

Over the edge at Niagara Falls – photo courtesy of Bobby Mikul

How Niagara Falls became the Honeymoon Capital of the World

Bull Moose in Algonquin Park

Winter wildlife in Algonquin Provincial Park

Batoche National Historic Site, Saskatchewan

Louis Riel and Gabriel Dumont

aboriginal culture

Aboriginal Culture Festival a Huge Success

Paddle to Lummi Tribal Canoe Journey

Naramata Bench by Cathryn Wellner

The Naramata Bench

Pender Island Reconciliation

Pender Island Reconciliation

‘In Chinatown, as in Old China, so many men walked about with scarred faces and limbs. Who did not have a tale to tell?’ | Creators Vancouver

2018 Ford World Women's Curling Championship, North Bay, Ontario

Curling: Canada’s other game

Cabot Trail Motel cabins Baddeck Nova Scotia

Cabot Seafood Chowder recipe

Kim's Convenience

Kim’s Convenience

two sled dogs in yukon winter

Beautiful Yukon winter: Resistance is futile

indigenous cuisine

Indigenous Cuisine Blossoms

Canada's First Peoples
Previous
Ten Canada parks worth traveling for
Next
Travel writers win “Best Spirit of Canada” awards
  • Home
  • Canadian People
  • Canadian Places
  • Canadian Things
  • Canada’s First Peoples
  • About