KINGSTON, ONTARIO

Murney Tower, Kingston

The Fort Henry Guard performing an historical demonstration

The Prince George Hotel.

'Kingston, Ontario', is a Canadian city located at the eastern end of Lake Ontario, where the lake runs into the St. Lawrence River and the Thousand Islands begin.
Kingston is the county seat of Frontenac County. According to the
2006 Canadian census, the population of the city proper was 117,207^[1], while the population of the metropolitan area as a whole was 152,358.
Kingston is nicknamed the ''"Limestone City"'' because of the many historic buildings built from limestone.

Primary and secondary

Waterfront

Notable residents

Geography and climate

Geography

Cities and towns nearby

Major parks nearby

History

The French originally settled upon a traditional Mississaugas First Nation site called ''Katerokwi'' (Cataraqui in the common transliteration which uses French pronunciation rules, is pronounced CAT - AH - RAH - KWAY) in 1673 and established Fort Cataraqui, later to be called Fort Frontenac. The fort was captured and destroyed by the British in the Battle of Fort Frontenac near the end of the Seven Years' War in 1758. A receiving centre for fleeing refugees from the American Revolution, it became the primary community of south-eastern Upper Canada.
New settlement from the United Empire Loyalists (UEL) and Mohawks from the Six Nations in New York, led by Molly Brant (the sister of Six Nations Leader Joseph Brant - Thayendanegea), formed a significant part of an expanding population in the area at the end of the 18th century.
During the War of 1812, Kingston was the base for the Lake Ontario division of the Great Lakes British naval fleet which engaged in a vigorous arms race with the American fleet based at Sackett's Harbor, New York for control of Lake Ontario. After the war, Britain built Fort Henry and a series of distinctive Martello towers to guard the entrance to the Rideau Canal. Fort Henry still stands and is a popular tourist destination.
Kingston's location at the Rideau Canal entrance to Lake Ontario, after canal construction was completed in 1832, made it the primary military and economic centre of Upper Canada. Incorporated as a town in 1838, Kingston had the largest population of any centre in Upper Canada until the 1840s. Kingston was incorporated as a city in 1846.
Kingston was the first capital of the united Canadas before Confederation from 1841 to 1844, and hosted the first meeting of the Parliament of the United Canadas on June 13, 1841. The city was considered too small and lacking in amenities, however, and its location made it vulnerable to American attack. Consequently, the capital was moved to alternating locations in Montreal and Toronto, and then later to Ottawa in 1857. Subsequently, Kingston's growth slowed considerably and its national importance declined.
Kingston was the home of Canada's first Prime Minister, Sir John A. Macdonald.
During the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, Kingston remained an important Great Lakes port and a centre for shipbuilding and locomotive manufacturing, including the Canadian Locomotive Company, at one time the largest locomotive works in the British Empire. Most heavy industry has now left the city, and employment is now primarily in the institutional, military, and service/retail sectors.
Kingston grew moderately through the 20th century through a series of annexations of lands in adjacent Kingston Township, including a 1951 annexation which encompassed areas west to the Little Cataraqui creek (including the village of Portsmouth) where a number of large residential subdivisions were built in the late 1950s and early '60s.
Municipal governance had been a topic of discussion since the mid-1970s due to financial imbalance between the city and the surrounding townships, which now had large residential areas and a population approaching that of the city proper. On January 1, 1998, the City was amalgamated with the Townships of Kingston and Pittsburgh to form a new City of Kingston. The city's boundaries now encompass large rural areas north of Highway 401 and east of the Cataraqui River.
The term "Cataraqui", from the original native name for Kingston, today refers to an area around the intersection of Princess Street and Sydenham Road where a village of that name was located. Cataraqui is also the name of a municipal electoral ward.

Economy

Kingston's economy relies heavily on public sector institutions and establishments. The most important sectors are related to health care, education (Queen's University and Royal Military College), government (including the military and correctional services), tourism and culture, manufacturing, and research and development. Of Kingston's major industrial employers of the 20th century, the Canadian Locomotive Company is long closed, and the former Alcan and DuPont operations employ far fewer people than in the past.

General

According to the Kingston Economic Development Corporation, in a 2004 report, the 20 largest employers in Kingston were:

★ Canadian Forces Base Kingston 5,277

★ Queen's University 4,200

★ Kingston General Hospital 3,085

★ Limestone District School Board 2,720

★ Correctional Services of Canada 2,670

★ City of Kingston 1,500

★ StarTek 1,400

★ Invista Canada (formerly DuPont): 1,100

★ Hotel Dieu Hospital 1,007

★ Providence Continuing Care Centre 1,000

★ Ontario Ministry of Health

★ Royal Military College of Canada 769

★ Bell Canada 500 (Since downsized)

★ Ontario Ministry of Transportation 415

★ Assurant Solutions 400

★ Novelis (formerly Alcan) (Rolled Products and R&D Centre) 373

★ DuPont Canada Inc. R & D Centre 173

★ Bombardier Mass Transit 150

★ Wal Mart: 150

★ Bosal Canada: 150
:''Source: http://business.kingstoncanada.com/communityprofile/resources/Economic.pdf''

CFB Kingston

Canadian Forces Base Kingston (CFB Kingston) houses CFSCE (Canadian Forces School of Communications and Electronics), the Canadian Forces' military communications training centre. CFB Kingston, the region's largest employer, is located east of downtown, and is comprised of the Vimy(residential) and MacNaughton (operations) Barracks. Kingston, with its strategic location at the head of the St. Lawrence River as this drains the Great Lakes, near the border with the United States, has been a site of vital military importance since its founding in 1673 as Fort Frontenac. The establishment of the Royal Military College in 1876 further emphasized Kingston's central role. A large wooded operational training area is part of the MacNaughton Barracks. The Garrison Golf and Curling Club, also on MacNaughton, is the Base's primary recreational outlet.

Corrections Canada

Kingston has the largest concentration of federal correctional facilities in Canada. Of the nine institutions located in the Kingston area, seven of them are located within the municipal boundaries of the city.

★ Kingston Penitentiary (maximum security)

★ Regional Treatment Centre (multi-level security), co-located within Kingston Penitentiary

★ Joyceville Institution (medium security)

★ Pittsburgh Institution (minimum security), co-located with Joyceville

★ Collins Bay Institution (medium security)

★ Frontenac Institution (minimum security), co-located with Collins Bay

★ Isabel McNeil House (minimum security), transitional facility for women inmates
Millhaven Institution (maximum security), and Bath Institution (minimum security), are located in the nearby village of Bath.
Until 2000, Canada's only federal correctional facility for women, the Prison For Women (nicknamed "P4W") was also located in Kingston. In 1995, Louise Arbour was appointed to lead the ''Commission of Inquiry into Certain Events at the Prison for Women in Kingston''. As a result of the commission's report, the facility was closed in 2000.

Culture

Princess Street in downtown Kingston.

Kingston has developed a thriving artistic and entertainment life. The city hosts several festivals during the year, including the Limestone City Blues Festival, the Kingston Canadian Film Festival, Fanfayr, the Kingston Buskers' Rendezvous, Kingston Sheep Dog Trials, Kingston Jazz Festival, Kingston Dragon Boat Festival, Canada DanceSport, Reelout Queer Film Festival, Feb Fest, the Limestone Classic, and the Chilifest.
Kingston is home to many artists who work in visual arts, media arts, and a growing number who work in other time-based disciplines such as performance art. The contemporary arts scene in particular has two long standing professional non-profit venues in the downtown area, the Agnes Etherington Art Centre(founded 1957), and Modern Fuel Artist-Run Centre (founded 1977). Local artists often participate in the exhibition programming of each organization, while each also presents the work of artists from across Canada and around the world - inkeeping with their educational mandates. Alternative venues for the presentation of exhibition programs in Kingston include The Union Gallery (Queen's University's student art gallery), Verb Gallery, Open Studio 22, the Kingston Arts Council gallery, and The Artel: Arts Accommodations and Venue.
Music and theatre is alive and well in the limestone city, thanks to Kingston's Grand Theatre, Domino Theatre, Theatre Kingston and The Wellington Street Theatre, and other small groups that dot the downtown area. The Kingston Symphony Orchestra performs at The Grand Theatre, as do several amateur and semi-professional theatre groups. (Following a successful fundraising campaign, the Grand Theatre has been closed for renovations and will reopen in the spring of 2008. [1])
The city has spawned several musicians and musical groups, most of whom are known mainly within Canada, but a few of whom have achieved international success. These include John Kay, lead singer, harmonica player, and occasional guitarist of the heavy metal late 60s/early 70s band Steppenwolf, members of The Tragically Hip, The Mahones, jazz singer Andy Poole, Bedouin Soundclash, Sarah Harmer, The Arrogant Worms, The Headstones, The Inbreds, David Usher (formerly of Moist), and Kingston is the birth place of Bryan Adams. Singer Avril Lavigne, from nearby Napanee, began her career after gaining notice singing at a Kingston fair and bookstore. The first winner of the television series ''Canadian Idol'' was Kingston native Ryan Malcolm.
Poet Michael Andre was raised in Kingston, and actor Dan Aykroyd makes his home near Kingston.

Media

Queen's University campus radio, CFRC-FM, is one of the oldest stations in the world, having been founded in 1922. In addition to local outlets, radio and television stations from New York state (especially the Watertown market) are readily available in Kingston. One such station, WBDR in Cape Vincent, New York broadcasting on 102.7 FM with the brand name "Kix 102.7", promotes itself as a Kingston station — and operates from studios in Kingston — despite being officially licensed to an American community.
In April 2007, two radio broadcasting companies have applied to move from the AM to the FM dial, however, a third company has applied to open up a new FM country station.[2] see #4, 5 & 6. All three of these radio broadcasting companies have been approved on August 28th, 2007. [3]

Radio

★ 960 AM - CFFX, ''Oldies 960'' (moving to 104.3 FM)

★ 1380 AM - CKLC, standards (moving to 98.9 FM)

★ 91.9 FM - CKVI, Kingston Collegiate and Vocational Institute

★ 92.9 FM - CBBK, CBC Radio Two

★ 96.3 FM - CFMK, "FM96 The Greatest Rock & Roll Of All Time" Classic Rock/Classic Hits

★ 98.3 FM - CFLY, ''Fly FM'' CHR

★ 99.5 FM - CJBC-2, La Première Chaîne

★ 101.9 FM - CFRC, Queen's University campus radio

★ 105.7 FM - CIKR, ''K-Rock'' active rock

★ 107.5 FM - CBCK, CBC Radio One

Television

★ Channel 2 - CIII-, Global Television

★ Channel 6 - CJOH-6, CTV (transmitter on Mount Carmel near Deseronto)

★ Channel 11 - CKWS, CBC

★ Channel 32 - CBLFT-14, SRC

★ Channel 38 - CICO-38, TVOntario

★ Cable 13 - TV Cogeco community channel

Print

The city's daily newspaper is the Kingston Whig-Standard, Canada's oldest daily newspaper, founded in 1834.
Smaller local publications include the following:

★ ''Kingston This Week'', also owned by Osprey Media,

★ ''The Heritage'',

★ ''Independent Voice''.

Sports

Hockey

Although contested, Kingston lays claim to being the birthplace of ice hockey. This claim arises from a game played in 1886 between Queen's University and the Royal Military College of Canada, and is recognized by the Canadian Amateur Hockey Association. The rivalry between Queen's and RMC is the world's oldest in hockey.
Kingston is represented in the OHL by the Kingston Frontenacs, and in OPJHL by the Kingston Voyageurs.
The International Hockey Hall of Fame, established in 1943 and erected in 1965, is located in Kingston, near the Kingston Memorial Centre. This is the oldest hockey Hall of Fame in the world. Currently under construction is the Kingston Sports and Entertainment Centre, located in the downtown core; completion is scheduled for early 2008.
Several NHL players, coaches and personalities have been associated with Kingston including:

★ Bryan Allen

★ Scott Arniel

★ Kip Brennan

★ John Tripp

★ Wayne Cashman

★ Don Cherry

★ Bernie Nicholls

★ Bill Cook

★ Bun Cook

★ John Erskine

★ Lorne Ferguson

★ Doug Gilmour

★ Ken Linseman

★ Jay McClement

★ Jay McKee

★ Tony McKegney

★ Mike Moffat

★ Kirk Muller

★ Bob Murray

★ Fred O'Donnell

★ Rick Paterson

★ Andrew Raycroft

★ Mike Smith

★ Rick Smith

★ Andy Sutton

★ James "Flat" Walsh

★ Morriss Gordon

Sailing

The city is famous for its fresh-water sailing, and hosted the sailing events for the 1976 Summer Olympics. CORK — Canadian Olympic-training Regatta, Kingston — now hosted by CORK/Sail Kingston Inc. is still held every August. Kingston is listed by a panel of experts among the top yacht racing venues in the USA, even though Kingston is, of course, in Canada.
Here is a list of major regattas hosted by Kingston over the years.
Kingston sits amid excellent cruising and boating territory, with easy access to Lake Ontario, the St. Lawrence River, and the Thousand Islands including the St. Lawrence Islands National Park.
Kingston is also home to the youth sail training ship called the St-Lawrence 2.
During the summers, the RMC campus in Kingston plays host to a Sea Cadet camp called HMCS Ontario, which provides sail training to youth from across Canada.

Diving

Kingston is a well-known destination for fresh-water wreck diving. Some of Kingston's wrecks can be classed among the best fresh water wrecks in the world. Kingston's wrecks are well preserved by its cool fresh water, and the recent zebra mussel invasion has caused a drastic improvement in water clarity that has enhanced the quality of diving in the area.
Here's a catalog of diveable wrecks in the Kingston region; another source is here.

Golf

The Kingston area is well known for its fine golf courses and for the many strong players it has produced. The Kingston Golf Club, established in 1884, was a founding member of the Royal Canadian Golf Association in 1895. The first winner of the Amateur Canadian Golf Championship that same year was Kingstonian Thomas Harley, a Scottish emigre longshoreman. Dick Green was the longtime club professional for nearly 40 years at Cataraqui Golf and Country Club, which has one of Canada's top courses (designed by Stanley Thompson). Green, a superb player and teacher, also designed several courses in Eastern Ontario, including Smiths Falls, Glen Lawrence, Amherstview, Garrison, Rivendell, and Colonnade. Matt McQuillan, now a professional player on the Canadian Tour, was born and raised in Kingston, and developed his game at the Garrison Golf and Curling Club. McQuillan won the 2005 Telus Edmonton Open.

Curling

The Royal Kingston Curling Club is one of Canada's oldest. It was founded in 1820, and was granted Royal patronage in 1993. In 2006, the RKCC moved to a new facility, to make way for the construction of a new complex at Queen's University, the Queen's Centre.

Demographics

According to the mid-2001 census, there were 146,838 people residing in the Kingston Census Metropolitan Area,^[2] of whom 49.1% were male and 50.9% were female. Children under five accounted for approximately 5.1% of the resident population of Kingston. This compares with 5.8% in Ontario, and almost 5.6% for Canada overall.
In mid-2001, 14.1% of the resident population in Kingston were of retirement age (65 and over for males and females) compared with 13.2% in Canada. As a result, the average age is 38.1 years of age as compared to 37.6 years of age for all of Canada. Kingston has a reputation as a suitable place for retirees to settle.
In the five years between 1996 and 2001, the population of Kingston grew by 1.6%, compared with an increase of 6.1% for Ontario as a whole. Population density of Kingston averaged 77.0 people per square kilometre, compared with an average of 12.6, for Ontario altogether.
The population of Kingston shows significant turnover because of its relatively large student population (about 10%) and the number of military residents associated with Canadian Forces Base Kingston.

Religious belief

★ Protestant: 46.8%

★ Roman Catholic: 30.8%

★ Other Christian: 2.4%

★ Other religions: 2.2%

★ No religion: 17.8%

Education

Post-Secondary

An aerial photo of the Royal Military College

Kingston is the site of two highly-respected universities, Queen's University and the Royal Military College of Canada (RMC), and a major community college, St. Lawrence College.
RMC is Canada's only military university and provides academic and officer training to cadets who will be members of Canada's armed forces.
St. Lawrence College offers Baccalaureate Degree programs at its Kingston campus, in Behavioural Psychology, Microelectronics and Nursing.

Queen's University

Queen's University is one of Canada's oldest universities and offers a variety of degree programs. One of the oldest radio stations in the world, CFRC, broadcasts from the university. The university was founded in 1841 under Royal Charter from Queen Victoria. It currently has an enrollment of more than 15,000 students.

Primary and secondary

The Limestone District School Board serves students in the counties of Frontenac and Lennox and Addington. Along with the Limestone School of Community Education, which provides adult education and training programs, approximately 23,000 students attend 56 elementary and 12 secondary schools. The Algonquin and Lakeshore Catholic District School Board serves students of the Roman Catholic faith. Approximately 15,000 students attend 36 elementary schools and 5 secondary schools in this school district. The Francophone community is served by two school boards, the Conseil des écoles publique de l'est de l'Ontario and the Conseil des écoles catholique de langue française du centre-est, each providing one secondary school in the area.
Local secondary schools:

★ Bayridge Secondary School

★ École secondaire catholique Marie-Rivier

★ École secondaire publique Mille-Iles

★ Frontenac Secondary School

★ Holy Cross Catholic Secondary School

★ Kingston Collegiate and Vocational Institute

★ La Salle Secondary School

★ Loyalist Collegiate and Vocational Institute

★ Queen Elizabeth Collegiate and Vocational Institute

★ Regiopolis-Notre Dame Catholic Secondary School

Waterfront

Kingston has a rich and beautiful waterfront. Major features include Flora MacDonald Confederation Basin, Portsmouth Olympic Harbour, Collins Bay, Wolfe Island, Garden Island, the Cataraqui River (including Kingston, Ontario Inner Harbour and, within that, Anglin Bay.)

Notable residents

★ Bryan Adams

★ Dan Aykroyd

★ Grant Allen

★ Leonard Birchall

★ Don Cherry

★ John Erskine

★ John Gerretsen

★ Doug Gilmour

★ Sarah Harmer

★ James Edwin Hawley

★ Steven Heighton

★ Helen Humphreys

★ Ken Linseman

★ Flora MacDonald

★ Sir John A. Macdonald

★ Ryan Malcolm

★ John Matheson

★ Bruce McDonald

★ Matt McQuillan

★ Peter Milliken

★ Sir Oliver Mowat

★ Marjan Mozetich

★ Kirk Muller

★ Robert A. Mundell

★ Patricia Rozema

★ Hugh Segal

★ Polly Shannon

★ Peter Short

★ Carolyn Smart

★ George F.G. Stanley

★ William Rupert Davies

★ David Usher

★ Simon Whitfield

★ Harvey Rosen

Geography and climate

Geography

Kingston is located at (44.22, -76.48).
The central part of the city is located between the Cataraqui River to the east and the Little Cataraqui Creek to the West, with outlying areas extending in both directions.
Because of its proximity to Lake Ontario, Kingston typically enjoys less extreme temperatures than areas inland.