Kingston is a city in Ontario, Canada, located at the northeastern end of Lake Ontario. It is at the start of the St. Lawrence River and where the Cataraqui River flows into Lake Ontario, near the southern end of the Rideau Canal. Kingston is close to the Thousand Islands, a popular tourist area to the east, and Prince Edward County, another tourist region to the west. Kingston is called the "Limestone City" because many historic buildings in the city are made from local limestone.

In the 17th century, European explorers wanted to establish a presence near Native communities to control trade. This led to the creation of a French trading post and military fort at a place called "Cataraqui" in 1673. The outpost, named Fort Cataraqui and later Fort Frontenac, became a center for settlement. After the Conquest of New France between 1759 and 1763, the area was given to the British. The name "Cataraqui" was changed to "Kingston" when the British took control, and Loyalists began settling the region in the 1780s.

Kingston was named the first capital of the United Province of Canada on February 10, 1841. Although its time as a capital ended in 1844, the city remained an important military location. Today, Kingston is a hub for education and healthcare, with a major university, a large vocational college, and three major hospitals.

Kingston was the county seat of Frontenac County until 1998. Now, it is a separate municipality from the County of Frontenac. Kingston is the largest municipality in southeastern Ontario and the 10th largest metropolitan area in Ontario. John A. Macdonald, Canada’s first prime minister, lived in Kingston.

History

Cataraqui was Kingston's original name. It comes from an Indigenous language and refers to the area around Kingston. The word may mean "Great Meeting Place," "the place where one hides," "impregnable," "muddy river," "place of retreat," "clay bank rising out of the water," "where the rivers and lake meet," "rocks standing in water," or "place where the limestone (or clay) is."

By 1787, Cataraqui was called "the King's Town" or "King's Town" in honor of King George III. The name was shortened to "Kingston" in 1788. Today, Cataraqui refers to an area near the intersection of Princess Street and Sydenham Road, where the village of Cataraqui (formerly Waterloo) was located. Cataraqui is also the name of a voting area.

Archaeological evidence shows people lived in the Kingston region as early as the Archaic period (about 9,000–3,000 years ago). Evidence of the Late Woodland Period (about 500–1000 AD) and early Iroquois occupation also exists. The first permanent Indigenous settlements in the Kingston area began around 900 AD. Before the French arrived, the Wyandot people (Hurons) likely lived there. Later, they were displaced by Iroquoian groups.

When the French arrived, the Five Nations Iroquois (Haudenosaunee) lived along the north shore of Lake Ontario. Although the area near the Cataraqui River was often visited by Iroquois and other groups, Iroquois settlement there began only after the French built an outpost. By 1700, the Iroquois on the north shore moved south, and the area once occupied by them (including Kingston) was later settled by the Mississaugas, a group of the Anishinaabe who moved from the Lake Huron and Lake Simcoe regions.

European influence and activities, especially the fur trade, grew in North America during the 17th century. French explorer Samuel de Champlain visited the Kingston area in 1615. To control the fur trade, Louis de Buade de Frontenac, Governor of New France, built Fort Cataraqui (later called Fort Frontenac) in 1673. The fort served as a trading post and military base, attracting both Indigenous and European settlers. In 1674, René-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle, became the fort's commander. From there, he explored as far as the Gulf of Mexico. The fort was rebuilt several times and sometimes abandoned. After an Iroquois attack in 1688, the French destroyed the fort but later rebuilt it. The British destroyed the fort during the Battle of Fort Frontenac (part of the Seven Years' War) in 1758. Its ruins remained abandoned until the British rebuilt it in 1783. The fort was renamed Tête-de-Pont Barracks in 1787 and later turned over to the Canadian military. It was renamed Fort Frontenac in 1939. Parts of the original fort can still be seen today near the La Salle Causeway.

In 1783, Frederick Haldimand, governor of the Province of Quebec, asked Major Samuel Holland, the Surveyor-General of Quebec, to plan a settlement for displaced British colonists (Loyalists) fleeing the American Revolutionary War. Haldimand had considered the site for loyal Mohawks. Holland's report praised the area, noting its good harbor and strategic location for controlling Lake Ontario. Major John Ross, a British officer, helped rebuild Fort Frontenac in 1783 and played a key role in establishing the Cataraqui settlement.

To allow settlement, the British made an agreement with the Mississaugas in October 1783 to buy land east of the Bay of Quinte, known as the Crawford Purchase. This agreement enabled settlers to move into the area. The survey of the land showed it had productive soil, resources, and a good harbor, making it ideal for Loyalists. Three types of Loyalists settled in Cataraqui: organized groups, provincial regiments, and independent settlers.

Many Loyalists first lived on Carleton Island, where they ran businesses. When the island was given to the United States after the Revolutionary War, they moved to Cataraqui. Notable Loyalists who settled there included Molly Brant (sister of Joseph Brant), Richard Cartwright, John Stuart, and Johan Jost Herkimer. The Loyalists first called the settlement "King's Town," which later became Kingston. The first child born in King's Town was John Godfrey Lloyd, son of Johan Gottlieb Lloyd and Mary Klein. Klein arrived in Cataraqui in 1783 with Molly Brant.

A group of Loyalists from New York, led by Captain Michael Grass, arrived in 1784 and set up a camp near Fort Frontenac at Mississauga Point. In 1792, Loyalist priest John Stuart established the first high school (grammar school) in what later became Ontario. This school became Kingston Collegiate and Vocational Institute.

During the War of 1812, Kingston (population 2,250) was a major military center. It was the base for the British naval fleet on Lake Ontario, which competed with the American fleet at Sackets Harbor, New York, for control of the lake.

Military history

Kingston is located at the beginning of the St. Lawrence River and near the mouth of the Cataraqui River, close to the border with the United States. Because of its position, Kingston has been important for military purposes since Fort Frontenac was built in 1673. The French and later the British built military bases there. During the War of 1812, more soldiers were added to defend the town, ships were repaired, and new forts were built. Forts were constructed on Point Henry and Point Frederick. A wooden wall with five blockhouses was built west of the town, and other defensive structures were added. In November 1812, American naval forces attacked the British ship Royal George in Kingston Harbour, but the ship found safety in the harbour, and the American forces left.

In the late 1840s, several defensive forts were built because of tensions with the United States. These included Fort Henry, four Martello towers (Cathcart Tower, Shoal Tower, Murney Tower, and Fort Frederick), and the Market Battery. Military ships were built at the Naval Dockyard on Point Frederick from 1788 to 1853. The peninsula near the Royal Military College of Canada was the headquarters of the Royal Navy from 1813 to 1853. Fort Frederick, built between 1812 and 1813, was also located on this peninsula.

After the British army left most areas in Canada in 1870–71, the Canadian government formed two artillery batteries. One battery was in Kingston at Fort Henry and Tête du Pont Barracks (Fort Frontenac). The other battery was in Quebec City. These batteries also served as schools for training soldiers in gunnery. The group became known as the Regiment of Canadian Artillery, which later evolved into the Royal Canadian Horse Artillery. Most of the battery remained at Tête du Pont Barracks until 1939.

Following the departure of British forces from Canada in 1870–71, the Canadian government recognized the need for a military training college. In 1874, during the leadership of Alexander Mackenzie, laws were passed to create such a college. The college was built on Point Frederick, the site of the former Royal Naval Dockyard.

Before the college officially opened in 1876, there were plans for military schools in Canada. In 1865, British soldiers taught a military course at the School of Military Instruction in Kingston. This school trained officers and soldiers in military skills, drills, and leadership. The school continued to operate after Canada became a country in 1867.

Because of Kingston’s military history and existing buildings at the old naval dockyard, Point Frederick was chosen as the location for Canada’s first military college, the Royal Military College of Canada (RMC). The college, called The Military College until 1878, opened in 1876 with 18 students. The first leader, Lieutenant-Colonel Edward Osborne Hewett, taught both academic and military skills. In 1959, RMC became the first military college in the Commonwealth to award university degrees.

East of Kingston’s downtown, Camp Barriefield (now McNaughton Barracks) was built at the start of World War I and expanded during World War II. The camp was named after Rear-Admiral Robert Barrie, a British naval officer who served in the War of 1812. Later, it was renamed McNaughton Barracks after Andrew George Latta McNaughton, a former defense minister. Nearby, Vimy Barracks was built in 1937 for the Royal Canadian Corps of Signals. These barracks now house the Canadian Forces School of Communications and Electronics and other units. McNaughton Barracks and Vimy Barracks are part of CFB Kingston (Canadian Forces Base Kingston). Major military sites supported by CFB Kingston include Fort Frontenac, built on the original fort’s location, and the Royal Military College of Canada.

The Princess of Wales’ Own Regiment has been stationed in Kingston since 1863. The regiment is part of the Canadian military’s reserve forces, with members from the Kingston area.

During World War I, the 21st Battalion was formed and fought in France in 1915, earning 18 battle honors, including participation in the Battle of Vimy Ridge. The Royal Canadian Horse Artillery also fought in Europe with the 2nd Canadian Division, taking part in 13 major battles. Fort Henry was used as a camp for enemy aliens from August 1914 to November 1917.

During World War II, the Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry Highlanders (SD&G) were mobilized in June 1940. Soldiers who trained in Kingston were recognized for their service. Fort Henry was again used as a camp (Camp 31) from September 1939 to December 1943. A military airport, RCAF Station Kingston, was built west of Kingston to support flying training as part of the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan.

Heritage sites

Kingston is known for its historic buildings, as shown in the city's motto: "where history and innovation thrive." The city includes World Heritage Sites, National Historic Sites, Provincially Significant sites, heritage properties designated by the city, and other heritage properties not formally designated. Kingston has 1,211 properties listed in its heritage register, which it maintains under the Ontario Heritage Act.

In 2007, the Rideau Canal and the fortifications in Kingston were named a World Heritage Site. This is one of only 15 such sites in Canada. Kingston has 21 National Historic Sites of Canada.

Demographics

In the 2021 census conducted by Statistics Canada, Kingston had a population of 132,485 people living in 57,836 of its 63,095 total private homes. This was a 7% increase from the 2016 population of 123,798. Kingston covers a land area of 451.58 square kilometers (174.36 square miles) and had a population density of 293.4 people per square kilometer (759.9 per square mile) in 2021.

At the census metropolitan area (CMA) level in 2021, the Kingston CMA had a population of 172,546 people living in 73,506 of its 80,955 total private homes. This was a 7.1% increase from the 2016 population of 161,175. The CMA covers a land area of 1,919.17 square kilometers (741.00 square miles) and had a population density of 89.9 people per square kilometer (232.9 per square mile) in 2021.

In 2021, 82.4% of Kingston residents identified as white or European, 13.4% were visible minorities, and 4.2% were Indigenous. The largest visible minority groups were South Asian (3.4%), Chinese (2.4%), Black (2.0%), Arab (1.2%), and Latin American (1.0%).

Note: Totals greater than 100% occur because some people reported more than one ethnic background.

In 2021, the most common languages spoken in Kingston were English (82.86%), French (3.12%), Mandarin (1.25%), Portuguese (1.12%), Punjabi (1.2%), and Arabic (0.94%).

In 2021, 65,490 Kingston residents, or about half of the population, were members of Christian groups. The largest groups were Roman Catholics (30,385 or 23.5%), the United Church of Canada (8,575 or 6.6%), and the Anglican Church of Canada (8,600 or 6.7%).

The Presbyterian Church played an important role in the development of post-secondary education in Kingston during the 19th century. The church helped fund Queen's University until 1912, when it was decided the university should become a non-religious institution. John A. Macdonald, Canada’s first prime minister, was a member of St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church in Kingston.

The city’s religious history is still visible in the large stone churches in the downtown area. Some of these churches now serve as community and co-working spaces. Newer churches, like Reunion Kingston, often rent existing spaces instead of building new ones.

Other religious groups in Kingston included Muslims (3,375 or 2.6%), Hindus (1,670 or 1.3%), and Jews (875 or 0.7%). In 2021, 55,355 people, or 42.9% of the population, identified as non-religious.

Government

The city's municipal government is divided into 12 wards, and each ward elects one councillor. All voters in the city vote for the mayor, who is currently Bryan Paterson, an economics professor at the Royal Military College of Canada. Paterson was re-elected in the 2022 Ontario municipal elections for the term from 2022 to 2026.

The councillors elected during the same term are:

A referendum held during the 2018 municipal election asked voters if the city should use ranked voting. A majority of voters (62.9%) supported this change. Although the city started preparing to use ranked voting for the 2022 election, a law passed in 2020, the Supporting Ontario's Recovery and Municipal Elections Act, 2020, banned city councils in Ontario from using ranked choice ballots.

For provincial elections, the city is divided into two ridings. Most of the city is part of the Kingston and the Islands riding, which was created after the 1999 redistribution. This riding includes half of the former Frontenac-Addington riding and most of the former Kingston and the Islands riding. A small area north of Highway 401 is part of the Lanark—Frontenac—Kingston riding, which was created in 2015.

At the federal level, the city is part of two ridings. Most of the city is in the Kingston and the Islands riding, which was formed in 1966 from parts of Kingston and other areas. A small area north of Highway 401 is in the Lanark—Frontenac riding, which was created during the 2012 Canadian federal electoral redistribution. This riding was legally defined in the 2013 representation order and became active when the 42nd Canadian federal election was called on October 19, 2015.

Economy

Kingston's economy depends on government jobs and organizations. The most important areas include healthcare, colleges and universities (such as Queen's University, the Royal Military College of Canada, and St. Lawrence College), government work (including the military and correctional services), tourism, and culture. Manufacturing and research and development are less important now than they were before. Private businesses provide jobs for about half of Kingston's workers. A major employer in the 20th century, the Canadian Locomotive Company, closed in 1969. Former companies like Alcan and DuPont now employ far fewer people than they did in the past. However, because Kingston is located between Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal, and Syracuse, NY, a trucking and logistics industry has grown in the city.

According to the Kingston Economic Development Corporation, the main employers in Kingston as of October 2023 were:

According to Statistics Canada, tourism is an important part of Kingston's economy. In 2004, over 3,500 jobs in Kingston were linked to the tourism industry. Tourism has grown steadily and is now one of the city's strongest economic areas. The industry has new opportunities because of changing travel habits and the aging baby boomer generation. However, tourism success depends on information about travelers, and collecting this data remains a challenge.

Kingston has started several tourism campaigns, including "Downtown Kingston!" and "Yellow Door." The "Downtown Kingston!" campaign aims to bring more people to the city's central business district, which is the heart of the city. This area hosts events like the Kingston Buskers Rendezvous, FebFest, the 1000 Islands Poker Run, and The Limestone City Blues Festival. The "Yellow Door" campaign promotes tourism across the entire city. Its goal is to help more people learn about Kingston's attractions while keeping costs low. The campaign uses the image of a yellow door to symbolize Kingston and the good experiences people have there. Street workers in the campaign invite potential visitors from nearby cities like Toronto and Ottawa to visit Kingston. In 2013, "Yellow Door" won the Tourism Advertising Award of Excellence for promoting an Ontario tourism product.

TripAdvisor users highlight several top attractions in and near Kingston, including Canada's Penitentiary Museum, Fort Henry (Fort Henry National Historic Site), Wolfe Island (via ferry), Bellevue House National Historic Site, City Hall, and the downtown waterfront. Ontario Travel recommends visiting the Thousand Islands, The Grand Theatre, and Slush Puppie Place.

Transportation

Highway 401 is the main road that connects Kingston to other areas and crosses the northern part of the city. The first parts of this highway in Kingston opened in 1958, but it took ten more years to complete the entire route. Along with Highway 401, the Waaban Crossing and La Salle Causeway are bridges that cross the Cataraqui River. Highway 15 is another road that connects Kingston to the Ottawa area. From the south, Interstate 81 connects to Highway 401 near the Thousand Islands Border Crossing, which is east of Kingston.

A regular ferry service, operated by the Ontario Ministry of Transportation using the MV Wolfe Islander IV, travels between downtown Kingston and Wolfe Island. A seasonal ferry service also connects Cape Vincent, New York, through Wolfe Island to downtown Kingston, offering an alternate route to and from the United States. Tourist ferries also leave from downtown Kingston, with more frequent trips during the summer months.

Via Rail’s Corridor service stops at Kingston station, which is part of the main train line connecting Windsor, Ontario, to Quebec City and also to Ottawa. The current station was built in 1974 and moved from its original location 2 km (1.2 miles) east. Kingston is a regular stop for trains traveling between Toronto and Ottawa, as well as between Toronto and Montreal.

On June 30, 2020, Air Canada announced it would stop operating at Kingston Norman Rogers Airport. The timing of these changes will follow rules set by transportation regulators.

In March 2022, Pascan Aviation began offering regular passenger flights between Kingston and Montréal–Trudeau International Airport. However, Pascan Aviation has said it will temporarily stop its service from Kingston Airport starting in January 2023 for an unknown period, leaving the city without passenger air service for now.

Megabus (Coach Canada) provides frequent bus service from the Kingston Bus Terminal and Queen’s University to many destinations in Ontario and Quebec. Passengers can book direct buses to places such as Toronto’s Union Station Bus Terminal, Toronto Pearson Airport, Montreal, Ottawa, and other cities.

In 2021, Rider Express started serving Kingston on its route between Toronto and Ottawa, offering direct bus service to Toronto, Ottawa, Scarborough, and Belleville. Passengers board and alight at the Rider Express Kingston Bus Stop located at 1185 Division St. near the Esso Gas Station by McDonald’s.

In 2022, FlixBus began serving Kingston on its route between Windsor and Ottawa. This service connects Kingston to Toronto, Ottawa, Hamilton, London, Windsor, Scarborough, Whitby–Oshawa, and Chatham-Kent. Passengers use the Flixbus Kingston Bus Stop at 275 Wellington Street in downtown Kingston.

In 2022, the Red Arrow bus company added Kingston to a route between Toronto and Ottawa.

Shuttle Kingston was reported in 2013 to connect to Watertown and Syracuse.

Kingston Transit is the organization responsible for local public transportation in Kingston. It operates over 20 bus routes across the city, with additional routes added seasonally to meet the needs of students. A standard fare of $3.50 is charged for riders aged 15 and older, while those under 15 ride for free.

Kingston Access Services provides accessible bus transportation for residents who cannot use Kingston Transit due to disabilities. In 2017, Kingston Access Services celebrated its 50th anniversary as Ontario’s oldest accessible transit service, originally established in 1967 as the “Kingston Bus for the Handicapped.”

Two taxi services operate in Kingston: Amey’s Taxi and Modern City Taxi Cab Limited. Uber also offers rides in the city and is licensed and regulated by the Kingston Area Taxi Commission. Uber vehicles available in Kingston include UberX, Uber Comfort, and Uber Green. In October 2022, Kingston ranked 4th on Uber’s “Nightlife Index” due to the high number of rides between 10 p.m. and 2 a.m. in the city.

Culture

Kingston holds many festivals throughout the year, such as the Kingston WritersFest, Limestone City Blues Festival (no longer happens after 2023), Kingston Canadian Film Festival, Artfest, Spring Reverb, Kingston Buskers Rendezvous, Kingston Jazz Festival, Reelout Queer Film Festival, Feb Fest, Wolfe Island Music Festival, Skeleton Park Arts Festival, Kingston Pride, Día de los Muertos Kingston Festival, and The Kick & Push Festival.

Kingston is home to many artists who work in visual arts, media arts, literature, and other areas like performance art. The contemporary arts scene includes two long-standing nonprofit venues in the downtown area: the Agnes Etherington Art Centre (founded in 1957) and Modern Fuel Artist-Run Centre (founded in 1977). Local artists often show their work at these places, and both also display art from artists across Canada and the world. Other places where art is shown include the Union Gallery (Queen's University's student art gallery), Verb Gallery, Open Studio 22, the Kingston Arts Council gallery, The Artel: Arts Accommodations and Venue, and the Tett Centre for Creativity and Learning.

The Kingston WritersFest was held every year until 2024. It stopped happening in 2025 because of financial problems. Circle of Wellness hosts the Día de los Muertos Kingston Festival, which happens every year on the first Sunday of November. For more than 40 years, the Ukrainian Canadian Club of Kingston has hosted the "Lviv, Ukraine" pavilion as part of a cultural tradition. This festival takes place every year on the second full weekend in June at Regiopolis-Notre Dame High School. Literary events also occur at the Kingston Frontenac Public Library and local bookstores. Writers who have lived in Kingston include Steven Heighton, Bronwen Wallace, Helen Humphreys, Michael Ondaatje, Diane Schoemperlen, Michael Crummey, Mark Sinnett, Mary Alice Downie, Robertson Davies, Wayne Grady, Merilyn Simonds, Alec Ross, Jamie Swift, and Carolyn Smart.

Music and theater events happen at places like the Isabel Bader Centre for the Performing Arts, The Grand Theatre, and The Wellington Street Theatre. These venues host performances by international, national, and local groups such as Domino Theatre, Theatre Kingston, The Vagabond Repertory Theatre Company, Hope Theatre Projects, Bottle Tree Productions, and other small groups in the downtown area. The Kick & Push Festival was started in 2015 to add more summer theater events downtown. The Kingston Symphony performs at The Grand Theatre, as do several amateur and semi-professional theater groups. Slush Puppie Place (formerly called K-Rock Centre and Leon's Centre) is a 5,800-seat entertainment venue and ice rink that opened in February 2008.

Kingston has produced many musicians and bands, most of whom are well known in Canada, with some achieving international fame. These include The Tragically Hip, The Abrams, The Glorious Sons, The Mahones, jazz singer Andy Poole, Bedouin Soundclash, Sarah Harmer, The Arrogant Worms, The Headstones, The Inbreds, The Meringues, PS I Love You, and members of Moist, including singer David Usher.

Kingston is also where Bryan Adams was born. The first winner of the television show Canadian Idol was Ryan Malcolm, a native of Kingston. Poet Michael Andre grew up in Kingston. Zal Yanovsky of The Lovin' Spoonful lived in Kingston until his death in 2002.

Comedian and actor Dan Aykroyd has a home just north of Kingston and often appears in the area. He briefly owned a small share of a restaurant called Aykroyd's Ghetto House Café on upper Princess Street during the 1990s. The restaurant had a large model of the Blues Brothers' car displayed on the second-story wall.

Education

Kingston is home to two universities, Queen's University and the Royal Military College of Canada, as well as a community college, St. Lawrence College. According to Statistics Canada, Kingston has the highest number of people with PhDs per person compared to any other city in Canada.

Queen's University is one of the oldest universities in Ontario and offers many degree programs. It was founded in 1841 with a royal charter from Queen Victoria. The university has more than 31,000 students. Queen's Main Campus is self-contained but is near downtown Kingston, making it easy for students and faculty to walk to the city center.

The Royal Military College of Canada, established in 1876, is Canada's only military university (Collège Militaire Royal in Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Quebec, is a military college). It provides academic and leadership training to officer cadets, members of Canada's armed forces, and civilians. The college has 1,100 undergraduate students and 500 full- and part-time graduate students.

St. Lawrence College offers undergraduate degree programs at its Kingston campus in fields such as behavioral psychology, industrial trades, microelectronics, nursing, and business administration (the latter through a partnership with Laurentian University). The college also offers certificate, diploma, and advanced diploma programs.

The Limestone District School Board serves students in the City of Kingston and the counties of Frontenac and Lennox and Addington. In addition to the Limestone School of Community Education, which provides adult education and training programs, about 21,000 students attend 70 elementary and secondary schools and supporting education centers. The Algonquin and Lakeshore Catholic District School Board serves students of the Roman Catholic faith. Approximately 12,800 students attend 36 elementary schools and five secondary schools in this district. Catholic high schools in the Kingston area include Regiopolis Notre-Dame and Holy Cross Catholic High School. The francophone community is served by two school boards, the Conseil des écoles publiques de l'Est de l'Ontario and the Conseil des écoles catholiques du Centre-Est, each providing one secondary school in the area.

Secondary schools in Kingston:

Correctional institutions and facilities

Kingston has the highest number of federal correctional facilities in Canada. These facilities are managed by the Correctional Service of Canada. In the Kingston area, there are nine institutions, and seven of them are located within the city's limits.

• Kingston Penitentiary (maximum security) (officially closed September 30, 2013).
• Regional Treatment Centre (multi-level security), located within Kingston Penitentiary.
• Joyceville Institution (medium security).
• Pittsburgh Institution (minimum security), located with Joyceville.
• Collins Bay Institution (medium security).
• Frontenac Institution (minimum security), located with Collins Bay.

Before 2000, Canada’s only federal correctional facility for women, the Prison for Women (nicknamed "P4W"), was also in Kingston. After an investigation into events at the facility, it was closed in 2000. Queen’s University bought the property to use for the Queen’s Archives, but the building was declared a historic site, making renovations expensive. In 2018, Queen’s University sold the property to Siderius Developments, which began residential construction in 2024.

In September 2013, Kingston Penitentiary closed after nearly 180 years of operation. The prison was named a National Historic Site of Canada in 1990 because of its history and importance. In its early years, the prison helped build the city. Along with eight other prisons in the area, it supported the local economy.

Geography and climate

Kingston is located in the Mixedwood Plains Ecozone and has a mix of deciduous and coniferous trees, along with many water sources. The area is mostly made of Ordovician limestone from the Black River Group.

Kingston is in hardiness zone 5 and has a moderate humid continental climate (Köppen classification Dfb). Its summers are cooler and winters are colder than much of Southern Ontario. While Lake Ontario helps make the weather less extreme, it also reduces summer heat and can increase rainfall, especially during heavy snow. Strong winds from the lake make Kingston one of the windiest cities in Canada, especially near the water. The highest temperature ever recorded in Kingston was 35.6 °C (96.1 °F) on July 9, 1936. However, high humidity often leads to very high humidex values on hot days. The lowest temperature ever recorded was −35.6 °C (−32.1 °F) on February 17, 1896.

The central part of Kingston lies between the Cataraqui River to the east and the Little Cataraqui Creek to the west, with areas outside the center extending in both directions. The eastern part of the city is connected by the La Salle Causeway on Highway 2.

Important features of Kingston’s waterfront include Flora MacDonald Confederation Basin, Portsmouth Olympic Harbour, Collins Bay, Wolfe Island, Garden Island, the Cataraqui River (including the Inner Harbour and Anglin Bay within it).

Sports

Kingston is often said to be the birthplace of ice hockey, though some people disagree. This claim comes from a journal entry written by a British Army officer in Kingston in 1843. He wrote, "Began to skate this year, improved quickly and had great fun at hockey on the ice." Kingston is also home to the oldest ongoing hockey rivalry in the world. In 1886, a game was played on the frozen Kingston Harbour between Queen's University and the Royal Military College of Canada. To honor this event, the city hosts an annual game between these two schools. The game is played on a cleared patch of frozen lake, and the teams wear uniforms from that time period and follow the rules from the 1886 game. The two schools also compete for the Carr-Harris Cup, named after Lorne Carr-Harris, under modern rules to continue their rivalry.

The Memorial Cup, which is the annual championship for the Canadian Hockey League, began in 1919 because of Kingston resident James T. Sutherland. The first championship was held in Kingston. Sutherland, who is in the Hockey Hall of Fame, also helped start an annual exhibition game between the Royal Military College of Canada and the United States Military Academy (West Point) in 1923.

Kingston is represented in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) by the Kingston Frontenacs. Kingston had a team in the Ontario Junior Hockey League (OJHL), the Kingston Voyageurs, but the team stopped playing after the 2018–19 season.

The Original Hockey Hall of Fame, which was once called the International Hockey Hall of Fame, was created in September 1943. A building was built for it in 1965. It was first near the Kingston Memorial Centre, which opened in 1950, but it was later moved to the Invista Centre in Kingston’s west end. The International Hockey Hall of Fame was started by the National Hockey League (NHL) and the Canadian Amateur Hockey Association. It is the oldest sports hall of fame in Canada. The museum has items that show Kingston’s role in hockey history, such as the original square hockey puck from the 1886 Queen’s University vs. Royal Military College of Canada game, a hockey sweater worn by a Queen’s student in 1894, and Canada’s first Olympic gold medal from 1924.

Slush Puppie Place, located in Kingston’s downtown area, opened in February 2008 and is the home ice for the Frontenacs. The Voyageurs used to play at the Invista Centre in Kingston’s west end. The arena now hosts the Kingston Wranglers of the United States Premier Hockey League.

Kingston is known for fresh-water sailing and hosted sailing events during the 1976 Summer Olympics. A regatta called CORK—Canadian Olympic-training Regatta, Kingston—is still held every August. Since 1972, Kingston has hosted more than 40 World and Olympic sailing championships. Experts say Kingston is one of the best places in the United States for yacht racing, even though it is in Canada.

Kingston has excellent opportunities for cruising and boating, with easy access to Lake Ontario, the St. Lawrence River, and the Thousand Islands, including the Thousand Islands National Park, which was once called the St. Lawrence Islands National Park.

Kingston is also home to a youth sail training ship called the St. Lawrence II.

During the summer, the Royal Military College of Canada campus in Kingston hosts a Royal Canadian Sea Cadets camp called HMCS Ontario. This camp provides sailing training and other activities for young people across Canada. The Kingston Yacht Club in downtown Kingston offers a learn-to-sail program for children and adults.

Kingston is known for fresh-water wreck diving. The city’s shipwrecks are well preserved because of the cool, fresh water. A recent increase in water clarity caused by zebra mussels has improved diving conditions in the area.

The Kingston Lawn Bowling Club has been at its location on Napier Street since 1932. However, the sport’s history in Kingston dates back to 1914. The club offers many recreational activities, and some members have competed successfully at the provincial level and beyond. One notable member is Dick Edney, who was inducted into the Kingston and District Sports Hall of Fame in 2005.

The Kingston area has eight golf courses, two of which are public. The Kingston Golf Club, founded in 1884, was a founding member of the Royal Canadian Golf Association in 1895. However, the club stopped operating in the 1920s. The first winner of the Canadian Amateur Championship that same year was Kingston resident Thomas Harley, a Scottish immigrant carpenter. Richard H. (Dick) Green, who moved to Kingston from England in the late 1920s, was the club professional at Cataraqui Golf and Country Club for nearly 40 years. Green also helped design several golf courses in eastern Ontario, including Smiths Falls (1949), Glen Lawrence (1955), Rideau Lakes (1961), Amherstview (1971), Garrison (1971), Evergreen (1972), Belle Park Fairways (1975), Rivendell (1979), and Colonnade (1984). Matt McQuillan, a professional golfer on the PGA Tour in 2011 and 2012, was born and raised in Kingston. He developed his skills at the Garrison Golf and Curling Club and won the 2005 Telus Edmonton Open on the PGA Tour Canada.

Three curling