Don Cherry paints his hometown of Kingston, Ontario, Canada as a tough as nails, working class city. A much better description would be a friendly, photogenic city that has played a major role in Canadian history and must be visited.
Formerly a gas and found stop for us on our way to further points in Eastern Canada. Kingston has, in the past few years, become an anticipated destination. We love this city. Often, when you fall in love with a place, the adoration fades the more you visit. Not the case with Kingston. We seem to discover more each time we’re here.
Kingston is the 11th largest city in Ontario by population…
Our first stay at a hotel in more than a year, due to COVID-19 travel restrictions, came at the start of October, 2020. We spent two nights at the Ambassador Hotel, our go-to accommodations in this city. As luck would have it, the waterslide, which had been closed since March, reopened the day we arrived. We were the first to ride the slide in over six months.
More on our visit below the photo gallery…
Kingston, Ontario Image Gallery
The photos in the gallery have been cropped to fit the format. For full-size versions, simply click on the individual pictures.
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What’s In The Gallery
Looking left to right, top to bottom, here’s what we photographed.
Top Left: View from the grounds of Fort Henry of the Royal Military College campus with downtown Kingston in behind.
Top Centre: Lift bridge on the LaSalle Causeway over the Cataraqui River.
Top Right: View of the Kingston Penitentiary from across the Portsmouth Olympic Harbour.
2nd Row Left: Gun demonstration at Fort Henry.
2nd Row Centre: CNR and GATX freight trains meet at the Kingston VIA Rail station.
2nd Row Right: View of downtown Kingston from the Wolfe Islander III ferry boat.
3rd Row Left: Waves hit the break wall at Portsmouth Olympic Harbour.
3rd Row Centre: Canada Coast Guard motor lifeboat Port Lambton moored at Olympic Harbour.
3rd Row Right: The sun bursts from behind a guard tower at the Kingston Penitentiary.
Bottom Row Left: Long exposure of a freight train at night at the Kingston VIA Rail station.
Bottom Row Centre: Wolfe Islander III vehicle and pedestrian ferry.
Bottom Row Right: Barn in a rough state on Wolfe Island.
Our Latest Visit To Kingston, Ontario
To celebrate two birthdays, mine and my youngest son’s, we decided on a quick midweek trip to Kingston. It was last minute as camping in the motorhome was the first choice but the forecast turned to crap.
A train station that could be seen from the hotel and an indoor waterslide were all the turning five year old needed. A place to take pictures was all I needed.
The horrid weather on our first day made for a unique experience at Portsmouth Olympic Harbour. The waves coming off Lake Ontario / St. Lawrence River looked more like they belonged on an ocean and not a Great Lake. The crashing waves would periodically spray water far above the break wall, just feet from the parking lot and walkway.
This location, adjacent to the historic Kingston Penitentiary, is a great place to stop for free. The outside views of the now decommissioned jail are spectacular. The lakefront walkway that passes through goes on for several kilometres and will take you right to downtown.
We visited Fort Henry, across the Cataraqui River from the main city of Kingston. The grounds and museum were open and we had the place to ourselves. The gun demonstration is something that should not be missed. We had a front row seat as there were just the four of us and two other guests.
I revisited the grounds of Fort Henry for sunrise. The fort is not open but the grounds around the fort are simple parkland. The view from here of the Royal Military College campus with downtown Kingston beyond that is spectacular, especially just as the sun starts to come up.
In saying that, I ended up back at Olympic Harbour to complete the sunrise trip. The good thing about Kingston is you can move around quite fast between locations.
For rail fans, this is a great location, especially if you’re staying at the Ambassador. We’re used to the traffic on the west side of Toronto. After seeing the number of trains that pass through Kingston, what we’re used to is quite sparse. Apparently, the Toronto to Montreal corridor is much, much busier. The VIA Rail station has ample parking and a great view of the tracks.
On our final day, when the winds and rain had subsided, we took what is the best thing to do for free in Kingston. A trip on the Wolfe Islander III vehicle and passenger ferry doesn’t cost a dime and runs every hour to nearby Wolfe Island.
This is a great way to get views of the city and Fort Henry that would otherwise be impossible. It’s also a great way to entertain kids for a few hours.
Unfortunately, the ferry had already moved to its winter docking site on the island. The winter site is a long distance from the town and its attractions. The summer dock is right in the town and that’s where we thought we were going. After a walk down the highway, we realized we weren’t where we were supposed to be and simply heading back to catch the next ferry back to Kingston.
In saying that, there is a shuttle to take you into town but you have to catch it as soon as you get off the boat…
As historic as downtown Quebec City, Montreal or Toronto, downtown Kingston is a place to simply stroll around and take in the sights. The City Hall dominates the skyline and was designated a Historic Site of Canada 60 years ago.
