I just recently discovered the BlogTrotting site, after I read my friend Jessica’s post about Austin, Texas, and I thought it was a great idea so I signed up. Having said that, I probably should have considered the fact that I don’t necessarily live in the most exciting city in North America, let alone Canada, or even Ontario. But it is my hometown, and I’ve lived here almost my entire life, and it most certainly deserves a visit.
So here are some basics about my hometown:
*It is located in South Eastern Ontario, surrounded by beautiful Lake Ontario, and is a major port to the Thousand Islands*Kingston was the first capital of Canada, and is the home of Canada’s first Prime Minister, Sir John A Macdonald (who is also buried here) *The population of Kingston proper is approximately 117,000 and approx. 153,000 when including surrounding townships *It is also known as the “Limestone City” because many of the local, historic buildings are built from the local limestone. * Do you need a little education? Queen’s University, one of the oldest universities in Canada, and most beautiful is also located in Kingston. It’s a gorgeous campus, filled with many smart profs that will be sure to stress you out for as long as you’re there (yes I speak from experience). Along with my alma mater, you will find St. Lawrence College and R.M.C. (the Royal Military College of Canada) – Canada’s only military university. Kingston is also home to the oldest high school in Canada, K.C.V.I., again my alma mater.
Have you been a bad boy (or girl)?
If you happen to break the law, then you may end up in one of the 9 institutions located in and around Kingston – yes, we are famous for having the most federal correctional facilities in Canada. Seriously, though, isn’t that a pretty penitentiary?? That definitely deserves at least a banner I think.
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It’s good enough for Bryan Adams to be born here, then it’s good enough for you too dammit!
There are many well known individuals who are from Kingston and/or make their home here including several NHLers and musicians. They include: Don Cherry, Doug Gilmour, Kirk Muller, John Kay (Steppenwolf), The Tragically Hip, Zal Yanovsky (The Lovin’ Spoonful), Sarah Harmer, and Dan Akroyd.
There are also many notable authors that live or once lived in Kingston, and being a book lover, I can absolutely appreciate this. Some authors you may recognize include: Helen Humphreys, Diane Schoemperlen, Robertson Davies, Merilyn Simonds, and Steven Heighton.
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What to do, What to do
I will admit that although I am not a fan of winter ANYWHERE, I do really enjoy the warmer months in Kingston, because there is always something going on. There are many festivals that occur every year, that bring in thousands of tourists and we try to attend as many as we can. Our favorite is the Busker’s Festival, but we also enjoy the Blues festival, the Jazz festival, and Febfest. We also enjoy attending theatre, the Kingston Symphony and other musical events at the local Grand Theatre and KROCK Centre. And for the outdoorsy types, there are many beautiful trails to enjoy, as well as fresh water sailing, diving and golf.
Well, that’s as much Kingston as I’m willing to share with you over the internet. I hope you enjoyed your short, but filled-with-love tour. If you’re ever in my little city, let me know and I’ll let you buy me a drink. Cheers.
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