Kingston, ON: Exploring Canada’s First Capital

You’re probably wondering. Why did a girl from Kingston, Jamaica end up in Kingston, Ontario? Or not, but I’m going to tell you anyway. My residency program allows me to do an overseas elective and through a friend, I got the opportunity to rotate with a Jamaican specialist now based in Kingston, Ontario. Most British ex-colonies share similar place names which explains why there are “Kingstons” in the USA, UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Guyana and of course, my beloved Kingston, Jamaica which is a must-visit destination. That being said, before arranging this elective, I’d never heard of this Kingston before but I was pleasantly surprised by what I found. I also had the good fortune of witnessing the solar eclipse from Kingston which I wrote about separately. Read on to learn more about Kingston, Ontario.

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What’s Inside

1. Fun Facts About Kingston
2. Where I Stayed + Getting Around
3. Downtown & City Hall
4. Kingston’s Food & Beer
5. Kingston’s Art
6. Kingston’s Museums & Penitentiary Tour

Fun Facts About Kingston

• Kingston is a pedestrian and cyclist friendly city located in southeastern Ontario, and serves as the midpoint between Toronto and Montreal, two important Canadian cities.
• Kingston served as Canada’s first capital in 1841. While its tenure as capital only lasted three years, Kingston remained an important military town and point of defense. In fact, Kingston’s fortifications and the Rideau Canal was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2007, one of Canada’s 15 such sites.
• Kingston is filled with history and has been dubbed “Canada’s Museum Capital” with its 24 museums and historic sites.
• Many of its heritage buildings were constructed from local limestone, earning Kingston the nickname of “Limestone City.”
• Today, the city is home to 132,000 people and serves as a regional centre of education and health care with two major universities, a large vocational college and three hospitals. It also has a lot of churches, some of which have been repurposed into accommodations and coworking spaces.
• The city of Kingston acknowledges its Indigenous heritage and strives for inclusivity of its 7,000+ residents who identify as First Nations, Inuit or Metis. 
• Last but not least, Kingston is home to a thriving culinary scene with more restaurants per capita than most Canadian cities. It also has a vibrant arts community with regular culinary, visual art, literary and music tours and festivals.

Where I Stayed + Getting Around Kingston

Since I had an extended stay in Kingston, I booked an Airbnb within walking distance of Downtown so I could explore in my free time and be close to amenities like supermarkets, convenience stores, restaurants and a laundromat. I stayed in a fairly decent studio for US$65 per night with a microwave, toaster oven and mini fridge which allowed me to do basic meal prep and save money. Feel free to reach out and I’ll provide the link to it. I got to Kingston from Niagara Falls using a GO bus and train, followed by the Megabus. In Kingston, I got around mostly by walking or with multiride bus passes for the Kingston transit, since they only accept coins (I hated this part!). Their schedules are available on Google Maps and I found them to be fairly efficient, but occasionally crowded.

Downtown & City Hall

Downtown has a lot worth checking out! I realized a bit too late that I visited Kingston during its off-season, as most attractions or guided tours are only offered between the months of May to November. Nonetheless, I still got an eyeful of several free landmarks such as the Kingston sign (pictured above), City Hall (first row of photos below) and the Engine 1095 located by Confederation Park at the waterfront. During peak season for Kingston’s tourism, you can take the 1000 Islands Riverboat Cruise and the free Wolfe Island Ferry. Many people also go kayaking, paddle boarding and canoeing along Kingston’s 8km waterfront stretch when the weather is great. I enjoyed people watching and walking past the historic cathedrals. I’m also very happy to have shared these first few moments of the trip with my partner.

Kingston’s Food & Beer

Daft Brewery

Kingston possesses some of Canada’s most restaurants per square mile, making it a great city to visit for the food-curious. Like most of Canada, Kingston has a large immigrant population and you’ll see that represented in its restaurants, namely: Mexican, Italian, Indian, Middle Eastern, Vietnamese, Chinese, Thai, Cambodian, Japanese, Korean and even German cuisine. The city also features several cafes, bakeries, craft breweries and a cider company. I had an extended stay so I made majority of my meals from groceries, but I still made sure to try as much as I could. Besides a fast food run at Little Caesar’s and McDonald’s, I had:

• Indian food at Daal Roti (favourite!)
• Chinese food at Silver Wok, and
• Thai Food at Thai Express.

Rochleau Court

P.S. I absolutely enjoyed the craft beer at Daft Brewery! I also tried poutine, Canada’s national dish, which is fries with gravy and cheese curds. I’m not a big fan of loaded fries so I wasn’t too impressed by poutine either (no offense!). You can also check out the fine eateries at the Rochleau Court with its quaint buildings and European-style cobblestone courtyard, but their prices were a bit out of range for my budget. I’ll cover more of Canada’s food & drink in a separate article.

Kingston’s Art

Martello Alley

Kingston has a thriving art scene and you can find that represented in the city’s galleries and occasional mural. My partner and I stumbled upon the Martello Alley and spent a great bit of time chatting with its friendly owner David. The gallery is shrouded by the ancient arches of a former carriageway and a charming alley inspired by Quebec’s Rue du Trésor. We bought a few unique and locally made souvenir magnets too. In fact, all their paintings and crafts are sourced from local artists, so I highly recommend the Martello Alley for souvenirs.

Other artsy points of interest include the:

• Kingston Glass Studio & Gallery
• Cornerstone Canadian Art & Craft, and
• Gallery Raymond.

Check out Kingston’s social media pages for its Art After Dark pop-up exhibitions, Creative Kingston walking tours, and other special workshops and events.

Kingston’s Museums & Penitentiary Tour

Kingston is Canada’s Museum Capital, but most are seasonal. The safest bet is to visit in mid April through November to check out museums such as Fort Henry, Canada’s Penitentiary Museum, the Original Hockey Hall of Fame, Miller Museum of Geology, Maclachlan Woodworking Museum, Marine Museum, Pumphouse Museum and the Museum of Health Care. As you can see, there’s a museum for just about any and every interest!

That being said, the city’s most (in)famous tour is that of Kingston Penitentiary, a former maximum security prison. Built in 1833-34 and opened on June 1, 1835, Kingston Pen was one of the world’s oldest prisons in continuous use at the time of its closure in 2013. The standard tour lasts 90 minutes and takes one through the living and working areas of its inmates, some dating back to the 1830s. Its tour guides, several of whom are retired correctional officers who once served at KP, bring the history and daily routines of the prison to life including its escapes, riots and everything in between. Most chilling was the Riot of 1971 which made global news as it lasted four days and resulted in the death of two inmates and destruction of much of the prison. Six correctional officers were held hostage by the prisoners, but were released unharmed albeit traumatized.

They also spoke about Norman “Red” Ryan, an infamous bank robber who escaped, got recaptured, was later released on parole for “good behaviour”– and swiftly returned to a life of crime. I admired that they refrained from speaking about most of its former inmates out of respect for their families and to avoid sensationalizing criminal behaviour. KP was an odd tour but one a friend and I strangely ended up liking a lot.

Wrap Up

All in all, I’m happy that school (in a way) led me to this interesting walkable city in Canada which I probably would’ve never heard about, let alone visited otherwise. Have you visited Kingston, Ontario before, or will you add it to your bucket list? Sound off in the comments section below! I’d love to hear from you.

If you liked this post, you may also enjoy:

• 48 Hours in Niagara Falls
• Public Transport in Ontario Explained
• Exploring Downtown Toronto
• My guide to Machu Picchu in Peru

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