Kingston, Ontario: historically (and home of the Tragically) hip

By Zaren White

Kingston—more than just the name of my celebrity hero’s first-born (Gwen Stefani, if you’re wondering). When you think about cool places to visit in Canada, you may not think of Kingston, but my recent work-related sojourn there was really enjoyable, to the extent that I’m convinced I will live there at some point in my life.

Kingston boasts more than the largest concentration of federal correctional facilities in Canada (and isn’t that enough?). It has history and culture, beautiful Lake Ontario-side views and activities such as the “1000 Islands Cruise” (who knew there were cruises, let alone 1000 islands?), lush green spaces and landscaping, and an impressive array of shopping possibilities, not to mention the relative badassness of the squirrels (although that’s not unique to Kingston; seems to be an Ontario thing).

More importantly, Kingston is sandwiched between some very exciting destinations to visit. By car, it’s 259 kilometres to Toronto (approximately three hours), 287 kilometres to Montreal, and 606 kilometres (just under seven hours) to New York City. I’d be content with the ability to move easily between these three metropolises.

What I like about Kingston is that it looks old, and so it should. First established in 1673, Kingston is steeped in historical and cultural heritage. The city was actually the first capital of the Province of Canada in 1841, chosen because of its military importance and its location mid-way between Toronto and Montreal. As such, the Victorian limestone buildings are ornate and majestic.

Kingston has a bunch of firsts or oldests: It was the home of Sir John A. Macdonald, Canada’s first prime minister; it’s home of the Kingston Whig-Standard, Canada’s oldest daily newspaper; its police force is the oldest law enforcement agency in Canada; it claims to be the birthplace of ice hockey (but there is some dispute). In addition to the Royal Military College, Canada’s only military post-secondary institution, Kingston features the oldest degree-granting institution in Canada: Queen’s University. The Queen’s campus is grandiose and regal, as the name would imply.

Incidentally, Stats Canada says that the most PhD-holders per capita of any city in Canada reside in Kingston.

In addition to many highly educated people, Kingston is home to Ontario’s only UNESCO World Heritage Site, Fort Henry. Built in 1812 as a result of the threat of American invasion and bearing the title of the largest and most costly Canadian fort west of Quebec City, Fort Henry was designated as a National Historic Site for its defense of the Rideau Canal and the Naval Dockyard. Many Kingston events and shows revolve around Fort Henry as a tourist attraction, complete with Tattoo musical spectacles, brass and pipe bands, highland dancers, and cannon fire and fireworks.

My shopping misadventures in downtown Kingston were lucrative—American Apparel, Urban Outfitters, and the like, with an exciting assortment of vintage boutiques and cool, crazy stores with names like “A Novel Idea” (books) and “Send In The Clowns” (cards, stationary, giftware, useless knickknacks, everything I dreamed of and more).

I was similarly impressed by the wide assortment of things to see, stores to explore, restaurants to indulge in (one named “Chez Piggy,” was highly recommended, although I didn’t get to check it out), and fun pubs to carouse (one named “The Old Speckled Hen” was memorable, like it would be). Each of these are alongside stunning architecture, including more churches than you can shake a stick at (and I tried), and countless parks with stately trees and general nooks and crannies of green space.

Nestled by Lake Ontario and surrounded by old-world elegance and majesty, close enough to many major cities but separate enough to be clean, green, and spacious, Kingston is definitely work checking out.

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