Did you know that Kingston was Canada’s first capital city? This historical city is full of surprises and attractions that supplement the military history of Fort Henry www.visitkingston.ca. Above all, it is a city on the water, with a string of paths, trails and grand buildings fronting Lake Ontario.
After gaining an overview from the Fort (top), we took the famous Confederation Trolley Tour www.kingstonchamber.on.ca around the city, which is an effective and enjoyable way of sampling what Kingston has to offer. Kingston City Hall (next) was built when the city was capital of Canada 1841-1843 and the adjacent Farmer’s Market (next) is the oldest in Canada.
With limited time, we had to choose just two of the 25 art galleries, museums and historic sites of Kingston: we went first to Canada’s Penitentiary Museum www.penitentiarymuseum.ca/museum/museum_home.htm which was a fascinating insight into a whole new world! Particularly fascinating are the examples of inmate creativity – from “home made toasters” and an accurate crossbow fashioned from toothbrushes, to ingenious escape attempts.
And then on to Bellevue House http://www.pc.gc.ca/eng/lhn-nhs/on/bellevue/index.aspx (bottom), one-time home of Sir John A Macdonald, our first Prime Minister. It was built in Italianate style - quite unlike the traditional Georgian architecture of many Kingston homes, which were often fashioned from local Limestone. The house and gardens are an absolute delight to wander around. Sir John A Macdonald moved to this tranquil setting in 1848, in the hope that the failing health of his wife Isabella would improve. Alas, she did not recover and after only 1 year in this beautiful setting, due to financial difficulties, the family moved to a smaller home in Kingston.
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