Canadian Yachting October 2019 - 11

and 1000 Island areas, logging over 7,000
nautical miles on Lake Ontario and the
1000 Islands as far east as Cornwall. One
benefit to Kingston McFarlane noted is
that you can get pretty much anywhere
from its waterways.
McFarlane isn't wrong - whether
you're looking for a short-term or longterm adventure, it can all begin (or end)
with Kingston. From here you can cruise
along the St. Lawrence River, past
Montreal and Quebec City, and on to the
Atlantic Ocean, or you can explore Lake
Ontario and access any of the Great
Lakes and adjacent waterways. For more
sedate travel, you can cruise the 202-kilometres of the Rideau Canal between
Kingston and Ottawa, and see the his-

toric locks operating just as they would
have a hundred years ago.
When in Kingston, two downtown
marinas will make sure you are right in
the thick of things and only a short walk
from most downtown destinations.
Boaters can choose between Confederation Basin Marina, located directly
across from City Hall and the Kingston
Visitor Centre, or Portsmouth Olympic
Harbour, the location of the '76
Olympics, located beside Kingston
Penitentiary. Other marinas dot the
shoreline both east and west of the city.
To get around in the city, you can
rent a bike, stand-up paddleboard, or
kayak from Ahoy Rentals, right in
downtown Kingston, or purchase a pass
to hop on board Kingston's hop-on-hopoff trolley service that will take you to
all the visitor hotspots. From Kingston
Penitentiary, to Fort Henry, Bellevue
House, the Pumphouse Museum, and
Market Square, there's plenty to see
and do in Kingston.
One of the city's biggest tourism
champions is Chris Whyman, who shares
Kingston's story with visitors in his official
capacity as Town Crier. You may spot
Whyman out on the streets during special
events in Kingston, proclaiming its history
loud and clear, and in particular its waterside heritage.

"We have so many visitors who come
here by boat," Whyman said, "One of the
unique things about Kingston is when
you get off your boat, you're right in the
heart of Kingston, where you'll find live
music, patios, restaurants, and a rich and
vibrant community where there's always
something happening."
Whyman isn't kidding when he talks
about Kingston's restaurant scene:
Kingston has the highest restaurants per
capita of any city in Canada, and that
translates into more selection, more competition, and excellent dining destinations. It's that same culinary excellence
that fostered the Kingston Food Tour, a
three-hour tour that offers a crash course
on Kingston's history, architecture, and an
inside scoop on everything from the city's
ghosts to prison escapes and shipwrecks.
The water has naturally played an
important role in Kingston's more than
400-year history, from the days when furtrading Europeans used the water as a
highway for trapping, to Kingston's pivotal
role during the War of 1812, to its current
reputation for sustainable waterfront
development.
In fact, Kingston briefly held the title
of the capital of Canada from 1841 to
1844, when the capital was relocated to
Ottawa due to fears that Kingston's waterside location would make it vulnerable to

Top Left: Kingston Penitentiary looms formidably in the background at Portsmouth
Olympic Harbour in Kingston.
Above: Portsmouth Olympic Harbour Marina hosted the sailing competition in the
1976 Olympics, a testament to the unique sailing conditions in the area. The marina
has 250 slip finger docks and can accommodate power and sail boats

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Canadian Yachting October 2019

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