Canadian Yachting October 2019 - 12

Keeping busy in Kingston:
Go behind bars at Kingston Penitentiary
Ever wanted to see first-hand what it's like in prison, but with the option of exiting
the building? Take a tour of Kingston Penitentiary and see what life was like in the
prison, the famous riot in 1971, and its closure in 2013. Open spring and summer,
with varying hours.
Savour Kingston's food scene
This three-hour tour will take you to the best local restaurants and give you info
about Kingston's history and culture. Ask your guide about why there are so many
old buildings made with limestone in Kingston! Tickets required in advance.
Walk or bike the Waterfront Trail
Take a walk or bring your bike (or rent one from Ahoy Rentals in downtown
Kingston) and explore Kingston's Waterfront Trail, an eight-kilometre scenic route
that is one of the best ways to see the city. Stop for a swim at Breakwater Park.
Learn about Kingston's military history at Fort Henry
Dig a little deeper into Kingston's military history at Fort Henry, and see what
19th-century military life was all about. The fort is open from mid-May to
Thanksgiving, but hours vary depending on the month.
See inside a Martello Tower
Don't miss your opportunity to see inside a piece of Kingston's military history and visit
Murney Tower, a Martello tower dating back to 1846. The tower is open to the public
daily from mid-May to Labour Day. Fort Frederick Tower is also open to the public.

attack from the U.S. Despite the shift of
government to Ottawa, Kingston remains
a pivotal military location to this day.
Visible from the water is the imposing
Fort Henry, the largest fortification west
of Quebec City, a National Historic Site,
and part of the Rideau Canal's UNESCO
World Heritage Site designation. The
Rideau Canal itself is a military construction designed for defence of Canada's
interior, with Kingston standing guard at
its southern entrance, and Fort Frontenac
dates back to 1673 and is still used by the
military today.

The Kingston Food Tour is a fun way to
get the lowdown on Kingston's history,
and enjoy sampling local foods at the
same time. Any tour that starts off with
a margarita is a good one!

Kingston's famous Martello towers
may also get a second curious glance from
boaters. Modelled after a similar structure encountered by the British army in
Martello, Corsica, a Martello tower is a
round, thick-walled tower that can be
used to repel a water invasion when
manned by roughly a dozen men.
Martello towers were extremely resilient
and capable of resisting significant siege
activity.
Kingston is home to four Martello
Towers - Cathcart Tower, Murney Tower,
Fort Frederick, and Shoal Tower. Both
Fort Frederick and Murney Towers are
open to the public; Murney Tower is now
a museum.
Today the city of Kingston focuses on
its waterfront for recreational and leisure
pursuits, and has been working hard at
becoming a "people place" where pedestrian and recreational access to the water

Above Left: Kingston's Martello towers are reminders of Kingston's military significance as guardian of the Rideau Canal and
Canada's interior. There are only 11 Martello towers left in Canada, four of which are located in Kingston.
Bottom Left: A visit to Kingston Penitentiary is a unique opportunity to peek inside prison life. The prison opened as a visitor
attraction following its closure as an operating penitentiary in 2013.
Bottom Right: Confederation Basin Marina sits in the heart of downtown Kingston and is a good spot to use as your
launchpad for an exploration of the city, the Shoal Tower is visible.

Canadian Yachting

OCTOBER 2019

Canadian Yachting October 2019

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Canadian Yachting October 2019