Reddendale

Kingston is a city in Ontario, Canada. It is located on the north-eastern end of Lake Ontario, at the beginning of the St. Lawrence River and at the mouth of the Cataraqui River (south end of the Rideau Canal). The city is midway between Toronto, Ontario and Montreal, Quebec. Kingston is also located nearby the Thousand Islands, a tourist region to the east, and the Prince Edward County tourist region to the west. Kingston is nicknamed the "Limestone City" because of the many heritage buildings constructed using local limestone.

Growing European exploration in the 17th century, and the desire for the Europeans to establish a presence close to local Native occupants to control trade, led to the founding of a French trading post and military fort at a site known as "Cataraqui" (generally pronounced /kætə'ɹɑkweɪ/, "kah-tah-ROCK-way") in 1673. This outpost, called Fort Cataraqui, and later Fort Frontenac, became a focus for settlement. Since 1760, the site of Kingston, Ontario, was in effective British possession. Cataraqui would be renamed Kingston after the British took possession of the fort, and Loyalists began settling the region in the 1780s.

Kingston was named the first capital of the United Province of Canada on February 10, 1841. While its time as a capital city was short (ending in 1844), the community has remained an important military installation. The city is a regional centre of education and health care, being home to two major universities, a large vocational college, and three major hospitals. Kingston was the county seat of Frontenac County until 1998. Kingston is now a separate municipality from the County of Frontenac. Kingston is the largest municipality in southeastern Ontario and Ontario's 10th largest metropolitan area. Kingston is also the hometown of John A. Macdonald, Canada's first Prime Minister.

History

Naming history and etymology

A number of origins of "Cataraqui", Kingston's original name, have been postulated. One theory is that it is derived from the Iroquois word that means "the place where one hides". The name may also be a derivation of Indigenous words that mean "impregnable", "muddy river", "place of retreat", "clay bank rising out of the water", "where the rivers and lake meet", "rocks standing in water", or "place where the limestone (or clay) is".

Cataraqui was referred to as "the King's Town" or "King's Town" by 1787, in honour of King George III. The name was shortened to "Kingston" in 1788.Armstrong 1973, p. 67. Cataraqui today is an area around the intersection of Princess Street and Sydenham Road, where the village of Cataraqui (formerly known as Waterloo) was located. Cataraqui is also the name of a municipal electoral district.

Early Indigenous habitation

Archaeological evidence suggests people lived in the Kingston region as early as the Archaic Period (about 9,000–3,000 years ago). Evidence of Late Woodland Period (about 1000–500 AD) early Iroquois occupation also exists. The first more permanent encampments by Indigenous people in the Kingston area began about 500 AD.Kingston Archaeology – Belle Island
Retrieved February 27, 2015 The group that first occupied the area before the arrival of the French was probably the Wyandot people (Hurons), who were later displaced by Iroquoian groups.

At the time the French arrived in the Kingston area, Five Nations Iroquois (Haudenosaunee) had settled along the north shore of Lake Ontario. Although the area around the south end of the Cataraqui River was often visited by Iroquois and other groups, Iroquois settlement at this location only began after the French established their outpost. By 1700, the north shore Iroquois had moved south, and the area once occupied by the Iroquois (which includes Kingston) became occupied by the Mississaugas, a subtribe of the Anishinaabe, who had moved south from the Lake Huron and Lake Simcoe regions.

French settlement and Fort Frontenac

European commercial and military influence and activities centred on the fur trade developed and increased in North America in the 17th century. Fur trappers and traders were spreading out from their centres of operation in New France. French explorer Samuel de Champlain visited the Kingston area in 1615.

To establish a presence on Lake Ontario for the purpose of controlling the fur trade with local indigenous people, Louis de Buade de Frontenac, Governor of New France established Fort Cataraqui, later to be called Fort Frontenac, at a location known as Cataraqui in 1673. The fort served as a trading post and military base, and gradually attracted indigenous and European settlement. In 1674, René-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle was appointed commandant of the fort. From this base, de La Salle explored west and south as far as the Gulf of Mexico. The fort was rebuilt several times and experienced periods of abandonment. The Iroquois siege of 1688 led to many deaths, after which the French destroyed the fort, but would rebuild it. The British destroyed the fort during the Battle of Fort Frontenac ( Seven Years' War) in 1758 and its ruins remained abandoned until the British took possession and partially reconstructed it in 1783. The fort was renamed Tête-de-Pont Barracks in 1787. It was turned over to the Canadian military in 1870–71 and is still being used by the military. It was renamed Fort Frontenac in 1939. Partially reconstructed parts of the original fort can be seen today at the western end of the La Salle Causeway.

Loyalist settlement

In 1783, Frederick Haldimand, governor of the Province of Quebec directed Deputy Surveyor-General John Collins to lay out a settlement for displaced British colonists, or Loyalists, who were fleeing north because of the American Revolutionary War and "minutely examine the situation and site of the Post formerly occupied by the French, and the land and country adjacent". Haldimand had originally considered the site as a possible location to settle loyal Mohawks.Osborne 2011, p. 18 The survey would also determine whether Cataraqui was suitable as a navy base since nearby Carleton Island on which a British navy base was located had been ceded to the Americans after the war. Holland's report about the old French post mentioned "every part surpassed the favorable idea I had formed of it", that it had "advantageous Situations" and that "the harbour is in every respect Good and most conveniently situated to command Lake Ontario". Major John Ross, commanding officer of the King's Royal Regiment of New York at Oswego partly rebuilt Fort Frontenac in 1783. As commander, he played a significant role in establishing the Cataraqui settlement.

To facilitate settlement, the British Crown entered into an agreement with the Mississaugas in October 1783 to purchase land east of the Bay of Quinte. Known as the Crawford Purchase, this agreement enabled settlement for much of the eastern section of the north shore of Lake Ontario. With the completion of the Mississauga agreement, settlement could proceed, although the planning of the layout of the townsite had not waited for the completion of the negotiations. The area was surveyed, and the survey report mentioned the area was deemed to have productive lands, abundant resources, a good harbour and an existing townsite. These requirements were considered ideal to settle the Loyalists. Three kinds of refugee Loyalists would settle at Cataraqui: ‘associated’ or ‘incorporated’ Loyalists who were organized into companies under militia officers, provincial colonial regiments and their dependents, and unincorporated Loyalists who came to Canada independently.

Many Loyalist refugees had at first settled on Carleton Island, and operated businesses there. When the Island was ceded to the United States after the Revolutionary War, these Loyalists, along with their businesses, relocated to Cataraqui.

Notable Loyalists who settled in the Cataraqui area include Molly Brant (the sister of Six Nations leader Joseph Brant); businessman and political figure Richard Cartwright; John Stuart, a clergyman, missionary and educator who arrived in 1785; and militia captain Johan Jost Herkimer. A group of Loyalists from New York State, led by Captain Michael Grass who arrived in 1784 after sailing from New York and up the St. Lawrence River, established a camp south of Fort Frontenac at Mississauga Point. The first name given to the settlement by the Loyalists was King's Town, which would eventually develop into the current appellation.

The first high school (grammar school) in what later became the province of Ontario was established in Kingston in 1792 by Loyalist priest John Stuart, which evolved into Kingston Collegiate and Vocational Institute.

War of 1812, and development

During the War of 1812, Kingston (with a population of 2,250) was a major military centre. It was the base for the Lake Ontario division of the Great Lakes British naval fleet, which engaged in a vigorous arms race with the American fleet based at Sackets Harbor, New York for control of Lake Ontario. The Provincial Marine quickly placed ships into service and troops were brought in. A Royal Naval detachment built warships in order to control Lake Ontario. Fortifications and other defensive structures were built. The first Fort Henry was built during this time to protect the dockyards in Navy Bay. This fort was replaced by a more extensive fort on Point Henry in 1813. The present limestone citadel, constructed between 1832 and 1836, was intended to defend the recently completed Rideau Canal (opened in 1832) at the Lake Ontario end as well as the harbour and the naval dockyard. In 1843, the advanced battery overlooking the lake to the south was completed when the casemated commissariat stores and magazines were built. Fort Henry was garrisoned by British until 1871. It was restored starting in 1936 and is a popular tourist attraction, now part of a World Heritage Site.

Kingston's location at the Rideau Canal entrance to Lake Ontario made it the primary military and economic centre of Upper Canada after canal construction was completed in 1832. It was incorporated as a town in 1838; the first mayor of Kingston was Thomas Kirkpatrick. Kingston had the largest population of any centre in Upper Canada until the 1840s. Kingston was incorporated as a city in 1846.

Kingston became an important port as businesses relating to transshipment, or forwarding, grew. Since Kingston was at the junction of the St. Lawrence River and Lake Ontario, commodities shipped along the lake from the west such as wheat, flour, meat, and potash were unloaded and stored at Kingston to await transfer to vessels that could navigate the risky St. Lawrence. With the completion of the Rideau Canal, cargoes could be transported in a safer fashion since the St. Lawrence River route could be bypassed. The canal was a popular route for transporting lumber.

Regiopolis College (for training priests) was incorporated in March 1837, and in 1866 the College was given full degree-granting powers, although these were rarely used and the college closed in 1869. The building became the Hotel Dieu Hospital in 1892. The College reopened at another location in 1896. Queen's University, originally Queen's College, one of the first liberal arts universities, first held classes in March 1842; established by the Presbyterian Church, it later became a national institution. The Royal Military College of Canada (RMC) was founded in 1876.

Kingston Penitentiary, Canada's first large federal penitentiary, was established in 1835 and operated until 2013. Several more prisons would be established in later years in the greater Kingston area, including the federal Prison for Women (1930, closed in the 1990s), Millhaven Penitentiary, Collins Bay, Frontenac, and Joyceville Institutions.

During the Upper Canada Rebellion, 1837–38, much of the local militia was posted in Kingston, under Lt. Col. Richard Henry Bonnycastle who completed construction of the new Fort Henry.

As Canada's first capital

Governor General Lord Sydenham chose Kingston as the first capital of the united Canadas, and it served in that role from 1841 to 1844. The first meeting of the Parliament of the Province of Canada on June 13, 1841, was held on the site of what is now Kingston General Hospital. The city was considered too small and lacking in amenities, however, and its location near the border made it vulnerable to American attack. Consequently, the capital was moved to Montreal in 1844, and it alternated between Quebec City and Toronto from 1849 until Ottawa, then a small lumber village known as Bytown, was selected as the permanent capital by Queen Victoria. Subsequently, Kingston's growth slowed considerably and its national importance declined.

In 1846, with a population of 6,123, Kingston was incorporated as a city, with John Counter as the first mayor. By that time, there were stone buildings, both residential and commercial. The market house was particularly noteworthy as "the finest and most substantial building in Canada" which contained many offices, government offices, space for church services, the post office, the City Hall (completed in 1844) and more. Five weekly newspapers were being published. Fort Henry and the marine barracks took up a great deal of space. Kingston Penitentiary had about 400 inmates. (The prison opened in 1835, with a structure intended to reform the inmates, not merely to hold or punish them.) Industry included a steam grist mill, three foundries, two shipbuilders, ship repairers and five wagon makers; tradesmen of many types also worked here. All freight was shipped by boat or barges and ten steamboats per day were running to and from the town. Five schools for ladies and two for boys were operating, and the town had four bank agency offices. There were ten churches or chapels and the recently opened Hotel Dieu hospital was operated by sisters with the Religious Hospitallers of St. Joseph as a charity.

Both Hotel Dieu and Kingston General Hospital (KGH) cared for victims of the typhus epidemic of 1847. The KGH site held the remains of 1,400 Irish immigrants who had died in Kingston in fever sheds along the waterfront, during the typhus epidemic of 1847, while fleeing the Great Famine. They were buried in a common grave. The remains were re-interred at the city's St. Mary's Cemetery in 1966. In 1995, KGH was designated a National Historic Site of Canada, because it is "the oldest public hospital in Canada still in operation with most of its buildings intact and thus effectively illustrates the evolution of health care in Canada in the 19th and 20th centuries".

In 1848, the Kingston Gas Light Company began operation. (Gas lamps would be used until 1947.) By that time, the town was connected to the outside world by telegraph cables.

The Grand Trunk Railway arrived in Kingston in 1856, providing service to Toronto in the west, and to Montreal in the east. Its Kingston station was two miles north of downtown. Kingston became an important rail centre, for both passengers and cargo, due to difficulty travelling by ship through the rapids-and-shoal-filled river.

By 1869, the population had increased to 15,000, and there were four banks. There were two ship building yards.

Kingston was the home of Canada's first Prime Minister, John A. Macdonald. He won his first election to Kingston City Council in 1843, and would later represent the city for nearly 50 years at the national level, both before and after Confederation in 1867. One of his residences in Kingston, Bellevue House, is now a popular National Historic Site of Canada open to the public, and depicting the house as it would have been in the 1840s when he lived there.

In the early hours of April 18, 1840, a dock fire, fanned by high winds, spread to a warehouse containing between 70 and 100 kegs of gunpowder. The resulting explosion spread the fire throughout the city's downtown area, destroying a large number of buildings, including the old city hall. To prevent similar incidents from occurring in future, the city began building with limestone or brick. This rebuilding phase was referred to as "the Limestone Revolution" and earned the city the nickname "The Limestone City".

More recent developments

The Canadian Locomotive Company was in the early 20th century the largest locomotive works in the British Empire and the Davis Tannery was at one time the largest tannery in the British Empire. The tannery operated for a century and was closed in 1973. Other manufacturing companies included the Marine Railway Company, which built steamboats; the Victoria Iron Works, which produced iron in bars from scrap; several breweries; a distillery; and two soap and candle manufacturers. (By the start of the 21st century, most heavy industry would leave the city and their former sites would be gradually rehabilitated and redeveloped.)

A telephone system began operation in Kingston in 1881; at that time the population was 14,091. Electricity was not available in Kingston until 1888.

Kingston grew moderately through the 20th century through a series of annexations of lands in adjacent Kingston Township, including a 1952 annexation of some which encompassed areas west to the Little Cataraqui Creek (including the village of Portsmouth), where a number of large residential subdivisions were built in the late 1950s and early '60s.

Kingston's economy gradually evolved from an industrial to an institutional base after World War II. Queen's University grew from about 2,000 students in the 1940s to its present size of over 28,000 students, more than 90 per cent of whom are from outside the Kingston area. The Kingston campus of St. Lawrence College was established in 1969, and the college has 6,700 full-time students. The Royal Military College of Canada was founded in 1876, and has about 1,000 students. Kingston is a regional health care centre, anchored by Kingston General Hospital and the medical school at Queen's. The city's economy is also dominated by post-secondary education, military institutions, and prison installations.

Municipal governance had been a topic of discussion since the mid-1970s due to financial imbalance between the city and the surrounding townships, which now had large residential areas and a population approaching that of the city proper. On January 1, 1998, the City was amalgamated with Kingston Township and Pittsburgh Township to form the new City of Kingston. The city's boundaries now encompass large rural areas north of Highway 401 and east of the Cataraqui River.

Military history

Kingston, being strategically located at the head of the St. Lawrence River and at the mouth of the Cataraqui River near the border with the United States, has been a site of military importance since Fort Frontenac was built in 1673. The French and, later, the British established military garrisons. The War of 1812 led to the bolstering of military troops, the servicing of ships, and the building of new fortifications to defend the town and the Naval Dockyard. Forts were constructed on Point Henry and at Point Frederick. A picket wall, or stockade, incorporating five blockhouses was built to the west of the town, and batteries were constructed. In November 1812 American naval forces attacked the British sloop Royal George in Kingston harbour but the ship took refuge in the harbour and the American forces withdrew.

Several defensive fortifications were constructed in the late 1840s because of tensions with the United States. These include Fort Henry, four Martello towers ( Cathcart Tower, Shoal Tower, Murney Tower, and Fort Frederick), and the Market Battery. Military ships were built at the Naval Dockyard at Point Frederick from 1788 to 1853. The peninsula near the entrance of the later Royal Military College of Canada was the headquarters of the Royal Navy in between 1813 and 1853. (Fort Frederick, built in 1812–13, was also on this peninsula.)

After the British army withdrew from most locations in Canada in 1870–71, two batteries of garrison artillery were formed by the Dominion Government; the "A" Battery was in Kingston at Fort Henry and Tête du Pont Barracks (Fort Frontenac). (The other battery was in Quebec City) The batteries were also schools of gunnery. Designated as the ''Regiment of Canadian Artillery'', the regular component evolved into the Royal Canadian Horse Artillery. Most of its battery remained housed at Tête du Pont Barracks until 1939.

Following the withdrawal of British forces from Canada in 1870–71, the federal government recognized the need for an officer training college in Canada. In 1874, during the administration of the Hon. Alexander Mackenzie, enabling legislation was passed. Located on Point Frederick, the site of the former Royal Naval Dockyard,

Before a formal college was established in 1876, there were proposals for military colleges in Canada. Staffed by British Regulars, students underwent a military course in 1865 at the School of Military Instruction in Kingston. The school enabled officers of militia or candidates for commission or promotion in the militia to learn military duties, drill and discipline, to command a company at Battalion Drill, to Drill a Company at Company Drill, the internal economy of a Company and the duties of a Company's Officer. The school was retained at Confederation, in 1867.

The withdrawal of imperial troops required a Canadian location for the training of military officers. Because of Kingston's military tradition and the fact several military buildings already existed at the old naval dockyard, Point Frederick was chosen as the location for Canada's first military college, the Royal Military College of Canada (RMC). The facility, called simply The Military College until 1878, opened on Point Frederick with 18 students in 1876 under Lt.-Col. Edward O. Hewett, R.E. providing cadets with academic and military training. In 1959, it became the first military college in the Commonwealth with the right to confer University degrees.

Located east of Kingston's downtown, the army's Camp Barriefield, now McNaughton Barracks, was constructed at the beginning of the World War I and expanded during the World War II. Camp Barriefield was named in honour of Rear-Admiral Robert Barrie (May 5, 1774 – June 7, 1841), a British naval officer noted for his service in the War of 1812. It was later named McNaughton Barracks after Andrew George Latta McNaughton, a former minister of national defence. Nearby Vimy Barracks was established in 1937 for the Royal Canadian Corps of Signals (later the Royal Canadian School of Signals). Vimy and McNaughton Barracks house the Canadian Forces School of Communications and Electronics (CFSCE), the Canadian Forces' military communications training centre and several other units. McNaughton Barracks and Vimy Barracks make up most of Canadian Forces Base Kingston (CFB Kingston). Major military facilities supported by CFB Kingston include Fort Frontenac, on the site of the original fort, and the Royal Military College of Canada.

The Princess of Wales' Own Regiment has been a fixture in the City of Kingston since 1863. The PWOR operates as a Primary Reserve Regiment, its members drawn from the Kingston and area community.

During the First World War, the 21st Battalion was formed and saw action in France in 1915 resulting in 18 battle honours including their role in the Battle of Vimy Ridge. The Royal Canadian Horse Artillery also fought in Europe with the 2nd Canadian Division, taking part in 13 major battles. Fort Henry became an internment camp for enemy aliens from August 1914 to November 1917.

During the Second World War the Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry Highlanders (SD&G), mobilized in June 1940. During fighting, troops that had formed in Kingston received recognition from the government for their achievements. Fort Henry was again an internment camp (Camp 31) from September 1939 to December 1943. A military aerodrome, RCAF Station Kingston, was constructed to the west of Kingston to support flying training.

Heritage sites

Kingston is known for its historic properties, as reflected in the city's motto of "where history and innovation thrive". Including World Heritage Sites, National Historic Sites, Provincially Significant sites, municipally designated heritage properties, and listed or non-designated heritage properties, the city has 1211 properties listed in the heritage register it maintains pursuant to the ''Ontario Heritage Act''.

In 2007, the Rideau Canal, along with the fortifications at Kingston, was designated a World Heritage Site, one of only 15 such sites in Canada.

There are 21 National Historic Sites of Canada in Kingston.

Demographics

In the 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, Kingston had a population of living in of its total private dwellings, a change of from its 2016 population of . With a land area of , it had a population density of in 2021.

At the census metropolitan area (CMA) level in the 2021 census, the Kingston CMA had a population of living in of its total private dwellings, a change of from its 2016 population of . With a land area of , it had a population density of in 2021.

Religion

In 2021, 65,490 Kingston residents, or about half of the population, were members of Christian groups; the largest were Roman Catholics, who numbered 30,385 (23.5%), the United Church of Canada (8,575 or 6.6%), and the Anglican Church of Canada (8,600 or 6.7%).

The Presbyterian Church was particularly influential in the 19th century development of Kingston post-secondary education. The church was a founder and financial supporter of Queen's University until 1912 when it was agreed the university should become a secular institution. John A. Macdonald was also a member of St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church in Kingston.

The religious history of the city can still be seen in the monumental stone churches throughout the downtown core, some of which now serve as community and co-working spaces. Newer churches in the city like Reunion Kingston, tend to seek rental options rather than building new physical spaces.

Groups other than Christians and the non-religious include Muslims (3,375 or 2.6%), Hindus (1,670 or 1.3%), and Jews (875 or 0.7%).

55,355 people, or 42.9% of the population, identified as non-religious.

Government

Municipal

For its municipal government, the city is divided into 12 wards; each elects one councillor. All voters in the city cast ballots for the mayor, currently Bryan Paterson, an economics professor at the Royal Military College of Canada. Paterson was re-elected in the 2018 Ontario municipal elections for the 2018–2022 term.

The councillors elected for the same term were:

* Gary Oosterhof – Countryside District
* Simon Chapelle – Loyalist-Cataraqui District
* Lisa Osanic – Collins-Bayridge District
* Wayne Hill – Lakeside District
* Bridget Doherty – Portsmouth District
* Robert Kiley – Trillium District
* Mary Rita Holland – Kingscourt-Rideau District
* Jeff McLaren – Meadowbrook-Strathcona District
* Jim Neill – Williamsville District
* Peter Stroud – Sydenham District
* Rob Hutchison – King's Town District
* Ryan Boehme – Pittsburgh District

On November 20, 2018 Kingston City Council receive
Report 18-384
which presented the results of the 2018 ranked choice ballots referendum question and outlined potential next steps. The Municipal Elections Act requires that at least 50 percent of the total number of eligible electors in the municipality must vote on the referendum question in order for the results to be "binding". Based on the official 2018 election results the number of eligible electors was 83,608. The total number of electors that voted on the referendum question was 32,803 or 39.2 percent of eligible electors. Since 50 percent of eligible electors did not vote on the referendum question, the results are not "binding" on Council. Of the electors that voted on the referendum question, 62.9 percent were in favour of using ranked choice voting to elect the mayor and district councillors. Although the result of the referendum question is not "binding", Council has directed staff to initiate the process to implement ranked choice voting for the 2022 municipal election.

A by-law to establish ranked choice elections has not been passed to elect City of Kingston Mayor and District Councillors. The required ranked choice Voting Bylaw would have to be passed by May 1, 2021.

Provincial

In provincial elections, the city consists of one riding, Kingston and the Islands formed after the 1999 redistribution, incorporating half of the former Frontenac-Addington and most of the former Kingston and the Islands riding.

Federal

Kingston is part of two federal ridings. Most of the city is in Kingston and the Islands, created in 1966 from Kingston and parts of Hastings—Frontenac—Lennox and Addington and Prince Edward—Lennox. A small portion north of Highway 401 is in Lanark—Frontenac—Kingston, which was created by the 2012 federal electoral boundaries redistribution and was legally defined in the 2013 representation order. It came into effect upon the call of the 42nd Canadian federal election on October 19, 2015.

Economy

Kingston's economy relies heavily on public sector institutions and establishments. The most important sectors are related to health care, higher education (Queen's University, the Royal Military College of Canada, and St. Lawrence College), government (including the military and correctional services), tourism and culture. Manufacturing, and research and development play a smaller role than in the past. The private sector accounts for half of Kingston's employment.Kingston Major Employers
Retrieved: March 15, 2015 One of Kingston's major industrial employers of the 20th century, the Canadian Locomotive Company, closed in 1969, and the former Alcan and DuPont operations employ far fewer people than in the past. But due to the city's central location between Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal and Syracuse, NY a trucking and logistics warehousing industry has developed.

According to the Kingston Economic Development Corporation, the major employers in Kingston as of December 2014 were:

* Canadian Forces Base Kingston (includes the Royal Military College of Canada and military and civilian personnel) 9,642
* Queen's University 7,000
* Kingston General Hospital 4,119
* Limestone District School Board 3,100
* Correctional Service of Canada 2,348
* City of Kingston 1,286
* Providence Care 1,175
* Hotel Dieu Hospital 900
* Invista Canada (formerly DuPont): 800
* StarTek Canada 690
* Calian Group 600
* Empire Life Insurance Company 600
* Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care 569
* Ongwanada 500
* J. E. Agnew Food Services Ltd. (operates several Tim Hortons stores) 490
* Bell Canada 415
* Novelis Works Manufacturing (formerly Alcan) (Rolled Products and R&D Centre) 270
* Tim Horton's Inc. Distribution Centre 259
* Commissionaires Canada 250
* Assurant Solutions 180

Tourism

According to Statistics Canada, the tourism industry in Kingston represents a vital part of the city's economy. In 2004, over 3,500 jobs were contributed to Kingston's economy due to the tourism industry. The tourism industry has been at a healthy growth rate and has become one of the most performing sectors of Kingston. Unique opportunities are presented for this industry in this time of shifting travel trends and the baby boomer generation. The success of Kingston's tourism industry is heavily dependent on information about travellers; however, data availability still remains a challenge.

Kingston has launched several tourism campaigns including Downtown Kingston! and Yellow Door. The city launched a campaign to attract more traffic to downtown Kingston. The campaigns mission statement promises, "to promote downtown Kingston as the vibrant and healthy commercial, retail, residential, and entertainment centre of our region, attracting more people to live, shop, work and gather". The downtown area of Kingston is known as the central business district, and is the gathering place for various events including the Kingston Buskers Rendezvous, FebFest, the 1000 Islands Poker Run and The Limestone City Blues Festival.

Alternatively, Yellow Door promotes tourism to the entire city. The goal of the campaign is to increase the consumer's exposure to Kingston tourism, while remaining financially reasonable.Dick Mathison
"Yellow Door Campaign Receives Tourism Advertising Award"
, ''Kingston Herald'', November 26, 2013 A yellow door was used as a metaphor for Kingston – and the good times people have – and used street workers to gather potential tourists from nearby Toronto and Ottawa. "Yellow Door" promotes interest by offering potential tourists a trip to Kingston. In 2013, Yellow Door received the Tourism Advertising Award of Excellence for the marketing and promotion of an Ontario tourism product.

Attractions

TripAdvisor users rate the following among the best attractions in and near the city: Canada's Penitentiary Museum, Fort Henry (Fort Henry National Historic Site), Wolfe Island (via ferry), Bellevue House National Historic Site, City Hall and the downtown waterfront nearby. Ontario Travel's recommendations include cruising the Thousand Islands, The Grand Theatre and Leon's Centre.

Transportation

Highway 401 is the principal access route into Kingston and runs across the northern section of the urbanized portion of the city. The first sections of the highway in the Kingston area were opened in 1958, although it was not fully completed for another ten years. Highway 15 is an alternative route between Kingston and the Ottawa region. From the south, Interstate 81 connects with Highway 401 at the Thousand Islands Border Crossing east of Kingston.

Ferry Service

Regular ferry service operates between downtown Kingston and Wolfe Island. Seasonal ferry service from Cape Vincent, New York, via Wolfe Island, into downtown Kingston is an alternate route to and from the United States. There are also tourist ferries departing downtown Kingston regularly, although with greater frequency in the summer months.

Via Rail

Via Rail corridor service connects Kingston along the main line between Windsor, Ontario and Quebec City. Its current station was built in 1974, relocated from the original station site 2 km further east. Kingston is a regular stop on train services operating between Toronto and Ottawa and between Toronto and Montreal.

Kingston Airport

On June 30, 2020, Air Canada announced its intention to cease operations at Kingston Airport. Air Canada said the timing of the suspensions and shutdowns will be governed by requirements for regulatory notice.

In March 2022, Pascan Aviation started regular passenger service between Kingston and Montreal-Trudeau International Airport. However, Pascan Aviation has announced that they will be "pausing" their service from Kingston Airport starting in January 2023 for an undetermined amount of time, which means that Kingston will be without any passenger air service for the time being.

Intercity Bus

Megabus ( Coach Canada) provides frequent service from their Kingston Bus Terminal and Queen's University to a range of destinations in Ontario and Quebec. Passengers can book direct buses to Toronto Union Station Bus Terminal, Toronto Pearson Airport, Toronto-Yorkdale, Montreal, Ottawa, Mississauga, Brockville, Cornwall, Kirkland, and Whitby.

In 2021, Rider Express began to serve Kingston along its Toronto-Ottawa Route providing Kingston with direct bus service to Toronto, Ottawa, Scarborough, and Belleville. Passengers depart and arrive at the Rider Express's Kingston Bus Stop located at 1185 Division St. at Esso Gas Station by the McDonald’s.

In 2022, Flixbus began to serve Kingston along its Windsor-Ottawa Route. This provides passengers to book direct buses from Kingston to Toronto, Ottawa, Hamilton, London, Windsor, Scarborough, Whitby - Oshawa, and Chatham-Kent

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