Saturday in Kingston

 Joe and I spent  Saturday with Ron and Pat in Kingston. They picked us up about 11:00 am. The weather was iffy, but the rains held off and we had such a fun time. Kingston,the oldest city in Ontario, is located where the southernmost end of the Rideau Canal meets Lake Ontario at the source of the St. Lawrence River and the western gateway to the Thousand Islands. Kingston stands on a solid limestone foundation which is why it is often called "The Limestone City".

In the background is the Kingston Penitentiary. It was constructed in 1833-1834 and opened in 1835. It is one of the oldest prisons in continuous use in the world. However last April the Government of Canada announced plans to close it.

The Kingston Public Market is the oldest market in Ontario and has been providing food and a sense of community to residents of Kingston since 1801. It is located in historic downtown right behind the City Hall. We bought fresh strawberries, tomatoes and asparagus. Booth preference is given to vendors who live within a 100 km radius of the City and to  produce vendors who are growers.

Many of the streets in Kingston are lined with buildings made from limestone.

Joe and I were treated to lunch in the park. Yummy sausage on a bun with the works.

We had a view of the park...

...the Marina...

...and Wolfe Island. Wolfe Island is the largest of the Thousand Islands and can only be reached by ferry. A large wind farm consisting of 86 wind turbines became operational in 2009 on the western portion of Wolfe Island.   

Kingston City Hall was designated a National Historic Site of Canada in 1961. It's construction was completed in 1844 and today it serves as the seat of local government. It occupies a full city block facing Lake Ontario in downtown.