Tag: History
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The History of St. George’s Cathedral in Kingston
In February of 1792, the construction of Kingston’s first church (of any denomination) began. The history of St. George’s Cathedral spans centuries, from humble roots as a building “that resembled a barn more than a church” to the first cathedral in Kingston. St. George’s has been a defining monument in Kingston’s skyline for over 200…
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A Historic Place in Odessa, The Reopening of the Babcock Mill
The Historic Babcock Mill, built in 1856 and located on the banks of Millhaven Creek in Odessa, was officially reopened to the public by Loyalist Township on July 6th, 2023. For many, the wait for this day has been long. The historic place has been closed to the public for the last 30 years! As…
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Two Bays, Two Stories: From Deadman’s Bay to Navy Bay
On each side of Fort Henry lies a bay: Deadman’s Bay to the east and Navy Bay to the west. These two bays have stories to tell, about 100 years apart. One is a story of tragedy, the other of ingenuity. Both are about hard work and determination. With the spring weather now here, you…
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Murney Tower’s Connection to the Republic of Genoa
When I visited the Murney Tower before the COVID-19 pandemic, I was only vaguely aware of its Mediterranean connection. Recently, I’ve looked into the details. It’s tied to the Republic of Genoa, which was a maritime republic from the 11th century to the late 18th century, based in what is now the northwestern coast of…
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The Founding of the Hotel Dieu Hospital
In 1841, Kingston’s Bishop Remigius Gaulin wrote to Bishop Ignace Bourget of Montreal asking him to allow the Sisters of the Hotel Dieu of Montreal, the Religious Hospitallers of St. Joseph (RHSJs), to found a hospital in Kingston to care for the increasing number of poor Irish Catholics who settled in the city following the…
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Social Distancing at the Cataraqui Cemetery
At a time when we are constantly reminded of the rising death toll of COVID-19, it may seem strange to do a cemetery walk. Spring may be beckoning us outdoors, but do we really want to explore a cemetery? “Yes” is the answer. On a mild, spring day, I enjoyed a walk in the gorgeous…
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Ontario Street: Brewers, Bakers and Boilermakers, 1830-1970
I liked it. I liked the alliteration. It drew me to the PumpHouse to see what their special exhibit was all about. Did they ever make beer at the PumpHouse? What about bread? I had visited the PumpHouse when I was a university student at Queen’s many years ago, but I don’t recall anything about…
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There’s more to the RMC grounds than you’d expect
With the sun shining brightly, I set off with photographer Sean McEvoy to explore the grounds of the Royal Military College (RMC) in Kingston. Having visited before, I knew that this was really two trips in one. The first trip was taking us to the site of the Royal Naval Dockyard, significant for its role…
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Steps away from Lake Ontario, I discovered the Museum of Health Care at Kingston
I’ve heard music as I approached Newlands Pavilion. Perhaps that’s not surprising given that this attractive wooden building was designed in 1896 as a music pavilion, but it’s nice to know that it is still being used for musical events and dances. It’s a very special part of Kingston’s waterfront, equally popular for selfies and…
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Murney Tower – A UNESCO World Heritage Site In Our Own Backyard
Published by Iris Russak It was a great privilege to spend a couple of hours on a warm and sunny spring morning with the Curator of the Murney Tower, Danielle. It was a good thing she had given me a heads up to bring a sweater – it stays quite cool on the inside of…
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Share Your Family Story – South Frontenac Museum
Published by Iris Russak The most recent stop on our Tour of Kingston Museums was the South Frontenac Museum in Hartington. For those of you not familiar with the location, you will find the museum next to the Hartington branch of the public library on Road 38, just up from Harrowsmith. It is a short…
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Frontenac County Schools Museum and Barriefield
Published by Iris Russak It feels like I am starting off every blog post I write with something along the lines of “we discovered another Kingston gem”, this may be getting old but it is so very true of the couple of hours we spent in Barriefield on a wonderful, sunny and warm spring morning. I…
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March Of Museums At The Military And Communications Museum
This March Break, we were enjoying a pretty awesome ‘staycation’ at home in Kingston. We had company with us – all the more reason to explore the unique sites Kingston has to offer. One of the great opportunities to see more of them – for free! – was the March Of Museums hosted by the…
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A Bring Your Thing Pop-up Museum: Made in Canada
The Kingston and Area Association of Museums, Art Galleries and Historic Sites ran a series of free pop-up museums called Bring Your Thing throughout 2017 to celebrate Canada’s 150th anniversary. The first pop-up museum was held on January 21st at Artillery Park Aquatic Centre. It invited people to bring any objects which fit the theme…
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Canada’s Penitentiary Museum: Innovative Inmates
It is 1998 and you’ve landed yourself a bunk in the Dissociation Cell area of Stony Mountain Institution in Manitoba. While using your supplied toothbrush for its rudimentary purpose of brushing your teeth is an option, there is another one. The innovative inmate you are, you could also use it and source remnants of various…
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Arresting Images: An Exhibition on the Chronology of Mug Shots
The Lennox & Addington Museum and Archives previously hosted a traveling exhibition curated by the Ontario Police Patrol called Arresting Images. This fascinating collection illustrates the chronology of mug shots and how they have evolved over time. Arresting Images features the two earliest mug shots to exist in a Canadian public collection. The Evolution of…