Tag: Kingston museums
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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 Church in Kingston, The Story of The Spire
The Spire, also known as the Sydenham Street United Church, is a community hub that promotes the arts and over 20 community and cultural groups. This historic church has been part of the Kingston skyline for more than 160 years and continues the vision of the pioneers who built this piece of history. Like many…
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World Class Art in Kingston: The Agnes Etherington Art Centre
Written by: Michaela Cardo, M.A. Conveniently located on Queen’s main campus is the Agnes Etherington Art Centre. It is home to a diverse collection of art, from Rembrandts to contemporary work by Indigenous and Black artists. With a rotating selection of exhibitions, it is a place you will want to visit more than once. The…
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Investigating Ghosts at Smiths Falls Heritage House
I just returned from a trip to Smiths Falls, where I had a unique adventure– investigating ghosts. Two ghost hunting organizations, G.H.O.S.T. and Nightwatchmen Investigative Team, teamed up to host a fund-raising event for the Smiths Falls Heritage House Museum. Although I was hesitant to go ghost hunting, my friend convinced me, and we took…
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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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Let the Farmerettes Pitch In
As a city slicker, I can’t carry on much of a conversation about farming, but after a recent visit to the South Frontenac Museum, I now know what a farmerette is. I’ve also learned something about educational toys, wartime nurses and Sunday dinners. These seemingly diverse topics all make sense once you know that the…
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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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Eastern Canada’s Himalayas
Why might the Himalayan mountains be featured in a geology museum in Kingston? At the Miller Museum of Geology at 36 Union Street, you’ll learn about an ancient mountain range in eastern Canada that was once the same scale as the current Himalayas. The Grenville Mountains were formed a billion years ago but were eroded…
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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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The Penitentiary and the Prince
Had there been Twitter in the summer of 1860, tweets in Kingston would have been about the upcoming visit of Queen Victoria’s son, the 18-year-old Prince of Wales, who later became King Edward VII. Kingston was one of several planned stops on the Prince’s tour of Canada and the United States. He and his entourage…
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Following the Timber
“Following the timber” isn’t a phrase you hear nowadays. But in the 19th century, this was a way of life for many people who worked in the logging industry. As lumber companies aggressively cut timber, whole forestry regions were depleted, triggering the company to move westward in search of new forests. Those dependent on 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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Remembrance: A Walk Through the Military C & E Museum
Canadian military efforts are a big part of Kingston culture and an especially important topic around November. In light of Remembrance Day, I wanted to search for a place where I could enlighten myself on the history of Canada’s relationship with military power. Kingston’s Military C & E Museum, filled with Canadian military exhibits, came…
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Mistaken Point in Newfoundland at the Miller Museum in Kingston
Mistaken Point in Newfoundland is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Another listed site in Canada is The Rideau Canal, which encompasses Kingston sites like Fort Henry and Murney Tower. The Point’s unique collection of unusually preserved fossils makes it infamous. The fossils have not been discovered anywhere else in the world! The Miller Museum of…
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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…
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Kingston Pen Tours
Kingston Pen Tours offers a unique opportunity to explore behind the fortified walls and inside the cell doors of the most notorious prison in Canada. The walking tour takes you through the grounds of Kingston Penitentiary, the infamous maximum-security prison that was declared a National Historic Site in 1990. Open 1835 to 2013, Kingston Pen housed…