Kingston — Capital, Harbour & Fortifications
Confederation Park and Kingston Harbour
Listen at the stop, then read the transcript and follow the sources behind the story.
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Transcript
Start at the harbour because Kingston's strategic importance comes from water.
The city sits at the junction of Lake Ontario, the St. Lawrence River and the Cataraqui system. Whoever controlled this point could move soldiers, supplies and trade through a large part of the interior.
The British developed Kingston as a naval base during the War of 1812, when Lake Ontario became a shipbuilding arms race.
Across the water, later fortifications still face the harbour.
The park's peaceful marina makes the military geography easy to underestimate.
Kingston is also situated on the traditional territories of Indigenous peoples including Haudenosaunee and Anishinaabe communities. European strategy occupied a corridor that already had deep political and economic significance.
The harbour did not become important when Britain noticed it. Britain noticed it because it was already important.