Kingston, a city since 1846 Kingston was successively an Indian encampment, a French fort and trading post, a United Empire Loyalist settlement and a British garrison town. Kingston owed its continuing military and commercial importance to its strategic position at the head of the St. Lawrence River and the foot of the Great Lakes. From 1841-1844, Kingston was the capital of the United Province of Canada. Late in the nineteenth century, Kingston declined as a port and transportation centre; it has become a city of institutions and service industries - recreation, education, military, penal...

Kingston is located where the St. Lawrence River meets Lake Ontario and the Rideau Canal. It is a historic city midway between Toronto and Montreal. Kingston was the first capital of the Province of Canada. Kingston is nicknamed the "Limestone City" because of the many heritage buildings constructed using local limestone. During the War of 1812, Kingston 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. Fortifications and other defensive...

Waterloo is a city in Southern Ontario. The Conestogo Parkway and Highway 8 connect Waterloo with Kitchener, Cambridge, Highway 7/8, and Highway 401. Waterloo shares several of its north-south arterial roads with neighboring Kitchener. Waterloo was built on land that was part of a parcel of 675,000 acres assigned in 1784 to the Iroquois alliance that made up the League of Six Nations. Almost immediately, the native groups began to sell some of the land. Between 1796 and 1798, 93,000 acres were sold through a Crown Grant to Richard Beasley, with the Six Nations Indians continuing to hold the...

Waterloo is a city in Southern Ontario. The Conestogo Parkway and Highway 8 connect Waterloo with Kitchener, Cambridge, Highway 7/8, and Highway 401. Waterloo shares several of its north-south arterial roads with neighboring Kitchener. Waterloo was built on land that was part of a parcel of 675,000 acres assigned in 1784 to the Iroquois alliance that made up the League of Six Nations as a reward for their loyalty to the British during the American Revolution as well as to compensate for lost lands in New York State. Almost immediately, the native groups began to sell some of the land. Between...

Waterloo is a city in Southern Ontario. The Conestogo Parkway and Highway 8 connect Waterloo with Kitchener, Cambridge, Highway 7/8, and Highway 401. Waterloo shares several of its north-south arterial roads with neighboring Kitchener. Waterloo was built on land that was part of a parcel of 675,000 acres assigned in 1784 to the Iroquois alliance that made up the League of Six Nations. Almost immediately, the native groups began to sell some of the land. Between 1796 and 1798, 93,000 acres were sold through a Crown Grant to Richard Beasley, with the Six Nations Indians continuing to hold the...

John Alexander Macdonald was born on January 10, 1815 in Glasgow, Scotland. His parents were Helen Shaw MacDonald, a Gaelic-speaking Highlander, and Hugh Macdonald, a struggling businessman. The family immigrated to Canada in 1820. The Macdonalds first settled their four children in. MacDonald entered municipal politics in 1843 as Kingston alderman and was elected to the assembly of the United Province of Canada in 1844. He represented Kingston for 38 of the next 47 years. John and his wife Isabella Clark (died 1857) had two sons, John Alexander and Hugh John. In 1867, he married Susan Agnes...

Molly Brant (Degonwadonti) was born about 1736 into a prominent Mohawk family. About 1759 she became the wife of William Johnson, Superintendent of Indian Affairs for Britian's Northern Colonies, and was a powerful figure there. Well-educated and a powerful speaker, Molly Brant wielded great influence among the Iroquois and was responsible for much of Johnson's success in dealing with them. Following the outbreak of the American Revolution she and her younger brother Joseph played a leading role in persuading the Confederacy to support Britain. In 1777, she fled to Canada and after the war,...

Parliament Hill sits at the heart of Canada's Capital, overlooked a river that reflects many histories. From the beginning, Parliament Hill was designed as a workplace for parliamentarians, and also as a place where everyone could come to meet, talk or just relax in a beautiful outdoor setting. Today there is a scenic promenade which follows the shoreline of the Ottawa River. The Centre, East and West blocks of the Parliament Buildings were built between 1859 and 1866 (excluding the Tower and Library). The Parliament Buildings have vaulted ceilings, marble floors and dramatic lighting which...