Kingston, Ontario
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Kingston (Cataraqui) |
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|---|---|
| City (single-tier) | |
| City of Kingston | |
Kingston City Skyline from Fort Henry Hill
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| Nickname(s): Limestone City | |
| Motto: Antiquitate Civilitate Humanitate (Latin) ("A Civil And Creative Community With A Proud Past") |
|
 Kingston
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| Coordinates: 44°14′N 76°30′W / 44.233°N 76.500°WCoordinates: 44°14′N 76°30′W / 44.233°N 76.500°W | |
| Country | Canada |
| Province | Ontario |
| County | Frontenac |
| Established | 1673 (as Fort Cataraqui; later renamed Fort Frontenac) |
| Incorporated | 1838 (as town); 1846 (as city) |
| Amalgamated | 1998 (with Kingston and Pittsburgh Twps) |
| Government | |
| • City Mayor | Bryan Paterson |
| • Governing Body | Kingston City Council |
| • MP (Federal) | Scott Reid (CPC) |
| • MPP (Provincial) | Sophie Kiwala (OLP) |
| Area | |
| • City (single-tier) | 450.39 km2 (173.90 sq mi) |
| • Metro | 1,906.82 km2 (736.23 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 93 m (230–360 ft) |
| Population (2011) | |
| • City (single-tier) | 123,363 |
| • Density | 273.4/km2 (708/sq mi) |
| • Metro | 159,561 |
| • Metro density | 82.3/km2 (213/sq mi) |
| source: Statistics Canada | |
| Time zone | Eastern (EST) (UTC−5) |
| • Summer (DST) | Eastern (EDT) (UTC−4) |
| Postal code span | K7K through K7P |
| Area code(s) | 613 343 |
| Website | www.cityofkingston.ca |
Kingston is a city in Eastern Ontario, Canada. It is located on the eastern end of Lake Ontario, at the beginning of the St. Lawrence River and at the mouth of the Cataraqui River (south end of the Rideau Canal). The city is located midway between Toronto and Montreal. The Thousand Islands tourist region is nearby to the east. Kingston is nicknamed the "Limestone City" because of the many heritage buildings constructed using local limestone.
Growing European exploration in the 17th century and the desire for the Europeans to establish a presence close to local Native occupants to control trade led to the founding of a French trading post and military fort at a site known as "Cataraqui" in 1673. This outpost, called Fort Cataraqui or Fort Frontenac, became a focus for settlement. After the British conquered New France, the village was renamed Kingston.
Kingston was named the first capital of the Province of Canada on February 10, 1841. While its time as a political centre was short, Kingston has remained an important military installation. Kingston was the county seat of Frontenac County until 1998. Kingston is now a separated municipality from the County of Frontenac.
A number of origins of "Cataraqui", Kingston's original name, have been postulated. One is that it is derived from the Iroquois word that means "the place where one hides". The name may also be derivations of Native words that mean "impregnable", "muddy river", "place of retreat", "clay bank rising out of the water" or "where the rivers and lake meet".
Cataraqui today refers to an area around the intersection of Princess Street and Sydenham Road, where a village which later took that name was located. Cataraqui is also the name of a municipal electoral district.
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Wikipedia