Fer Canard

Is there anyone on here who knows Kingston and it’s environs ?

I am looking to take a trip there for a few days sometime this summer to check the area out, with a view to moving there to live.

Just trying to get a feel for the place and the near countryside at this point, so any input about what it's like would be useful to me.

Thank you.

Fer Canard

So I’m guessing that Kingston and the surrounding area is rubbish so no one wants to recommend it, or that there is literally no one frequenting this forum who lives in this area or has visited it.

I don’t really know what it means. Probably I’m just being impatient.

The only occasions that I have been to Ontario are once in 2013 when I hired a car and drove for the first time in Canada from Montreal alongside the Ottawa River as far as Orleans to buy a sewing machine and then two trips in 2018 alongside the St Lawrence River, stopping overnight in Cornwall each time whilst buying our camper van from a place on the southern outskirts of Ottawa. (still haven’t visited Ottawa proper yet - weird, I know - just didn’t have the energy for it on these occasions). This also represents our only ever forays into the rest of Canada, which is also a bit saddo.

The bit that we crossed between Ottawa and Cornwall and then Ottawa down to Prescott (I think it was), and then Cornwall itself, didn’t do much for me as it seemed a bit flat and featureless, however, I liked being by the St Lawrence. (it’s kind of an iconic river to me - I still remember learning about it’s significance in early geography lessons).

It looks like Kingston could be a useful and entertaining big city, compared to what I am used to in my current location. That could be very appealing to me. And then the fact that people speak ENGLISH. That alone would be life changing for me.

I would love to hear from someone. Just needing to get back some hope.

BristolUK

There are several regulars/occasionals who can help, I'm sure.

Might be better having the thread moved to the 'geography' part of Canada. Some people on BE are more interested in talking Canadian specifics rather than the general/off topic/any topic stuff in the Maple Leaf.

Partially discharged

I don't live in Kingston but have visited many times. Relatively cosmopolitan for its size due in part to the large university campus. About the only downfall is the high number of prisons. Nice waterfront, lots of restaurants and I believe the schools are quite good if that is applicable.

dbd33

Sorry not to be able to help. I've been there but I can't recall much about it. Stone buildings, magnetic anomaly buggers up the compass, canal from Ottawa ends there, lots of prisons, ex-prisoners, prison guards. There's a university called Queens in or near Kingston, based on the graduates I'd expect a "pater will pay" Bullingdon Club vibe.

Siouxie

I've moved your thread to the main Canada forum in the hope that you might get more of our members who live in the area responding

I know people who live at Charleston Lake (year round) - who go to Brockville for shopping and entertainment - which perhaps is another option, there's a river walk and a couple of decent pubs there https://southeasternontario.ca/pt-de...on/brockville/. I liked it.

What is it that you are looking for - do you want to live in a city / large town / out in the sticks... what do you like to do.... do you need to get somewhere for work? Advice will be forthcoming I have no doubt

shelley748

I am not always on the forum.

I live 40 minutes from Kingston and I have worked in the town for several years in the past, I now work in Brockville. There are many subdivisions and the property prices vary depending on where you want to live. If you would like to ask me specific questions, I can certainly help. What kind of job are you looking for? Are you looking for a family oriented place? If so then Kingston is definitely that. It has Queens University there, so you do get a lot of students who rent houses in that area- I would avoid it.

It has a very good hospital there, which actually saved my life! Its a teaching hospital so fairly well funded. Lots of big box stores.... downtown is a bit like most small UK towns with high street shops etc... anti car so you have to pay to park downtown.

I have friends who live there and are very happy- I prefer to live in the countryside and commute.

Generally you cannot go wrong with Kingston- not much crime compared to other area's, mixture of ages and cultures....the question really is the job requirement.

Being in the Thousand islands area is lovely- we thoroughly enjoy the boat trips along the St lawrence, picnics....watching life go by. Of course you also have Gananoque to visit, Belleville, Brockville, Picton, Bath, Odessa.

let me know if I can be of any further help.

Links for property

www.realtor.ca

Links for jobs

https://www.jobbank.gc.ca/jobsearch/...ngston+ontario

https://ca.indeed.com/Full-Time-jobs-in-Kingston,-ON

https://www.wowjobs.ca/BrowseResults...pDHnFpeCYhIjHg

https://www.workopolis.com/jobsearch...r_bLb-u2yaDMmw

The local newspaper is the Kingston Whig

https://www.thewhig.com/


https://www.cityofkingston.ca/

carcajou

My sense of geography is fairly Quebec-centric, and you said in the other thread that you currently live in L'Estrie. To me, that is places like Lac Megantic, Magog, and Thetford Mines. You said you were looking for a place more tranquil and peaceful than where you are now - so Kingston would be a step in the opposite direction? Or are you in a place like Sherbrooke, which while a bit bigger than Kingston, I think would be a lateral move?

You mentioned in the other thread you were zeroing in on Nova Scotia because you wanted to be near the ocean, what has caused you to fade from that? Or what specifically attracts you to Kingston?

I think you should start with - what are you looking to accomplish with the move, and what about your job, and your husband's job.

Sometimes if things aren't going particularly well, it can be easy to fall into the "anywhere but here" trap but you have to be careful, it is more important to get the destination correct than to leave where you are quickly because you are unhappy, and that can take some patience we don't always like to have. You don't want to mess up the move because you wanted to leave L'Estrie a few months earlier.

I hope this post comes out OK, it isn't to be critical, and I don't know much about Kingston but what I've read makes it seem perfectly pleasant enough. But you seem to have changed course fairly quickly so it would help if you explained to us what your goals are, the job situation and why Kingston specifically attracts you and what un-attracted you from the Maritimes.

Good luck.

Fer Canard

Thanks for the replies, it is all very interesting. And thanks for the nudge Bristol.

Sounds alright so far. And I had wondered if those smaller towns like Brockville were worth checking out too.

Shelley, thanks for those details. It’s good to hear about the hospital. Been avoiding getting healthcare in Quebec, and I have something which is overdue by a few years which needs addressing. So that actually is one of the drivers of this move.

That’s two references to prisons. What’s that about? Doesn’t quite add up with the 'low crime rate' thing. Definitely something that made me think twice about the idea of living on Dartmoor. ha

So, um, are there any hills around there ? As you head inland from the river, maybe ? I’m rather spoilt around here with a pretty landscape and even more so if one heads into Vermont. I’m not sure how important that is in the grand scheme of things, but I do find swathes of flatness off putting.

Whilst over the years I have bounced between living close to city centres, where I can walk to everything on offer, and living out in the sticks, where I get some peace and privacy (suburbia doesn’t really make sense for me), I think realistically rural living is the more sustainable for me.

It's just me and the hubs. He can work remotely. He set himself up contracting, software engineer, a few years back to enable us to live anywhere, although he has perhaps reached a point where he would like to be a little nearer to some big cities for more work options and interactions.

This move is more for me really. What I am looking for is a place where I can set up a workshop and studio (applied arts and generally making shit). I need to get back this, way too long overdue, and probably more important to me than the living space. So a workshop where i can also live and a bit of land should do me.

Some customer-facing part-time work for income and to offset the alone time would be ideal too.

I'll ask more and reply to Carajou later.......need coffee.

Hurlabrick

We had a good look at Kingston, but decided against it as a bit too small, although really liked to downtown older buildings, somehow has a bit more of a British Town feel and yet all the box stores you would need up by the 401.

It is not the local crime rate, it is just historic that Kingston has a large Federal prison or two. A bit like assuming that Dartmoor is a crime hot spot for the UK!!

Nope, no hills until you get into Quebec north of Ottawa. The flatness is broken up by woods and trees a bit though.

Oh that is interesting. You break out into countryside quite quickly from Kingston. Here is an idea - try the short (free) ferry trip from downtown Kingston to Wolfe Island. Wolfe Island has some (but not many) amenities on a very small scale, but has lots of land and low population density and yet a very short ferry trip to downtown - if you are up for living in the sticks, this would qualify IMHO!

Siouxie

Interesting article on living on the islands.. worth reading (apparently wind turbines are in abundance).. https://possiblemadehere.org/island-living-2/

I've always fancied Prince Edward County (Ontario).. https://buildanewlife.ca/5-tips-purc...edward-county/

Hurlabrick

By coincidence, we have a one week holiday on Prince Edward County 8n mid-August! Two nights at The Huff hotel / winery and 4 nights based at Pucton harbour.

Fer Canard

Hmmm, had a feeling. I looked at a topographical map and it looked like there was less flat down that way. Wishful thinking.

So my reference to Dartmoor was actually about the thought of living in an isolated spot on the Moor and it turns out to be the first stop of the axe murderer who has just escaped …..I’ve seen the movies !

That's interesting about the island, I shall have to check it out

And finally, how do I reply to snippets of quote, like wot you just did ?

Fer Canard

Thanks Siouxie. I shall give those a read later.

Fer Canard

Nice.

That previous post was for you by the way. Haven't sussed posting yet.