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Lavish love on your valentine

Valentine’s Day is just around the corner, so we’ve created a list of things to buy, eat, drink, and do in Kingston to celebrate love. This is the time to treat your sweetie, your bestie, or yourself!

Accommodation packages

With rates starting at $119 per night, you can book a Valentine’s Day Package for any two nights at Courtyard by Marriott Kingston from February 11 to 15. You’ll be welcomed with chocolates at check-in and, depending on COVID-19 restrictions, you may also prebook pool and hot tub time. For more information, email jrebelo@courtyardmarriottkingston.com directly.

The “Couples staycation” at Confederation Place Hotel includes a continental breakfast box for two, a bottle of champagne, and a sweet box of chocolates. You can also choose to add a $75 flower and chocolate bouquet for your special someone. This package is $189 per night and can be booked by calling the hotel.

Celebrate date night at Residence Inn Kingston Water’s Edge with a bottle of wine and chocolates. The package begins at $169 a night with a minimum two-night stay to a maximum five-night stay. Receive a $100 VISA gift card for each room night. More information can be found on the Residence Inn website.

Delta Hotels Kingston Waterfront is celebrating Valentine’s Day by offering a package starting at $369 per night. From February 11 to 14, guests can enjoy sparkling wine upon arrival, local gourmet chocolates from CocoaBistro, and a succulent plant from Loyalist Flowers. Enjoy fine dining at AquaTerra with a $100 gift card, then have breakfast for two before a late check-out in the morning.

Eat and drink

AquaTerra is offering a $75 per person takeout Valentine’s Day tasting menu. This is a locally sourced, five-course menu featuring a shrimp and lobster bisque, blood orange salad, skrei cod, beef striploin, and a sweet molten chocolate cake. Looking for something plant-based? A vegan tasting menu is also available. The deal gets even sweeter with an additional wine pairing for $36. Make sure to pre-order their prep-at-home kits and accompanying wine for pick-up February 10 – 14 from 4 to 8 pm.

Treat yourself or yourself and another with Knifey Spooney’s takeout Valentine’s deluxe menu. This menu includes beet gnocchi, spinach salad, and strawberry chocolate baked cheesecake for $100 plus tax per couple. Simply heat and finish at home; instructions are provided. Pick-up will be downtown between 3 and 6 pm on Valentine’s Day, but feel free to reach out to see if an alternate time can be arranged that suits you better. Further details will be provided via email.

Gifts

Refresh your wardrobe with a piece from the Valentine’s Day collections at the Fancy That & The Roundstone online store. Matching heart T-shirts to celebrate Galentine’s Day with your bestie, anyone?

Show your sweetie just how sweet they are with some artisan chocolates from local chocolatier Cocoa Bistro. Our favourites include chocolate-dipped strawberries and the “Indulge” box of 24 chocolates. You can also order a beautiful gift basket full of specially curated goodies. Stop by their location at 840 Development Drive or place an order online for pickup or delivery.

Nothing says “treat yourself” like a spa date. Spend the day solo at Symphony Spa, or even bring a few of your besties along for a group booking. With a variety of packages and gift cards available, you can give the gift of relaxation. Make it a joint experience with their 60- minute couple’s massage for $90 per person.

Bring the spa ambiance home with a luxurious bathrobe. Onderbroeks is a female-founded, Canadian-made brand specializing in robes and loungewear. They have several designs that make staying home cozy and stylish.

Shop for a Valentine’s Day floral bouquet from Pam’s Flower Garden or browse their “Love and Romance” selections. You can have these fresh blooms delivered right to your door or choose curbside pickup at their back door. Make sure to order early!

Maybe your valentine is more of a succulent person than a long-stemmed rose person. Swing by The Jungle downtown at 82 Brock Street for a cute new plant and pot. They also sell other lifestyle products like candles, Turkish beach towels, and beautiful soaps. You can shop in-store or online with pick-up and delivery options.

To do

Treat yourself and your loved one to a virtual couple’s cooking class on February 16. You will receive a shopping list from Knifey Spooney via email one week prior, and a Zoom link and recipes list the week of. In this romantic cooking class for two, you’ll be making creamy polenta with roasted oyster mushrooms and jus sauce, paired with pomegranate roasted Brussels sprouts and finished with chocolate mousse for dessert.

Bring your Valentine’s Day to a whole other level with a virtual escape room. Improbable Escapes offers several virtual games that are all live-hosted and fully interactive. Grab your partner or a crew of friends for a video call with one of their game masters who will be physically inside the game as your teammate.

Whether you’re celebrating Valentine’s, Galentine’s, or Palentine’s Day, use this list to help show your love for Kingston by supporting local businesses this year.

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Meet the Maker: EronOne

You might not have known the artist, but you’ve probably admired some of EronOne’s art if you’ve explored Kingston. He often makes buildings his canvas – transforming them into vivid, energetic pieces of art. EronOne – also known as Aaron Forsyth – is a full-time artist whose work has made the city a little brighter. Focusing on large-scale residential, institutional, and commercial art projects, bright custom murals and design work are his specialty. He’s done murals for Daft Brewery and Frontenac Cycle. His most recent murals are two complementary pieces, at the waterfront pedestrian walkway at Delta Hotels by Marriott Kingston Waterfront and at the old coal dock in Portsmouth Village. We spoke with EronOne about his creative journey and what artistic expression means in Kingston. He’s humble and happy to share his design process – which most often starts with pencil and paper.

“[A project] always starts with sketching, just pencil to paper and I take lots of pictures when I see stuff that catches my eye for influence. I usually draw from there or try to put ideas to paper. I’ll always take a picture of the blank space, and then I superimpose my artwork onto that to show the client what it can look like and really help them visualize the end product.”

EronOne was a local store co-owner for ten years who finally made the transition to being a full-time artist. His interest in art started young though:

“Growing up I always liked Saturday morning cartoons and I would try and draw the characters that I’d see in the shows that I liked. Skateboarding and music has always been a big influence so I would try and draw skateboard-graphic styles I liked or band logos and album covers.”

It wasn’t until after several family trips to Toronto and Scarborough in high school, where Aaron witnessed eye-catching graffiti, that he began considering an art career. By taking arts-focused programs, specifically illustration and animation, in high school, he was able to study animation in college.

But for EronOne, spray painting was self-taught. He continues to nurture younger artists to get creative and have fun with the medium, holding a variety of art workshops within the Limestone District School Board and Kingston community.

“I’m always grateful when I have the opportunity to and just to spark an interest in a kid and then maybe they’ll be influenced the way I was. It’s nice to be able to share my background a little bit and I don’t mind public speaking, so I’m pretty comfortable doing that. It’s just fun. I like working with the youth, seeing what they come up with. And, if they get to use spray paint in those workshops, they definitely love it.”

EronOne has recently been focused on illustrating iconic Kingston, with his two newest murals. He was commissioned to add his artistic touch to the waterfront pedestrian walkway at Delta Hotels by Marriott Kingston Waterfront, adjacent to Confederation Park and Basin, and the coal dock turned deep-water dock on Lake Ontario, near the former Rockwood Asylum.

EronOne had access to Tourism Kingston’s photo library where he gathered photo inspiration for the project, but he already had ideas in mind for honouring his hometown. The collage-like mural reveals limestone city landmarks such as City Hall, the train located at the Visitor Information Centre, and the “Time” statue at Gord Downie Pier. His choice of colours – steely grey, a variety of blues, and black and white – tie the two murals together, evoking Kingston’s waterfront and limestone foundations.

EronOne describes the art he’s currently loving as “bright and busy,” mirroring his own work ethic. Despite his job not looking like a traditional 9-to-5, EronOne is pretty good at staying busy. You might find him practising distinctive styles of letters in his sketchbook or picking up a comic book at a downtown thrift store for inspiration. Perhaps you might see him skateboarding – an activity he embraces whenever he gets stuck in a rut.

“It’s like writer’s block. I just try and do something different – even just get outside, ride my bike, try and ride my skateboard. Just focus on one of the other hobbies that I have for a day or half a day to wait until I get inspired again.”

EronOne continues to live, work, and create in Kingston, alongside his wife, son, and extended family. And for an artist, it’s simply a good place to be:

“What I like about Kingston is its proximity to Toronto and Montreal too, so I like to attend events and see friends and not have to live in the big city, which I always thought I wanted to do when I was younger. But as I got older and had my son – Kingston’s been great. I appreciate it more.”

EronOne emphasizes that every project is different. Clients can be very specific with their requests or give him a large amount of creative freedom. But all of EronOne’s art is similar in at least one way: spaces previously overlooked are transformed, brought to life, and add more ways to discover Kingston.

Aaron in front of his mural at the coal dock site in Portsmouth Village

***

EronOne’s mural at the former coal dock site in Portsmouth Village is part of a Tourism Kington project that is supported by the My Main Street Community Activator program. This program, funded by the Government of Canada through FedDev Ontario, supports local community placemaking projects. The welcoming mural and the “KINGSTON” sign at this site are the first steps in revitalizing this property: stay tuned for further improvements in 2022.

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A breath of fresh air: Kingston’s heated patios

Take a look at this list of some of Kingston’s patios and expand your dining experience by visiting one of them this season. Don’t worry – all these patios are heated. Simply remember to dress appropriately for the weather and BYOB (bring your own blanket) as needed.

 

Harper’s Burger Bar

93 Princess St. 

Find your “happy place” at Harper’s. Kingston’s local burger joint is ready to keep you warm as the cool weather begins. Stay toasty by their heaters, tuck yourself into their blankets, and satisfy your food cravings all on their heated patio.

Open: Every day, 11:30 am – 9 pm

 

Whiskey and Rosé

125 Brock St.

Check out this fun, elevated comfort food restaurant! New to Kingston, their mouth-watering meals and innovative cocktails are sure to make a great first impression. While considering food options, you’ll find many gluten-free options on their menu.

Open: Every day 11 am – late (9 pm – midnight)

 

Chez Piggy

68R Princess St.

Tucked away in the heart of downtown Kingston, Chez Piggy is heating up its beautiful patio for you to enjoy this season. At Chez Piggy, you will find menu items inspired by locally sourced produce, as well as the perfect afternoon cocktails.

Open: Monday to Saturday, 11:30 am – 9 pm and Sunday 10 am – 9 pm

 

AquaTerra

1 Johnson St.

Cozy up on Kingston’s waterfront with a fuzzy blanket beside a warm fire table. Taste AquaTerra’s fall-inspired and locally sourced dishes as you relax in their Adirondack chairs. Reserve your table now on their website.

*Now closed for the season

 

Black Dog Tavern

69 Brock St.

Snuggled at the back of Black Dog Tavern’s historic alleyway is the restaurant’s heated patio. Here you will find elevated classic tavern dishes in a relaxed atmosphere.

Open: Hours vary (see website for details)

 

 

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Amadeus Cafe

170 Princess St.

Did you know that the Biergarten at Amadeus is open for happy hour? Give yourself an end-of-week treat by grabbing some warm beverages and appetizers on the patio. You can book a reservation for this little oasis on their website.

Open: Monday to Thursday, 4 pm – 8 pm, Friday, 4 pm – 10 pm, and Saturday noon – 10 pm

 

Red House Downtown

369 King St. East (downtown) 

If you’re a fan of Red House, you’re in luck. Their downtown location is heating up their patio and is ready to warm and serve you. Try one of their many delicious dishes and explore their selection of local beers and other beverages. local flavours.  

Open: Every day, 11:30 am – 2 am

 

Skeleton Park Brewery

675 Arlington Park Place, Unit 3

While you can grab some beer to go from Tuesday to Sunday at Skeleton Park Brewery, they also have a cozy patio waiting for you if weather conditions are appropriate. Braving the cold is worth it when you can bundle up with some local brews!

Open: Tuesday to Thursday, noon – 7 pm, Friday & Saturday noon – 8 pm, and Sunday noon – 5 pm

 

 

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Tango Nuevo

31 King St. East

Stay cozy on the patio of Tango Nuevo while enjoying tapas with friends. Reservations are recommended: you can book on their website for a 90-minute seating.

Open: Sunday to Thursday, 11:30 am – 11 pm, and Friday & Saturday 11:30 am – midnight

 

The Merchant Tap House

6A Princess St.

The Merchant Tap House patio is a welcoming spot for hot cocoa or cocktails and yummy food while staying warm around some cozy fire pits. As a bonus, if you are out and about with your canine friend, dogs are welcome on the patio.

Open: Every day, 11 am – 2 am

 

Kingston Brewing Company

34 Clarence St.

It’s never too cold for a pint, right? Sip on some beer and enjoy yummy comfort food at Kingston Brewing Company’s patio. Their inviting space is perfect for those looking to embrace the winter while staying cozy.

Open: Sunday to Thursday, 11:30 am – midnight and Friday & Saturday, 11:30 am – 1 pm

Getting outside for some fresh air has been proven to improve concentration, memory, and attention. It can also reduce stress levels, so why not brave the cold and satisfy your cravings?

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Reelout 2022: What to Watch

Over a thousand submissions were reviewed by the Reelout Arts Project Inc. programming committee to curate this year’s outstanding line-up of LGBTQ+ indie cinema – that’s seven times more submissions than 2019. Cozying up and celebrating LGBTQ+ films has never been easier. Kingston’s 23rd annual queer film and video festival has been re-branded as ReelOutario Virtual Queer Film Festival this year. The all-virtual festival takes place January 27 to February 7. It’s full of short and feature-length narratives and documentaries that focus on sexual orientation, gender, age, ability, health, race, culture, class, and religion around the world. Over the eight days of the festival, the films can be accessed through Reelout’s Eventive page.

We spoke with Matt Salton, the director of Reelout, who’s excited about the upcoming line-up.

“We’re all thrilled to offer Ontario audiences a chance to escape winter and the pandemic with 60-plus films from 18 different countries and diasporas.”

Wildhood by Bretten Hannam

The Three Things Consulting/Reelout Opening Gala Selection this year includes not one, but two, amazing Canadian films: Stupid for You directed by Jude Klassen, a music-infused rom-com shot in Toronto, and the emotionally charged, Two-Spirit, Mi’kmaq road trip drama Wildhood by Bretten Hannam.

Salton explains that the programming committee didn’t know which films or filmmakers were local while reviewing, so as not to sway their selections:

“So, it was an unexpected surprise to see an experimental short work called An Ode to Queer Friendship so enthusiastically embraced by our team as it was directed by Megan Ingram who is currently a master’s student at Queen’s University. What impressed us the most was Ingram’s choice to tell an original story about friendship in an exciting and unique way that also explores disability and neuro-divergent relationships.”

Another happy surprise included discovering that Caylin Turner, one of the lead actors from the first opening gala selection, Stupid for You, is from Wolfe Island.

Anyone viewing from within Ontario can purchase an all-access pass to view all 19 programs, or they can buy individual tickets for specific programs. Tickets are $15 per program, $69 for five films, and $139 for all 61 films.

Since 1999, Reelout has been promoting queer media arts and encouraging discussions about diversity in the Kingston community. This new year, grab some popcorn and enjoy a selection of unique films from near and far.

You can view the Reelout catalogue now.

Megan Ingram | An Ode to Queer Friendship
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12 gifts of Kingston

Kingston makers and merchants have some truly wonderful gift ideas this year. Give a unique #ygk gift to someone special (or treat yourself). Here are twelve of our favourites:

1. A Grinch tree from Chartreuse Flower Works

Every holiday needs a little Grinchyness to remind us to spread holiday cheer. These fresh Grinch trees from Chartreuse Flower Works are the perfect mix of fresh botanicals and the very best of holiday kitsch.

2. Cocoa Bistro chocolate candy canes

Dazzling chocolate candy canes from CocoaBistro make the perfect edible tree ornament or gift topper. Choose from solid milk, dark, or white Belgian chocolate sprinkled with crushed peppermint candy canes. 

3. The Tragically Hip tree ornament

What sums up “Christmas in Kingston” like a Tragically Hip tree ornament? Find it at Whit Kingston, which carries a number of other Kingston-centric winter gift ideas, including mugs, pillows, and clothing.

4. Cooke’s Fine Foods gift basket

With an All-Canadian gift basket from Cooke’s Fine Foods, you can give the gift of an abundance of tastes from across the country, including a pound of Cooke’s own coffee.

5. The Bath Lover’s Gift Set from Shiva’s Delight

The Bath Lover’s Gift Set from Shiva’s Delight holiday collection contains an assortment of four bars of soap and four bath bombs. Shiva’s Delight offers handcrafted, vegan skincare products, all made in Kingston.

6. Military Communications and Electronics Museum

Mercury Shop
95 Craftsman Blvd.

The Mercury Shop offers a wide selection of jewelry, household items, flags, prints, and toys. Among its unique items is this customizable Christmas tree ornament. Submit your own high-resolution image or choose one from the shop’s military crests and other designs.

7. The PumpHouse

Craft holiday magic with your family with your very own All Aboard for the Holidays Carry Home Craft Kit from The PumpHouse. Each kit includes instructions and craft materials for making 12 of your own winter, nature, and train-themed crafts. Recommended age is 6+. Kits are $20 plus HST.

8. Greeting cards from Found and Lost Art

Put a smile on someone’s face with one of these adorable greeting cards from Found and Lost Art, based on original watercolour and ink illustrations.

9. Seasonal tea from Cha Cha Tea

Warm up with a seasonal tea from Cha Cha Tea. Favourites include Nutcracker Rooibos (with hints of marzipan and papaya); German gingerbread (black tea with ginger, cinnamon, star anise); and wintery walnut (black tea with walnut pieces, hazelnut brittle, and orange peels). Pair your choice(s) with a beautiful Yuzen Washi-decorated tea canister.

 

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10. Treats from General Brock’s Commissary

General Brock’s Commissary offers a number of unique treats from Kingston and Ontario makers. Pick up a box of caramel-filled chocolate mice from Mrs. B’s Country Candy (from Brighton) or build a custom “carnivore box” with items like Wagener’s salami (Toronto); MissFortunes hot sauce (Sydenham); Harvest Brinery pickles (Napanee); Cressy mustard (Waupoos); and General Brock’s own Upper Canada Epicure line of sweet and hot jellies.

Cataraqui Conservation Area Purple Finch toque
Cataraqui Conservation Area Purple Finch Toque

11.Toques and mittens from Cataraqui Region Conservation Area

Warm up someone’s winter with a bright woolen toque and mittens available from Cataraqui Region Conservation Area. Choose from a variety of colour palettes reminiscent of bird plumage: options include scarlet tanager, blue jay, hummingbird, and painted bunting.

12. Aquaterra’s “Chef’s Favourites” holiday gift box

AquaTerra’s “Chefs’ Favourites” holiday gift box features a specially curated assortment of the restaurant’s favourite recipes, ingredients, and local goodies. This year’s gift box includes all the makings for both a decadent charcuterie board (including AquaTerra’s own apple cranberry chutney) and a delicious mulled wine.

Bonus: Winter merch from the Visitor Information Centre

From winter wear to hockey pucks and ornaments, show off your love for Kingston with one-of-a-kind merchandise. Check out our online store.

Read more: winter in Kingston

The sights and sounds of the holidays

25 things to do in December in Kingston

Together at Home for the Holidays

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North Roast Coffee Roasters: the craft of coffee 

North Roast Coffee Roasters | 721 Progress Ave, Unit 3 | Website

When I enter the Zoom call with Richard Ottenhof, specialty coffee leader and owner of North Roast Coffee Roaster, I can hear the roaster whirring in the back room. I’m glad I can’t smell the coffee beans through my computer, otherwise it might distract me. By the end of our conversation, Ottenhof will have (virtually) shown me the grinder and roaster that churns out the fresh-roasted microlot and fair trade coffee that North Roast Coffee Roaster is known for.

Ottenhof explains how it’s the team’s passion and professionalism that has allowed the business to be so successful.

“Everyone here is a coffee professional or aspiring to be a coffee professional. So, when the orders come through, everyone takes it very seriously. We have so many products and so many variations that you have to know your product and you have to know how to prepare properly.”

The team here understands why the first few sips of your morning cup isn’t the beginning of the coffee experience. With 25 years of experience in sourcing and selecting coffee for customers, this Ontario Craft Roaster is mindful of every step of the coffee process.

No matter how you prefer to brew, they’ve got it for you. On their online shop, you can select the bean and the grind (whole bean, French press, percolater, Chemex/Melitta, drip, home espresso, commerical espresso, Turkish) for a custom 454-gram bag experience. While they sell to wholesale customers with larger bags, they’re also available for purchase by anyone.

Giving customers the ability to customize their coffee is key, says Ottenhof:

“If you can imagine across a broad spectrum of customers, people have many different ways of preparing coffee…It’s important to meet the customer where they are, not where we want them to be… The reality is, when we’re selling coffee online, we’re competing with Amazon whether we like it or not. So, there’s an expectation from customers that when they click ‘buy’ they want the same level of service. It’s our job to make sure they get it.”

Customers can also choose the secure pick-up option, something that was perfected over the COVID-19 pandemic. Customers come to the front door of 721 Progress Avenue, unit 3, and quote their order number to receive their order. During the early days of the pandemic, the pick-up option (where customers stayed in their car and team members put their order in a box for them) or home delivery proved an excellent way to brighten a customer’s day.

“A lot of people wanted their coffee delivered to their front door and a lot of other people wanted to get out of their house, get into their car, and go somewhere that they knew the transaction was safe…The people here know our customers; they know their children’s names and so you could see when they would come pick up their coffee that, emotionally, they wanted a connection. It was important for us too. Despite all the things that the pandemic threw at us, we were still able to connect with people in a way they wanted.”

While customers can customize their cup, there are a few standards at North Roast Coffee Roaster, and Ottenhof says one of them is sustainability.

“The business is built on sustainability. That’s why it’s an electric vehicle doing the deliveries, that’s why it’s compostable bags and fair trade and organic and we’re involved in the community and supporting local projects.”

The other non-negotiable is focusing on the local. Although they courier shipments anywhere in Canada, serving Kingston the freshest coffee is North Roast Coffee Roaster’s priority. At one time, they were supplying all of Parliament Hill with coffee — they dropped the contract because when Parliament is not in session, the coffee waits and loses freshness. They’ve also turned down Costco who approached them with an offer to supply Eastern Canada.

“So, we took a big risk and said, ‘We are not going to supply those companies anymore. We are only going to focus locally, where I can roast.’”

“When we roast,” he continues, “we put the roast date on the back of very bag, one, two, three days old, and customers have it in their kitchen. That is something no one can displace. If you offer that level of freshness, it’s impossible to beat. That’s why we stay local, plus, there’s the service we’re able to offer local companies, local restaurants, and cafes…Here in our wheelhouse, this is where we truly operate.”

North Roast also offers live stream roasting events. You can tune in every Tuesday and Thursday on their website at 12:05 pm to learn more about special roasts, see exactly how the roasting process happens, learn about the shipping process, the bean history, and exactly how roasting equipment is used.

By visiting their website homepage, you can also subscribe to their newsletter to receive event reminders or watch previous roasting events such as the Ethopia Misty Valley or Colombia El Norteñdo Arabica beans.

The idea of livestreaming (or what Ottenhof calls an integral part of the future of business: live selling), came about through his involvement in Shopify’s Merchant’s Council. Another founding member was live selling and became fascinated with the idea of livestreaming coffee roasting. His excitement inspired Ottenhof to get the camera rolling.

“People can see in real time the progress and the sounds. I think for people to see how their coffee’s roasted, to know the people who are roasting it – I just think it’s a neat thing and we’re going to continue doing it, 100%, every Tuesday and Thursday. It’s been a lot of fun.”

Ottenhof also adds they have a few coffee bean growers in Brazil who are itching to come onto the screen with them and share their wisdom.

It’s clear Kingston has a team of coffee professionals dedicated to making your morning cup of joe an unforgettable experience. This is more than coffee. It’s artisanship.

“I decided I was going to roast coffee I wanted to drink,” says Ottenhof. “And that’s been the recipe for success. People say do what you love and it sounds like a cliché, but I love our coffee. I love the green coffee, I like that the bags weigh 152 pounds, I like the feel of the green beans, I like the smell and the noise of the roaster: every day. There’s nothing I’m tired of. It’s not hard for me to stay in the business because it would harm me to leave.”

North Roast Coffee Roaster turns your morning mug into a daily ritual; knowing where and how your coffee was made makes the first sip even sweeter.

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Kingston Coffee House: Sustaining our coffee cravings

Kingston Coffee House | 322 King Street East and 1046 Princess Street | Facebook

This is just one photo that speaks to the very best of the Kingston coffee scene. While peering into a latte at Kingston Coffee House you might find a bear, monkey, pig, tiger, flower – or even baby Yoda. Deemed the “home for latte art,” the team behind Kingston Coffee House is driven by the love of what’s local, what’s sustainable, and what makes a really great coffee. The business has two (soon to be three) locations. One of their storefronts is right across from historic Springer Market Square (322 King Street East), boasting one of the best views in the city. Their second café is at the Kingston Centre (1046 Princess Street).

The cafés serve all organic, fair-trade, and locally roasted espresso. Customers can expect a 100% organic hot (or iced) beverage with a variety of milk alternatives and sugars. Ingredients are always fresh and local as much as possible. We spoke with Vid Banerjee, co-owner of the café. He assured us that if their baked goods can’t be baked in-house from scratch, they simply source them from local bakers.

Kingston Coffee House is a family-owned business with five members, “three humans, two dogs,” clarifies Vid. He and his partner and co-owner, Mitali, emphasize that they’re a family business to highlight how deeply invested they are in the community. Their son, Aahaan, helps transform business trips into vacations and encourages the team to unwind after work. The dogs, Joey and Shadow, also help with the unwinding part. Twice a day, every day, Kingston Coffee House customers see Vid at each of the locations.

“We are so very approachable and so very open to feedback…It becomes a two-way process because when we say we are family-owned and managed, it’s almost like we are treating our staff like a family and so is our community and customers.”

Everyone is made to feel welcomed, including those with different dietary preferences. There’s always a variety of unique vegan and gluten-free treats and sandwiches available. Vid, who immigrated from India to Canada in 2014, explains that having diverse menu options just made sense. He knew a lot of people who were vegans who had trouble simply finding suitable food and beverage options on the go. When the family acquired the business in 2017, Vid and Mitali made it a priority to cater to diverse religions and dietary requirements – and their chickpea masala sandwiches have been a hit ever since. The cafés always have at least two to three vegan sandwiches. And during the winter holiday season, those avoiding dairy can grab a “coco-nog” (a coconut milk version of eggnog).

Kingston Coffee House looks out for its customers, but also for the environment. Vid admits that “sustainability” is a popular buzzword, but he also knows that it can truly transform a business. He decided to focus on business sustainability (how long would they be in the business and how would it grow during that time?); community sustainability (how would they practice community stewardship and how did they want the community to respond to their business?); and environmental sustainability.

“What [environmental sustainability] meant to us personally was that we’d have to be sustainable from our usage of cups to our usage of resources to our waste management to our electricity consumption to our greenhouse gasses emissions. Those things were equally important to us as how we were seen or perceived by the community as a whole. The first step: we are going to be all organic without thinking about the bottom line.”

Then, Vid wondered what they could do to ensure their ingredients didn’t have to travel far. Although there’s a significant cost advantage to having something shipped in from Toronto, there’s also a major environmental cost. The cafes became dedicated to being “hyperlocal”:

“When we say we are hyperlocal, I am very proud of saying that anything you are buying or consuming at Kingston Coffee House, nothing has come from more than 240 kilometres away. That’s just about as far as Montreal and Ottawa. Our cups are the only thing that come in from Markham. What that does in terms of economic sustainability is, when I look at my yearly balance sheet, of all of those expenses, 97 per cent of that is going back to Kingston.”

While chatting with Vid over Zoom he shows me a space that looks more like a plant nursery than a living room. If you’ve wandered into one of the cafés lately, you’ve probably seen some featured products from local artists and small businesses – and an array of houseplants in beautiful pots. Reroot Plants began as a nonprofit, Vid says.

 

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“Reroot Foundation, my nonprofit, supports immigrants, providing them with guidance of how to go about their lives in a new country. Reroot is the human ‘rerooting’ from one place to another. As a new immigrant to Canada in 2014 I faced a lot of challenges with regards to banking history and credit. It’s like starting your life all over again. You might be a mighty tree back in your own country but you have literally been repotted. I would be ideally poised to advise people on how to go about their processes because I have been through them. People can learn from my mistakes.”

When brainstorming how to generate money to support the foundation, Mitali’s passion for plants and Vid’s obsession with collecting vintage pots from all over Canada came up. The COVID-19 pandemic also gave the duo the time and inspiration to get into the houseplant business. Vid says the idea grew on them.

Reroot plants – Mitali’s carefully sourced plants growing in Vid’s specially curated pots – started small, with just a few plants in their two cafés. Reroot will soon have its very own storefront. Kingston’s very first plant café will be opening later this winter at 877 Division Street. All your favourite Kingston Coffee House food and beverages will be available, but situated within a greener space with an emphasis on a selection of plants for sale. So, you can grab a coffee – and perhaps a cactus – in one place. Some studies have shown that being around plants can lower anxiety and increase productivity. So that cactus you bring home may make you calmer and more creative!

 

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Vid is an avid coffee drinker himself and he points to this as one of the reasons he loves being a part of the Kingston coffee scene.

“I cannot function without my coffee. Coffee is the thing that makes people work…Coffee is one of those things that you just have to do every single day.”

But it is specifically coffee in Kingston that makes owning Kingston Coffee House such a delight for the Banerjees.

“I would go ahead and say that Kingston’s downtown, its historic value, its lakeside, Olympic Harbour, those places are second to none. I have never seen any other city that’s as pretty where you don’t have to drive that much. Choosing to do business in Kingston has been one of the easiest and best decisions. If you asked me, ‘Would you move to Toronto?’ I would say, ‘Not for a million dollars and five cafés and twenty dogs.’”

So, while Kingston Coffee House is branching out, it’s clear they’re staying true to their roots. Customers are family. Everyone is welcome, and coffee is just a moment away.

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Jayna Hefford: a champion for women’s hockey

Just before Jayna Hefford returned to her hometown as a spectator for the Canada–USA Hockey Rivalry game, we talked to her about her early hockey days in Kingston and her ongoing work with the Professional Women’s Hockey Players Association.

Hefford loved hockey from a very early age. “I don’t remember a time when I didn’t want to be playing hockey,” she says. The whole family loved the sport: watching Hockey Night in Canada was a weekly family activity.

“I dreamed of playing in the NHL and winning the Stanley Cup,” she remembers, “and my parents never said, ‘That’s not going to happen.’ They never suggested, ‘Why don’t you try basketball instead?’ They could tell I loved the game and they encouraged me to keep going. They never made me feel like it was something I shouldn’t do, just because most girls weren’t doing it.”

Without a girls’ hockey team in Kingston at the time, six-year-old Jayna Hefford joined a boys’ team. “I played three years of boys’ hockey,” she says, “and then joined a new girls’ team, with the Kodiaks.”

Instrumental to Hefford’s development as a hockey player was her Kodiaks coach, Beth Duff.

“Beth was a big believer in character development. We learned, from a very young age, about the mental preparation needed to play hockey, and how you get to a place where you can optimize performance. She was just so fully committed to what we were trying to do and towards developing good people, not just good hockey players.”

At that time, the Kodiaks had only three teams: one for girls 10 to 13, one for girls 13 and up, and one for women. Hefford played with Kodiaks teams all through grade school and high school, often playing with – and against – girls several years older.

“Now,” says Hefford, “I don’t even know how many girls’ and women’s teams there are in Kingston, from house leagues to competitive – the growth has been amazing. It’s nice to have been a part of that growth. It’s so exciting to see where girls’ hockey has gone in Kingston – and now we have a Canada-U.S. game coming to Kingston and it sold out in two days! It just goes to show the support that is here.”

 

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In 2002, the newly formed Greater Kingston Girls Hockey Association (which had amalgamated the Kodiaks and another girls’ association, the Comets) presented Jayna Hefford with its very first Ice Wolves club jersey to honour her ground-breaking work in women’s hockey. Just a few months earlier, in Salt Lake City, Hefford had scored the game-winning goal in the gold medal game against Team USA with four seconds remaining in the second period. It was her second Olympic medal and her first gold.

She would go on to win three more Olympic gold medals with Team Canada.

Jayna Hefford’s spectacular career in hockey – her five Olympic medals, seven gold and six silver medals from the World Championships, her induction into the Canadian Hockey Hall of Fame – have inspired girls and women to pursue the sport for years. But there are still hurdles, ones that Hefford wants to break down, through her current work with the Professional Women’s Hockey Players Association (PWHPA).

 

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One of the PWHPA’s goals is to create a single, professional women’s North American hockey league. Key to attaining that goal is creating visibility of – and accessibility to – hockey by girls and women.

“I’m so passionate about the game,” Hefford says. “But it’s not an extremely accessible sport. It’s an expensive sport. So, if we want to have the sport continue to grow, we want to make sure that we are inclusive, that everyone can feel they can be part of it, whether it’s as a player or a coach, an administrator, or a fan. And we want to make sure that women are part of it all.

“To keep women in the game,” she continues, “it’s important that women are visible, and that young girls get to see the Marie-Philip Poulins and the Kendall Coynes and the Hilary Knights and all the other great players. That’s how you spark a dream. When people can see themselves and see a future for themselves in the sport, they’re going to want to be a part of it.”

 

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She’s excited to be a spectator at the Team Canada – Team USA Rivalry game at the Leon’s Centre. “These teams are as good as they get, in any sport. And watching the game live, in a sold-out arena, there’s a lot of energy and electricity.”

On Sunday, November 21, at the Canada–USA Rivalry hockey game, Hefford’s Ice Wolves jersey will be raised to the rafters of the Leon’s Centre. There, Jayna Hefford’s name will stand in good company with the names of other Kingston hockey greats – Doug Gilmour, Mike O’Connell, Brad Rhiness, Ken Linseman, Tony McKegney, Chris Clifford, Keli Corpse, David Ling, and Mike Zigomanis.

It’s a powerful signal to all the girls and women who play with the Ice Wolves, not to mention the many other Kingston hockey fans.

“It’s a huge honour,” says Hefford. “It shows the level of support that I’ve always had in this community. I’m excited that my young kids – who never saw me play – will be a part of it too. They’ll get to see that – as hopefully they see in what I work on and the way I do my work – that anything is possible. They’ll see the male jerseys in the rafters, and they’ll see a female jersey join them, and that’s a strong message.”

 

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***

Tickets for the Kingston Rivalry game between Team Canada and Team USA sold out in two days. But you can still watch the game as it’s broadcast live in Springer Market Square: Sunday November 21 at 5pm. It will also be broadcast on TSN.

Follow Jayna Hefford on Twitter: @J16H and Instagram: @jaynahefford

Learn more about the PHWPA: pwhpa.com

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Kingston’s west end gems

Looking for unique clothing, crafting ideas, or vintage furniture? How about specialty food products or craft beverages? You have to explore Kingston’s west end. Here are just a few of our favourites:

Om Indian Bazaar

New to the Reddendale Plaza is Om Indian Bazaar (710 Front Road), a supermarket with a vast array of Indian food products, including spices and condiments, ghee, rice, fresh vegetables, and more. The supermarket’s extensive flour section includes kuttu, moong dal, ladu besan, and bajri flours. The frozen foods section holds everything from packages of methi (fenugreek leaves) and tindora (ivy gourd) to delicacies like custard apple ice cream.

Sydenham Sweet Bakery

Sydenham Sweet Bakery (730 Front Road) is the place to go for old-fashioned goodies like date squares, chocolate brownies, jam-jams, cupcakes, butter tarts, as well as holiday-themed sweet treats. The Bakery has been a fixture at the Reddendale plaza for 13 years now. Stop in and treat yourself to something sweet!

Cocoa Bistro

Cocoa Bistro (840 Development Drive) invites you to celebrate every day with the gift of chocolate. Choose from flavours like Vietnamese coffee and cardamom orange to put together a custom box of chocolates. Pick up a bar of velvety Belgian chocolate or Ruby raspberry swirl bark. Check out the website for seasonally themed chocolate offerings as well. Cocoa Bistro also offers dairy-free versions of many of its products.

Baltic Deli 

At Baltic Deli (506 Days Road), you can pick up frozen meals like pierogi and cabbage rolls, and a wide variety of fresh meats and cheeses and canned goods. Thursdays are paczki days at Baltic Deli: these delectable plum jam-filled Polish donuts sell out fast every week. Be sure to stop by when the winter holiday season rolls around again; they’ll have some amazing European chocolate, candies, and gift baskets in store.

Sigrid’s Natural Foods

A Kingston staple for more than 35 years, Sigrid’s Natural Foods (506 Days Road) carries a full range of groceries (local, organic, natural) as well as a large selection of nutritional supplements and health products. You’ll find a variety of vegan, gluten-free, keto, and sugar-free products, as well as products from Kingston area farmers and producers. Gluten-free products include bread from Silly Yak Bakery, another west end gem.

The Revolving Door

The Revolving Door (500 Gardiners Road at Bath Road). Refresh your look with nearly new designer and brand-name clothing and accessories at this upscale women’s clothing consignment store. Open Tuesday through Saturday, with extended hours on Thursday (10 am to 6 pm, rather than 4 pm). Explore the store’s latest offerings on Instagram.

The Carson House

If your home décor is looking a little blah, you must check out The Carson House (1640 Bath Road), Kingston’s largest furniture and home décor consignment store. You’re sure to find something to fit your style, from antique desks to mid-century dining sets. Mix and match your furniture choice from the store’s selection of new linens and tableware. And for your DIY projects, The Carson House carries the Fusion line of mineral paints, ideal for both indoor and outdoor furniture, as well as appliances.

Stitch by Stitch Kingston

Stitch by Stitch Kingston has been Kingston’s go-to quilting and sewing store for nine years now and it’s busier than ever. New and experienced craftspeople can find a wide array of supplies, from fabric to quilting patterns and kits. Regular workshop topics include quilting, sewing, felting, embroidery, and appliqué. And if you’ve got a favourite old piece of clothing that needs some TLC, there’s a monthly mending series as well. The store offers new sewing machines for sale as well as service for your older machine. And Kingston’s own Purlin’ J’s Roving Yarn Company stops by the store every other Saturday.

Tie One On Creativity Bar

Tie One On Creativity Bar (1329 Gardiners Road) combines crafts and cocktails. Take a lesson in crocheting, macramé, or painting, or get creative on your own. Looking for some gift-giving inspiration? What would be more meaningful than something handmade with love? Enjoy a snack and a beverage while you get creative. As well as a bar featuring seasonal cocktails and local beer and cider, Tie One On also offers a selection of mocktails, sodas, and juices.

Kingston’s west end breweries

Speaking of beverages, Kingston’s west end has become a hub for locally crafted beer and cider, with Hard Way Cider Co. (748 Development Drive), Spearhead Brewing (675 Development Drive), Riverhead Brewing Company (631 Fortune Crescent), and Skeleton Park Brewery (675 Arlington Park Place) all in the neighbourhood. Learn more about Kingston’s breweries and cidery.

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25 things to do in November in Kingston 2021

Things are starting to get a little festive here in Kingston. Welcome the winter season with a host of Kingston events in November from hockey games, craft sales, and holiday markets.

Do you have an event you’d like featured on our monthly list? Add it to our events calendar for consideration!

Click each image for even more event details.

1. The Kingston Fibre Artists Exhibition, Art Threads 2021

The Kingston Fibre Artists Exhibition, Art Threads 2021

2. Kingston Handloom Weavers & Spinners Annual Sale

Kingston Handloom Weavers & Spinners Annual Sale

3. Steven Page in Concert

Steven Page in Concert

4. The Sylvia Effect

The Sylvia Effect

5. Refuge Canada Exhibit

Refuge Canada Exhibit

6. Kim Pollard Band Live

Kim Pollard Band Live

7. The Isabel fall season performances

The Isabel fall season performances

8. Catch a Kingston Frontenacs game

Catch a Kingston Frontenacs game

9. The Judgement of Kingston: blind tasting of pinot noirs

The Judgement of Kingston: blind tasting of pinot noirs

10. Blue Rodeo

Blue Rodeo

11. Kingston Trolley Tours

Kingston Trolley Tours

12. Live music: Long Range Hustle

Live music: Long Range Hustle

13. Original Haunted Walk of Kingston

Original Haunted Walk of Kingston

14. Team USA vs. Team Canada – Women’s Hockey Rivalry Series

Team USA vs. Team Canada - Women's Hockey Rivalry Series

15. Deep Looking: Studies in Solitude

Deep Looking: Studies in Solitude

16. Kingston Holiday Market

Kingston Holiday Market

17. Catch a new film

Catch a new film

18. Moonlight Forest Therapy Walk

Moonlight Forest Therapy Walk

19. Escape Room Games

Escape Room Games

20. The PumpHouse Museum Tours

The PumpHouse Museum Tours

21. Theatre Kingston Presents: These Deeds

Theatre Kingston Presents: These Deeds

22. Visit the Military Communications + Electronics Museum

Visit the Military Communications + Electronics Museum

23. Metal Rocks Show & Sale

Metal Rocks Show & Sale

24. Kingston Potters’ Guild Christmas Sale

Kingston Potters' Guild Christmas Sale

25. Fat Goose Craft Fair

Fat Goose Craft Fair

Events just in

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Part of the local community: Kingston’s breweries, past and present

Kingston is home to eight breweries and one cidery including Daft Brewing, Fine Balance Brewing Company, Hard Way Cider Company, Kingston Brewing Company, MacKinnon Brother’s Brewing Company, Riverhead Brewing Company, Skeleton Park Brewery, Spearhead Brewing Company, and Stone City Ales.

Read below to learn about the history of brewing in Kingston, or watch video profiles on each brewery here.

“Eclectic, with an eye towards both tradition and the future.”

That’s how Jordan St. John, a local beer historian, sums up Kingston’s current beer scene.

Stone City Ales / click the photo to learn more
Stone City Ales / click the photo to learn more

You might be familiar with a few – or all – of Kingston’s breweries (we have eight plus a cidery). But how exactly did Kingston become such a vibrant beer city? There’s a lot of history behind Kingston’s modern brewing scene.

Up until the 1800s, Rideau Street in downtown Kingston was known as Brewery Street, in recognition of the dominant industry of the area. Breweries in Kingston can be traced back to the 1790s, but Jordan St. John notes that the first half of the 1800s was the city’s beer heyday.

By the mid-1800s, despite its lack of industrial-scale breweries, Kingston had an array of ales at its small breweries. Soldiers at Fort Henry had a weekly beer ration – British soldiers in Canada were entitled to six pints of beer a day!

Watch this video above on Kingston’s brewing history with a behind-the-scenes look at each brewery in the city.

Beer was also often a safer beverage to consume than water in the 19th century. Due to boiling in the brewing process and sealing bottles, it’s rare for bacteria to thrive in beer, and quite obvious if it does. At this time, the alcohol content of beer ranged from eight to twelve percent. Today, a Canadian beer has around five percent alcohol.

Read more: A Guide to Kingston’s Breweries

Kingston was also one of the furthest Canadian settlements west at the time too. With its proximity to the St. Lawrence River and shipping routes, the city was able to import alcohol from overseas and distribute it throughout the area. Around 1850 though, everything changed. When the Grand Trunk Railway and the Great Western Railway literally picked up steam, Kingston breweries began to suffer. St. John explains that larger breweries in city centres like Montreal and Toronto began to export to towns across Ontario and all along the booming Canadian rail line. Kingston had a large enough population to support local breweries but had lost its significance as a brewing city, due to steep competition and railway exports. Industrial-scale brewing took over the greater Canadian beer scene. The few breweries serving the local market in the Victorian era included George Creighton’s Frontenac Brewery on King Street West and Joseph Bajus’s Kingston Brewery on Wellington Street.

MacKinnon Brother’s Brewing Co. / click the photo to learn more

There have been calls for generations – one in an 1820 edition of The Kingston Chronicle, to be exact – to protect the brewing industry in Canada. It took some time, but by the 1970s, small breweries were making a comeback. By 1986, Kingston had its first brewpub, the Kingston Brewing Company. Throughout the ’80s and ’90s, brewpubs steadily became one of the coolest places to be. Why the switch?

Jordan St. John explains that a generation of drinkers around this time remembered brewing traditions from an earlier time, when there were a variety of imports from England and Ireland. At the same time, Miller Lite in the U.S. was introduced: it sold more beer than the entire Canadian beer market (around 26 million barrels). There was a lot of pushback against this kind of homogeneity, resulting in a craft beer revival. People began making extremely small batches of beer based on styles that were only still available in England and Germany. Despite being designed to please a small number of beer-drinkers at first, craft beer caught on – especially in Kingston.

“The thing that makes craft beer catch on,” says St. John, “is the fact that it’s a part of the local community. They can do things in a small, mobile, nimble fashion that other people can’t. The point is that you can make something that is going to be commemorative of a small moment or nothing at all, really. It could just be a brewer’s whim as opposed to making something as standardized as Molson Canadian, which is available everywhere, originally from Montreal, but across Canada, that Canadian branding, as opposed to whatever it is that the Kingston Brewing Company came up with on a weekly basis. So, it’s novelty to some extent, but it’s also quality. There’s a community aspect to it.”

Daft Brewing / click the photo to learn more

Microbreweries slowly developed over the 1980s and ’90s, although they weren’t necessarily created to produce what we think of today as “craft beer.” They were simply dedicated to offering an alternative to corporate brands “that no longer adhered to a sense of place,” according to a history of Ontario breweries co-written by St. John. Brewpubs (restaurant and brewery in one) were made legal in Ontario in October of 1985.

There were a lot of failures in microbreweries in the ’90s. Since there had been no local breweries for decades before, the public wasn’t used to such distinct flavours in a drink. Furthermore, malt extract brewing systems were the norm for early brewpubs because of their affordability and accessibility. But this type of brewing often resulted in varied quality, and some less-than-tasty beers. The brewpubs that remained popular were often brewed with grain. The exception? The Kingston Brewing Company – the oldest functioning brewpub in Ontario. KBC retained a malt extract brewing system onsite, and their brand, Dragon’s Breath Pale Ale, became so popular that it had to be contracted out to (the now closed) Hart Breweries of Ottawa to keep up with demand across Ontario. KBC is still one of the few malt extract breweries in Ontario.

Kingston is a community of brewers and beer-drinkers perfecting tradition and experimenting with novelty. Skeleton Park Brewery is dedicated to resurrecting “long lost” local beer recipes using modern brewing techniques. Stone City Ales rolls out a different beer every week or two – surprising customers with unique flavours that challenge the status quo.

While enjoying a cold beer in Kingston today may look a little different from the early 19th century practice, the brewing community continues to play an important part in the city’s long history of craft brewing. Learn more about Kingston’s thriving brewery scene today and watch video profiles on each brewery.

Enjoying local brews on a Kingston Food Tour

Want to read more about the history of brewing? We recommend Ontario Beer: A Heady History of Brewing from the Great Lakes to Hudson Bay by Alan McLeod and Jordan St. John.

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Insider Itineraries: Emily Armstrong

I’m the Community Outreach Commissioner for the Arts and Science Undergraduate Society (ASUS) at Queen’s this year and in my fourth year of my undergrad in environmental chemistry. Throughout my time here in Kingston, I have discovered so many places and events that make the city truly unique. I know that more students than ever are brand-new to Kingston this year, so I put together a list of some of our must-sees. All these places have the three things students love most: close location, affordable experiences, and fun times! There are so many hidden gems close to campus that many students don’t get the chance to see during their time at Queen’s and this list is an easy way to make sure you don’t miss out!

Here are my top 10 favourite things to do and places to go within walking distance from Queen’s campus that are perfect for students on a budget.

Springer Market Square

This square is the heart of Kingston and is always filled with people walking through and events throughout the year! The beautiful architecture and the cheerful atmosphere truly make it feel as though you are walking through a movie set. From the farmer’s market that can be found there every Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday in the summer and fall months, to the public skating rink in the winter, there is always something going on in Springer Market Square.

Coffee Shops

A Kingston student experience is never complete without a good cup of caffeine. Regardless of your coffee preferences and tastes, Kingston has got a spot for you! Downtown Kingston is filled with many great local coffee shops; try them all and figure out which one is your favourite! Some of the top ones on our list are the Grocery Basket, Balzac’s, Crave, Kingston Coffee House, and the BSE Skate Shop, but there are many more to discover. Grab a cup of coffee and find the perfect study spot in the process!

Live music

Enjoy some amazing food or drinks while listening to live music right here in Kingston. These are great spots to go with friends to get the full concert experience. You can experience live music at Musiikki Cafe every night, and the BluMartini on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays. The Mansion and the Merchant also have live music on certain nights, so stay up to date via social media!

 

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Thrifting

Are you looking for an activity that combines shopping, fashion, and sustainability? Then you have to check our Kingston’s thrift stores. You can find thrift stores just a walking distance from campus with Phase 2, YGK Thrift, and Montreal Collective located in downtown Kingston. We cannot think of a more perfect opportunity to update your fall wardrobe on a student budget.

Ice cream at Confederation Park

Located right on the waterfront and across from City Hall, Confederation Park is home to the Kingston sign, a beautiful fountain, the Visitor Information Centre, and a marina. This is ultimately one of the most scenic spots in Kingston to look at the water, enjoy some views, and partake in some great company. While you are there, grab some ice cream from nearby shops such as Mio Gelato, White Mountain Ice Cream, Cook E’s, or Fruit Festival. These must-try spots are the perfect study snack after a long day of class.

Martello Alley

Martello Alley is one of my favourite hidden gems and can be found right off Princess Street. Stepping through the cobblestone streets gives the appearance of entering a secret patio. Check out the work of local artists showcased in the Alley and purchase some beautiful pieces. It’s a beautiful place where you can appreciate local art and take some great photos!

The Screening Room

The Screening Room is THE place to go to watch all the latest releases. Nothing beats the smell of popcorn when you walk into the theatre! Its old-style popcorn machine and décor gives it an artsy feeling. The theatre’s rustic exposed brick adds to the modern and retro aesthetic. Grab a group of friends and turn your Netflix movie night into a full-blown outing. With modest pricing and walking distance from campus, the Screening Room is a must go!

The Agnes Etherington Art Centre

Want to explore the world of art without having to commute? Located on campus, the Agnes Etherington Art Centre features amazing collections of research-driven art and has innovative exhibits year-round. The best part? Admission is free!

Courtyard Patios

Patio season isn’t over yet and Kingston has many hidden courtyard patios just around the corner! From the Kingston Brewing Company to Chez Piggy, you can experience dining at a courtyard patio no matter what your food preferences are. Some other downtown spots include the Toucan, Amadeus Café, and Black Dog Tavern. Be sure to check them out before the winter hits!

The ASUS offices

I may be biased, but the ASUS house is definitely my favourite place in Kingston! Located on University Avenue right off campus, you’ll spot us by our bright red porch. It houses the Arts and Science Undergraduate Society, a student government that provides supports, resources, opportunities, and advocacy for undergraduate students. Our door is always open if you want to stop by with any questions, to chat or to look at our brand-new vegetable garden located right next to the front steps!

Describe Kingston in three words: Charming, Lively, and Innovative

What would be Kingston’s theme song? Mr. Brightside by The Killers

Kingston makes me feel… Like I’m part of a welcoming and collaborative community.