Daytripping in Kingston

Golden Rooster

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Restaurant | "The Golden Rooster"

Shrimp Sandwich Photo - Golden Rooster, Kingston, Ontario

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What comes to mind when you think of a restaurant named the Golden Rooster? Something Asian perhaps? Not a Danish deli-style restaurant, right? It is all very confusing! The Golden Rooster, owned and operated by Danish immigrants, is a very popular Danish/European-style deli restaurant located right in the heart of Kingston's historic downtown.I discovered the Golden Rooster on the annual Danish Club's day trip to Kingston. We arrange for a series of open-faced sandwiches starting off with herring, followed by shrimp and egg, and a choice from four other options. I never really made friends with liver paté during my year in Denmark so I opt for roast beef and rollepølse (roll...Read More

What comes to mind when you think of a restaurant named the Golden Rooster? Something Asian perhaps? Not a Danish deli-style restaurant, right? It is all very confusing! The Golden Rooster, owned and operated by Danish immigrants, is a very popular Danish/European-style deli restaurant located right in the heart of Kingston's historic downtown.

I discovered the Golden Rooster on the annual Danish Club's day trip to Kingston. We arrange for a series of open-faced sandwiches starting off with herring, followed by shrimp and egg, and a choice from four other options. I never really made friends with liver paté during my year in Denmark so I opt for roast beef and rollepølse (rolled pork). Each of our sandwiches is piled high with meat and the appropriate toppings.

These same sandwiches are available to the general public as well as a wide selection of other hot and cold lunch and breakfast options. Open-faced sandwiches start at $3.95 Cdn. Members of our group are always stuffed after four sandwiches but that isn't the end of the fun. No! How could a bunch of Danes and their friends possibly finish a meal without some pastry? Weinerbrød is a typical custard-filled pastry, topped with sliced almonds and sugar. We are always served a generous portion which, in my opinion, is far too much after the sandwiches. If you prefer not to follow Danish tradition, you can take a family-sized portion (over a foot long) of weinerbrød home with you for $20 Cdn. And if you feel really brave you can try Akvavit, a Danish spirit best served with herring, and you too can experience the sinus-clearing qualities of this fine product!

The set-up at the Golden Rooster can be a bit confusing. Roughly the first half of the long counter on the right hand side of the restaurant is for take-out customers with the cash located at the pastry station right at the entrance to the restaurant. The seating area is located at the back of the restaurant. The line up for the restaurant starts mid-way down the long counter. Make your meal selections first and then pick up your drink or spirit of choice toward the cashier. If Akvavit isn't for you, there is a wide selection of the usual beverages as well as wine and domestic and Danish beer on offer.

There are two somewhat annoying things about the Golden Rooster. One, it is a cash-only business. Imagine my horror when on my first trip, I ordered wienerbrød to take home, but had no cash on me. We had prepaid for the meals so I thought I had no need for cash. I definitely did not repeat that mistake. The second annoyance is that the small washrooms are located in the basement. This is odd considering the restaurant's entrance is easily accessible.

Open Monday to Friday 7:30am to 6pm and Saturday 7:30am to 4pm. Closed Sundays. Cash only. Read Less

Member Rating 3 out of 5 on June 18, 2007

Golden Rooster
111 Princess Street
Kingston, Ontario
(613) 542-5676

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City Hall Tour

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Attraction

Kingston City Hall Photo - City Hall Tour, Kingston, Ontario

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On one of my parents' trips out to Ottawa, we decided to head down to Kingston to visit my aunt. We picked one of those ever so frequent hot, sticky days to visit; the pollen was thick and the haze was noticeable as we drove into the city centre. After a stop at my aunt's house, we decided to wander around Kingston's historic downtown full of the limestone buildings for which the city is famous. As we came up behind Kingston City Hall my uncle suggested we head on inside for a quick tour of the building.Kingston served as the capital of the United Province of Canada and it expected to become the capital of Canada. With that in mind, Kingston needed a suitable city hall. George Brown...Read More

On one of my parents' trips out to Ottawa, we decided to head down to Kingston to visit my aunt. We picked one of those ever so frequent hot, sticky days to visit; the pollen was thick and the haze was noticeable as we drove into the city centre. After a stop at my aunt's house, we decided to wander around Kingston's historic downtown full of the limestone buildings for which the city is famous. As we came up behind Kingston City Hall my uncle suggested we head on inside for a quick tour of the building.

Kingston served as the capital of the United Province of Canada and it expected to become the capital of Canada. With that in mind, Kingston needed a suitable city hall. George Brown, a 31 year old architect won the design competition and began construction with a 10,000 pound budget. When the building was finally completed in December 1844, Kingston had a marvelous limestone City Hall but it had run 15,000 pounds over budget. No one seemed to mind - a celebratory banquet with over 300 guests was held to open the building. When Ottawa was named Canada's capital, officials were left scrambling to find tenants to fill the building. City Hall housed the Post Office, the Customs House, the Bank of British North America, various church groups and even a saloon, but none remained as permanent tenants.

Much of City Hall remains as it was in the 19th century. Council chambers is a particularly interesting room. The light blue walls are accented with white and gold decorative details bringing to mind a completely different era that clashes with the modern technology incorporated into the room for the use of city council during their meetings.

The most impressive part of the tour is the 12 stained glass windows of Memorial Hall. The windows were placed in the hall in 1921, most of them being donated to the City of Kingston in memory of someone who died in WWI. Each of the beautifully-coloured windows pays tribute to Canadians who fought, and often died, in famous First World War battles such as Vimy Ridge and the Battle of Jutland. Each of the windows depicts a scene from the specific battle after which the window is named. This is where the body of Kingston's most famous son and Canada's first Prime Minister, Sir John A. MacDonald, lay in state upon his death in 1891.

The tour runs about 15 minutes but packs in a ton of history in to that short time frame. To take your quick tour of City Hall, enter through the main doors on Ontario Street. One of Kingston's many students will greet you and guide you through the main floor of this still-functioning city hall.

City Hall tours run from mid-May to the end of September, Monday to Friday 10am to 4pm and on Saturdays and Sundays during July and August from 11am to 3pm. The tours are free! Read Less

Member Rating 4 out of 5 on June 18, 2007

City Hall Tour
216 Ontario Street
Kingston

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Confederation Trolley Tour

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Attraction | "Confederation Trolley Tour Part I"

Kingston Tourist Info Office Photo - Confederation Trolley Tour , Kingston, Ontario

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Kingston is packed full of history and things to do. On my first two day trips to Kingston, I didn't have a chance to really explore the city. On my third trip to the Limestone City, I was bound and determined to see something, anything! I discovered the Confederation Trolley Tour in a quick online search of Kingston attractions. After my lunch at the Golden Rooster, I headed over to the Kingston Tourist Office to purchase my token for this 50-minute tour through the streets and history of Kingston.Our driver and guide, both students, did a fantastic job of introducing us to Kingston. Our gui...Read More

Kingston is packed full of history and things to do. On my first two day trips to Kingston, I didn't have a chance to really explore the city. On my third trip to the Limestone City, I was bound and determined to see something, anything! I discovered the Confederation Trolley Tour in a quick online search of Kingston attractions. After my lunch at the Golden Rooster, I headed over to the Kingston Tourist Office to purchase my token for this 50-minute tour through the streets and history of Kingston.

Our driver and guide, both students, did a fantastic job of introducing us to Kingston. Our guide warned us off the start that we would be subjected to odd humour and puns along the way. We started with the Tourist Office, built as a train station in 1887 serving the Pembroke-Kingston line. We headed down Ontario Street past City Hall, Confederation Park and the ferry dock, home of only one of two free car ferries left in Ontario, serving Wolfe Island. Usually department stores are not a point of interest on a historical tour of a city. However, the S&R Department Store played an important part in Kingston's history. Built in 1820 as a commercial market, the department store served the city in many incarnations before someone had the bright idea to tear it down to make way for a parking lot. Two men by the name of Smith and Robinson bought the building at auction in order to save it from demolition. The department store they started, still bearing their initials, is one of only a few independent department stores in Eastern Canada.

Kingston has a long and proud military history. It was home to Fort Frontenac, built in 1673 but destroyed by the British near the end of the Seven Years' War. This site is now owned by the Royal Military College (RMC), located just on the other side of the Cataraqui River, and operates as a training facility for Canadian and foreign officers.

The tour took us over the LaSalle Causeway to RMC, rarely visited by outsiders. RMC, located on the site of the former royal naval dockyard, has been in operation for over 130 years. It was operated by the British from 1812 - 1870. The Canadians took over operation of RMC in 1870. RMC offers a 4-year degree program to its students, 25% of which are women. In return for a free education and a stipend, graduates must serve 5 years as a junior officer in Canada's forces. Our tour passed by the Memorial Arch, constructed in memory of RMC cadets who lost their lives in WWI. RMC cadets are allowed to pass under this arch only twice: upon entering RMC and then on graduation day.

Continued in Part II. Read Less

Member Rating 5 out of 5 on June 18, 2007

Confederation Trolley Tour
109 Ontario Street
Kingston, Ontario

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Confederation Trolley Tour

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Attraction | "Confederation Trolley Tour Part II"

Bellevue House Photo - Confederation Trolley Tour , Kingston, Ontario

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Unfortunately, the tour does not go up to Fort Henry, located just across Navy Bay from RMC. The fort is open to tourists during the summer and offers a number of tours and activities, even on the hottest of summer days. I feel sorry for the young men who have to wear uniforms straight out of 1867. Lucky for them they can go home at the end of the day, unlike the young men who served at this inhospitable fort, defending Canada from a potential American invasion. Fort Henry was protected by a series of Martello towers which dot the landscape along Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence River. While the Martello towers, with their removable roofs, seem like a great defensive idea, our tour guid...Read More

Unfortunately, the tour does not go up to Fort Henry, located just across Navy Bay from RMC. The fort is open to tourists during the summer and offers a number of tours and activities, even on the hottest of summer days. I feel sorry for the young men who have to wear uniforms straight out of 1867. Lucky for them they can go home at the end of the day, unlike the young men who served at this inhospitable fort, defending Canada from a potential American invasion. Fort Henry was protected by a series of Martello towers which dot the landscape along Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence River. While the Martello towers, with their removable roofs, seem like a great defensive idea, our tour guide told us that the roofs take 24 hours to remove. Hmmm, that would require advance warning of an invasion, right?

We continued our tour through the grounds of RMC along roads named after famous battles and people, like Passchendaele and Billy Bishop. Our tour guide pointed out interesting facts along the way. Did you know that the iconic Canadian flag was designed by a graduate of RMC? As we passed by the dorms, he asked us to check out the wind vane atop one of the buildings. He then proceeded to tell us that as one of many graduation pranks, that particular group of graduates had soldered the wind vane into place so that it pointed towards the female dorm at Queen's University in downtown Kingston. Another famous prank - another graduating class painted one of the tanks on the grounds pink. The students were ordered to repaint it before they could graduate later that day.

Kingston is known for many things but one of the most dubious is that it is home to 10 penitentiaries, the earliest built in 1834. Those who built the penitentiaries also constructed and lived in the Village of Portsmouth which was incorporated into Kingston in 1952. Portsmouth Harbour hosted the sailing events during the 1976 Montreal Olympics.

Towards the end of the tour we passed by Bellevue House, home to Canada's first Prime Minister, Sir John A. Macdonald. He lived in 14 different residences in Kingston and moved out of this Italianate style home in 1849. I wondered why our tour guide went on to tell us that the lawnmower was invented in 1850. It quickly became clear when he told us that Bellevue is maintained as a living museum as it was in 1849 right down to the implements used to cut the grass. So, the students who work here during the summer are not allowed to mow the lawn instead using older tools to do the job. Our tour guide thought his summer job as a tour guide was a much better deal.

Continued in Part III. Read Less

Member Rating 5 out of 5 on June 18, 2007

Confederation Trolley Tour
109 Ontario Street
Kingston, Ontario

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Confederation Trolley Tour

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Attraction | "Confederation Trolley Tour Part III"

Kingston City Hall Photo - Confederation Trolley Tour , Kingston, Ontario

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Queen's University, founded in 1841, was one of the last stops on the tour. Our young tour guide was heading off to university at Queen's in the fall. As we drove through the campus, he noted one of the many buildings named after a particular benefactor. Our guide wondered aloud whether they'd name a building after him seeing as how he was about to give Queen's so much money in tuition. Ah, the sense of humour comes out. Seriously, Queen's offers some of the finest examples of the famous limestone architecture in Kingston. Many of the buildings were constructed of limestone quarried right on site. Our tour guide told us about the Grant Hall bylaw which prohibits construction of any build...Read More

Queen's University, founded in 1841, was one of the last stops on the tour. Our young tour guide was heading off to university at Queen's in the fall. As we drove through the campus, he noted one of the many buildings named after a particular benefactor. Our guide wondered aloud whether they'd name a building after him seeing as how he was about to give Queen's so much money in tuition. Ah, the sense of humour comes out. Seriously, Queen's offers some of the finest examples of the famous limestone architecture in Kingston. Many of the buildings were constructed of limestone quarried right on site. Our tour guide told us about the Grant Hall bylaw which prohibits construction of any building on campus higher than the clock tower of Grant Hall. In the 19th century this bylaw would not have presented much difficulty but as modern technology allowed for ever taller buildings to serve the increasing student population, the bylaw necessitated ingenuity in design. The new library was constructed with four underground floors. The limestone located three feet under the surface made this construction project even more difficult.

Frontenac County Court House is an elaborate and imposing building, its grandeur seeming a little at odds with the quiet City Park across the street. But as we learned, the park was originally set aside to house Canada's first Parliament. Unfortunately for Kingston, Queen Victoria chose Ottawa to become Canada's capital and the land was converted into a park.

We ended our tour passing by some of the most stately homes in the city. Many of these homes are still privately owned but some have been turned in to historic bed-and-breakfasts open year round. Some of the B&Bs are reputed to be haunted, including the historic Rosemont Inn where the sound of slippers shuffling down the hall can be heard in the dead of night. Rosemount Inn is located just down the street from Kingston's only castle. Yes, the city has a castle but it is a minuscule one at that. McIntosh Castle was originally planned as a large European-style castle to entice the original builder's children to move to Canada. But when the builder ran out of money, construction stopped. The result is this cute but miniature castle in the heart of historic Kingston, just one of the many oddities that makes Kingston so unique.

I think this 50-minute tour is definitely worth the time and price of admission as it introduces visitors to the historical figures, buildings and facts that make Kingston the city it is today. If you can fit only one thing in to a short trip to Kingston, I would highly recommend it be the Confederation Trolley Tour.

The tour operates from mid-May to the Thanksgiving long weekend in October. Hours vary depending on the season. Seating on a first-come-first-served basis. Prices (plus taxes): adult $13.50, senior (65+) or student $11.50, and children under 6 free. Read Less

Member Rating 5 out of 5 on June 18, 2007

Confederation Trolley Tour
109 Ontario Street
Kingston, Ontario

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