in Kingston, Dec. 12, 2010

My apologies to our friends - I have been featuring photos of our family so much that some of you probably know them better than we do - so today I tried to get some general shots around Kingston.  It wasn't the best day for taking photos but it was a very typical Kingston winter day with temperature at +3 and steady rain most of the day.
First of all, one of the major industries in Kingston is the prison system.  Here we have Collins Bay Penitentiary, a medium security federal prison surrounded by a 300 acre prison farm.  When I was a student at Queen's University, a friend of mine, also a graduate student, got a job teaching a Canadian history course at this prison.  He invited me to come one day and give a guest lecture on Western Canadian history, which I did.  The class went smoothly enough, helped by the presence of two prison guards to assist with any discipline problems.

Collins Bay Federal Penitentiary in Kingston, ON
[note the white car in the foreground]

After taking this photo, I turned the van around to take a photo in the opposite direction.  The white car came rushing up behind us with horn blaring and the female prison guard inside demanded to know what we had just photographed.  I was able to say "Canada geese" as I had just taken the next shot with a joke in mind about captive geese.  The guard was not amused, informed us that we were not allowed on federal property let alone take photos and encouraged us to leave quickly - which we did. I reflected later on the implications of having a prison guard stationed in a car in the empty parking lot all day.  Would this be a desirable job?  Is it an effective use of our tax dollars?

Geese on the Collins Bay prison farm
[They may have saved us from a more serious fate.]

Kingston, of course, is closely associated with Sir John A. Macdonald, Canada's first Prime Minister. 

Statue of Sir John A. Macdonald in Kingston's City Park, the first
municipal park in what is now Canada.
To the right, and a little more distant is a gray cairn.  It marks the spot where,
in 1784, the land survey system of what is now Ontario began.
Every property in Ontario is ultimately surveyed in reference to this point.

St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church - Kingston, ON
The Macdonald family were members here - John A. from childhood.  He married his first wife here
Sept. 1, 1843.

Kingston City Hall (obscured somewhat by a smaller building in front)
Originally built to be the capital building of the United Province of Canada,
it served briefly in that capacity in the early 1840's.
John A. Macdonald began his political career here in 1843.

One block from City Hall stands what was once the Frontenac Hotel.
For John A. Macdonald this was often a home away from home where he entertained friends and
political supporters with what he called "soft sawder" (amusing stories told in the convivial environs of the bar room).

Another iconic sight in Kingston are Murney Towers (sharp eyed viewers can see three in this photo)
They were built around the world in the glory days of the British Empire.  They were forward bastions
for cannon to help protect the main fortification.  These were built in 1845 - 46 when there was a strong danger
of invasion by the United States.  Murney Towers in Canada differed from those in other parts of the world
in that they had a roof to shed the snow in winter time.

A little brown duck - swimming on the water - quack, quack, quack.

Well, we did have some family time today too, with another delicious meal, a Christmas gift exchange, and some fun visit and movie time.

Three generations: Kristen, Carylanne and Dorothy

And Brayden really enjoyed his Michael Jackson dance game
for his Wii console.

All and all, another great day in Kingston.