Lemoine Point Conservation Area - Kingston

 Nothing beats walking through a forest.  I often find myself with a permanent smile on my face.  You will love a visit to Lemoine Point Conservation Area located in the west end of Kingston, Ontario.  

I would just about be safe enough to guarantee that no matter what route you choose, you will no doubt find wild life.  I have never seen wild turkeys up close so this was a rare treat for me.  Deer crossing across the footpath in the woods is a typical sighting in this hybrid trail (urban/suburban) retreat.  

Ducks and squirrels seems to 'hang out' on the pathways just waiting for a peanut or two or something else yummy to munch on.  
 I've taken an interest and found some joy bringing a bag of shelled peanuts with me when I go for walks up until recently where there's been some controversy about  the intervention of people feeding wildlife.  This makes me sad that I can't do it anymore because I might stand the threat of a by-law enforcement officer to hand out a hefty fine which is what has been going on from time to time.
Lemoine Point Conservation area has a wide variety of terrain other than forested areas.  In over over 350 acres of land mass, there are marshlands, fields and grassy areas for barbeques and picnic tables.  There is also over 2.5 km of shoreline which is perfect for sunsets!

 

Historically, this spot of land was part of over 3400 acres which was granted to a Johan Jost Herkimer (a Loyalist) in the late 1700s for his service to the Crown during the American Revolution.  Jost also received over 2 acres in the village of downtown Kingston.  

The Herkimer family kept the land until they sold it to Captain William Lemoine in 1836 until it passed hands again eventually acquired by the Cataraqui Region Conservation Authority.

Today, there is a north and south parking lot when you arrive.  It's quite busy during summer months with visitors looking to soak up a lot of historical landmarks in Kingston and Belleville

I loved it here, and know you will too.

 

Happy trails

Fort Henry National Historic site - Kingston

Just before the sun set in the west, we drove up to the top of the hill where the present day Fort Henry National Historic site is located in Kingston, Ontario on Point Henry.

It didn't take long once we left the car and looked down from the peak to see that it was clearly a very strategic point during the war of 1812.  A strategic, elevated point near the mouth of the Cataraqui River (where it flows into the St. Lawrence River at the east end of Lake Ontario). 

 

 

Even though we visited this site during the COVID-19 pandemic there were still several dozens of people wandering the site with families to see it.  There was plenty of space to keep a safe distance throughout its 66.5 acres of land that the fort covers.

In the 1930s, "Old Fort Henry" was restored to it's present day sate as part of a government work program during the Great Depression. "Old Fort Henry" became a living museum with the introduction of the Fort Henry Guard, and was opened on August 1, 1938.

Today, Fort Henry is jointly owned and operated by both Parks Canada and the St. Lawrence Parks Commission. As an extremely popular tourist attraction, people come from all over the world throughout the year to see the uniformed military guard staff conducting demos of British military life.

 

The Fort is now open for self-guided tours and other activities and demonstrations which include historical reenactments of drills and battle tactics, the Garrison Parade, the Victorian School Room, and the Muster Parade, where young visitors are dressed in period uniforms and taught to march by a qualified member of the Guard. 

 

I would love to live in Kingston where a sunset ceremony is held every Wednesday in July and August, when a full program of historic drill, music and artillery is presented.   During the evenings a year-round tour company conducts tours of the fort that highlight the fort's supposedly haunted past.

Fort Henry has been designated as a National Historic Site of Canada, and in 2007 was included in the designation of the Rideau Canal as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.