Jones Falls to Kingston, ON. End of the Rideau Canal.

Yesterday we finished the Rideau Canal, after 124 miles and 43 locks, ending in Kingston, ON, where the Cataraqui River meets the St. Lawrence Seaway and Lake Ontario. Map Link: Kingston, ON. Like many of the settlements in this part of Ontario, Kingston was founded by British loyalists fleeing north at the end of the American Revolution. It was Canada’s first capital, but was considered too vulnerable due to its close proximity to the U.S., and was moved to Ottawa in 1857. We’re docked at Confederation Basin Marina right in front of City Hall and had just enough time to shower, get dinner at Toucan Irish pub and explore a little before it started raining heavily. There are nine other Loopers here, including one we met last fall on the Tenn-Tom Waterway. Most of the boats with us on the small-boat transient dock are from the “Quebec Navy”—the Construction Holiday ends this weekend and they should be heading east as we head west. We’re staying in Kingston for another night to sightsee and let some more rain pass through, then plan to take a short side trip down the Saint Lawrence into the Thousand Islands region.

Weekly salsa dancing lesson in the town square