Blockhouse at Kingston Mills
Address:
Kingston Mills Blockhouse
Tel:
1.888.773-8888 or (613) 283-5170
Website:
click here
Kingston Mills Rd. North of Hwy 401 at exit 619 or 623
Hours: Open mid-May to mid-Oct
Admission: Free
A self-guided discovery of the military lifestyle of 1839 at this restored Blockhouse on Canada’s oldest continuously operating canal. Bring a picnic lunch and watch the boats pass through the locks.
Kingston Mills is the most southerly station on the Rideau Canal. It is located on the Cataraqui River about 4.5 miles upstream from Kingston Harbour. Granite cliffs flank the southern approach to the lockstation and offer a reminder of the challenge of building a lockstation in the rough terrain of the Canadian Shield.
The water passing through Kingston Mills powered grist and sawmill operations that predated the canal, and milling operations continued after canal construction. Today, a small power generating station stands near the old mill site.