In 2025, Paul Barbeau turned his attention to Kingston with the goal of elevating the city’s soccer landscape. The process hasn’t always been smooth, but none of the early challenges have slowed his momentum. This weekend, the Sentinels will play their inaugural matches at CaraCo Home Field in the heart of Kingston. Amid the busy preparations and planning calls that come with launching a team from scratch, he sat down with Tourism Kingston’s Rob Lendrum to talk about the Sentinels and what their arrival means for the city.
Rob Lendrum: Why did you choose Kingston to build a new team?
Paul Barbeau: This is a historic Canadian city. Kingston also checked every box: passion, opportunity for growth, and a clear need. In Kingston, there are more than 10,000 registered youth players in the region, but no local semi‑pro or pro pathway. Kingston sits right between Ottawa, Toronto, and Montréal — yet there’s no team at this level in the whole corridor. To me, it makes sense to have a pipeline where kids coming up through their development in Kingston have a place to play in their home area, and they can utilize this as a launchpad up to the Canadian Premier League, Northern Super League, or teams around the world. This wasn’t just an opportunity; it was the right opportunity.
RL: Was soccer always your passion? Did you always know you wanted to own a soccer team?
PB: I’ve been involved in the sport for years, even refereeing, but team ownership wasn’t my life plan. What really pushed me to do more initially was the fan experience. I am a passionate soccer fan, and I wanted more as a fan of the game, that was what pushed me to learn more, get involved, and research how the fan experience could be better in the Canadian soccer landscape. Originally, I explored a stadium project in Ottawa, but the more I learned about Kingston, the growth of soccer in the region, the demand for facilities, the community’s enthusiasm the more it made sense to build here.
RL: You're playing in the Ontario Premier League, league three. Is the ultimate goal to make it to the CPL, and how long will that realistically take?
PB: Ontario Premier League is our starting point. Right now, we are taking it day by day, we want to have success in our inaugural season and hopefully move up to league two. We’ve got incredible coaches, strong local talent to draw from, and amazing community support. I really think there is so much potential here in Kingston, and I am excited to be part of developing that.
RL: When you first came to Kingston, there was some controversy over the proposed location for the stadium. What did you learn from that pushback?
PB: Big projects in engaged communities will always bring debate, and Kingston is a very engaged place, and that engagement has translated into support for our team. Through our experience we learned a lot about working with the Mayor and council and had the opportunity to build lasting relationships in the city. What stood out to me early on was learning just how much people in this community care about their neighbourhoodsand their community.
RL: After all that, you still decided to stay in Kingston. What motivated that choice?
PB: The passion here. Even when the conversation was difficult, the underlying message was that people care. That level of engagement says a lot about Kingston. For us, it reinforced that this is exactly the kind of community we wanted to be part of. Local clubs, families, municipal partners — everyone wants soccer to grow. Kingston has the heart and the hunger for this, and that made staying an easy choice. From day one, people believed in our dream, shared our vision and gave us their support. They trusted us, and Kingston has shown up for us. We’re doing everything to honour that trust every single day by building something this community can be proud of.
RL: Tell us about the teams we're going to see this year — the men’s and the women’s squads. Any players fans should watch for?
PB: This really is “Kingston’s team.” There are 20 players playing for the Sentinels who are homegrown talents from right here in Kingston. Kingston has been an untapped talent pool for too long, and now these athletes have a stage. We recently announced the players who will be the Captains of our teams, for the women Mallory McQueen, a local Kingston talent and for the men, Ian Ferguson and Jacob Ball who are both from Kingston, as well as our goalkeeper Kevin Snee. There really are just too many talented players, and I know how cliché that sounds, but I am beyond impressed by the rosters we have in our inaugural season. I can promise fans this: both squads are filled with hungry, high‑character, talented athletes who want to prove that Kingston belongs on the soccer map.
RL: What kind of experience can fans expect at CaraCo Field?
PB: We want matchday to be energetic, family‑friendly, and unmistakably Kingston. We want this team to feel like family. Showing up to the match should feel like coming home. Caraco Field gives us a close‑to‑the‑action atmosphere, and we’re building the environment around it — pitch-side seating, youth club involvement, music, theme nights, and even a mascot. Kingston hasn’t had a summer soccer team tocheer for in almost a decade, and we’re excited to bring that back. We want the community to be excited to come to a Sentinels game.
RL: What’s the long‑term plan for the stadium?
PB: Right now we are focused solely on the Sentinels teams and making this first season a success. Looking into the future, the long-term vision is a modular soccer‑specific facility. We hope to start at around 4,000 seats, with a winter dome and the ability to expand capacity in stages to meet the community’s needs. Right now, we are thrilled to call CaraCo Home field the home of the Sentinels for this season.
RL: The kits look great. What made you land on the name ‘Sentinels’?
PB: When we chose the name Sentinels, we were drawn to what the word truly represents. A sentinel is a guardian, someone posted to stand watch, to protect, and to stay alert. Historically, sentinels were placed at city gates, fortresses, and borders, trusted to defend what mattered most.
That meaning resonates deeply with Kingston. This city has long played that role, guarding a critical gateway between Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence River, and standing as a place of strength, strategy, and resilience. From Fort Henry and Kingston’s rich military roots, as well as a strong Indigenous history, there’s a legacy here of vigilance, leadership and of standing firm for the community around you.
For us, Sentinels isn’t just a name, it’s an identity. It reflects how we want our players to carry themselves: brave, disciplined, watchful, and unwavering. Defending home turf. Holding the line. Looking out for one another.
As a club, that’s our commitment. To stand proudly for Kingston. To be guardians of the sport in this region. And to honour the city’s legacy by carrying its values onto the pitch and into the community, every single day.
RL: The FIFA World Cup is in North America this year, with Toronto being the closest host. Can that energy help the Sentinels?
PB: Absolutely. When a World Cup comes to your doorstep, it changes the whole atmosphere around the sport. People who might watch soccer once every four years suddenly get hooked by the excitement. Kingston is close enough to feel that buzz. We are really excited that the “Canada Celebrates” program is going to be in Kingston on June 27 to build more excitement for the World Cup and for soccer. If kids fall in love with the game in June, they can come watch their first Sentinels match in July. The timing is perfect.
RL: Thanks for talking to us today, Paul.
PB: My pleasure. We look forward to seeing you at a few matches this season!
The Kingston Sentinels kick off their season homestand with a double header of men’s and women’s teams on April 25, 2026 at CaraCo Home Field. Tickets can be purchased at https://sentinels.club
