Heritage

Let Upper Canada Village take you to another era

The historic city of Cornwall on the St. Lawrence River is a convenient place to start your heritage tour of South Eastern Ontario. Nearby is the heart of heritage tourism in the area, Morrisburg’s Upper Canada Village. It’s a living, working, colonial town where 1860s pioneer life in Upper Canada comes alive. Bakers and blacksmiths in period costume go about their daily work as you wander the town. Special events are staged year-round. The enchanting Alight at Night Festival puts visitors in the holiday spirit before Christmas. Then make your way up river to Gananoque, a town with its own heritage charm and the perfect spot to slow down for a 1000 Islands cruise – one of the

Fort Henry stands guard over Kingston and Upper Canada

Founded during the War of 1812, Fort Henry still watches over historic Kingston, Canada’s first capital; the approach to Lake Ontario; and the UNESCO-recognized Rideau Canal system. Kingston’s personality is a reflection of its history as a meeting point between English Upper Canada (Ontario), French Lower Canada (Quebec), and the United States, just across Lake Ontario. Perfectly restored, Fort Henry’s magazines and ramparts are brought to life by British soldiers in period costume during the daily Sunset Ceremony or battle re-enactments with vintage cannons and muskets. You can imagine the bustle of the garrisons as Fort Henry comes to life with each morning’s

Explore pioneer life in Upper Canada on the Rideau Heritage Route

If Upper Canada Village and Fort Henry are two cornerstones of heritage tourism in South Eastern Ontario, then the peaceful cottage country of the Rideau Heritage Route is the structure that links them. At the time of its construction, the Rideau Canal was the largest engineering project in the world and its story is an important chapter in South Eastern Ontario’s pioneer history. Built to connect the Ottawa River with Kingston and points beyond when Ontario was known as Upper Canada, recreational boats navigate the original locks today. This serene driving route yields up picturesque towns rich in heritage architecture along oak and maple-lined streets. Tiny Delta, Ontario has the oldest working grist mill in Canada, the Old Stone Mill. During the summer, Delta, set between two cool