The Government of Canada Invests In Eastern Ontario

Funding to enhance visitor facilities and restore national historic sites in Kingston and the Thousand Islands

 

September 15, 2016                            Kingston, Ontario                                              Parks Canada Agency

 

Canada’s national parks and historic sites belong to all Canadians. They represent the very best that Canada has to offer and tell the stories of who we are, including the history, cultures and contributions of Indigenous Peoples.

 

Today, Mark Gerretsen, Member of Parliament for Kingston and the Islands, on behalf of Catherine McKenna, Minister of the Environment and Climate Change and Minister responsible for Parks Canada, announced almost $10 million in funding for Kingston and area sites including Thousand Islands National Park, Fort Henry National Historic Site, Kingston Fortifications National Historic Site, and Bellevue House National Historic Site.

 

This funding will be used for restoration work on Fort Henry, Kingston Fortifications, and Bellevue House national historic sites. As Canada’s first capital and the home town of our first Prime Minister, Sir John A. Macdonald, as well as the home of Ontario’s only UNESCO World Heritage Site, Kingston is a culturally significant city in Canada. Improvements to these historic sites will enable Parks Canada to continue sharing the rich and varied heritage of our nation and provide an opportunity for Canadians to learn more about our diverse history.

 

Other projects include the revitalization of the day-use area and campground at Thousand Islands National Park, as well as the acquisition of two new pieces of property that will become part of Thousand Islands National Park. With this funding, more Canadians, including youth and newcomers, can learn about our environment and cultural heritage, while experiencing the natural wonder of the park.

 

Investments in the preservation, rehabilitation, and restoration of our national parks and historic sites will protect our heritage and strengthen their appeal as destinations to celebrate our nation's achievements. As we near the 150^th anniversary of Confederation in 2017, the Government invites all Canadians to experience and learn more about our environment and our history.

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Quick facts

• Fort Henry National Historic Site that we see today was constructed between 1832 and 1837, on the site of a previous fort constructed during the War of 1812. Situated at the mouth of the Cataraqui River, and overlooking the confluence of Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence River, the Kingston Fortifications National Historic Site consists of five separate 19th-century military installations. Along with the Rideau Canal, these national historic sites make up a UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
• Constructed as a home for the elites of Canada’s First Capital, Bellevue House National Historic Site is one of Kingston’s architectural treasures and was home to the nation’s first Prime Minister, Sir John A. Macdonald.
• Established in 1904, Thousand Islands National Park is the oldest national park east of the Canadian Rocky Mountains.
• Parks Canada is investing an unprecedented $3 billion dollars over 5 years to support infrastructure work to heritage, visitor, waterway and highway assets located within national historic sites, national parks, and national marine conservation areas.

Related products

Backgrounder: Parks Canada Infrastructure Investments for Kingston and Thousand Islands – 2016

Associated links

Parks Canada

Bellevue House National Historic Site

Fort Henry National Historic Site

Thousand Islands National Park

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Contacts

Caitlin Workman
Press Secretary
Office of the Minister of the Environment and Climate Change
819-938-9436

 

Media Relations
Parks Canada
855-862-1812
pc.media@pc.gc.ca

Backgrounder: Parks Canada Infrastructure Investments for Kingston and Thousand Islands – 2016