“Portsmouth Harbour: before and after the ’76 Olympics”

Join Jane’s walk leaders David More, CORK’s Event Chair Tim Irwin and Michael Sayer

Sunday 6 May 2018    Time: 2 p.m

Walk Description: Since the 1830s, the harbour in Portsmouth Village (part of Kingston since 1952) has been a place of maritime trade, ship-building and industry. This included wharves, marine railways, a tannery and a brewery (and taverns!), as well as activities associated with the building of and supplying Kingston Penitentiary. The harbour was transformed to host the sailing events for the 1976 Olympics. Starting with an overview of the harbour (parking is available in the park area, enter off Yonge St.), our tour will review activities here prior to the Olympics and how the City of Kingston hosted the sailing events in 1976. We will tour the Olympic Harbour Building, as we discuss its original design and how it functions today for various purposes, including sailing events such as CORK.  During the walk along the waterfront and Yonge Street, industrial, residential and commercial buildings – whether surviving or demolished – will be described. We will end along the shore in the area once dominated by the tannery at the foot of Mowat Ave and look towards the grounds of Rockwood Asylum. Participants are encouraged to proceed on their own further west on the public walkway.

Start: King St W at the lower end of the Penitentiary Building

Parking: Portsmouth Olympic Harbour

Jane’s Walk Kingston website