Fort Frontenac

Fort Frontenac sits where the Cataraqui River meets Lake Ontario and includes archaeological traces of the 17th-century French trading and fortification complex. The site today holds active military buildings used for training by the Canadian Armed Forces.

Louis de Buade, Count of Frontenac, ordered the construction of a fortified trading post here in 1673 to secure French control over the Great Lakes fur trade routes. British forces captured the site in 1758 and turned it into a base for further operations during the Seven Years' War.

The name Cataraqui comes from the Haudenosaunee language and recalls the site's early function as a meeting point where French traders exchanged goods with Indigenous communities. Today, visitors can see signs and artifacts that show how this trading place grew into a military installation over time.

The site sits directly on the waterfront and can be reached on foot from downtown Kingston. Some areas remain closed to the public because of ongoing military operations, but the archaeological remains and interpretive panels are freely accessible.

The Canadian Army has used the barracks continuously for training and command for more than two centuries. This makes the site one of the few military locations in North America with unbroken use from the 18th century to the present day.