Kingston, Ont, City, pop 55 947 (1996c), 56 597 (1991c), 55 050 (1986c), area 29.64 km2, is located at the eastern end of Lake ONTARIO, 175 km southwest of Ottawa.

The former capital of the PROVINCE OF CANADA, its position at the junction of the GREAT LAKES and ST LAWRENCE RIVER has been crucial to its economic and political history.

Population
Kingston's failure to grow economically in the 19th century at the same rate as other large Ontario communities such as Toronto, Hamilton and Ottawa has meant a slow population growth, even some periods of decrease. From a permanent population of about 2000 just after the War of 1812, the city grew to almost 12 000 by mid-century and 14 000 by 1881. With 30 000 in 1941, the population expanded to close to 50 000 following the annexation of 1952, and increased slowly to 60 000 in the late 1990s. By 1996 over 69 000 of the Kingston Urban Area population resided outside the city, in the adjacent townships of Kingston, Ernestown and Pittsburgh. Kingston was bypassed by the immigrants of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. From 59% in 1851, its foreign-born population decreased to 14% in 1951. Over 75% of this group were British, Irish or American born. Only in the 1960s and 1970s did a more ethnically diverse population develop, with substantial groups of PORTUGUESE, ITALIANS, DUTCH and Asians.

Economy
As commercial activities eroded in the late 1800s, institutional employers, such as the university, penitentiaries, the military and hospitals, became more important in the city's economy. In the period prior to WWII, Kingston's economy was dominated by the Canadian Locomotive Company, the shipyards, Kingston Cotton Mills, and various small refineries and machine shops. Following the war, Alcan, DuPont, Celanese Canada and Northern Telecom were added to the Kingston region's industrial base. However, in recent years, these 4 have experienced a considerable overall reduction in their workforce whereas Kingston's institutional sector has come to dominate the local economy.