Lake Ontario, ON

My Watermark is the Kingston Waterfront of Lake Ontario.

My most powerful memory of the Kingston Waterfront was the time I rented Kayaks from Ahoy and paddled to Cedar Island. The wind at our backs, sun shining, my eldest daughter, my husband, and me out on an adventure. We landed on a rocky point, no campers or sailboats, and brought the boats up. We drove off a rocky sheet into the fresh water, played in the waves, laughed and delighted at where we liv (the city was just over there!). We ate some lunch and lay on the docks in the sun until we felt it was time to get back (kayaks were due!)

Avery led the way, strong and steady, my husband, Skot, was like the family dog, staying between the leader and the one at the back of the line-that was me. The waves risen with the wing and I was struggling. I looked for relief behind the rocks at Confederation Bay, but there was no exit on the other side. My frustration and anger threatened to ruin the day. Yet, I paddled on, eventually reaching the end, filled with relief and gratitude.

The Kingston Waterfront is important to me because I have lived on Lake Ontario for 40 years (in Toronto, St.Catharines and Kingston) and the waterfront has always offered comfort, fun, recreation and peace. Kingston has such tremendous potential for accessible waterfront experiences. It is a beautiful feature of the city. My children have grown up next to the river and lake, and I'd like to see it preserved, yet expanded.