As an early Kingston newspaper noted, the
City is situated on “a magnificent sheet of water,
not second to any in America for yachting purposes”.
It is no wonder, then, that yachting and boating in their
various forms, have been part of harbour scene for some
two hundred years.
Kingston Yacht Club, as we know it now, coalesced out
of mid – 1800s informal regatta associations and
failed earlier attempts to form a club during that period.
Kingston’s sailors did not let the absence of a
club prevent them from winning prizes at events around
Lake Ontario under the ad-hoc organizations of the day.
What seems to have been the trigger to the creation of
KYC was the formation of the Kingston Ice Yacht Club in
1895. This group of 30 members set up their facility at
the foot of Simcoe Street, and made use of the good ice
conditions available to enjoy their fast and dangerous
sport. The KIYC was so successful that its membership
had multiplied several times over just by 1896. Many of
these people were also summer sailors and a group of them
decided to form the Kingston Yacht Club that continues
to provide a venue for sailors, young people, and social
members 113 years later.
The new KYC was very fortunate in being able to obtain
waterfront land from the Maitland Street owner of what
was known as “Cameron’s Wharf”. Part
of this property included a boat yard, as well as boathouses.
In short order the Club raised the sum of $1250 needed
to build a clubhouse on the wharf, and this building was
opened on 3 August 1896.
The clubhouse was a 40 x 40ft, two-story structure, with
canoe and skiff storage on the ground floor, with a large
club room above. The gala opening party was held on 12
August, and was favourably reported on in the “Daily
Whig”.
In short order the Club joined the Lake Yacht Racing Association,
and was able to host the 1897 and 1898 LYRA regattas,
complete with a military band, church parade, an evening
steamer excursion and much revelry.
Over the next ten years KYC expanded its property and
Club moorings to accommodate the rapidly-growing membership.
This expansion included acquisition of the “Saints
Rest” stone building, now Club-owned apartments
and training facilities. In addition, the Club secured
the use of a landing on nearby Cedar Island for picnics
and parties.
At this time the familiar local names of key Club members
keep popping up: Cunningham, Dalton, Hill, Gildersleeve,
Carruthers, to name a few. Their descendents are active
in the Club to this day.
Encouraging junior sailors has always been a part of KYC
operations, and in 1911 the Club offered “$100”
for the building of dinghy-class boats for training the
younger set.
Disaster struck in 1934 when the original clubhouse, modified
several times, burned to the ground, a complete loss.
A new building was erected by mid-1935, and was opened
by the Governor General, the Earl of Bessborough, amid
all the expected pomp and ceremony. The Club at this point
had over 400 members and was active in community and later,
wartime, affairs as well as its own.
On into the 1960s and beyond, KYC was a key player in
hosting trials for the Olympic Games in 1967, and the
subsequent CORK organization and annual trials.
During the last few decades KYC has continued to evolve,
host and participate in all forms of yacht racing, still
its core activity. With all its other activities, and
a very large cadre of volunteers to run it, KYC is simply
the place to be on the Kingston waterfront.
D. Page,
KYC Archivist,
07 April 2009
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