THOUSAND ISLANDS - AUGUST 1983

ON THE WAY FROM OTTAWA TO TORONTO

The St. Lawrence River, flowing in from the north eastern part of Lake Ontario for about 80 km downstream from Kingston, becomes so wide and so full of islands that it is called the Lake of the Thousand Islands, though its actual number is 1,865. Their size ranges from over 100 square km to simple uninhabited rocks that are above the water level for 365 days per year and support at least one tree or shrub! The Islands are divided between Canada and the USA, the Canadian belonging to Ontario and the American to the State of New York. The Thousand Islands-Frontenac Arch region was designated a World Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO in 2002.


"CRUISE - On our way from Ottawa to Toronto we took a cruise and saw the beauties of the Gananoque Region. The sun was hot and shinning and there was no wind, a perfect weather combination for a short cruise through the Islands"


"SHIPS - Our cruise ship was much larger than the small yacht cruising in front of us!




"ISLANDS - From very large to very small!"


"BOLDT CASTLE is the major tourist attraction of the Thousand Islands region. George Boldt, proprietor of the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in New York City, decided, in 1900, to build one of the largest private homes in America. However, in early 1904, shortly after the death of his wife, the construction ceased. For 73 years, the castle was left alone, until 1977, when the Thousand Islands Bridge Authority acquired Heart Island for one dollar, under the agreement that all revenues obtained from the castle operation would be applied towards restoration. When we passed by in 1983 restoration had just started, and it seems that twenty years later, after fifteen million dollars spent, work continues..."


"HEART ISLAND - Yacht House"


"ZAVIKON ISLAND - Border between Canada and USA, the shortest international bridge..."




"KINGSTON, the «Limestone City» due to the many buildings built from limestone, is located at the eastern end of Lake Ontario, where the lake runs into the St. Lawrence River and where the Thousand Islands begin"