Queen's University

Queen's University, Main Campus, is situated just by Lake Ontario and a easy 15 minute stroll from downtown Kingston. Bordered by Collingwood St to the West, Barrie St to the East, Earl St (where Harkness Hall is) to the North, and Lake Ontario to the South, Queen's University Main Campus is a most idyllic university to be studying in. Lots of greenery (not now of course, its winter now; there were luscious greens in abundance when I first arrived 2 months back), spacious sidewalks and limestone giants in silent grandoise lined University Ave and the intersecting Union St.

Right across University Ave which is the street behind the sign in the picture you see above, is Joseph Stauffer Library, the main library of Queen's and a colossal of modern architecture. Futuristic on the outside, prim and proper on the inside, Stauffer is an amazing enclave of resources for most of my courses. It features a 5 storey spiral staircase right through the centre of the building. The online catalogue search system, however, sucks to the core. If you don't type in EXACTLY the description the book or article is filed under in the database, no book for you. Yeah its like playing charades, only that there isnt really a joker acting out the clues in front of you.

Stauffer Library

with University Ave in front of it.

To the left of this picture is the intersecting Union St. Going East along Union, right next to the library, is the John Deutch University Centre that houses the Queen's University International Centre, post office, Printing Centre, Tricolor Market (a student run store selling everything under the sun) and the Queen's Pub. The last three, like many many other facilities on campus, are fully student operated. Queen's is the first student government body in Canada; the level of student governance and involvement in both the University and the Town itself is EXTREMELY high and incidentally the Queen's Radio is the first radio station in Kingston.

JDUC

A peaceful looking brick structure that looks like its slumbering amidst all the other buildings around it. Notice electronic notice board in front of the JDUC.

This intersection is where I begin my day every morning after coming out of Harkness Hall along Earl St and going down University Ave. Going down South along University Ave from this intersection, I go past more limestone beauties such as

Douglas Library

Notice JDUC in the background. The sidewalks along Queen's are especially spacious, and dotted with trees and bushes. In these photos the sidewalks look devoid of people because these photos were taken at an unearthly hour of 7.30am (to most students here, it is unearthly; one Singaporean caught on and now to her 10.30am is, believe it or not, "the crack of dawn"). By 10am, however, these wide sidewalks aren't wide enough to accomodate the hordes of schoolgoing muggers who swarm the campus especially along these two roads. Add in roller bladers babes and skateboarding dudes, its a good thing there aren't many cars along roads in Kingston and Queen's in particular.

And below is once the tallest building in the City of Kingston; a Kingston By-Law once stipulated that no building could be built taller than this clocktower:

Grant Hall

No longer in effect, but it remains one of the tallest structures in the entire city itself. Hence my previous comment about seeing the city skyline from whereever I am in the city.

Right beside Grant Hall, all on University Ave, is this nice-looking quasi-medieval building adorned with towers on both sides of its front stairs.

Ontario Hall

After which I arrive at Ban Righ Hall for my breakfast every morning! A sample of the feast I have every day for a hearty breakfast:

Buffet every morning.

Scrambled eggs, hard-boiled eggs, waffles/pancakes. potatoes of various denominations and manifestations, coffee, fruits featuring apples bananas oranges and peaches, yogurt, muffins, cereals, etc etc etc all to choose from. Makan unlimited.

After breakfast I lumber across the road back to University Ave, and opposite Douglas Library lies this secluded little gateway with accompanying metal arch. I step in and there ahead lies the place I have most of my lessons everyday.

Mackintosh-Corry Hall

I simply love this little path, it brightens up my morning everyday. It looked awesome with red leaves and all in the autumn, but even now in winter it retains some charm in spite of the botakness of the trees.

The little gate! And more greenery lining this path!

So hence concludes my little mini tour of my route every morning from stepping out of home to lessons... back to my essays...