Destinations

When newcomers to Canada come to Kingston, where in the city do they settle? Data from the 2006 national census provides some answers. The city of Kingston is divided into 28 census tracts, each tract representing a few thousand residents on average. Information available for each area includes the proportion of residents who are immigrants (and of those immigrants, how many arrived before 1991), visible minorities, and who have a non official-language mother tongue. Combining these data together, we created an index that indicates where immigrants are settling, especially those who may need additional supports in their transition to living in Kingston.

In the map below, the green and blue areas are more diverse and have more immigrants than the city average, while the orange and red areas have fewer. Neighbourhoods around Kingston Centre, such as Calvin Park, Sunnyside, and Hillendale, are noticeably diverse, as is the area around Queen’s University and the Inner Harbour area just north of downtown. In the west end, the Westwoods neighbourhood between Princess and Taylor-Kidd west of Bayridge also has a high number of immigrants and visible minorities. Areas with low scores are concentrated in the southwest corner of the city, including Amherstview, and the northeast end including the area east of the Cataraqui River.

View Kingston Immigration Map in a larger map

The mid-score areas in blue or yellow may represent neighbourhoods with more established immigrant communities. For example, Strathcona Park, northwest from Kingston Centre, has a relatively high percentage of immigrant residents, but 83% of them arrived before 1991. A mid-range score could also indicate a small but growing immigrant community.

This data confirms insights gathered through conversations with newcomers and service providers. In particular, a number of participants noted the importance of Kingston Centre as a potential “hub”, due to the number of newcomers living close to the area, the presence of services such as LINC classes and a ServiceOntario centre, as well as good transportation links. The west end is also growing as a destination for newcomers, especially those who have lived in Kingston for a few years.