Verona is a small town of about 1,800 people in the heart of cottage country, north of Kingston in Ontario.

Understand

Verona is on the southern edge of the Canadian Shield, surrounded by dozens of lakes that attract fishing and boating enthusiasts, including Rock Lake, Howe's Lake, Eagle Lake, Bob's Lake, and Desert Lake.

History

European settlers arrived in the area in the early 19th century. They had a difficult time getting to the village because of the poor surrounding conditions, which included crossing the Cameron Bog, a 5,000-acre swamp.

During the mid and late 19th century, the construction of the Kingston & Pembroke Railway brought prosperity to the area. The area was home to many sawmills exporting goods out of the region. As a result, Verona was also known as Buzztown, because of the saw and grist mills. Verona became a centre of commerce, as it was the only crossing place over the Cameron Bog.

Get in

Verona is accessed by Highway 38. Kingston is a half-hour drive and Ottawa is 2 hours away by car.

There is no bus or train.

The nearest airports are in Kingston (regional) and Ottawa (international).

Get around

Verona is small enough to walk around, but you will need a car to explore the region. Most roads in the region are paved, but smaller rural access further out are via gravel roads.

See

• 1 South Frontenac Museum, 5595 Road 38, Hartington (5km south of Verona on County Road 38), ☏ +1 613-376-3027 x2600. Jul-Aug: Sa Su W 1-4PM. An extensive collection of artifacts and records related to the 146th Battalion of the Canadian Expeditionary Force, a battalion created to recruit soldiers from Frontenac, and Lennox and Addington. Supporting displays illustrate the contribution of women to the war effort. There are also exhibits of tools and other items used on the home front. By donation. (updated Jun 2019)

Do

• Verona has a beautiful beach area with summer swimming lessons, parks to play in, hiking trails and a beautiful countryside.
• 1 K & P Trail. A 20-km section of the former Kingston & Pembroke Railway line, the "Kick and Push", is open from Verona south to the Kingston township line as a gravel trail. Maps are available from the County.  
• 2 Verona Lions Garlic Festival, 4504 Verona Sand Road. 9AM-2PM. Yearly on Labour Day, the festival organized by the Verona Lions Club brings together garlic producers from around Ontario (with awards for best garlic) and other artisans. By donation. (updated Jul 2020)

Further afield

• 3 Frontenac Provincial Park, 6700 Salmon Lake Rd, Sydenham (20km east of Verona, 40km north of Kingston), ☏ +1 613-376-3489. Summer:Daily 8AM-8PM. Park with year long back-country camping sites, canoeing routes, and many hiking trails. Cross-country skiing and snowshoeing routes available in the winter. The landscape of the park is characteristic of the Canadian Shield. Try the Frontenac Challenge, which involves hiking all 11 looped trails covering 119km over 2 months. $15.50/car. (updated Jul 2020)
• 4 Gould Lake Conservation Area (15min north of Sydenham, reached by Gould Lake Road). Daily 7:30AM-Dusk. A conservation area managed by the Cataraqui Region Conservation Authority. Picnic areas and small docks for swimming and fishing at the main open space. Several trails throughout the location. Recommend doing the Mine Loop for a moderate difficulty hike of around 2-3km. See the several abandoned open pit mica mines along the trail and the sparkling of mica along the trail's path. $5.50/adult. (updated Jul 2020)

Events

• 5 Verona Car Show, Verona Lions Club Centre, 4504 Verona Sand Rd. Second weekend in August. Show for classic production and modified cars and trucks, with 24 classes. $10 per vehicle. 

Buy

Verona has a post office, grocery store, drug store, restaurants, gas station, convenience stores, liquor store, and a hardware store.

• 1 Frontenac Farmers Market, 4567 Road 38, Harrowsmith (10 km south of Verona on County Road 38), information@frontenacfarmersmarket.ca. Mid-May to end of Oct: Sa 9AM-2PM. Farmer's market selling local produce, cooked goods, and other homemade products from the surrounding region. 

Eat

• 1 Foodland, 6145 Hwy. 38. M-W 8AM-7PM, Th F 8AM-8PM, Sa 8AM-6PM, Su 9AM-6PM. Neighbourhood grocery store, with hot deli counter. (updated Jul 2018)
• 2 Mom Restaurant, 6775 Road 38. Local restaurant which opened in 1982. (updated Jul 2018)
• 3 Local Family Farms, 6674 Road 38. M-F 9AM-6PM, Sa 9AM-5PM. Farm shop with local and packaged groceries. Lunch room cafe open May - Dec 11AM-3PM. (updated Jul 2018)

Sleep

• 1 Desert Lake Resort (Water Place Inn), 2466 Desert Lake Rd, Hartington (12 km east of Verona along Desert Lake Road (#19)). Campground, motel with 10 "efficiency units" and cabins. Boat launching facilities with a small marina. Campsite convenience store. Inn $129, camping $36. (updated Jul 2018)