Archives of Ontario Making Plans to Celebrate War of 1812 Bicentennial

David Tyler
Archives of Ontario
reference@ontario.ca

Note: This article originally appeared in the December 2011 issue of the OHS Bulletin.  To receive a copy of the newsletter, become an OHS member today!

The recent broadcast of the two-hour PBS documentary, War of 1812, created by WNED–TV Buffalo/Toronto was a spectacular kick-off for commemorative events for the bicentennial of the conflict, on both sides of the border.

UPDATE:
Archives of Ontario has produced an online research guide for materials related to the War of 1812.  It can be accessed here: http://www.archives.gov.on.ca/english/guides/rg_213_1812-records.aspx

Image info: Major-General Sir Isaac Brock, K. B., [ca.1883]
President and Administrator of Upper Canada, 1811-12
George Theodore Berthon (1806-1892)
Oil on canvas, Government of Ontario Art Collection, 694158

Complete details can be found, including registrations at:

http://livinghistoryconference.com/

For Further Information, contact:         tom4141fournier@yahoo.ca

Activities and events will then continue at Ermatinger Clergue National Historic Site in partnership with the Rotary Club of Sault Ste Marie who will be hosting a Heritage Block in conjunction with for their summer festival.  The City of Sault Ste. Marie will also be celebrating its 100^th year being incorporated.

Algoma 1812 is looking for participants to be part of this historic event and are specifically looking for the following:

British & American Military Units, Individuals & Encampments
Fife and Drum Groups
Period Musicians, Performers and Singers
Period Demonstrators, Artisans, Entertainers
Period Merchants & Blanket Traders
Native, Voyageur, Militia Units, Individuals & Encampments
Artillery Crews and Cannons/Artillery Encampments
Long Boat Crews and Boats with Cannons/Naval Encampments
Voyageur Canoes & Crew
Military Tattoos

If you have a special unique 19th century talent not listed above we would
also like to hear from you!!!

All participants will be compensated in one form or another for attending and providing wholesome education and public orientated programming.

If you are interested in attending this great bicentennial event please submit a proposal for all the days or the days you would be able to attend with the following information from you or your unit/group:

1. Name, Address, Postal Code, Phone Number and E-mail address
2. A description of what you have to offer in regards to talent, demonstrations, exhibits, entertainment, encampments etc. 
3. Any promotional materials, pictures, website addresses, flyers, CD, DVD, etc. promoting yourself or your group
4. How many performances, interpretations, and presentations you would perform each day if applicable
5. What days you would be able to attend
6. Compensation for participating.

This News Release has been posted with permissions directly from the website of the Department of Canadian Heritage  

HARPER GOVERNMENT LAUNCHES THE COMMEMORATION OF THE 200TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE WAR OF 1812  

HALIFAX, October 12, 2011 - The Harper Government yesterday launched the commemoration of the 200^th anniversary of the War of 1812. This historical war helped establish our path toward becoming an independent and free country, united under the Crown with a respect for linguistic and ethnic diversity.

"The heroic efforts of those who fought for our country in the War of 1812 tell the story of the Canada we know today: an independent and free country with a constitutional monarchy and its own distinct parliamentary system," said the Honourable James Moore, Minister of Canadian Heritage and Official Languages "The 200^th anniversary of the War of 1812 is an opportunity for all of us to take pride in our history, and we look forward to taking part in the events and activities that will boost tourism and strengthen our economy."

"The same British military traditions that helped protect this land from invading forces are those that serve as the foundation for the modern, first-class fighting force that serves this great country today," said the Honourable Peter MacKay, Minister of National Defence. "The War of 1812 is a defining chapter in our history that helped lay the foundations for Confederation. Our Government is proud to highlight the exploits of our forebears who fought so courageously for this land."

Over the next four years, the Government will invest to increase Canadians' awareness of this defining moment in our history. This will include support for:

• a pan-Canadian educational campaign focused on the importance of the War of 1812 to Canada's history;
• support for up to 100 historical re-enactments, commemorations, and local events;
• a permanent 1812 memorial located in the National Capital Region;
• interactive tours, exhibits, and improvements to national historic sites across the country;
• investments in infrastructure at key 1812 battle sites, such as Fort Mississauga and Fort York, Ontario; and
• celebrating and honouring the links that many of our current militia regiments in Ontario, Quebec and Atlantic Canada have to the War of 1812.

October 2012 will also be designated as a month of commemoration of the heroes and key battles of the War of 1812.

The 200^th anniversary of the War of 1812 is just one of many events that are bringing Canadians together as the country moves closer to Canada's 150^th anniversary in 2017. Other key anniversaries include the Queen's Diamond Jubilee, the 200^th anniversary of the Selkirk Settlement and the 100^th anniversary of the Grey Cup in 2012, the 200^th birthday of Sir John A. Macdonald in 2015, and the 100^th anniversary of the Battle of Vimy Ridge in 2017.

On the Shannon-Chesapeake monument in Point Pleasant Park, we can read that the confidence in the British navy faltered early in the War of 1812 when American vessels won several single-ship engagements. This pattern was broken on June 1, 1813, when HMS Shannon closed with USS Chesapeake off Boston harbour. The latter was taken in a fight and brought into Halifax by her captor on June 6. This engagement, long considered a naval classic, marked a change in British fortunes in the war at sea.

The Honourable James Moore, Minister of Canadian Heritage and Official Languages, made the official announcement yesterday at Fort George, in Niagara-on-the-Lake.

Details on planned activities will be made available on the 200^th anniversary of the War of 1812 website at www.1812.gc.ca.

For more information, see the backgrounder below.

BACKGROUNDER

The War of 1812 - The Fight for Canada

During the commemoration of the War of 1812, the Government of Canada will remember and honour how Canadians from diverse backgrounds and regions came together to fight for Canada, ensuring the independent destiny of our country.

• Canada would not exist had the American invasion of 1812-1814 not been repelled. For that reason, the War of 1812 was a defining chapter in our history.
• The War laid the foundation for Confederation and the cornerstones of many of our political institutions.
• Had the War ended differently, Quebec's French-speaking identity would not exist and the history of Canada's Aboriginal peoples would have been profoundly altered.
• The War was instrumental in the creation of Canada's military. Many Canadian reserve regiments in Ontario, Quebec, and Atlantic Canada trace their origins to the War.
• The regiments that defended Canada, local volunteer militias, and First Nations allies include a long list of Canadian heroes, including Sir Isaac Brock, Tecumseh, John Norton, and Charles-Michel de Salaberry, as well as others like Laura Secord who helped defend our country in a time of crisis.
• It took the combined efforts of English- and French-speaking militias and Aboriginal Canadians, together with British military forces, to succeed in defeating the American invasion.
• These heroic efforts tell the story of the Canada we know today: an independent and free country with a constitutional monarchy and its own parliamentary system.
• The signing of the Treaty of Ghent (and other treaties that followed) confirmed the border between Canada and the United States, which is now the world's longest undefended border and an example of nations coexisting peacefully side by side.

• a pan-Canadian educational campaign focused on the importance of the War to Canada's history;
• up to 100 events, including historical re-enactments and commemorations in communities across Canada;
• the designation of October 2012 as a month of commemoration of the heroes and key battles of the War of 1812;
• interactive tours, exhibits, and improvements at national historic sites across the country, including Fort Lennox, Chambly, Queenston Heights, and Fort St. Joseph;
• major celebrations marking key battles and historic dates, such as the beginning of the commemoration in June 2012 and the commemoration of the battles of Fort George and Chateauguay, and Canada Day Noon Show;
• War of 1812-themed initiatives including a high-school essay writing contest, the Canada Day Poster Challenge, and smart phone application;
• a travelling War Museum exhibit with a flagship exhibit in Ottawa, one of the largest in War of 1812, as well as honour the sacrifices that were made so long ago on battlefields in central and eastern Canada.
  
  This commemoration is just one of the many events that are bringing Canadians together and will continue to link us in the years to come. These include:
• the Queen's Diamond Jubilee, the 200^th anniversary of the Selkirk Settlement, and the 100^th anniversary of the Grey Cup (2012);
• the 200^th birthday of Sir John A. Macdonald (2015);
• the 100^th anniversary of the Battle of Vimy Ridge, the 100^th anniversary of the NHL, the 75^th anniversary of the Battle of Dieppe (2017);
• Canada's 150^th anniversary (2017); and
• The 25^th anniversary of NAFTA (2019).

David Sharron,
Head, Special Collections and Archives,
James A. Gibson Library, Brock University,
dsharron@brocku.ca

In 2012, the 200^th anniversary of the War of 1812 will begin. The history of this conflict is full of many gripping stories that define the character of the burgeoning nations of Canada and the United States, the strength of the British Empire and resolve of the First Nations.  The website, www.1812history.com, has been created to make the primary source material from this era freely accessible.

Help the Governor Simcoe Branch, UELAC Celebrate the 1812 Bicentennial

Two to three  years of commemoration for the War of 1812 are about to begin.  Of course many loyalists and their families (sons or daughters) were involved in this conflict.

To help celebrate this bicentennial, the Governor Simcoe Branch of the UELAC would like to include stories about these loyalists and families' involvement in the war.  If you know the name of an ancestor or loyalist family which was involved - or better yet some history and/or a "story" - please let them know.

Simcoe Branch UELAC
http://www.uelgovsimcoe.org

Toronto, ON, June 23, 2011   

The Honourable Michael Chan, Minister of Tourism and Culture, and Dr. Thomas H.B. Symons, Chairman of the Ontario Heritage Trust, announced that a temporary interpretive centre would be established at the corner of Front Street and Berkeley Street, commemorating Ontario’s first parliament buildings and celebrating the bicentennial of the War of 1812. On hand to share remarks were the Honourable Glen Murray, Minister of Research and Innovation; Rollo Myers, Co-Founder of Citizens for the Old Town; Richard Moorhouse, Executive Director of the Ontario Heritage Trust; and Toronto Councillor Pam McConnell.

The interpretive centre is slated to open on Friday, February 17th as a kick-off to the Trust's Heritage Week celebrations. 

To learn more about the historical significance of this site and to read details about the planned interpretive centre, please visit www.heritagetrust.on.ca or contact Catrina Colme, Ontario Heritage Trust: 416.325.5074 or catrina.colme@heritagetrust.on.ca

Rural Raids and Divided Loyalties - Southwestern Ontario and the War of 1812 

By Karen Dearlove   
Executive Director,
Living History Multimedia Association

It’s been nearly two hundred years since American General Duncan McArthur led 700 Kentucky Cavalry in a series of daring raids through what is now Southwestern Ontario. In the waning days of the War of 1812 McArthur and his men encountered a group of Canadian Militia at the Battle of Malcolm’s Mill, located in present day Brant County, in what would be the last battle fought on Canadian soil against a foreign power. McArthur’s raids, the Battle of Malcolm’s Mill, the Burning of Dover Mills, the Port Talbot Raids, the story of this region’s significant First Nations’ involvement, and many other under interpreted and largely unknown stories from the War of 1812 in Southwestern Ontario are ready to be shared.

The Living History Multimedia Association (LHMA), a non-profit organization dedicated to the preservation and promotion of Ontario’s local history through educational and entertaining multimedia documentaries, is producing a 3-part documentary series and related promotional and training tools to tell the little-known story of the devastating American raids upon a largely undefended Upper Canadian peninsula (now Southwestern Ontario) in the waning days of the War of 1812 and the lasting effects these raids had upon the area’s inhabitants. The LHMA is working in partnership with many of the museums and communities in Southwestern Ontario, and has received funding through the Ontario Trillium Foundation, the Sand Plains Community Development Fund, as well as Windsor-Essex Tourism, Chatham-Kent Tourism, Elgin County, Tourism London, Middlesex Tourism/ Middlesex County/ CFDC Middlesex, Oxford County, Norfolk County, Haldimand County, Brant County, The City of Brantford, The City of Hamilton (Culture Division), Tourism Burlington, Fanshawe Pioneer Village, Norfolk Militia, the King's Company 1812 Re-enactment group, the Upper Thames Military Re-enactment Society, and the Western Corridor War of 1812 Bicentennial Alliance.

As part of the award-winning Ontario Visual Heritage Project (OVHP), the documentary will be distributed for free, along with a curriculum companion book, into every school in Southwestern Ontario. Like other projects in the OVHP series, the project’s initial broadcaster will likely be TVOntario. To launch the series, screenings will be held in locations throughout Southwestern Ontario late in 2012 and early in 2013, followed by a panel of local historians involved in the project to answer questions and offer additional insight into the impact of the war upon their regions. To motivate people to ‘get off the couch,’ the documentary will be supplemented by a website (www.1812.visualheritage.ca) with traditional driving tours and a free ‘Mobile Companion’ application for iPhones and Blackberries. The Mobile Companion will take the user on a tour based loosely on McArthur’s Raid – from Windsor to Burlington.

The Ontario Visual Heritage Project has previously seen success in 11 other areas in Ontario: Haldimand County, Norfolk County, Brant/Brantford/Six Nations, Elgin County, Oxford County, Sarnia-Lambton and Chatham-Kent. Four recent projects: Muskoka, West-Parry Sound, Greater Sudbury, and Manitoulin Island have been broadcast on TVO as The Shield. Currently, the Ontario Visual Heritage Project is completing The Land Between, which examines the natural and cultural heritage of the transition zone between the Canadian Shield and the St. Lawrence Lowlands.

The Kingston Historical Society is pleased to announce that the planning has begun for a conference in October 2012 which will focus on the War of 1812-14 and its implications for Eastern Ontario and Northern New York State. 

The conference:
Sideshow or Main Event: Putting the War of 1812 into regional contexts
October 27, 2012 :: Four Points Sheraton Hotel, Kingston

The concept being embraced by the local committee is to call for submissions from each of the historical societies in the Kingston area, who is invited to prepare a presentation for the conference covering topics dealing with any of, or a combination of, the following:

• A detailed account of a little-known issue or action;
• Causes of the war; local issues at its onset;
• Short-, medium-, and long-term effects of the war in your local area;
• Aboriginal involvement in the war;
• Women in the war;
• Social or political ideas or movements tracing their genesis to the war.

If you are interested, please e-mail Kingston Historical Society's VP Mr. Gordon Sinclair at sinclair@kingston.net

The Ship’s Company of Penetanguishene is a non-profit volunteer organization which was incorporated through affiliation with The Ontario Historical Society in 2001. Since that time, the group has dedicated itself to the preservation of traditional seamanship skills and the sharing of early 19^th-century Canadian maritime heritage. In only eight years, the Company has built three small sailing vessels that have become a familiar sight on the waters of Georgian Bay and at various community events. For example, in 2009, the Ship’s Company transported HMS Badger, a 36-foot replica gunboat, to Halifax to participate in the 250^th anniversary celebration of the founding of the Royal Naval dockyard and the “Tall Ships Nova Scotia” festival. The Company has also been very active in a variety of local community events and the presentation of maritime heritage including the 9-Mile Portage Heritage Festival at historic Fort Willow and the “Wasaga Under Siege” re-enactment at Nancy Island Heritage Site in Wasaga Beach, during which crew members donned period costumes. 

Looking towards the future, The Ship’s Company of Penetanguishene has proposed to produce a replica 27-foot War of 1812 gunboat in celebration of its 200^th anniversary. This boat, unlike the HMS Badger, would be specifically designed for quick and easy rigging and de-rigging, allowing it to be transported by trailer to a large number of events and destinations throughout the Great Lakes area. To date, the Company has already acquired a suitable hull, an important first step in the ship-building process. Recently, the Province of Ontario named The County of Simcoe as one of six regions in Ontario identified as historically significant to the commemoration of the War of 1812 (the other five are: Sault Ste. Marie, Windsor/Chatham, Toronto, the St. Lawrence and the Niagara region). As such, major events will be planned in the area and will present the Ship’s Company with many opportunities for community outreach, allowing it to be more visible and more effective in celebrating our province’s rich maritime history.

For further information or to become a member of The Ship’s Company of Penetanguishene and become involved in this project, please contact hmsbadger@csolve.net or visit www.shipscompany.ca.

Pictured above (left to right): is the fleet of Ship’s Company: HMS Badger, a 36-foot replica of a War of 1812 British Royal Navy Gunboat; HMS Kingfisher, a replica of a ship-to-shore transport; and HMS Revenge, a replica of a 14-foot naval skiff. 
Photo credit: Ship’s Company of Penetanguishene.