Along for the Ride ...

by Kathy Fisher - Festival Nomad Correspondent

Kathy Fisher, Curator, Ermatinger Clergue National Historic Site, reporting to you on my recent visit to Wasaga Under Siege, this July 2011, story continued ...

My son (Benn-age 12) was very excited and was seriously hoping that he would be able to part of the Royal Newfoundland Regiment with Dave Brunelle and his friends, to re-enact the War of 1812 and experience fully the sights, sounds, and adrenalin of being a British soldier in a battle.
Sarah (my daughter – age 10), I believe was more so along for the ride, and probably thinking what else can my mother drag me to, and isn’t this War over yet…..!

It was just Thursday night and we were just arriving and unloading, when we realized the extent of a full historical encampment. There were wedge tents everywhere along the perimeter of Nancy Island, and many other more full size reenactment tents that were for supplies, officers, families and followers, merchants and musician’s, and aboriginal encampments as well. Our eyes were wide and our excitement rose. This was it! Everywhere you looked there was rows of wedge tents, officers tents, and large gathering event tents. The site was set up for American reenactors and their followers at one end of the island, the Glengarry’s and the Royal Newfoundland and IMUC in the middle spreading to the other end of the island with the encampment for the Aboriginal involvement with their wigwams and tents.

Now unlike many attending as reenactors at this event, we were not camping on site in the wedge tents, but had made arrangements to rent a fully equipped cottage with all amenities (just down the road). However, upon seeing the encampment schedule of events, my son began his plea to at least camp one night in order to “experience” the full event. My typical mother’s response….”we will see”.