St. Lawrence 1812 Alliance - Gananoque & Flight of Royal George





Ms. Jan Bonhomme
Ontario Visited Correspondent
Representing as St. Lawrence 1812 Alliance Correspondent

For this edition of our War of 1812 Article, I welcome Ontario Visited Festival Correspondent Jan Bonhomme representing as the St. Lawrence 1812 Alliance Correspondent to continue with this interesting article from the recent events ….

Speakers outlined the importance of the War of 1812 in our lives and honoured Gananoque’s founding father, Colonel Joel Stone, a War of 1812 military leader.  Other new park attractions included cannons, a history wall, a diorama, and a beautiful natural stone amphitheatre leaving a true legacy to the 1000 Islands area for the years to come.

Next on the busy June list, was the re-dedication of the Brock Monument in the Town of Brockville by Sir Isaac Brock descendants led by Reverend Brock?  A group of family members primarily from Guernsey, England travelled to Brockville for a week filled with local activities and participation in a number of 1812 events including the 1000 Islands Wine & Food Festival. This was a first time visit to Canada for most of the group of 11 members and they were thrilled with not only their 1812 experience but with the hospitality of Brockville and the area.

Last but not least was our large signature bicentennial event, the Flight of the Royal George, held over 3 days in the historic Village of Bath and on the waters of the beautiful City of Kingston. This large scale re-enactment was both on land and water and included more than 600 re-enactors and heritage performers as well as 6 tall ships and 10 gunboats. The weekend also included the grand opening of the new 1812 Discovery Centre in Bath and a breathtaking naval battle on the waters of Lake Ontario. An estimated 35,000 visitors toured the area and truly celebrated our British and now Canadian roots!