Welcome to Route 1812 ~ Pathways to Peace ~ Western Corridor War of 1812-1814

Ontario Visited is pleased to welcome Pathways to Peace ~ Western Corridor 1812-1814 to our Article Section of Ontario Visited ~ War of 1812 Website. We thought we would start by introducing the Western Corridor 1812-1814 Projects. We welcome you to visit their website at www.westerncorridor1812.com for all details and current information.

The York Road Trail
Includes the communities of Toronto, Oakville and Burlington

York Road was a relatively short stretch of road connecting the west end of Barton (Hamilton) with the lower route to the town of York (Toronto) along the northern shore of Lake Ontario (modern Lakeshore Road).  Its line was from the east-west road from Niagara (modern King Street) and through Burlington Heights.  At the north end of the Heights it descended to cross Grindstone Creek.  By the end of the war a wooden bridge had been constructed, but throughout most of the war Grindstone Creek was crossed by ferry. The road then ran northeast to link up with the York-bound road.

Although it provided an access to the Heights from the north, York Road never proved a weak spot in the defences of the Heights. The surrounding terrain was heavily wooded, and difficult to negotiate.

The journey along York Road includes a visit to the Fort York National Historic Site in Toronto and ventures through Mississauga and Oakville.  This area was settled by veterans of the war as they received land grants for their service.  You can fully explore the cemetaries and all the relevant sites using the mobile app created by Heritage Mississauga found at the Apple App Store.  The York Road trail ends at  the Joseph Brant Museum in Burlington; where you will learn about the famous Six Nations leader.  Join them for their annual Joseph Brant Day on the August holiday Monday. There is so much to see and do, plan to visit again. Join us with Ontario Visited’s next Blog issue as Route 1812 Journey continues…