ALIVE in FIVE ~ St. Lawrence Parks Commission ~ Fort Henry ~ Will Baird

www.forthenry.com

Will Baird, Manager, Fort Henry, St. Lawrence Parks Commission

www.parks.on.ca

Ontario Visited interview Mr. Will Baird, Manager of Fort Henry, St. Lawrence Parks continues …

“Alive in Five” strategy …

In keeping up with what is relevant in consumer consumption, innovative plans are in place at Fort Henry. The revitalization of the Fort is all part of an “Alive in Five” strategy the St. Lawrence Parks Commission’s mantra to become financially self-sufficient within five years.

What that means to you, the visitor, and consumer … “The upper fort now will be free for the public too enter”… “Waiting for new visitors is a wooden deck that spans the inside walls and offers an unparalleled view of Lake Ontario and the Royal Military College. Tables and chairs for more than 100 people will be added where they can sample light dishes and beverages. Some of the rooms that line the upper fort, formerly offices, will be turned over to vendors who will turn each one into a craft room. Tables will also be set up on the upper parade square, now to be called The Trade Square, to hold more items. The market will run from Sunday May 12, through September 14. “At any given time as long as the fort is open, you will be able to walk in there, free of admission charges, and go and browse the shops”. This area will be a permanent little artisan market that includes jewelry, sculpture, paintings, glassware and other crafts made from natural materials.

This will represent the first time, in a very long time, that people will be able to get into the upper fort for free. The Fort will be keeping up with what’s relevant to the consumer today; they are on a continuous venture to keep the fort alive and current with the market.  There are a lot of folks who haven’t been to the Fort before or don’t understand what it is even. The Fort feels that if they can get the people out with a new offering, then chances are they will stay to see the real project.

Along with The Trade Square, and Sunset Ceremonies, some things you might not expect at the Fort... a concert series that will appeal to a wider demographic than usual plus two new athletic events... a triathlon at the end of the summer, and a “Spartan adventure-type race” will take place in the grounds and participants will climb walls and challenge themselves through obstacles.

The Fort hopes that they will inject a lot of life into the Fort that is centered on their core product. They are hopeful to attract a whole new audience to the facility while helping the local economy as participants and visitors will stay in area hotels, dine, shop, and have fun. The Fort Henry website is fresh and new as well. (Please see them at LINK) It is easy to map your way through and see all the exciting events, changes, plans the Fort has waiting for you!

Ontario Visited highly recommends you join in the fun and be a part of History …. “Reflection of our past …. Hope for our Future”!

Please check out Fort Henry website at (LINK) for the Sunset Ceremony details; Upper Canada Village at (LINK) and the St. Lawrence Parks Commission at (LINK).

EDUTAINMENT ~ St. Lawrence Parks Commission ~ Fort Henry ~ Will Baird

www.forthenry.com

Will Baird, Manager, Fort Henry, St. Lawrence Parks Commission

www.parks.on.ca

Ontario Visited interview Mr. Will Baird, Manager of Fort Henry, St. Lawrence Parks continues …

“EDUTAINMENT” … Looking towards the future …

Ontario Visited is extremely excited to be working this year the St. Lawrence Parks Commission, including Upper Canada Village and Fort Henry. For me, this past week was truly enlightening and encouraging, as I had the privilege of interview Mr. Will Baird, Manager of Fort Henry - St. Lawrence Parks Commission who shared some of his “Edutainment... Educating while Entertaining"!

“Edutainment business” as Mr. Will Baird, Manager of Fort Henry tell men is what visitors will take away from their experience of this 1860’s historical representation. The hopes are that visitors will take away some excitement from the past. Exciting messages help will ingrain the learning experience into an entertaining experience providing knowledge and insight along the way. Fort Henry will be present in a more realistic re-enactment, recreating history in the first person. Mr. Baird tells me …The more realistic to your audience the more they will take away.

Stay tuned for my upcoming Blogs, Articles and Newsletters. In the meantime, please check out Fort Henry website at (LINK) for the Sunset Ceremony details; Upper Canada Village at (LINK) and the St. Lawrence Parks Commission at (LINK).

I Love My Job ~ Fort Henry ~ Will Baird ~ St. Lawrence Parks Commission

www.forthenry.com

Will Baird, Manager, Fort Henry, St. Lawrence Parks Commission

www.parks.on.ca

Ontario Visited interview Mr. Will Baird, Manager of Fort Henry, St. Lawrence Parks continues …

“I love my JOB!” … Being Passionate about History & Your Job!

Can you image going to a job, work every day and loving it! Ontario Visited is my job, my work, my passion and I love every day! I get many opportunities to interview many interesting, knowledgeable leaders, organizers and experts in the industry. I get to engage in enlightening conversations and learn so much that most people never get a glimmer of. I was excited to hear Mr. Will Baird, Manager of Fort Henry - St. Lawrence Parks Commission talk about his passion and love for his job and history. I asked him if he was worried about the “changes” and he states that he “thrives on change” and he “loves the process of change”! Will tells me that Fort Henry is changing; the overall direction of the business, an entire new way to look at the future. Mr. Baird goes on to say the Fort Henry is looking to the communities, private large venues, other museums, historical sites, and more to see the opportunities that Fort Henry can draw on for inspiration. Will’s motivation and enthusiasm each and every day comes from his passion! Will has passion for history, passion for people, and passion for change. He compared the stresses of another types of job, such as a Police Officer, or Doctors where one could assume the stress levels would be there often, he does not feel stressed. Baird tells me he is in a position to create and change while still sharing history. What a great opportunity. Going to work every day, Mr. Baird still needs to deal with what he calls the mundane stuff, like e-mails, correspondence, then the rest of the day he engages with others in development, research, and the ongoing pursuits to enhance the visitor experience at Fort Henry.

Stay tuned for my upcoming Blogs, Articles and Newsletters. In the meantime, please check out Fort Henry website at (LINK) for the Sunset Ceremony details; Upper Canada Village at (LINK) and the St. Lawrence Parks Commission at (LINK).

Controversy, Historians & Accuracy ~ Fort Henry ~ St. Lawrence Parks Commission ~ Will Baird

www.forthenry.com

Will Baird, Manager, Fort Henry, St. Lawrence Parks Commission

www.parks.on.ca

Ontario Visited interview Mr. Will Baird, Manager of Fort Henry, St. Lawrence Parks continues …

Controversy … Historians, artifacts, accuracy …

Mr. Will Baird, Manager of Fort Henry - St. Lawrence Parks Commission, talked to me today about one of my favorite topics … authenticity, accuracy and the controversy that may occur between true historians and re-enactors, re-enactments. I have had the privilege of interviewing re-enactors, history teachers, Ministers of Heritage and Official Languages, Historians and more. Today, Mr. Baird gave me a very enlightening view. Will tells us that the proper portrayal of facts is of utmost importance and should not be misinterpreted. This can happen easily, he tells me. While portraying traditions you can get caught up in the delivery of the message. The message, however, needs to be transferred effectively.

Mr. Baird goes on to say … that it not necessarily how the message is passed on, but, that it is passed on! Will states … people can get caught up a lot in their efforts to be 100% accurate. He himself states that this happens to him. He says that there can be cohesiveness’ between the reality of interpretation and true history enthusiasts.

Fort Henry’s core business is to preserve millions of dollars of artifacts. Will Baird says that it is Fort Henry’s goal to preserve the core, but, they can spread the word, pass on the historical messages by engaging people. It is very important to not tread on people emotions and to always respect the values of true historians. It is important to value their connection. There is a museum management program in place, of course, to prevent deterioration. However, Fort Henry’s new strategies are in place to encourage youth and visitors alike to embrace history. Mr. Baird says, and I agree, if you don’t share the history, how will it be preserved and learned by? Perhaps how you engage our ever changing society and cultural world today is the key to the continuation of history. As I quote often, “Reflection of our past …. Hope for our Future”!

Stay tuned for my upcoming Blogs, Articles and Newsletters. In the meantime, please check out Fort Henry website at (LINK) for the Sunset Ceremony details; Upper Canada Village at (LINK) and the St. Lawrence Parks Commission at (LINK).

The Famous, New, Exciting SUNSET CEREMONIES ~ Fort Henry ~ St. Lawrence Parks Commission ~ Will Baird

www.forthenry.com

Will Baird, Manager, Fort Henry, St. Lawrence Parks Commission

www.parks.on.ca

Ontario Visited interview Mr. Will Baird, Manager of Fort Henry, St. Lawrence Parks continues …

The Famous NEW, EXCITING Sunset Ceremony … A GAME CHANGER …

The Fort’s famous Sunset Ceremonies have expanded to two nights a week, with a new 3-D projection technology, that will bring the walls of the Fort to life. Will Baird, Manager of Fort Henry - St. Lawrence Parks Commission says “this is a total game changer for us”. The Fort is re-branding its look from just a narrative presentation to more theatrical performance, including the use of a 3D wall projection.

During our past visits to the Fort, the Sunset Ceremonies were exciting to Gary and me. The music was captivating! There was precision marching and firing drill demonstrations! Excitement was in the air! The Fort Henry Guard, dressed in its crimson uniforms, performed highly technical drill maneuvers and then demonstrated mock battle re-enactments. All, demonstrating what friends and foes must have experienced in the 1800’s. "The Sunset Ceremony started off with a bang, drums beating, rifles firing and cannons booming! The receding sun brought magnificent colours to the western sky! As the night grew darker, the noise and colour caused by the re-enactment intensified!" You can read more about our visit in our past article (Please see LINK).

Today, Will Baird, Manager of Fort Henry - St. Lawrence Parks Commission describes the NEW technology as a “game changer”… “The new 3-D projection technology will bring the walls of the Fort to life”... “The concept is to use the wall like a canvas” says Will. “The 3-D technology will be a central part of events such as the Sunset Ceremony".

As I described our visit in the past to Mr. Baird, he points out to me that much of the experience was based on our imagination! The Guards were firing at an invisible enemy with invisible shots. The “new game” may look like this … While the artillery is firing at a Sunset Ceremony, a scene may be projected on the walls to show what an attack on the fort might have looked like. The part played by the guard may be the same, but the images will bring it into the 21^st century. The ceremony will still contain the core elements, focused on the guard, but presented in a much more theatrical way. For example, while the guards are firing artillery, a scene will be projected on the walls showing what an attack on the fort might have looked like.

As Will described to me … Can you imagine the British Flag flying high and fluttering on the Fort wall during the demonstration. It changes the ambience and entire feel. The power of the projection also has Optical Illusions. That will enhance the experience.

Stay tuned for my upcoming Blogs, Articles and Newsletters. In the meantime, please check out Fort Henry website at (LINK) for the Sunset Ceremony details; Upper Canada Village at (LINK) and the St. Lawrence Parks Commission at (LINK).