In celebrating two hundred years of peace and friendship along the Niagara frontier, many local groups have already begun organizing for the bicentennial of the War of 1812.

The best way to celebrate our common heritage is to support local, homegrown initiatives. This is why I was pleased to meet recently with two representatives from the “Niagara 1812 Legacy Council.” The Council has diligently approached the provincial government to request funding for “a multi-national celebration of peace, friendship, and prosperity." If their funding is granted, the festivities will include specially commissioned films, art and music, the development of historic and peace-related trails, and enhanced educational materials and archives.

The War of 1812 was one of the bloodiest cross-border military encounters between the Americans and the British (and by extension the Canadians). The U.S. declaration of war on June 18, 1812 had as much to do with trade tensions as with the expansionist desire on the part of the U.S. to expel the English from “the American continent.”

The Niagara Peninsula was a central battleground in the War and host to some of the bloodiest campaigns, including Lundy’s Lane and the siege of Fort Erie. The American forces launched massive invasions from New York State each year of the War and each time they were repelled by a combination of British, Canadian and native forces.

The War, which resulted in more than 3,800 casualties, was concluded by the Treaty of Ghent on December 24, 1814. The words in that treaty are as relevant to the Niagara community today as they were two centuries ago:

“There shall be a firm and universal peace between his Britannic Majesty and the United States, and between their respective countries, territories, cities, towns, and people, of every degree without exception of places or persons.”

These words are made all the more important when viewed in the light of research conducted by the Dominion Institute, which has recently documented the unprecedented erosion of the common Canadian memory.

To avoid a similar fate in Niagara and surrounding regions, I have advocated, together with MPP Julia Munro (York-Simcoe), the formation of a Commission comprised of private citizens to advise the Ontario government on the best methods to commemorate the War of 1812 and encourage visits to historic sites.

It is the energy and the enthusiasm of groups like the Grimsby Economic Development Advisory Committee that will champion the long-term preservation of our history. With the support of countless local groups, they will forge ahead with the creation of more than 40 plaques created for the downtown shops to commemorate our rich history.

Those interested in the activities of the 1812 Legacy Council (www.visit1812.com) are encouraged to get involved by: assisting with one of the planning committees, volunteering at an event, sharing with the Council your community’s 1812 commemoration plans, and, more broadly, helping to spread the word.