There’s a Great Day Coming

This special number of The Fife and Drum newsletter of The Friends of Fort York is published on the eve of the 200th anniversary of the Battle of York. On 27 April 1813, after the fort was overwhelmed by a stronger force of American invaders, the town was occupied, its public stores seized, and parliament buildings destroyed. Below we outline how the battle will be commemorated across the city so you can join in. This issue of Fife and Drum goes to a wider readership than usual, thanks to the co-operation of Heritage Toronto, Toronto Culture, and the good offices of Councillors Mike Layton and Adam Vaughan, and other friends.

Fort York is the natural focus for commemorative events related to the battle. These are listed as Upcoming Events on page 12. But that’s just for starters. On Saturday, April 27, there will be a Sunrise Ceremony from 6 to 7:30 am at the Palais Royale coinciding with the hour when British and Canadians were girding for battle while their Native allies prepared with spiritual rituals. At 10 am those who like walking will gather at the Palais Royale to trace the 5 km path of the American advance along the waterfront to Fort York. En route, near where many of the invaders landed, there’ll be an unveiling of a plaque sponsored by the Boulevard Club and Heritage Toronto.

Also at 10 am a military parade will form up in front of Queen’s Park, where HRH Prince Philip will present a new Regimental Colour to the Royal Canadian Regiment before more than one thousand assembled soldiers and sailors march to Fort York accompanied by more than a dozen bands, arriving at 1 pm. As they pass through Victoria Memorial Square they’ll salute the Old Soldier Monument and wreaths laid there to honour the Royal Newfoundland Regiment of Fencible Infantry who fought at York, embracing our common cause before the nation existed. At the fort a military-style service of remembrance will follow and three plaques will be unveiled. Exhibits related to the war, booths, and story-telling displays highlighting the Native role in the battle will abound. See www.toronto.ca/1812 for more information.

Later that day, at 5 and 6 pm, the St. Lawrence Market Neighbourhood BIA will present two performances of a 20-30 minute play, The Capitulation of York, in St. Lawrence Hall, 157 King St. E. Admission is free. At 7:30 pm, in St. James’ Cathedral opposite, the Tallis Choir will perform a Grand Concert for the Battle of York. Tickets and information http://www.tallischoir.com/ticketing.html The CN Tower will be lit that night in the purple and green colours of the city’s Bicentennial initiative. And at the Sunday morning services at St. James special prayers will be said. On Sunday afternoon visitors from Sackets Harbor will drop by the Reference Library, 1:30 to 2:30 pm, to present new books to replace those looted during the 1813 invasion.

We Welcome Many New Readers to Fife and Drum with this special issue marking the Bicentennial of the Battle of York, 27 April 1813.

You may be among our new readers because you receive mailings from your local councillor, from Heritage Toronto or Toronto Culture.

If you would like to receive future issues of Fife &Drum directly, please subscribe at no cost at www.fortyork.ca.

Battle of York Day will be anticipated by a series of free lectures organized by Heritage Toronto. See the schedule on page 7, but note that the first up after this newsletter appears is April 3 when Dr. Cecilia Morgan talks about Candy, Cows, and Commemoration: The Case of Laura Secord. On April 14 Fort York will present a Parler Fort talk by British historian and archaeologist Andy Robertshaw on The Battle of York: Myth, Reality, and the Explosion of the Grand Magazine. See Upcoming Events on page 12 for details. In the blogosphere the Torontoist, Spacing, and Blog T.O. will be generating special posts in the days leading up to April 27.

The Toronto Public Library is opening an exhibition of first-hand accounts from its Special Collections, War Stories: Toronto and the War of 1812–14 from March 30 to June 22 in the Library’s TD Gallery, 789 Yonge Street. The exhibition will use original letters, maps, art, and books to follow the stories of a diverse cast of characters–the heroes who emerged, the lesser-known but key figures who drove the action, and the supporting cast of players who were too often the victims of war. On May 24 at 2 pm, in the Library’s Beeton Auditorium, Richard Gerrard, a historian with Toronto Culture, will talk on York during the War of 1812: A Re-examination.

Starting in March Palatine Hills Estate Winery, the maker of 1812-brand wines sold in selected LCBO stores, will place neck tags on bottles directing people to websites where information on 1812-related events and on The Friends of Fort York can be found. Robin Brass Studios, the publisher of Robert Malcomson’s Capital in Flames, the best account around of the Battle of York, will be bringing it out in a paperback edition.

On our website, www.fortyork.ca, new features will debut such as a collection of first-hand accounts by those on hand during the battle and a link to a website of 70-odd historical maps of Fort York and the Garrison Common fortyorkmaps.blogspot.ca. The Friends are also joining with fort staff to design and produce a new brochure for site visitors replacing one that is many years out of date.