Pride of Baltimore II

Historic tall ship sails into Hamilton Saturday

Hamilton’s waterfront will welcome a little bit of history this Saturday when a reproduction of an 1812-era topsail schooner sails into the city as part of its Great Lakes tour.
The Pride of Baltimore II will arrive in Hamilton’s harbour under full sail, weather permitting, on Saturday at 1 p.m. as it promotes Star-Spangled 200, the celebration of the Bicentennial of the War of 1812 in Maryland.
The 157-foot schooner will be escorted by vessels from the Hamilton Port Authority when it makes its grand entrance and will offer free public tours once it docks for the weekend.
The Pride will welcome visitors on Saturday from 3 to 7 p.m. and on Sunday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
The Baltimore-built topsail schooner will be docked near the Discovery Centre at Pier 8. Information booths will be set up outlining the history of the War of 1812 in Hamilton and surrounding areas.
The Hammer City Roller Girls will stage an all-pirate, no-holds-barred clash to celebrate the ship’s visit. The derby will take place Sunday, 2 p.m. at the waterfront skate pad, weather permitting. Admission is pay what you can. Non-perishable food items will also be collected.
sescott@thespec.com
905-526-3214

The Town Crier

Town crier has great voice

Dr. Thomas Pekar, a St. Catharines dental surgeon, has been appointed as Port Colborne's interim town crier.

 

By MARYANNE FIRTH/Tribune Staff

Posted 28 days ago

PORT COLBORNE - PORT COLBORNE — Dr. Thomas Pekar is ready to shout his love for Port Colborne from the rooftops.

The St. Catharines dental surgeon has been appointed the lakeside city's interim town crier, replacing longtime crier Derek Miller who resigned earlier this year.
Port Colborne chief administrative officer Bob Heil announced the appointment during Monday night's council meeting, praising Pekar for his "beautiful voice" and impressive crying abilities.
"He is worthy of a full-time appointment," Heil said. Pekar will perform a cry to council at a future meeting, where it will be decided whether he receives the city's official town crier title.
He will get plenty of practice this weekend as he competes in the Ontario Guild of Town Criers Provincial Championship Competition in Brantford.
"It's a great learning opportunity," Pekar said, adding he was eager to be part of the event.
Crying is a hobby the 59-year-old has been interested in since he first experienced it 20 years ago at his period-costume wedding in Niagara-on-the-Lake.
"I'm doing this primarily for fun," he said, though he also finds meeting new people as good motivation.
"He is an ambassador of the city," Heil said on Tuesday,, adding he believed Pekar would well represent all that Port Colborne has to offer.
The role of town crier is an unpaid position, Heil said, though there is a $2,500 budget for expenses related to the job.
With a few minor adjustments, the city's official town crier uniform will even likely fit Pekar, Heil said with a laugh, adding it saves the cost of purchasing a new one.

mfirth@wellandtribune.ca

Monument to the War of 1812

A monument to the War of 1812

Canon ball the focus of Phelps gazebo

A monument to the War of 1812. A War of 1812-era canon ball is the focal point of a gazebo, donated by Phelps Homes, to be installed in the War of 1812 Peace Garden outside the Grimsby Pumphouse. Breaking ground on the project are, in front Brian Purdy, co-chair of the Grimsby War of 1812 Bicentennial Committee, and Greg Jonah, director of operations for Phelps Homes. In back are, Darlene Fraser, sales and marketing manager, Paul Phelps, president of Phelps Homes, and Heather Studnicka, architect designer. Amanda Street/Staff Photo

A living piece of history will be the focal point of a new showpiece for the town.
A War of 1812 era canon ball, found by Peter Phelps in a field, will be mounted into the stone work of a commemorative gazebo donated to the town by Phelps Homes. The gazebo, which will be taking shape in the next few weeks, is the final component of the War of 1812 Bicentennial Peace Gardens, the first to be erected in Canada, located outside the Grimsby Pumphouse at the foot of Elizabeth Street.
“It makes it unique,” said Brian Purdy, co-chair of the Grimsby War of 1812 Bicentennial Committee, who approached Phelps Homes last year about donating a gazebo for the garden project. “Phelps Homes is doing a first-class job with it, I’m really impressed.”
It’s not just any gazebo either. Since the structure will also serve as a lasting legacy of Phelps Homes, the company went above and beyond to ensure the gazebo is well-suited for a garden honouring the 200 years of peace which have existed between Canada and the neighbouring United States, said Purdy. The gazebo also serves as a commemoration of the company’s 35 years in Grimsby.
“We wanted to bring the historical aspect of what happened at this site during the War of 1812 into to our design,” said Heather Studnicka, archictectural designer behind the project. “We wanted to incorporate some of that history.”
Since the Americans retreated to Fort George following the Engagement at The Forty, Studnicka based her design on the historical Niagara-on-the-Lake fort.
“Because they retreated to Fort George, we have basically mirrored the outline of the fort as the base for our gazebo,” sid Studnicka, who visited the heritage site run by Parks Canada several time while she worked on the design. “Most of the initial design came from an aerial shot of the fort, which we used to design the gazebo.”
As for the cannon ball, which is believed to be American, it will be mounted into the stone work as the focal point of the piece.
“This is really going to enhance the whole area,” said Purdy.
Plans are in the works for a ribbon cutting to take place in early October, when the site is officially designated as an international peace garden