Four Different Views

New war exhibit tells story of 1812 from all four sides

Friday, 28 October 2011 By Daniel Fish

A new exhibit at the Canadian War Museum will present the War of 1812 from four different points of view when it opens alongside the government’s bicentennial celebrations next June. “Four Wars of 1812” will tell the story of the war through the eyes of Canada, Britain, the United States and North American natives in an effort to show how every side has its own version of history. “For Canadians, this is the story of our survival,” says Peter MacLeod, the pre-Confederation historian at the museum. “If Americans had won, we’d all be Americans, and we wouldn’t even be aware of it.” The war is also a source of pride for Americans, who consider it a defining moment when they stood up to Britain on the world stage, says MacLeod. At the time, Americans were unhappy with Britain for interfering with foreign trade and supporting native resistance to their expansion. “One of our challenges is representing the Americans as sympathetically as we can and try to understand why they would invade Canada,” says MacLeod. “We really hope American visitors will come to the museum and feel that their story is represented.” Misconceptions about this war are common amongst Americans, says Alan Taylor, a Pulitzer Prize-winning historian and author of The Civil War Of 1812: American Citizens, British Subjects, Irish Rebels, and Indian Allies. “Many Americans are surprised to learn that most of the war was an American invasion of Canada,” he says. “It looks like a more honourable war as a defence against Britain.” Representing the perspective of native Canadians and those from Quebec is also complicated. While native alliances were essential to the defence of Canada, this role was downplayed after the war when Canada shifted its focus to acquiring native land, says Taylor. “Native people can take pride in their contribution to the defence of Canada, but it is also a watershed moment in their relationship with other Canadians,” he says. In Quebec, everything east of the city of Montreal was totally unaffected, says Beatrice Craig, a history professor at the University of Ottawa. She says it is an exaggeration to tie national unity to the War of 1812 when Canada only existed back then as a grouping of British provinces independent of each other. “It’s a very central-Canadian celebration,” says Craig. “You can take anything you want and spin it to create a sense of nationhood.” MacLeod says that despite the appearance of being less immediate, colonial wars have shaped Canada’s identity. “It’s hard to believe that a little war 200 years ago could have had such a huge impact on us,” he says. “It’s hard to wrap your mind around a war that might have left us all Americans.” It is important to value and consider every historical point of view, says Richard Haynes, the museum site co-ordinator at Fort York in Toronto, the country’s last authentic fort from the War of 1812. “A lot of people think there is one bland perspective,” he says. “As awareness heightens, you are going to get more interest and opinions. It’s all good.” The exhibit is still in the planning stages, although it is expected to feature about 150 artifacts from the museum’s collection, including the tunic worn by Major-General Sir Isaac Brock when he was fatally wounded at the Battle of Queenston Heights

Historic Murals Black Rock

Black Rock/Riverside Mural Well Underway

The last time that we paid a visit to this wall, youth from the Boys and Girls Club were in the process of giving it a fresh coat of primer (see post). Since then, a number of artists have been hard at work painting different Black Rock and Riverside scenes, all of which are quite vibrant, detailed and ultimately eye-catching. There are six murals total and the timeline reads from left to right. Each mural is 7'hx20'w. All of the artists were juried, and the project was funded thanks to a grant by the Buffalo and Erie County Greenway Commission. The effort is being headed up by the Historic Preservation Committee of the Black Rock/Riverside Good Neighbor Planning Alliance. The mural series is aimed towards teaching passersby about the district's significant role played out in the War of 1812, the area's industrial heritage, and its current path. Project coordinator Doreen DeBoth told me that, "The project will result in a real showpiece for the neighborhood. If the weather holds out, we will also include Peter Porter's map of 1813 and a historical timeline which Russ Mott and myself will paint." Following is the detailed info pertaining to each mural as provided by Doreen:

1) Native Americans & The Black Rock by J. Tim Raymond: Here raymond depicts Black Rock and Native Americans before the 1700's when the Black Rock was known as "Kistangoi" in the Iroquois language. it was 200' long and 300' wide, made of chert and limestone, and offered a safe harbor for the villagers. The Native Americans grew corn, squash and beans, referred to as the 'three sisters." They are the physical and spiritual sustainers of life, and compose the main food supply for the Iroquois. They are painted in the lower left of the mural. Also incorporated into the mural is the profile apparition of Philip Conjockety for whom the Scajaquada Creek is named after.

2) War of 1812 by Russell Mott: Mott has painted the British bateaux that landed at the foot of Amherst Street, planning on torching the area of Black Rock and Buffalo (July11,1813). The American officer in the foreground on the right is ready to call in his troops to defend the area. Mott brilliantly included General Peter Porter's house (original was on Niagara Street) to add more meaning to the mural and to create historical dialogue.

3) Erie Canal 1825 by Doreen DeBoth & Jerome A. Mach: The third mural, the Erie Canal, was designed by Doreen DeBoth and is being painted by Jerome A. Mach. Activities along the towpath are recreated with buildings and mules pulling packet boats. A portrait of Dewitt Clinton who was governor of New York State and presided over its opening in October of 1825 is included in the lower right portion of the mural. The celebration lasted ten days as Governor Clinton traveled from Albany to Buffalo aboard a packet boat.

4) Railroads & Industry by Joe Tempski: Tempski is portraying railroads and industry in the early 1800's in Black Rock with a steam locomotive crossing the International Bridge during the early evening hours. Industrial buildings represent the thriving manufacturing area of Black Rock's history and railroads are an important part of its growth.

5) Historical Architecture in Black Rock by Russell Mott: The theme of the fifth mural is historical architecture in Black Rock. Included in this mural will be Hook & Ladder #12, Saint Francis Xavier Church (now the Buffalo Religious Arts Center), Engine #15, St. John's Church, 71 Amherst Street and Assumption Church. Russell Mott also painted the war of 1812 mural.

6) Black Rock Peace Garden by Cynthia Van Ens: The last mural's theme is the Peace Garden. This garden is located at the corner of Hamiltion and Dearborn Streets and was once an empty lot. It is now a flourishing flower and vegetable garden that was created by the Dearborn Street Block Club for residents and visitors to enjoy. This reflects the community spirit and pride that resulted in beautifying the neighborhood. The Peace Tree signifies hope for the future and to create a peaceful community of all ethnicities living and working together. The man making repairs on the roof represent the rebuilding of a neighborhood that was beginning to crumble.

Flanking the six murals are two wider 30' murals designed by Doreen DeBoth to the left of the historical murals and Cynthia Van Ens who designed the last mural. These two up-to-date murals were created for commun ity involvement from residents in Black Rock. Community painting day was last saturday, october 1.

7) Daytime Recreation by Doreen DeBoth: This mural depicts daytime recreational activities of residents along the Niagara River in Black Rock: a jogger with an ipod, men fishing and a couple pushing a stroller with twins.

8) Sunset along the Niagara by Cynthia Van Ens: In this mural, suset along the Niagara River is the backdrop of a family heading home after their bike ride.

Bicentennial Celebration Grimsby Ontario

A commemoration on land and water

Re-enactment at the top of wish list for Grimsby 1812 group

A commemoration on land and water. Grimsby is gearing up for its contribution to the War of 1812 Bicentennial festivities which kick off next year. Last May, as part of the commemoration, a War of 1812 Bicentennial Peace Garden was planted outside the Elizabeth Street Pump House and last week, the ribbon was officially cut on a gazebo contribution made by Phelps Homes in honour of both the peace that existed between Canada and the United States and the company’s 35th anniversary. Pictured with Phil Conklin, a membr of the Grimsby War of 1812 Bicentennial Committee dressed as a red coat, are from left: Grimsby Regional Coun. Debbie Zimmerman; Brian Purdy, co-chair of Grimsby War of 1812 Bicentennial Committee; Mayor Bob Bentley; Paul and Wendy Phelps; Arlene White, executive director Binational Tourism Alliance; and Brian Merritt, CEO of the Niagara 1812 Bicentennial Legacy Council.

On June 8, 1813 the plot of land where the pump house sits was the site of a battle. The canon balls flew, the British schooners exchanged fire with the American artillery units. The schooners withdrew at what was just the beginning of an eventful day at The Forty. And, if the Grimsby War of 1812 Bicentennial Committee has their wish, the battle will return to the lake and land on that very same day, 200 years later.
A re-enactment on both the water and land is the ultimate dream of the committee, which is headed up by Brian Purdy and recreation director Bruce Atkinson.
“It lends itself to a re-enactment because of the lake shore and the mouth of the creek, it’s a real picturesque spot,” said Phil Conkins, a member of the committee, noting no other re-enactment in the area has incorporated a naval component. “It’s an exciting thing for this
peninsula to have that interaction between naval element and land component.”
So far, the committee has no funding for such an endeavour but is hopeful that it will qualify for funds being distributed by the federal government for bicentennial activities.
“We’re planning the event for 2013 and June 8, the day the engagement fell on, just so happens to fall on a Saturday,” said committee member Craig Tallman, who is also program director for the Grimsby Historical Society, noting that organization is planning to take part in the event as well. “We’ve hit two nails square on the head.”
Tallman said he has spoken with someone at the federal Building Communities through Arts and Heritage, who was quite impressed that the planned re-enactment would actually be taking place on the same day, at the same site as it did 200 years ago.
Plans however are in the preliminary stages, said Purdy, noting the idea of a battle on land and lake is the ultimate wish of his committee, which also spearheaded the Grimsby War of 1812 Bicentennial Peace Garden, the second of such peace gardens to be built between Canada and the United States and the first for Canada. Those gardens will be plotted on a GPS map for the bicentennial celebrations with the goal of bringing tourists to the 30 Canadian and 30 American gardens that will be established by next June. Between May and June of next year a peace garden trail will also be established, said Arlene White, executive director of the Binational Tourism Alliance at a ribbon cutting for the final component of Grimsby’s peace garden last Thursday.
On Oct. 13 the ribbon was cut on the final component of the garden, which was dedicated in May 2010. Phelps Homes, in commemoration of the War of 1812 and its own 35th anniversary, commissioned a gazebo, modelled after Fort George, to sit in the garden. For the past month, staff from Phelps have been finalizing the gazebo, which looks out onto the lake, in preparation for the celebration marking 200 years of peace between the two nations. On the north bastion of the gazebo rests a canon ball found by the Paul Phelps’ grandfather. Legend has it the American canon ball was abandoned when the Americans retreated 200 years ago, said Phelps during the ceremony. The canon ball serves as a reminder that The Forty was not always peaceful.