Parks Canada and the Friends of Fort George are excited to announce the return of the Fireside Fridays in February speakers’ series! These hour-long presentations will feature staff and historians from Parks Canada, special guest speakers and some original artifacts from the war of 1812 and beyond!
The Friends will be at Navy Hall for each lecture with a special gift shop table set up, with a sample of items from the Fort George Gift Shop for sale, including the newest publication Fort George: A History.
Below is a description of each featured talk:
Wacky, Weird and Wonderful: When Artifacts go Wild! Part 2
Friday, February 7 , 2025. 11:00am at Navy Hall
Dan Laroche – Manager, Fort George National Historic Site
Dan Laroche has been at Fort George since 1988 and has been Manager/Supervisor of Fort George for the past 20+ years. He has done years of research on Fort George and was one of the authors of the new publication “Fort George: A History”. Dan will once again highlight rare and unique artifacts from the collection at Parks Canada that all have something in common, in that they are not common at all. Mostly from the War of 1812, these artifacts will test your knowledge and imagination. Channel your inner “Antiques Roadshow” enthusiast to help answer that age old question: “What the heck is that?!?”
First Nations and The Battle of Queenston Heights
Friday, February 14, 2025. 11:00am at Navy Hall
Tim Johnson – Senior Advisor for Heritage and Legacy at the Niagara Parks Commission, Senior Advisor to an extensive number of Indigenous, heritage and cultural institutions, and is instrumental in the development of a legacy of public art and memorials.
Jim Hill – Senior Manager Heritage and Legacy, Niagara Parks Commission, and retired Captain with the Royal Canadian Artillery
The Battle of Queenston Heights during the War of 1812 was a moment in Canada’s history when everything could’ve changed. Through Two-Eyed Seeing, Tim Johnson and Jim Hill will explore this pivotal event from different perspectives and explore the actions, experiences, and recollections of First Nations and the British army during this excruciating battle when the fate and future of these lands and waters hung in the balance. As a special feature, the new Niagara Parks publication Landscape of Nations: Beyond the Mist will be available for sale before and after this presentation.
Marching Off the Beaten Path: Lesser-known Uniforms of the War of 1812
Friday, February 21, 2024. 11:00am at Navy Hall
Peter Martin – Visitor Experience Product Development Officer and Special Events Coordinator, Parks Canada
Chris McKay – Re-enactor/Historian and Educator
Peter Martin brings over 30 years of experience working at historic War of 1812 sites. Chris McKay, a seasoned War of 1812 re-enactor, is currently pursuing his master’s degree in public history at Western University. Together, Chris and Peter will showcase and discuss uniforms from the War of 1812. But not the usual red coat vs. blue coat ensembles! They’ll be spotlighting some of the more unique uniforms that appeared both on and off the battlefield. Which uniforms, you ask? Well, you’ll have to join us to find out!
Music Across the Garrison
Peter Alexander – Historic Music Co-ordinator, Parks Canada
Gavin Watt – Military Animation Supervisor, Parks Canada
Friday February 28, 2025. 11:00am at Navy Hall
From the lowliest private to the Officers that staffed the headquarters, live music filled the day to day activities of Fort George. Come enjoy a discussion and performance of music across the classes, with Peter Alexander and Gavin Watt who have been entertaining Niagara residents at Fort George since the 1980's.
Tickets are $15.75 (taxes included) per event or $47.25 (taxes included) for the series of all four.
Tickets go on sale Friday Jan. 6, 2023 and can be purchased at the Friends of Fort George Online store at: https://friendsoffortgeorge.square.site/ Seating is limited so get yours today!