War of 1812 bicentennial committee needs support from community

By Kris Dub?

Posted 2 hours ago

The War of 1812 Bicentennial Celebrations are well underway, and the Fort Erie planning committee is preparing for a very exciting and event-filled 2012.

Project Coordinator John Johnston met with the Times this week to highlight some of the upcoming events that will be part of the lengthy historic celebration.

The biggest event happening in Fort Erie this year will be the Grande Military Parade, taking place on June 23. There will be over 50 military marching bands, including the Central Band of the Canadian Armed Forces, along with many others from across North America and the U.K. Following the parade will be a Military Tattoo held at Old Fort Erie, and the night will end with a fireworks display.

The only funding that has been solidified at this point is $200,000 from the Town of Fort Erie, approved in the budget process earlier this year, and some other small sponsorships and government grants.

Hoping more money is filtered through from both the federal and provincial governments, Johnston says the show must go on, and would like to extend an invitation to the people of the region to enter a float or display in the parade.

"This is going to be a major community event and there is room for more participation," said Johnston. Entry forms for floats and displays can be found on the Bicentennial?s website at www.forterie1812.ca.

With June right around the corner, there is a lot of planning that still needs to be done, but things are looking pretty good.

"We still have time, but time is passing," said Johnston, who also anticipates the grand parade to be the biggest War of 1812 bicentennial event held in North America in 2012.

In August, the bicentennial committee will also present another theatre production at the Old Fort Erie Welcome Centre.

This will be a follow-up to the Lion and the Eagle, which was performed during the month of January as the official launch of Fort Erie?s 1812 bicentennial celebrations.

Selling out all eight of its performances, Johnston said the play was a huge success, and wishes more people in the community were given the chance to experience it.

Johnston did say that the committee was a little disappointed in the lack of interest and participation from schools in the area.

While some have been great supporters and have shown a definite interest in being involved, others appear to not see the significance of this once in a lifetime celebration.

?This is the biggest national historical event since Centennial Year?, said Johnston. ?We would hope the schools see this as an opportunity and participate.?

Slowly there seems to be more interest as the events begin to unfold, including on Facebook and Twitter where people are beginning to provide comments and ask questions about upcoming events.

"A lot of people are becoming interested," he said.

The next event is a Canada versus U.S. hockey game on April 7 at the Leisureplex.

The game starts at 7pm, and tickets are available at the door, $8 for adults and $5 for kids. To help show our Canadian spirit, kids under 12 dressed in Canadian apparel get in free.

Anyone who would like to volunteer or provide assistance in any way can visit www.forterie1812.ca to locate contact information. A full list of events are also on the website.

Source: http://www.forterietimes.ca/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=3496931

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