Historic Niagara-on-the-Lake fort open to public this weekend
Published May 15, 2023 at 11:19 am
The Fort George National Historic Site (51 Queen’s Parade) is opening for the season this Saturday (May 20) as public tours start up once again.
From that day until Labour Day (Sept. 4), the site will be open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. all summer long. After that, it’s open Wednesday through Sunday until Oct. 31.
Back in the War of 1812, whose troops occupied Fort George in Niagara-on-the-Lake honestly depended on when you asked.
It was originally constructed by order of Lieutenant-Governor Simcoe, taking three years (1796-99) and served as the headquarters for Major-General Brock during the war in 1812.
In May 1813, it was bombarded and captured by the Americans, who then constructed fortifications of their own on the site.
It was then retaken by the British in December 1813 but the change in ownership left the fort so trashed that by 1815, it was described as “tumbling into ruins” and ordered abandoned.
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The present works are a reconstruction done from 1937 to 1940 but they historically represent the fort as it was from 1799 to 1813. Only the magazine of the original fort remains.
Said Parks Canada, “The War of 1812 comes to life inside Fort George, the main British Army headquarters in the Niagara Region and the site of a key battle more than 200 years ago. Trained interpreters dressed as soldiers in red coats and their families share stories about life in the days before the fort fell to American forces.”
Youths 17 and under can get in for free while an adult pass is $12.50 and seniors pay $10.75. For more information on the daily tours, check HERE.
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