There isn't just one committee in charge of the celebrations—here in Niagara, we have our own Niagara-on-the-Lake War of 1812 Bicentennial Committee, other municipalities have their equivalent, and we have the regional Legacy Council—but volunteers and events overlap in some circumstances.

In NOTL we have a huge team of dedicated volunteers who began meeting three years ago to organize more than 40 events that will commemorate the important happenings of 1812, 1813 and 1814 that took place in NOTL, and to celebrate 200 years of peace.

The local celebration begins with the Lt. Governor's New Year's Levee Jan. 1, which will be held at Fort George, and includes re-enactments and commemorations of significant events such as the Battle of Queenston Heights, the funeral of Brock, the historic walk of Laura Secord, the Battle of Fort George, the occupation and burning of the town, and many more.

Meanwhile, our local committee is operating with some seed money from the town and launching a campaign to raise money from private and corporate sources.

We wonder what happened to federal funding for these events? Leading up to the last federal election, our MP Rob Nicholson reminded us often of how much money his government had given to infrastructure for 1812 celebrations, and NOTL certainly received its share. McFarland House, the Laura Secord Homestead and Fort George have all been smartened up with much-needed renovations.

But although he also promised funding for NOTL events, our volunteers are forging ahead with no idea if they will ever see that funding, and if they do, how much.

These events changed the course of Canadian history. They should be celebrated on a grand scale. And they will attract tourism and bring money to the area. The feds need to step up to the plate, and soon.

View the article from the Niagara Advance