THE NIAGARA FALLS REVIEW
January 2, 2012
By JOHN LAW

NIAGARA-ON-THE-LAKE – It was a levee two centuries in the making.

The Lord Mayor's annual meet-and-greet with residents took on an international flavour Sunday with the official kickoff to War of 1812 bicentennial celebrations. Ontario's Lt. Gov. David Onley attended the event at Fort George, as did former Lt. Gov. Lincoln Alexander.

"New Year's Day 200 years ago, events were already in motion that would change our nation forever," said Onley, speaking to hundreds who braved high winds and rain on the first day of 2012.

Onley usually holds his levee in Toronto but made the trip to Niagara-on-the-Lake because of the bicentennial kickoff. Events are scheduled for the next three years to commemorate not only the historic skirmish which molded Canada's identity, but the ensuing good relations with the United States.

For Fort George's site supervisor Dan Laroche, the next three years will be a Canadian history buff's jackpot.

"This is once in a lifetime … or once in a career," he said, donning the uniform of a 44st Regiment of Foot Captain for the event. "We're talking about a three-year celebration, this is not like a weekend festival. For us, that's huge."

Laroche started his career 23 years ago and has been eyeing the calendar ever since. He hopes over the next three years Canadians get a deeper perspective on the war and what it forged.

"It comes down to this – had things gone differently in this war, Canada might not exist today," said Laroche. "As far as a significant part of our history, that's pretty huge."

The levee included toasts to Canada, the Queen, the U.S. president and the Canadian Armed Forces. Laroche noticed several Americans who hopped the border to join the levee.

"Of course, the key is 200 years later we're on much friendlier terms. Which is the other thing – part of the bicentennial is commemorating the War of 1812, but we're also celebrating 200 years of peace."

Visitors lined up to greet Onley, Alexander, Niagara-on-the-Lake Lord Mayor David Eke and Niagara Regional Chairman Gary Burroughs. A cannon salute was held at 3 p.m.

While celebrations went on inside, a small protest by the West Lincoln/Glanbrook Wind Action Group was held outside. Spokesman Cam Pritchard said the group presented Onley with a letter stating concerns over the influx of industrial wind turbines throughout Ontario, citing adverse impacts like sleep deprivation, loss of property value, and possible interference with commercial traffic radar.

"1812 may have been the year the Americans last invaded Canada, but now, 200 years later, it's the scourge of the wind turbines threatening our way of life," wrote group chairman Neil Switzer in the letter.

"He took our letter," Pritchard said of the Lt. Governor. " I took that as very positive."

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