"Here we are, it's no longer the eve of the bicentennial, it is here," said Brian Merrett, CEO of the Niagara 1812 Bicentennial Legacy Council. "It's coming together nicely."

A New Year's Levee at Fort George was the first official event of the three-year celebration, and Merrett marked the occasion by donning a vintage uniform, which was far different from the suit and tie he used to wear as Niagara Regional Chairman and Niagara Parks Commission chairman.

"It's a role I'm enjoying immensely," he said. "I'm getting to work with some tremendous folks throughout Niagara, on both sides of the border."

The levee was attended by Ontario's Lt. Governor David Onley, who said the bicentennial isn't just about the war, but about the 200 years of peace with the United States which followed.

"Peace is truly attainable to people of goodwill," he said.

Official opening ceremonies will be held June 15 to 17 at Fort George. Events throughout the year will include a Battle of Queenston Heights reenactment Oct. 12 & 13, a naval show July 13 to 15, and a recreation of Brock's burial Oct. 14.

Many more events are in the works for 2013 and 2014, marking bicentennials for the war's key moments.

Merrett will reveal some of the events when he speaks at the Lundy's Lane Historical Society Jan. 5.

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