War of 1812 Bicentennial Commemoration

The bicentennial of the War of 1812 offered many opportunities for re-assessing the war’s impact on both Canada and the US. The Ontario Ministry of Tourism recognized the potential for regional tourism and community development based on commemoration of the bicentennial and released funds to each of the tourism regions in Ontario that had heritage resources related to the war.

Working in tandem with the cultural tourism consultant, Carl Bray prepared interpretation and development strategies for cultural heritage resources related to the War of 1812 in each of these three regions. He conducted an inventory and evaluation of relevant cultural heritage resources that was paired with an assessment of cultural tourism product and organizational capacity for enhancing this product and for staging commemorative events.

The plans were based on field research, stakeholder interviews, and review of comparable case studies. Deliverables in each case included themes, sub-themes and storylines tied to existing and potential tourism assets, as a foundation for a business plan and implementation strategy. Elements of each plan are now being implemented.