Nov 19 2008
War of 1812 Bicentennial: Ontario Edition
The Sarnia Observer reports on plans underway in SW Ontario to commemorate and capitalize on the upcoming bicentennial of the War of 1812. Excerpt and link:
A historical route marking southwestern Ontario’s role in the War of 1812 could become a reality.
Chatham-Kent council approved the idea in principle at a recent meeting.
And there are calls for Sarnia- Lambton to get involved as well.
Chatham-Kent heritage coordinator Dave Benson said the area has much to offer, not just for educational purposes, but also for shopping and entertainment.
“We want a whole parcel of things that can be brought together,” he said.
The proposed route would run along the Thames River from Lighthouse Cove to Bothwell.
Benson said there is a lot of natural beauty to take advantage of.
“It is probably one of the prettiest drives in southern Ontario,” he said.
Sarnia-Lambton has a couple of connections to the war.
A battle between the British ship ‘Nancy’ and American forces took place on the St. Clair River near Port Huron.
And a local boy who is buried in east Lambton played a key role in saving Canada.
Samuel Smith was serving in the Canadian militia unit at Queenston Heights when the Americans launched a sneak attack across the Niagara River on the night of Oct. 13, 1812.
“He was a 17-year-old sentry on duty when he spotted the Americans massing for an attack,” according to Ralph Ferguson, a former Lambton-Kent- Middlesex MP with a strong interest in history. “He sounded the alarm and the attack was repulsed.”
Smith, who was born in Ancaster, moved to Lambton after that, becoming a well known explorer, surveyor, businessman and politician.
He was responsible for laying roads, right-of-ways, lots and concessions throughout Sombra, Dawn-Euphemia, Brooke and Lambton Shores.
Later, he went into politics, representing Euphemia Township on a regional body that pre-dated Lambton County council.
Today, he rests in a small Dawn-Euphemia cemetery, where the inscription on his tombstone notes he was the man who sounded the alarm at Queenston Heights.
Full story: