Bridge Commission donates $70,000 to boost War of 1812 anniversary efforts

Local News

March 21, 2011

By Nick Mattera Niagara Gazette The Niagara Gazette Mon Mar 21, 2011, 11:10 PM EDT

NIAGARA FALLS — The Niagara Falls Bridge Commission donated $70,000 Monday to aid three groups in the commemoration and reenactment of the Battle of Queenston Heights, the first major battle of the War of 1812.

The bi-national commission, which operates three of the four major bridges connecting Western New York to Southern Ontario, contributed $25,000 to the Lewiston Historical Society, $25,000 to the Friends of Fort George and $20,000 to the Niagara 1812 Bicentennial Legacy Council for their efforts in celebrating the bicentennial of the war.

“The Niagara Falls Bridge Commission is honored to partner with these organizations and lend our support to the planning and promotion of this important historic event,” Patrick D. Brown, chairman of the commission said at Monday’s event which was held in the commission’s Lewiston offices. “Every dollar of our funding will go directly to event reenactment and marketing, and just as the battle of Queenston Heights and the War of 1812 led to 200 years of peace between Canada and the United States, we hope this event will help strengthen the friendship and economies of these two great nations.”

Brown said the events will provide a “shot in the arm” for the local tourism industry and provide a unique educational opportunity to local students who are expected to attend the celebration which will take place from Oct. 12 to 14, 2012.

Erika Alexander, executive director of the Friends of Fort George said the funding for her group will be used toward putting together the three-day event which will remember the significance of the Battle of Queenston.

“It was at this battle that (British) Major General Issac Brock was killed,” Alexander explained. “The Friends of Fort George and our many partners look forward to reenacting the elements of the battle and presenting the history to both educate and entertain our visitors.”

Along with the reenactment, the Friends of Fort George plan to have a festival and art show in the Village of Queenston, a fireworks display, merchants selling items that would have been found during that period and a procession in Niagara-on-the-Lake commemorating Canada’s fallen heroes, Alexander said.

“The Niagara Falls Bridge Commission is the first to come forward to recognize the importance and significance of this bi-national anniversary,” she said.

Brian Meritt, CEO of the Niagara 1812 Bicentennial Legacy Council said the funds his organization receives will be used to promote the bicentennial celebration in both the U.S and Canada through the rebuilding and updating of the legacy council’s Web site, which will promote events associated with the War of 1812.

According to a travel intentions survey conducted by the legacy council, $160 million will be contributed to the local economies because of War of 1812 related events.

The Lewiston Historical Society, which has taken a driver’s seat for War of 1812 related events in Niagara County, plans to use its share of funding from the bridge commission, to also establish a three-day event from October 12 to 14, 2012.

The event will include a reenactment of the battle, coupled with a festival-type event in the Village of Lewiston.

“Never wavering from its mission, never taking a back seat in its efforts to support its local community, the bridge commission’s generous contributions today accomplish its goals with flying colors,” said Lee Simonson, president of the historical society. “What better way to lay the foundation for the next 200 years of friendship and trade, than to commemorate and celebrate the past 200 years.”

The bridge commission joins a short list of public entity’s locally to contribute to bicentennial efforts in Western New York. Aside from the Niagara County Legislature and the Town of Lewiston, no other group has contributed funding to the event, which in other parts of the country has received massive support from local, state and federal governments.

At Monday’s event, Town of Lewiston Supervisor Steve Reiter pledged a matching contribution of $25,000 to the Lewiston Historical Society for their plans. Reiter hopes to secure $325,000 in Niagara River Greenway money the town receives from the New York Power Authority as seed money to jump-start a handful of projects, as well as a larger contribution for a Tuscarora Heroes monument commemorating the Tuscarora Indian Nation’s role in the war.

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