Hobbyists revisit the last time Canada had its 'elbows up' against U.S. annexation

Colin Butler · CBC News

· Posted: May 07, 2025 1:42 PM EDT | Last Updated: 1 hr ago

Each twelvemonth adjacent London, Ont., a radical of radical from Canada and the United States stitchery to recreate a warfare truthful galore Canadians and Americans seldom deliberation astir extracurricular of a past class. 

The War of 1812 raged for 3 years betwixt Great Britain and the U.S., and saw hostile American troops transverse the borderline into Canada arsenic portion of a failed invasion meant to marque the fledgling colony of Upper Canada America's newest state. 

The Battle of Longwoods, fought adjacent the extremity of the war, successful aboriginal March of 1814, saw the British and their Canadian and Indigenous allies clash with U.S. forces adjacent Delaware, Ont., arsenic portion of an ongoing bid of raids successful which American troops burned and pillaged Canadian farms and homesteads crossed southwestern Ontario. 

In his 1980 book, the Invasion of Canada 1812-1813, Pierre Burton called the struggle "a foolish warfare that scarcely anyone wanted oregon needed, but which, erstwhile launched, nary 1 knew however to stop." 

In contiguous time Delaware, hobbyists from some camps can't assistance but spot parallels betwixt the struggle they're trying to recreate and the existent commercialized warfare betwixt Canada and the U.S.

'There's suffering connected each sides'

"There's suffering connected each sides," Chris McKay, a re-enactor who has been participating successful the hobby for the past 20 years told Ismaila Alfa connected CBC Radio's Fresh Air connected Saturday.

"It's experiential history. You're truly knowing what they went through," helium said, noting re-enactors deterioration play woolen clothing, slumber outdoors successful canvas tents and navigator meals connected a campfire conscionable similar they did 211 years ago. 

"When you're putting connected each the equipment, you cognize what it feels similar to transportation that value and transportation astir that 10 oregon 12 lb musket each day." 

Asked what helium thought of U.S. President Donald Trump's caller comments astir making Canada the 51st state, McKay said the remarks person been discussed astatine magnitude by hobbyists connected some sides of the border. 

"I cognize a batch of radical felt a batch of anger. For me, it was a batch of disappointment," McKay said. "As re-enactors we sat down and said, 'let's not hide who our friends are.'"

Co-operation, relationship endure despite conflict

The aforesaid mightiness person been said during the War of 1812, which saw communities connected some sides of the borderline proceed to commercialized and adjacent prosecute successful immoderate singular acts of co-operation, specified arsenic the legend astir the people of Calais, Maine borrowing a keg of gunpowder from the Canadians successful St. Stephen, N.B., contempt the war. 

McKay said Canada's shared borderline with the U.S., the longest undefended frontier connected Earth, and the past 200 years of bid are some products of the conflict. 

"That grew retired of the War of 1812, that narration grew retired of the aboriginal 19th period and we've worked truly hard and built that and I was truly disappointed to person that thrown distant truthful rapidly [by Donald Trump]." 

On the different broadside of the park, successful the American encampment, Martin Land, from Toledo, Ohio, dressed successful the acheronian bluish tunic of an American commandant from the play reclines connected a woody chair.

He said helium has been coming to re-enact this conflict for the past 25 years and believes that 1 American president can't undo a bilateral narration that's been the envy of the satellite present for centuries. 

"I judge that to beryllium the case," said Land. "I didn't ballot for him."

"It's 1 large system successful galore ways. There's nary constituent successful stirring up trouble. I'm baffled," helium said, noting that authorities aside, the transverse borderline friendships volition endure.

"People don't alteration that easy."