By Doug Draper
It was ground zero for the bloodiest battle of the War of 1812.
A memorial for the War of 1812 Battle of Lundy’s Lane at the Drummond Hill Cemetery in Niagara Falls, Ontario. Photo by Doug Draper
This hallowed ground off the all-too-tacky Lundy’s Lane in Niagara Falls, Ontario, where more than 1,500 Americans and British (Canadians) were killed, wounded or went missing in one horrific day of fighting in July of 1814, is the final resting place for some of those soldiers, and for Laura Secord, a Canadian heroine of the War of 1812 who lived on into the 1860s.
That resting place and centre ground of a pivotal battle of the last war the young United States and its then British Canadians to the north ever declared and fought against one another is now known as the Drummond Hill Cemetery and this October, every weekend it is open to tours you can find out about by reading the information immediately below, submitted to Niagara At Large by the City of Niagara Falls Museum. In this first year of remembering the War of 1812, those who fought and died in that conflict, and the two centuries of relative peace we Canadians and Americans have celebrated ever since, heritage places like this can be very moving and meaningful places to go.
Drummond Hill Cemetery Tours
Niagara Falls, Ontario
The City of Niagara Falls Museums will again be offering our popular walking tours of Drummond Hill Cemetery during weekends in the month of October. These tours offer visitors a unique opportunity to discover another side of Niagara Falls’ history.
The graves of American soldiers who never made it home from the bloody battle on the hill of Lundy’s Lane. Photo by Doug Draper
An offering of the A Walk Through Historyproject of Niagara 2012 – Cultural Capital of Canada, these night-time tours take visitors through one of the most historic cemeteries in Canada. The guides will lead performances that provide a glimpse into the lives of some of the famous and not so famous people from the history of Niagara Falls. The tours include music, theatrical scenes, costumed performers and vignettes of people who are buried in the cemetery.
The final resting place of War of 1812 heroine Laura Secord at Drummond Hill Cemetery. Photo by Doug Draper
Assistant Curator of the Niagara Falls Museums, Sara Byers says, “This theatrical experience is a good introduction to the worlds of community and professional theatre as well as the field of living history.”
The museum makes every attempt to provide appropriate period costumes but assistance from the volunteers is always appreciated. Tours run October 12, 13, 19, 20, 26 and 27 at 7pm, 8pm & 9pm. The tours depart from the cemetery gates located on Buchner Place off of Drummond Road.
The tour cost is $12.00 per person. Tickets are available by reservation only, by visiting the Niagara Falls History Museum at 5810 Ferry Street or by calling 905-358-5082. Space is limited, and tickets will not be sold at the door.
Photos from previous years’ events and of this year’s cast are available to media upon request.
A Walk Through History is a project of the Niagara Cultural Capital of Canada 2012 program and funding support from the Department of Canadian Heritage and the Region of Niagara is gratefully acknowledged.
For further information, please visit www.niagarafallsmuseum.ca or contact:
Christine Girardi, Niagara Falls Museums, cgirardi@niagarafalls.ca, 905-358-5082
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