This time next year, prepare to be bombarded by all things related to the War of 1812. With a $28-million budget, the federal government is ensuring that no expense is being spared to commemorate the war’s bicentennial.
Over the next four years, the government will, among other things, invest in a pan-Canadian educational campaign focused on the War of 1812, build a permanent memorial here in Ottawa, stage historical reenactments, tours and exhibits, carry out improvements to three national historic sites and invest in infrastructure at key 1812 battle sites. There are also plans to honour current militia regiments in Ontario, Quebec and Atlantic Canada linked specifically to the War of 1812.
And sure, while the plan sounds nice in theory, what, in the end, will it accomplish for Canadians?
As far as Canadians are concerned – as far as anyone is concerned – this is a war that neither side is entirely sure they’ve won or lost.
Canadians feel they owe their victory to successfully evading an American invasion. Americans refer to it as the Second War for Independence. And as for the British, well, they’re just happy that they beat Napoleon back in Europe.
Needless to say, the War of 1812 is messy and complicated, and the majority of Canadians, quite frankly, simply don’t care.
A Department of Canadian Heritage survey last June indicated that while interest in the war is highest in Ontario, it “dissipates as one ventures further away, both west and east” and is “much lower in Quebec, among francophones and younger Canadians.”
The report by TNS Canadian Facts also states that most Canadians are unfamiliar with the details of the War of 1812.Only 14 per cent of those interviewed for the survey were able to correctly identify the three countries involved in the war.
The federal government touts that it wants to educate Canadians by increasing awareness about what Heritage Minister James Moore says is “a war that, in so many ways, made Canada the country it is today.”
There is no doubt that the War of 1812 is a crucial historical event, one that fundamentally, all Canadians should learn about. But all the glitz and glam and shiny paraphernalia this plan offers aren’t going to change what Canadians think about our country’s history.
After four years, the War of 1812 will merely be an afterthought to some and nonexistent to others. People are going to forget about it.
If the federal government is really concerned about educating Canadians about our country’s history and willing to splurge a hefty $28 million to ensure that, then it should be investing in our school system where the emphasis on history has become so minimal.
After all, isn’t that where our framework for history begins?
Of course, that’s if the federal government’s intention really is to educate Canadians, because at the end of the day, who’s going to benefit from a shiny plate on a memorial? The Conservatives will.
They’re the ones who are going to reap the benefits of this publicity splash. As for the rest of us? Well, let’s be honest. It isn’t going to change much.