The 11th of NovemberI stood at the back of the crowds gathered in the Old City to mark Remembrance Day.
I thought that here in Niagara-on-the-Lake, the occasion would reflect the profound influence that the military and military service has had on the development of the city.
Unfortunately, I was wrong.
The original settlement here was established largely by refugees and Loyalist soldiers who fought in the American Revolutionary War.
In 1792, John Graves Simcoe chose the small town as the temporary capital of the new province of Upper Canada and, before returning to England in 1796, ordered the construction of Fort George to counter the growing American threat posed by Fort Niagara. the other side of the border. river.
Although the land associated with the military and the subsequent surveys carried out under military direction fundamentally shaped the physical development of the city, it was the economic benefits derived from the military presence that, in large part, made the city’s growth viable city (and sustained it for many years). decades later).
Indeed, it could be argued that the primary reason for the town’s rebuilding after the War of 1812 (as a village other than a rural one) was the continued presence of the military, the jobs associated with supporting its infrastructure, and the dollars soldiers who flocked to the city. the local economy.
And, speaking of this particular war, we will never know the true number of people under arms who gave their lives in the service of the king since the army only recorded the deaths of real soldiers – not those of militiamen and indigenous fighters.
However, the total mortality (from all causes) among all those who bore arms on the British side was estimated to exceed 20,000.
We will not explore the participation of the 35,000 to 50,000 Canadians who fought in the American Civil War or the Fenian Raid, which culminated in the battles of Ridgeway and Fort Erie (during which 13 Canadian volunteers lost their lives). life).
Then, in 1899, the Boer War broke out. Seven thousand Canadians fought in South Africa and 40 were killed in action.
Between 1914 and 1918, the First World War raged in Europe. During those four years, approximately 650,000 Canadians served, and more than one in ten (approximately 66,000) gave their lives, while another 172,000 were wounded.
It was supposed to be “the war to end all wars,” but, of course, it was not. In 1939, the Second World War broke out, and by its end in 1945, approximately 1.1 million Canadians – 10 percent of the country’s total population – had served in active military service.
More than 45,000 of these men and women died and approximately 55,000 were injured.
Just five years later, in 1950, 26,000 Canadian soldiers were back in action in Korea, where 516 lost their lives and more than 1,200 returned home injured.
Whether by choice or chance, approximately 30,000 Canadians fought in the Vietnam War, leaving more than 134 dead.
In 1990, the Gulf War broke out, during which more than 5,100 Canadian soldiers served. Although there were no deaths on the battlefield, 1,800 of these men and women subsequently died from “debilitating medical problems.”
More recently, some 40,000 Canadian troops were on the ground in Afghanistan.
The tally of 158 dead and 2,071 injured does not include the “thousands of other war veterans (who) were physically and psychologically injured, leading to additional deaths by suicide” (Canadian War Museum: “Memories of the war in Afghanistan).
Finally, let us not neglect the 125,000 men and women of our Canadian Armed Forces who served this country in “peacekeeping missions”, wearing the bright blue United Nations helmets and under strict orders not to shoot before being targeted.
In Cambodia, Cyprus, East Timor, Egypt, Ethiopia and Eritrea, the Golan Heights, Haiti, Rwanda, Somalia and the Balkans – where Canadian personnel witnessed some of the most intense fighting violent from Korea (see the Battle of Medak Pocket for an overview) – 130 Canadian soldiers lost their lives and thousands were injured.
That’s quite a list, isn’t it?
From 1899 to 2012, at least 111,844 Canadians died in war and more than twice that number returned physically injured.
Mental scars and trauma have never been fully documented, but according to one published estimate, one in seven soldiers who served in Afghanistan returned with some level of PTSD (which could imply similar figures for more than two million Canadian soldiers who served in Afghanistan). other theaters of war).
The fact is that this country has – to a large extent – been shaped by the wars in which Canadians have fought – both by the loss of those who never returned and by the impact left on those who did.
My own family had members who served in the Boer War, World War I, World War II, Korea and Vietnam. My circle of friends includes men and women who served as “peacekeepers” during the Gulf War and in Afghanistan. And I am far from unique in this regard.
It’s not that Canadians glory in war: on the contrary, most of us view it as the ultimate expression of human stupidity.
However, when there is no other alternative and we are forced to take up arms, we accept the price and do the dirty work.
So, now I’m sure you’re wondering: why am I writing about this in the Arch-i-text column?
The answer is quite simple. Look around this city, the built heritage, the cultural landscapes, and everywhere you turn, your eyes will bear witness to the hands, spirit and example of the men and women who served.
Among many other features, a quick sampling of these marks might include: the monuments represented by the Old Town Cenotaph, the Soldiers’ Memorial at Queenston, and the Brock Monument on the Heights.
The majority of surviving pre-1812 houses in NOTL were built by refugees and Loyalist soldiers (the Field House on Niagara River Parkway and the Clement House on Four Mile Creek Road are two examples).
The city’s rebuilding after the burning of the War of 1812 and the military backbone of the local economy left us with the largest concentration of Neoclassical and Regency housing in the country.
The Niagara-on-the-Lake Golf Club (which includes Fort Mississauga), the oldest in the country, was built on former military reserve land. The enclaves of Virgil’s war (victory) houses and the old city. And so on.
For over 200 years this city has provided men and women to serve their country and the military tradition has, in turn, become an intrinsic part of the warp and weave of this city.
Remembrance Day is not a tourist event nor simply a time for old soldiers to come together. It is an opportunity for Canadians to reflect, consider and appreciate the contributions made by the men and women who have served to the community in which we live today.
Brian Marshall is a NOTL real estate agent, author and expert architectural design consultant, restoration and heritage.
