Living History Festival recalls military eras of the past

A “river battle” was staged both afternoons of the festival.

A look back at military eras gone by returned to Fort Malden National HistoricSite of Canada over the weekend.

The Living History Festival was held Saturday and Sunday with encampments, musket firings, artillery demonstrations, fashion shows, bagpipe shows, cooking demonstrations and more over the two days.

Alex Dale, interpretative officer with Fort Malden National Historic Site of Canada, said they also had a number of different community groups on hand as well, with the Marsh Historical Collection, Gibson Gallery, Amherstburg Freedom Museum, Park House Museum, Canadian Transportation Museum, Caldwell First Nation cited as some of the examples. Debra Honor was also on hand selling her book “The Lives That Touched Belle Vue Amherstburg.”

“It’s all sorts of different times periods,” said Dale. “It’s all over the whole site.”

A “river battle” between re-enactment groups with ships on the water “firing” at troops on land before storming onto the grounds where a battle took place was another highlight.

Re-enactors march through the grounds at Fort Malden National Historic Site of Canada during the Living History Festival

A War of 1812 naval group chose Fort Malden this year, Dale explained, the first time Fort Malden has been part of it in roughly 20 years.

“They pick a site every year to do the School of the Sailor,” he said. “The boats will try to advance. We’ll have to repel them.”

While the site and the event focuses on military history, the festival morphed into the “Living History” festival as they also show such crafts as cooking, cobblers and more.

“We have re-enactors coming from eastern Ontario, driving seven or eight hours, just to get here,” said Dale. 

Re-enactors enjoy dressing in period attire and educating the public, he added.

“We plan all year for it,” he said. “It’s a lot of work. A lot of what we do in the winter is plan events.”

The Provincial Marine held an Officer’s Dinner last Saturday evening at the Commissariat after the Living History Festival had wrapped up for the day 

Fort Malden National Historic Site of Canada is hosting its annual Murder Mystery Aug. 16 at 6 p.m. More information on that is available at www.parkscanada.ca/malden, by calling 519-736-5416 or on their social media pages. While the Living History Festival had a charge, there is no charge for a regular visit seven days a week through Labour Day, he said.

Victoria Beaulieu from the Maidstone Bicentennial Museum noted they have been attending events in Amherstburg for at least 15 years. There were nine re-enactors from that site at Fort Malden on the weekend, she said.

Victoria Beaulieu, Mason McFarlane and Kevin McMahon from the Maidstone Bicentennial Museum were just some of the re-enactors that camped at Fort Malden last weekend.

“We have a really good working relationship with Fort Malden,” said Beaulieu. “When we do an encampment, they come out and help us.”Beaulieu added camping at Fort Malden National Historic Site is always a highlight.

“It’s always the nicest place to come and camp,” she said. “It works out nice,” she said. “It’s always good when groups can work together.”

More photos are on the RTT’s social media pages.

Living History Festival includes re-enactments and demonstrations

By Ron Giofu

Living History Festival recalls military eras of the past

Living History Festival includes re-enactments and demonstrations