The re-enactment was first held in 1981 and had taken place every year since then at Battlefield House Museum and Park (pictured) until it was cancelled for 2020, 2021, and 2022. Photo credit: Hamilton Tourism
The infamous re-enactment of the Battle of Stoney Creek is set to return on June 3 and 4, 2023 after a three-year hiatus that was both due to the pandemic and a controversial debate regarding the event’s future.
The return follows a controversy between City of Hamilton senior staff and City Councillors in May 2022 where staff allegedly wanted to cancel the event permanently.
However, some staff later said that they were misunderstood and were simply cancelling the 2022 event due to planning time constraints. But then they also raised issues with specific aspects of the re-enactment and demanded widespread changes before it could be held again.
Among those changes are that staff wanted the event to be “more inclusive,” particularly when it came to increased involvement of Indigenous peoples.
There were concerns with non-Indigenous people portraying Indigenous fighters and non-Indigenous vendors selling replica Indigenous items at the event.
In June 2022, Ward 5 interim councillor Russ Powers brought forward a motion to direct city staff to bring back the Battle of Stoney Creek re-enactment for 2023.
The motion also directed city staff to work towards portraying the event in a more “respectful and historically-accurate manner”.
It was passed unanimously in a 13-0 vote.
The city eventually appointed R.O. Jones Consulting to write a report. The firm reportedly held three stakeholder consultation sessions in November 2022 and made recommendations.
In addition to adding Indigenous input, they recommended more involvement from other people of colour, the Black community, and a greater focus on the role of women in the war.
Those key changes will reportedly be implemented for the 2023 battle, although it remains to be seen how some of those changes will actually be realized.
What we do know for sure is that there will be more Indigenous participation in the event.
The event schedule includes Indigenous dancers, a new Haudenosaunee Lacrosse “Great Peace Game”, and food preparation by high-profile Chef Tawnya Brant of Six Nations.
Those events are in addition to the regular battle re-enactments, Battlefield House and monument tours, games, and a professional fireworks display.
Indigenous-made items will be sold by Kinnikinnick Trading Co, an Indigenous company based out of the Niagara Region.
The Battle of Stoney Creek took place on June 6, 1813 and was one of a series of battles between United States and British forces during the War of 1812. The battle is seen as a key turning point in the war where momentum shifted in favour of the British.
The re-enactment was first held in 1981 and had taken place every year since then at Battlefield House Museum and Park until it was cancelled for three subsequent years in 2020, 2021 and 2022.
Despite the cancellations, it appears that the event is back to stay, with the city increasing funding and even laying out a 2024 budget for the re-enactment.
City Councillors voted on March 22 to approve a $20,000 increase to the 2023 budget, bringing the total to $63,000. They will be adding another $30,000 to the 2024 budget for a total of $93,000.
Those costs cover fencing, portable toilets, parking and shuttle costs, planning, the fireworks display, and programming.
Approximately 500 re-enactor volunteers and 100 event volunteers are involved. That comes in addition to five full-time staff and 15 part-time staff.
Volunteers are still needed for this June, with sign-up open on the City of Hamilton website.
Approximately 7,500 people attend the event each year and, as an added bonus, 2023 admission will be free.
Based in Hamilton, he reaches hundreds of thousands of people monthly on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and Twitter. He has been published in The Hamilton Spectator, Stoney Creek News, and Bay Observer. He has also been a segment host with Cable 14 Hamilton. In 2017, he received the Chancellor Full Tuition Scholarship from the University of Ottawa (BA, 2022). He has also received the Governor General’s Academic Medal. He formerly worked in a non-partisan role on Parliament Hill in Ottawa.
