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Old Fort Erie, Fort Erie
Old Fort Erie Speaker Series: Beyond the Walls
Niagara Parks will now offer the remainder of the Beyond the Walls speaker series remotely, via live stream to pass and ticket-holders. More information will be available shortly on how to tune in.
OLD FORT ERIE SPEAKER SERIES: BEYOND THE WALLS
Join us for our annual four-part speaker series featuring special guest authors who will narrate stories of significant moments in Canada’s history, including the Siege of Fort Erie and the Fenian Raids. Explore the decolonization of the Tonawanda Seneca Nation through archaeology.
FEBRUARY 26, 7:00 p.m. - Adam Shoalts
History of Canada in 10 Maps: The Siege of Fort Erie
An adventure tale for the ages and a history lesson unlike any you had in grade school! Hear the fascinating story of the Siege of Fort Erie and discover an epic moment in Canadian history as retold by Canadian author and explorer Adam Shoalts.
About Adam Shoalts
Adam Shoalts is a professional adventurer, explorer-in-residence of the Royal Canadian Geographical Society and bestselling author. His expeditions have taken him everywhere from the jungles of the Amazon to the tundra of the High Arctic. A trained cartographer, historian and archaeologist, Adam holds a PhD from McMaster University and has done archaeological work in four countries, including at Old Fort Erie National Historic Site. In 2017, he completed a nearly 4,000-kilometre solo journey across Canada’s Arctic, a story he recounts in his national bestselling book, Beyond the Trees. He is also the author of A History of Canada in 10 Maps and Alone Against the North.
SESSION FULL
AUGUST 26, 7:00 p.m. - Chris McKay
The Siege of Fort Erie in Global Conflict
Examine the Siege of Fort Erie in a global context alongside Fort Erie historian and reenactment enthusiast Chris McKay. Delve into riveting details about the men who fought against Napoleon in earlier years.
About Chris Mckay
Chris McKay has been reenacting monumental historic events at Old Fort Erie for almost 20 years. Having previously served as vice-president of Brigade Napoleon, the prominent Napoleonic reenacting society in North America, Chris currently reenacts the War of 1812 as a British army staff officer and helps plan many of the reenactments in the Great Lakes region. His reenacting hobby reached a pinnacle in 2015 when he participated in the Battle of Waterloo commemorations in Belgium.
SEPTEMBER 30, 7:00 p.m. - June Chipp
The Fenians Invade: The Fight at the Fort Erie Docks
Relive the dramatic Battle of the Fort Erie Docks as told by English-born author June Chipp. Discover how the Welland Canal Field Battery and the Dunnville Naval Brigade stood strong against insurgent Irish-American Fenians through the words of the men who fought the fight.
About June Chipp
June Chipp was born in Yorkshire, England and emigrated to Canada as a child. Her three published works include A Self-Guided History Tour of Greater Fort Erie, Duty and Honour: The Stand Against the Fenians in Fort Erie, and Where the Wild Grape Grows: Images of the Erie Shore Fort Erie and the Ports. An active member of Niagara’s community of historians, June has led guided tours of Fort Erie and has been a guest speaker at various libraries and historical societies in the Niagara region.
OCTOBER 28, 7:00 p.m. - Jamie Jacobs
Digging into the Past: Seneca Decolonization through Archaeology
Explore the history of New York’s Tonawanda Seneca Nation and its decolonization through archaeology alongside Jamie Jacobs.
About Jamie Jacobs
Jamie Jacobs was born and raised on the Tonawanda Seneca territory in Western New York where he still resides today. He is a member of the Seneca of the Turtle Clan and a ritual custodian for the Tonawanda Seneca Longhouse and Ceremonies. Jamie currently provides curation, research and cultural interpretation support at the Rochester Museum and Science Centre in Rochester, New York. He also serves as the main consultant for the Tonawanda Seneca Adult language immersion program where he teaches Seneca language history and morphology.
Speaker Series Schedule & Tickets
| Date & Time | Speaker & Topic | Tickets |
|---|---|---|
| February 26, 7PM | Adam Shoalts “History of Canada in 10 Maps: The Siege of Fort Erie” - $10 |
SESSION FULL |
| August 26, 7PM | Chris McKay “The Siege of Fort Erie in Global Conflict” - $10 |
TBA |
| September 30, 7PM | June Chipp “The Fenians Invade: The Fight at the Fort Erie Docks” - $10 |
TBA |
| October 28, 7PM | Jamie Jacobs “Digging into the Past: Seneca Decolonization through Archaeology” - $10 |
TBA |
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