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Wednesday, 11 November was a beautiful but windy morning. The Crysler’s Farm Remembrance Day Ceremony took place at the Crysler’s Farm monument next to Upper Canada Village, but due to the COVID-19 pandemic, many found themselves paying their respects from home this year. The recording of the ceremony is available for viewing from our Facebook page: watch it here. We hope that you can all join us in person for next year’s ceremony!
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This year, the Friends of Crysler’s Farm Remembrance Day Ceremony will look a little different. Due to COVID-19 and gathering restrictions in the Eastern Ontario Health Unit, the ceremony will be strictly by invitation only. However, we will be live-streaming the ceremony on Facebook for those who wish to remember and honour the soldiers and allies who fought and died in this decisive battle 207 years ago. The ceremony will begin at 9:00 am on Wednesday 11 November 2020. Tune in to the livestream, which can be found on our Facebook page, to commemorate this date with us. If you cannot watch it live, the video will be accessible on our Facebook page and our website after the ceremony has ended.
 The past several months have been an uncertain time for everyone as we all adapt to living in a world with COVID-19. On Monday, July 13th, 2020, the Government of Ontario announced that as part of Stage 3 of the reopening process, some restrictions on gatherings are being lifted as of Friday, July 17th, 2020. Effective on that date, outdoor gatherings will be allowed a maximum of 100 people and are subject to physical distancing of at least two meters. After much discussion and consideration for the safety of our members, Friends of Crysler’s Farm Battlefield has decided to proceed with our Annual General Meeting. The AGM will be held on Sunday, July 19th, 2020 at 1:30 p.m. at 11137 Rowena Road in Iroquois, Ontario. It will take place outdoors (weather permitting), with plenty of space for physical distancing. Face masks and face coverings are optional. Attendees are asked to bring lawn chairs. Light refreshments will be available.
In light of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, this year’s 1812 battle re-enactment, which had been scheduled for July 18th-19th, 2020, has been cancelled. Our primary concern is the health and safety of the re-enactors, the vendors, and the public. Our executive has been exploring the possibility of rescheduling the event for next summer. Stay tuned for more details, which will be made available as they become known. Thank you for your understanding, and we wish everyone the best of health during this trying time.
Due to the state of emergency declared by the Province of Ontario in relation to the COVID-19 virus, the Friends of Crysler’s Farm Battlefield has made the decision to postpone our Annual General Meeting, which was previously scheduled for 4 April 2020. Stay tuned for updates. We thank you for your understanding and hope that everyone remains safe and healthy during this trying time.
The 2020 Battle Re-enactment has officially been scheduled for the weekend of July 18-19, 2020! Stay tuned for more details.
Commemorating 206 Years of Sacrifice and Valour The Friends of Crysler’s Farm Battlefield will be hosting a Remembrance Day ceremony on November 11, 2019, the 206th anniversary of the decisive battle, at the Crysler’s Farm Battlefield Memorial. A gathering will be held at 8:30 a.m., and the ceremony will begin at 9:00 a.m., lasting approximately half an hour. All are welcome to join us for this commemorative event. Coffee and treats to follow.
 Fort Wellington Loyalist Days 1989 We lost a friend and crewman last month. Gerry Thompson (71) passed away on October 8th, 2018. He was a active member of the Friends of Crysler’s Farm group for many years, a very interesting long term historic interpreter gardener at Upper Canada Village and was a faithful 1st member (1986) of my recreated Royal Navy 1812 cannon crew that participated in many reenactments in the area over the years.  Ogdensburg, Feb 1987 We will miss his depth of knowledge on historical facts and stories, his work with the Friends as well as his friendship. Fair winds and following seas my friend. Bob Irvine
On behalf of the Friends  This year’s Remembrance Day ceremony featured a rare treat. The cannons at the Battle Monument were installed by the Canadian Federal Government in 1895, and were last fired at the opening of the Crysler’s Farm Battlefield National Historic Site in 1961. This year, they were fired again for the first time in over 50 years. The cannon themselves are a Blomefield Pattern 24 pounder cast iron gun, cast in 1806 in Falkiek Scotland at the Carron Foundry. They likely came over as ships guns mounted on the larger warships of the day. The iron skeleton carriages they’re mounted on are for peacetime only, and in time of war the cannon are put back on wooden carriages. The service load in the day was 8 pounds of powder; for the Remembrance Day ceremony, 1 pound of powder was used for the blank signal round. Preparation for return to service wasn’t a trivial task. From Bob Irvine:
Please join us on November 11th for the Crysler’s Farm Remembrance Day ceremony:
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