As Co-Chair of the Bicentennial of the War of 1812 Steering Committee, I have been working hard to ensure that the Visitor Centre will not only provide a visible point of entry to the site, but will allow for enhanced exhibition space, interpretive programs and tours, curatorial offices, and other components. It will add accessibility and insight to the richness already ingrained in these historic grounds.
The Bicentennial Steering Committee is currently developing the plan required to nominate Fort York for inscription in the UNESCO World Heritage List. This is a significant project in the City’s Commemorative Program. While Fort York is already both a National Historic Site and a heritage conservation district, the UNESCO designation would guarantee further protection, as well as elevate the Fort’s status as a heritage site of global significance. I am proud to see that Fort York will, hopefully, become the first UNESCO World Heritage site for Toronto, Canada’s largest and most international city.
A proposal for the construction of the Fort York Pedestrian Bridge is currently undergoing an Environmental Assessment. Once completed, the bridge will provide an important north-south pedestrian and cycling link for communities north of the lakeshore rail corridor, to Fort York and the waterfront. As a fourth legacy project under the Bicentennial Commemorative Program, the creation of the Toronto Heritage Trail System will provide a way-finding system for visiting historical sites, including Fort York. This Toronto system would then link to a (proposed) province-wide system.
The 1812 Bicentennial promises to be a celebration of pride in our city’s distinct cultural fabric and heritage. An unusually rich archaeological resource, Fort York is the founding site of the City of Toronto. It holds the greatest number of authentic properties related to the War of 1812 in Canada – and perhaps in North America.
Fort York is a substantial national symbol of the conflict for British North America. As such, it constitutes an important hallmark of citizenship and resident engagement. Through our Bicentennial program and its four major legacy projects, we will recognize a pivotal event in our history, one which shaped the future not only of Toronto, but of the entire country.
For more information, please visit http://fortyork.ca.
