The Fort York Foundation

10/04/2026

Three ordinary Canadians embark on an extraordinary quest to find Canada’s lost War of 1812 gunboats on the Thames River, Upper Canada (Ontario). A documentary series on Bell Fibe and Apple TV. https://tv1.bell.ca/fibetv1/shows/1812-the-lost-gunboats #

On 19 December, 2-3 pm, film maker Geordie Sabbagh will discuss the making of the series at The History Symposium: https://www.historysymposium.com/event/geordie-sabbagh-1812-lost-gunboats-documentary/

09/29/2026

"Former prime minister Stephen Harper describes himself as probably Canada’s most pro-American leader. Others would say it was Brian Mulroney. But the title probably should go to William Lyon Mackenzie King, who spent many formative years in the United States and was decidedly North American in attitude at the expense of the old ties of empire."

From Drew Fagan's article on the history of Canada-US relations: "The Big Split: How Canada and the United States Pulled Together, Then Apart" (Policy Magazine, February 2026)

Historic photo: Repatriation of the mace captured by US forces during the attack on York (Toronto) in 1813 -- repatriation ceremony at Fort York in 1934. Toronto Culture (City of Toronto Museums), Stewart Album, X_1734_2_137

09/22/2026

"250 years of fending off the Americans" ... a free public event featuring author Madelaine Drohan, author of "He Did Not Conquer", in an interview with Nations of Canada podcast host Greg Koabel on Wed. Sept 30, 7 pm, at York Minster Park Church, 1585 Yonge St. (Donations welcome)
https://cihe.ca/

09/04/2026

This year's Fort York Guard represented the 3rd York Militia, which helped defend Upper Canada during the War of 1812, including during the Battle of York (1813). The regimental colours were hidden after the surrender of York and were eventually displayed in St James Cathedral. They were transferred to City of Toronto in 2013, stabilized/restored by the Canadian Conservation Institute and displayed in the Fort York Visitor Centre. See "The Return of the Third York Militia Colours" by Alex Avdichuk, The Fife and Drum June 2013:https://friendsoffortyork.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/fife-and-drum-june-2013-1.pdf
(Shown is an illustration of how the colours originally looked.)

08/26/2026

“This is about much more than trade, in other words, more even than our existence as a sovereign state. Fate has assigned us the role, as it has other nations from time to time, of a kind of Horatius at the Gate, the one who “keeps the bridge” when all the rest have fled.
Our fight, it is no exaggeration to say, is the civilized world’s fight. It is a fight for reason and comity in the affairs of nations, against an administration whose worldview, and behaviour, is increasingly that of an aggressive dictatorship, in all its crudeness and its thuggery.
– Andrew Coyne, Globe and Mail, 25 August, 2026.
In defending Canada’s sovereignty today, we can draw for inspiration on a 250-year-old history of successful resistance to U.S. aggression.

08/18/2026

A Bigger, Bolder Public Realm...
The Bentway, Toronto's shared space under the Gardiner, is expanding both east and west from its original location in front of the Visitor Centre at Fort York National Historic Site...
https://thebentway.ca/future-gardiner/

08/16/2026

Egerton Ryerson, founder of modern public education in Ontario, advocate for social progress, religious freedom, and responsible government, close friend of Mississauga Ojibwa chief Peter Jones (Kahkewaquonaby), and whose likeness -- the sculpture by Hamilton MacCarthy (1887) -- was destroyed on the campus of Ryerson University (which then changed its name to Toronto Metropolitan University) in an extraordinary act of vandalism in 2021, deserves to be written back into Ontario's history. For more about Ryerson: https://cihe.ca/egerton-ryerson/

"In 2018, Ryerson University erected a plaque claiming that Egerton Ryerson was 'instrumental in the design and implementation of the Indian Residential School system'. Were he alive, this would be a slanderous statement, but legally one cannot slander the dead." Sign the petition to replace the plaque...
https://c.org/VWfxMVRcBF

Egerton Ryerson: Educational Visionary & Controversial FigureExplore the complex legacy of Egerton Ryerson, the architect of Ontario's public school system. Learn about his groundbreaking educational reforms and the controversial aspects of his 1847 report on Indigenous education.

08/13/2026

Members of the Fort York Guard on the parade ground at Fort York National Historic Site. In 2026, the Fort York Guard is representing the 3rd Regiment of York Militia during the War of 1812. Like other Upper Canadian militia regiments, members of the York Militia, raised in York County (present-day Toronto and surrounding area) balanced military service with their civilian occupations, answering the call when required to defend their community.
(Photo: A. Stewart)