Some came for the fireworks. Some came for the history. Two visitors from Virginia didn’t know they had walked into Canada Day at all.
At Fort George National Historic Site, the holiday was not just red-and-white flags. It was musket smoke, children waiting to be drilled by a soldier, tourists filming the moment and families celebrating Canada Day in Niagara-on-the-Lake for the very first time.
Nigel Coquilla and his father, Mike, were in Niagara after sightseeing on both sides of the river.
They had a WEGO pass, saw NOTL on the map while in Niagara Falls, Ont., and decided to come. They were heading back to the United States the next day.
They didn’t know July 1 is Canada Day. But that didn’t stop them from having an opinion on where the better side of Niagara is.
“It’s boring on the U.S. side — it’s more fun here,” said Mike.
“Attractions and all the actual things to do,” said Nigel, describing what stood out about NOTL in particular.
“The Canadian side is more fun to be at,” he said.
Mike’s advice for those on the American side is simple: “If you go there, just cross,” he said.
For the Reid family of Fonthill, it was their first time celebrating Canada Day in NOTL.
Dominic and Maria Reid came with their sons, Liam and Lucas, before heading to a family pool party later in the day.
Lucas found the draw in the buildings themselves.
“It’s cool that we saw one of the actual ancient buildings,” he said.
For Maria, the visit was a way to celebrate the history that helped shape Canada, while standing on part of it.
“It’s an honour to be here and celebrate our heritage,” she said.
Managing supervisor Dan Laroche said the mix of tourists, families, locals and history is part of the reason people come to Fort George on Canada Day.
Yes, the fireworks are a big draw. But at Fort George, “we’re celebrating our successful defense and the fact that our country was allowed to eventually form,” said Laroche.
“That’s a pretty big deal.”
For some visitors, that “big deal” was something to share.
Idania Bolaños, who lives in Niagara Falls and is originally from Nicaragua, was livestreaming the Fort George Canada Day experience on her TikTok, @vagostravel_.
She works as a managing director and tour guide for Vagos’ Travel in the Falls and said she likes finding new places in Niagara.
“I’m just enjoying all this, like to get to know new places and share with other people,” she said.
Vagos’ Travel, she said, shares all the “beauty and history” the region has to offer.
Laroche said “all kinds of things” filled the day’s agenda — including musket demonstrations, feature talks, open buildings, children’s activities, a military demonstration, artillery, music and fireworks later in the evening.
The heat also shaped the day. Laroche said some buildings were open with activities inside, including two with air conditioning.
“So that’s really good for the public.”
Fort George was completed by 1802, after the British built it across the Niagara River from Fort Niagara to protect their interests in Upper Canada. During the War of 1812, it became headquarters for the Centre Division of the British Army.
This was not just an old fort. It stood at the front door of what would one day become Canada, at a time when Upper Canada was under threat.
The fort was destroyed by American artillery fire and captured during the Battle of Fort George in May 1813. American forces occupied it for seven months before it was retaken in December.
Nearby Navy Hall also connects NOTL to Canada’s early political history: when the town was still called Newark and served as the first capital of Upper Canada, Navy Hall was used by the lieutenant-governor. It was destroyed by American forces during the War of 1812.
More than 200 years later, people were still walking through that history on Canada Day — some on purpose, some by surprise.
