Fort George jumped from 1812 to 1914 last weekend for its annual First World War weekend, featuring 26 demonstrations and educational sessions.

Demonstration re-enactors came to NOTL from across Canada and the U.S. to participate in the commemorative event.

Special events coordinator Pete Martin said the event draws a crowd because it’s different from what Fort George is known for.

“We’re at an 1812 site and we’re proud of that […] because it’s a big part of our history, but once a year we want to talk about Camp Niagara,” Martin said.

Fort George was damaged during the War of 1812, but became part of the training ground that was Camp Niagara by the time of the First World War.

Unlike Fort George, though, Camp Niagara’s evidence exists in various nearby buildings. Martin said the training ground took up a big part of the space that is now Old Town.

“One weekend a year we tell that story,” he said, referring to the transition from Fort George to Camp Niagara during the First World War.

One re-enactor, Richard Moncrief, travelled from Virginia to participate in the event. He says the lack of public education surrounding the Great War motivates him to travel and share his 30 years of research.

“It’s fascinating to me what Canada did in both world wars, particularly the Great War,” he said. “So any opportunity to share my research and information, it’s worth the trek.”

Moncrief was dressed as a training instructor for the event, indicated by the yellow armband on his left arm. He said armbands are significant in both the British and Canadian military.

As a training instructor, Moncrief’s involvement in the biggest demonstration of the weekend was overseeing soldiers navigate barbed wire and shoot from behind wooden barriers on the field.

The demonstration also included the depiction of a casualty. The wounded soldier was bandaged on the field before being brought back to the medical tent in an ambulance. Visitors interested in the treatment of a casualty also watched a surgical demonstration.

“You have to know what happens if most of the men in the rifle section get killed or wounded. Everyone has to react to that,” Moncrief said. “It’s a very chaotic environment.”

An important element of a First World War medical team was the matron, or the head nurse of the hospital. Susan Spencer, a historical re-enactor, travels from B.C. to NOTL every year to take on the role.

The matron could be likened to a traffic director, according to Spencer. Rather than being involved in the hands-on medical work, she would have been directing others where to go.

Like Moncrief, Spencer said Fort George offers a unique chance for the First World War to be commemorated, even if just for one weekend a year.

“There’s not that many World War I events out there,” Spencer said.

“When you think about World War I warfare, it’s not like 1812, where you’ve got opposing forces on a battlefield. In World War I, you’ve got trenches,” she added, explaining the difficulty in recreating the event.

This year, Spencer said she noticed an uptick in visitor engagement, specifically in asking questions about the history.

“It’s been really rewarding for us,” she said. “[Visitors have] stopped and talked and asked questions, and we’ve talked about family history.”

“We learn as much from them as they can from us,” she added.

Despite the heat, the event at Fort George attracted a large crowd, giving both regular visitors and new faces a chance to watch demonstrations saved specifically for this event. This includes the training session and subsequent surgical demonstration.

While standard presentations, such as musket firings, were performed, First World War-specific displays were put on. For example, there was a military medical fashion show and an education session about the Polish army at Camp Niagara.

A parade was also put on to conclude the weekend.

For Martin, the eight months of planning are worth the work because of the importance of bringing this history back to life.

“It’s to tell these stories of these amazing men and women who were here and went overseas. We want to remember those people and make sure they’re not forgotten.”