With the pomp and circumstance of cannon and musket demonstrations, the Fort George National Historic Site commemorated 309 years of the Royal Regiment of Artillery last weekend.

The artillery branch of the British Army has been active for over three centuries, its official anniversary being May 26.

Dan Laroche, site supervisor at Fort George, said bigger crowds can be expected at the fort when significant historical dates take centre stage.

“We’ve had a lot of people specifically show up for this event,” Laroche said. “A lot of commonwealth nations’ artillery also celebrate this week.”

In full uniform to a demonstration crowd of about 50 guests, Laroche asked visitors where they called home — answers ranging from southern American states to Austria, Spain and Northern Ireland.

One visitor from Austria, Eva Hirzer, said she is visiting family in Mississauga but took a detour in Niagara to visit Fort George.

“We don’t have these kinds of reenactments in Europe, so I wanted to come see one while in Canada,” she said.

Other guests at the Artillery Day demonstrations live in Niagara and decided to see the local history re-enacted in person.

“I sort of stumbled across it,” said Niagara resident Xavier Alexy. “You know about the history of the area, but you don’t really think to come and see it.”

The area is well-preserved and offers a unique way to relive history, he added.

But the anniversary of the Royal Artillery isn’t the only historical event Fort George is remembering this week.

Before beginning the demonstration of a cannon launch, Laroche explained that May 25 marks 212 years since the bombardment of Fort George.

“On the 25th of May, 1813, the guns of Fort Niagara 1,400 yards north of where we are […] opened up on Fort George,” he said.

“Really, I can’t think of a better way to commemorate that by firing right back at you,” Laroche joked to American visitors, before leading a team of four reenactors through the firing of a cannon toward the Canada-U.S. border.

The bombardment happened during the War of 1812, which, Laroche said, is significant now, because its outcome eventually led to Canada’s establishment as a country.

“When we’re talking about the War of 1812, our country’s very existence hung on the ballot. We weren’t a country yet, but we were eventually allowed to become one,” he said.

“Had things gone differently […] we might not have existed, and that is incredibly important and relevant no matter where you are in this country,” he added.

In light of recent political shifts between Canada and the U.S. — notably in the form of a trade war and discussion about Canada become America’s “51st state” — historical awareness may be more important than ever, Laroche said.

“If you aren’t aware of your history, you’re really doomed to repeat it,” he said. “If we look at world events in just about any time period, we are repeating things. Hopefully someday we’ll learn from our past.”

Upcoming events to carry on the sentiment of remembering history include First World War displays and demonstrations from June 21 to 22, and a Canada Day event.

Fort George is also offering a cannon-launching experience for Father’s Day weekend, where guests have the chance to get behind a cannon and fire it themselves.