For some, the idea of igniting a 19th-century-style weapon may be intimidating. But for Baird Tucker, it’s a “once-in-a-lifetime experience” he couldn’t pass up — especially in front of his son.
The family travelled from Buffalo, N.Y., on Sunday to attend Fort George’s annual Father’s Day celebration, where eight dads get in uniform and fire a cannon used during and around the War of 1812.
Although the gun on site is a replica, the volume and recoil from launching it are as real as it was back then.
“You hear about things like this and to actually fire it, it’s momentous,” Tucker said. “The cannon kind of jerks back a little bit so you’re not really knowing what to expect, but it was amazing.”
He went to historical re-enactments with his own dad growing up, making the experience with his seven-year-old son, Maury, even more special.
“It was great,” Maury said, after watching his dad light the artillery and deciding he wants to try it one day.
Like his father, Maury enjoys learning about history, but he still says “watching my dad do the cannon” was the highlight of his first visit to Fort George.
Site supervisor Dan Laroche says families’ reactions to one of their own lighting the gun is a warming part of the experience, but the dads’ expressions remain the best part of his day.
“The cleaning and preparation of the gun are done by the trained crew, because there’s a lot that could go wrong,” Laroche explained. The dads come in to ignite the gunpowder with a linstock, which acts like a large matchstick.
While Ralph Arbelo, who came with his family from Rochester, N.Y., wasn’t able to shoot the cannon on Sunday, he said he would like to come back and try it next year. Still, soaking in the history of the fort was a nice way to spend Father’s Day for a fan of history.
“The War of 1812 was something I didn’t know a lot about so it was nice coming here and learning about it,” he said.
Sydney Arbelo, Ralph’s daughter, said his intelligence is one of her favourite things about her dad.
“Unfortunately, he’s really smart, and a lot smarter than me. It’s really good for trivia but then he outshines me because I’m not as good,” Sydney said with a smile.
“He has a great sense of humour,” Ben Arbelo said about his dad. “I feel like I can really be myself around him, and I think that’s great.”
The Father’s Day event has grown in popularity since joining the fort’s summer schedule, this year selling out its eight spots and earning a waiting list of 10 groups.
This year’s final spots were booked around a week before Father’s Day, and Laroche anticipates similar interest levels next year.
