Important places in our past are all around you. No matter where you live or travel in Canada, there are museums, historic sites and all kinds of other special places to explore. In each issue of Kayak, we tell you about some that relate to our theme — check them out below! And if you have a favourite historic place, tell us about it.

Famous Forts

When you step into one of the forts that saw action in the war, you’ll get a picture of what life was like for soldiers and their families, as well as learning about battles and other events in what’s now Ontario.

Fort Wellington in Prescott was built to protect ships on the St. Lawrence. It was the launching point of one of the most surprising attacks of the war when soldiers doing drills on the frozen river simply marched across and destroyed the American military post at Ogdensburg, New York.

Moving west, there’s Fort York in the heart of Toronto, strengthened by Major General Sir Isaac Brock when he realized war was about to break out.

Fort George in Niagara-on-the-Lake and Old Fort Erie in, uh, Fort Erie were both sites of battles in the war.

The Americans took over Fort Malden in Amherstburg from late in 1813 until the end of the war.

And in northern Ontario, Fort St. Joseph near Sault Ste. Marie was the launching point for the surprise capture of the American fort on Mackinac Island in July, 1812.