If you thought it wasn’t going to get off the ground just because they haven’t met in awhile, think again. The committee members have been hard at work making preparations for their next meeting, outlining goals, setting deadlines and guidelines, and making plans to start meeting monthly to help assist in the creation and implementation for activities and events during the Bicentennial celebration from June 2012 until December 2014. That committee will be holding their very first monthly meeting on December 15th, and everyone interested is welcome to attend.
The meeting is for the community stakeholders and will be attended by Arlene White, executive director of the Binational Tourism Alliance; Del Buono, CEO of the 1812 Legacy Council; and representatives of the Buffalo communities from Flint Hill, Black Rock, Kleinhans Community, and Forest Lawn Cemetery. As a grassroots effort, the hopes of the committee are to gain community support in the form of individual volunteers, neighborhood groups, historical societies, museums, print media, and theater to join their efforts.
The group will be part of the War of 1812 Bicentennial Niagara Legacy Council, which works as a central branding organization for all binational commemorations in the Niagara Region, and will facilitate specific battle celebrations with their respective communities – such as the Battle of Lake Erie, the Battle of Black Rock, the Battle of Chippawa and the “long grey line,” as well as the Burning of Buffalo. The meeting will take place at Asbury Hall from 4 until 6 PM December 15th. Interested participants can visit this website to keep up-to-date with the groups efforts and a list of their activities are below:
+Plan
Outreach to residents, CVBs, politicians, historical societies, interested parties, etc.
Create comprehensive list of how each group/organization would like to commemorate the War of 1812 within their specific community.
Create centralized budget for commemoration requirements.
Identify funding sources.
+Identify Sites/Historic Events
Ensure that markers are located at most significant sites.
Documentation/research.
Guide book(s)/brochures/podcasts, websites, etc.
+Make Sites Accessible
Bike Path.
Waterfront access.
Property access.
+Promote
Bike tours.
Bus tours.
Historic battle re-enactments.
Walking tours.