Queen Victoria's Birthday - 1860's Style
Candy Pollard

Birthday cake and lemonade, hand-pumped fire engine trials, military drills and musters, patriotic speeches, singing and the celebratory firing of rifles will all mark Queen Victoria’s Birthday during Upper Canada Village’s opening weekend. New this year, will be special 19th century cricket games and demonstrations.

At Upper Canada Village, the upcoming holiday weekend marks more than its opening day on May 17. On Sunday and Monday, May 18 and 19, visitors are invited to take a trip back in time and join in the Village’s Queen Victoria’s Birthday Celebrations, an event that was widely recognized as an important national holiday in the 1860s. Signs of a 19th century celebration will be evident as soon as visitors pass through the gates of the Village during this annual outdoor event, with flags and colourful bunting adorning many of the heritage buildings on site.

A number of historical activities scheduled for Sunday and Monday will bring to life the same community excitement that would have been felt in Upper Canada in the year 1866. The true tribute to the Queen will be when villagers and visitors to the site join in singing “God Save the Queen”, hear patriotic recitations, and offer three cheers to “Her Majesty”. As part of this ceremony, there will also be a special visual portrait, called a “tableau” put together by children from the Village. On Sunday, a Feu-de-Joie (a successive firing of rifles) by special guests the Brockville Infantry Company will complete the ceremony. Children and adults alike will be thrilled to help with the Fire Engine Trials. The “Queen”, an original state-of-the-art engine, will be hand-pulled by the Fire Company and a stream of water shot through the air.

On Sunday, the Brockville Infantry Company will be on hand during the day to perform patrols, drills and manoeuvres with military precision. Non-uniformed village men will be recruited and drilled as part of a sedentary militia muster just before 1:00 p.m. It is rumoured that even visiting children and their parents may be sought after to join in the militia drills, where they will be invited to dress in a red coat, and have their skills tested (2:45 p.m.). The Brockville Infantry Company will return for another demonstration of their prowess in the afternoon (3:30 p.m.).

Always a popular part of any 1860s celebration, and sure to be a hit for modern-day guests at Upper Canada Village, are a number of athletic games such as tug-of-war, relay races and sack races, to be held on Sunday afternoon at 2:00 p.m. After the games, children and their families will be invited to have a piece of birthday cake and a drink of lemonade.

A special highlight on Monday (11:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m.) will be a friendly game of cricket! This popular 19th century sport was brought to Canada by the English immigrants and declared "Canada's national pastime" by Prime Minister Sir John A. Macdonald as late as 1867. The games are open to everyone, and no experience is necessary to PLAY BALL!

Villagers and visitors alike will be able to personally relive this long forgotten Canadian sport by joining in the short, informal, 19th century cricket games led by special guest cricket player and historian Tom Melville.

“Queen Victoria’s Birthday Celebrations” is the first in a series of events at Upper Canada Village in May, including “Spring on the Farm” (May 20 to 29), and “Heirloom Plant Sale and Garden Weekend” (May 24 and 25).

Upper Canada Village is open daily from 9:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., from May 17 to October 5, Thanksgiving Weekend, and on Fridays and Saturdays later in October. For a free Upper Canada Village Visitor’s Guide and a special events listing, or to order a “Passport to the Past”, call 1-800-437-2233 (613-543 4328 locally) or visit the Village’s web site at www.uppercanadavillage.com

For information on other news and upcoming events in Cornwall and Seaway Valley, click on the following links:

• Other Candy Reports
• Calendar of Events