The Last Loyalist Bastion — Uncover Brock's Secret

Your quest begins at Fort George National Historic Site, built between 1796 and 1799 by the British to defend the mouth of the Niagara River. In 1812, approximately 1000 British and Loyalist soldiers occupied these grounds. On May 27, 1813, this fort was the scene of the Battle of Fort George, captured by the Americans before being retaken. It was here that Major-General Isaac Brock, British commander, coordinated the defense of Upper Canada against the American invasion. You'll search for clues among the remnants restored between 1937 and 1940, commemorating the bicentennial of Laura Secord's birth.

Continue to the Niagara Apothecary Museum, a pharmacy established in 1820 by Lionel Herbert, and preserved as a museum since 1971. This building was reconstructed after the 1813 fire that devastated Newark (now Niagara-on-the-Lake) during the war. The museum houses over 4000 pharmaceutical artifacts from the 18th and 19th centuries, testaments to the daily lives of Niagara Region residents and war wounded. Your mission requires deciphering a hidden message among the bottle labels, a challenge for any good spy of Loyalist history Ontario.

Your route then leads you to St. Mark's Anglican Church, built in 1804 and one of Canada's oldest churches still in use. After the bombardment of Newark in December 1813, it served as a military hospital for wounded soldiers. The bell tower, added in 1844, stands 30 meters high and is an architectural landmark of Niagara-on-the-Lake. This National Historic Site of Canada since 1990 is the resting place of Laura Secord, whose tombstone bears a poignant inscription you'll need to decipher to advance your mission.

The next stop is The Olde Angel Inn, an inn founded in 1789 and rebuilt after the 1813 fire. The current building dates from 1834 and stands on the original site. According to local tradition and historical records, the inn is haunted by a Loyalist hanged by the Americans in 1813, a spirit that might hold part of the secret you seek. Nearby, Navy Hall, built in 1793 as a British naval storehouse, is Canada's oldest existing government building. It was here that General Isaac Brock learned of the United States' declaration of war on June 22, 1812.

Your circuit concludes at Queen's Royal Park, formerly Market Square since 1792, a public park in the center of Niagara-on-the-Lake, site of the Shaw Festival's annual celebrations. This outdoor stage is used for open-air Shakespearean performances. By the end of the route, you will have explored the most significant Ontario monuments, uncovering the history of Niagara-on-the-Lake and the crucial role of its inhabitants. You will gain not only the satisfaction of solving Brock's enigma but also a deep understanding of the War of 1812 heritage trail and Ontario's heritage, a true augmented reality thematic circuit in Ontario.