Geoff Russ: The War of 1812 belongs to Canada

Toy statue of Major-General Sir Isaac Brock gifted to Prime Minister Mark Carney by actor Mike Myers sits on the edge of his desk at his office in Ottawa on Wednesday, May 13, 2026. Photo by HYUNGCHEOL PARK /Postmedia

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October 13 marked the anniversary of the great victory at Queenston Heights during the War of 1812, when General Sir Isaac Brock fell defending Upper Canada from an American invasion. He commanded a force of British professional soldiers, Canadian militiamen and Indigenous allies. Though he died, the battle was won and the colony preserved.

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The anti-Canadian left has long scorned colonial history as an era of foreign occupation by the British. They treat the arrival of European colonists in the 16th century as the point at which Canadian history was put on hold, only to resume in the late 20th century.

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It is regrettable, but not unexpected, that they are being joined by an amusing brigade of alleged “conservatives” and their fellow-travellers. They insist that because Canada’s founding document was signed in 1867, nothing that came before can be claimed by Canadians today. A fascinating thesis, and one that would make Canada exceptional among the nations of the world.

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More telling is that the War of 1812 began with campaigns fought in places called Upper Canada and Lower Canada, while correspondence from the time referred to their residents as “Canadians”. Even during earlier invasions, such as the botched attempt to conquer Quebec during the Revolutionary War, there were references to Canada and Canadians.

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“I am now on my march to Quebec, to restore liberty to our brethren of Canada,” wrote American General Richard Montgomery in 1775. He was killed instantly in the opening seconds of his disastrous attempt to seize Quebec later that year.

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Some have gone even further on 1812 by declaring that the Americans were fighting a defensive war to save their young republic. Since they insist that government paperwork is the be-all and end-all of nationhood, they might look into which side’s leader initiated hostilities.

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On June 18, 1812, President James Madison signed the American declaration of war against Britain. The following month, Brigadier-General William Hull invaded Upper Canada. His proclamation addressed the “Inhabitants of Canada” and announced that his army “has invaded your country.” Famously, Hull would later surrender Fort Detroit to General Brock without a fight after hearing war cries from Brock’s Indigenous allies.

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The American forces might have been rather inept at conquering Upper Canada, but their commanders had a far better grasp of what Canada was and who Canadians were than too many among us today.

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It should not be forgotten that British naval interceptions of American shipping bound for Napoleonic France, Britain’s mortal enemy, had understandably whipped up war fever in the United States before the invasion.

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However, that does not absolve the Americans of their status as aggressors in the war itself, which they earned by invading the Canadian colonies.

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Don’t take my word for it. Take the words of congressman Henry Clay, as he agitated for war: