Fort Henry

This weekend we went away for some time together and to explore some sights. Our first stop after a long drive was Fort Henry. This fort was built to defend upper Canada during the war of 1812. It took four years to build the initial fort and wasn't ready to be used in the war. In fact, even though the British occupied the fort and were prepared to use it, the fort was never used in any war. It has since been restored and rebuilt for the public to see.

It is ridiculous to say "it's a shame it was never used, it was so well thought out", however there are times on the tour when that thought enters your mind. The entrance to the fort is hidden in a hill, if an intruder does find it and happen to enter, they get stuck in a dry trench. It is in this place that they designed to ensure the ammunition bounced off every wall trapping the intruder.

The living quarters, the disparities between the different ranks and the cost of moving up positions were all interesting tidbits from the tour. The kids loved climbing up to the top level of the fort to have a look at the cannons up close, see the hollowed out iron balls to be filled with ammunition and of course the firing off of some rounds. Top off the visit with cannon ball candy (flavored popping sugar with a black gumball at the end) an empty shell casing and it was a good afternoon.