Canada Day bash on Parliament Hill will highlight War of 1812 bicentennial

The Conservative government is adding something different to the usual lineup of throat singers, folk dancers and fireworks for the 2012 Canada Day celebrations.

This year marks the bicentennial of the War of 1812 and Prime Minister Stephen Harper's Tories will use the traditional July 1 bash as a centrepiece of its yearlong program commemorating what it sees as a pivotal point in Canadian history.

The Harper government has hired Toronto theatrical consultant Paul Shaw to develop the Canada Day program.

"I do big-ass special events all the time, so they asked me to do that," Shaw said in an interview with The Canadian Press. "It's sort of tricky to do a War of 1812 theme when you've got so many modern things in and around it."

Since being elected, Harper's Conservatives have worked steadily to raise the profile and prestige of the Canadian military.

The Department of Canadian Heritage has funded a series of events this year to mark the 200th anniversary of the War of 1812, which saw British troops, Canadian militia and aboriginal warriors turn back American attempts to conquer Canada. Some historians feel it's as important to the development of Canada's identity as Confederation and the Battle of Vimy Ridge.

The war had lasting impact on both sides.

"The Star Spangled Banner gets written because of this war," Clark Bernat, Niagara Falls Museums manager, told CTV News. "The White House becomes the White House because of this war."

The Canadian Press reported that while Canadian Heritage normally injects patriotic themes such as air force flypasts into the two Canada Day shows on Parliament Hill, giving the National Capital Commission a free hand in programming, this time it's injecting a distinct war theme.

"The events on Parliament Hill also present a key opportunity of the federal government to foster enthusiasm and excitement around other significant events," says a tender document from the commission.

"In 2012, the Government of Canada is commemorating the War of 1812 and this theme must be incorporated in both the noon and evening shows."

Shaw said he wants the show to emphasize the 200-year-old origins of the Canadian Armed Forces.

The War of 1812 "may be the last time aboriginals, the French and the English worked together, and it's what I'm trying to key in on," he said. "That's when we all helped each other, and because of it won some battles."

Last week, Heritage Minister James Moore announced a Canada Day poster contest for children aged five to 18 on the theme "1812: The Fight for Canada."