This memorial rose garden and plaque, located in front of the Ottawa City Hall Heritage building on Elgin Street, commemorates the signing of the Treaty of Ghent and the end of the “War of 1812”.
The War of 1812 was a military conflict that lasted two-and-a-half years, fought by the United States against Great Britain and its North American colonies, more specifically Canada. The United States declared war on June 18, 1812 to counter British trade restrictions brought about by Britain’s war against France, British support of native tribes opposing American western expansion, and American interest in annexing British territory.
The war was fought in three principal theatres. At sea, warships and privateers of each side attacked the other’s merchant ships, while the British blockaded the Atlantic coast of the United States and mounted large raids. Land and naval battles were fought on the American-Canadian frontier, which ran along the Great Lakes, the Saint Lawrence River and the northern end of Lake Champlain; the American South and Gulf Coast also saw big land battles.
At the end of the war both sides signed the Treaty of Ghent and both parties returned occupied land to its pre-war owner and resumed friendly trade relations. In Canada, the war contributed to a growing sense of national identity.
