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Who We Are

Welcome to the
Historic Military Establishment of
Upper Canada

The Historic Military Establishment of Upper Canada (HMEUC) is a group of individuals that recreate the rich naval and military history of Upper Canada from the 1750 to 1880. Our group comes from all walks of life and includes the historical portrayal of military, naval, voyageurs, artillery, medical staff, native and civilian personnel including children. HMEUC takes part in many educational and public events as well as co-ordinating and participating in living history and battle re- enactments across North America. If you have an interest in history and want to re-live a period in our past, then this is the group for you!

Although HMEUC‘s members portray many different time periods, the main historical portrayal of our organization is the Royal Newfoundland Regiment (RNR) of the War of 1812. We chose this particular regiment because it was recruited in North America for service here and it performed gallantry in the Upper Great Lakes region as well as in other major battles of the War of 1812.

Virtually every weekend of the year, re-enactment events relevant to the time periods we portray are staged throughout Ontario and the United States. We participate in events of interest to our members and meet with similar groups from across North America to re-live the past and entertain and educate the public as well. Theses re-enactments encompass everything from every day life, period cooking, drill, musket and cannon demonstrations, to large scale battle tactical engagements. Women and children are also invited to re-enact the roles played by family members in military life in Upper Canada. The HMEUC also takes part in speaking at public forums, performing military presentations and also providing extra’s and equipment for commercial film work and documentaries. The theme of education lies behind all our activities, and our aim is to bring history to life in an informative and enjoyable fashion.