ON A GLOOMY October morning, an islander
from Guernsey in the British Channel stormed
the heights above the sleepy village of
Queenston, Ont., securing his place in history
and Canada's existence as a nation.

Major-General Isaac Brock's actions in the
years and months leading up to his death on
Oct. 13, 1812 ensured Canada would not fall
prey to the American dream of Manifest
Destiny and set the northern half of the
continent on a very distinct path from the U.S.

This website will endeavour to chronicle
Brock's life as best as possible from his early
days in the British channel islands to his last in
the relative wilderness of Upper Canada.

It's a vast undertaking, and as in any attempt
to chronicle history, there will undoubtedly be
errors made along the way. But it's a
worthwhile one. Brock was the first
"Canadian" hero, an odd tag for him to wear
since he was born an ocean away and couldn't
wait to shake the crusty frontier mud from his
boots in favour of returning to Europe. But he
wears the tag well, and the massive
monument that stands today in Queenston
stands as a testament to Canada's feelings
towards him.

He accomplished what looked impossible in
the short time he was in command during the
War of 1812. Between the day war was
declared by the Americans on June 18, 1812 to
his death on the slippery heights of
Queenston on Oct. 13, 1812, he
masterminded a number of startling twists
that turned the U.S. battle plan upside down
and ensured that the conquest of Canada as
far as Montreal would not be "a mere matter
of marching" as Thomas Jefferson opined.

From greenlighting a daring offensive
operation against Fort Michilimackinac in the
north to his bloodless capture of the American
stronghold at Fort Detroit, Brock went on the
offensive and shocked the Americans. In the
process, he gained the trust of First Nations
warriors who played a pivotal role in the
conflict.

Without Brock, it is no stretch to say that
Canada would have been lost. There are many
that say Canadian history is boring, and lacks
the drama and action of that south of the
border. But they couldn't be more wrong.
Canada's history is rich, diverse and unique
from that of the United States. And for that,
Canadians can thank an islander who sprang
from his sleep, lept on his trusty steed and
rode furiously through the dawn to charge his
way into history. His tale is worth telling.
WAR OF 1812 BUZZ
BROCK'S COAT: Brock's coat on
display at the National War
Museum in Ottawa. This is the
coat Isaac Brock was wearing
when he was shot and killed by
an American rifleman on Oct. 13,
1812, at the Battle of Queenston
Heights. (Photo: Todd Humber)
NEW:
GeneralBrock.com Online Store
Browse books, DVDs, software and more.
Help support this site by purchasing here.
War of 1812 Art Gallery
Canada's last Great War veteran
to receive a state funeral

Thanks to efforts by the Dominion Institute,
parliament unanimously approved a state
funeral for the last Great War veteran. For
more information, see the press release.
The Life of Isaac Brock. Click here or the
image above to read the entire book.
LAST UPDATED: Nov. 19, 2007
WELCOME
to GeneralBrock.com
TOP STORY
BROCK ACTION FIGURE NOW AVAILABLE
Brock — the action figure
Canadian Legends has released an Isaac Brock action figure. Unfortunately,
they're not available on this website. But they are apparently available at Toys
'R Us and from select online retailers.
Play on the War of 1812
invades Toronto's Fort York
TORONTO — Almost 200 years
ago, York (modern day Toronto)
was invaded by American forces.

Now it's being invaded by an
intriguing play, the first to be
performed in the fort's history.

Produced by Crate Productions &
Fort York National Historic Site, The
Fort at York is a site-specific
exploration of the night before the
Battle of York, a harrowing War of
1812 exchange in which American
ships attacked the fledgling town's
defenders, an alliance of British
soldiers, a few dozen Mississauga
warriors and an untrained militia
made up of local settlers and
townsfolk.

The play is not concerned with the
larger events of the war or
preoccupied with historical figures
on battle day; instead the focus is
on the night before as those
inside the fort contemplate and
prepare for what is about to
transpire. The play animates the
entire fort and quite literally brings
history to life.

The Fort at York was written by
Dora Award-winning playwright
Tara Beagan with the company.
Directed by Tara Beagan and Chris
Reynolds.
Featuring Cole J. Alvis, Tara Beagan, Erin Brandenburg, Adam Buller, James
Cade, Scott Clarkson, Christopher Fowler, Jeff Legacy, Tawiah M'carthy, Michael
Orlando, William Poulin, Chris Reynolds, and Michael Wheeler.
Creative team includes Ame Henderson (Choreographer), Andrew Penner
(Composer), Kimberly Purtell (Lighting Consultant), Jenna McCutchen (Costume
Designer) and Austin Cole (Stage Manager).

Produced by Chris Reynolds with Sid Bruyn, Bruce Chown, Harmony Cohen and
Sarah Pyne.

Ticket information

Tickets: Tuesday-Thursday $25, Friday-Sunday $35
Advance tickets are now on sale! Tickets are available online at www.totix.ca,
by phone at 1-888-222-6608 or in person at the T.O.Tix box office at
Yonge-Dundas Square. (Group discounts are available for groups of 10 or more,
call 416-466-5979.) For more information: info@crateproductions.com,
www.crateproductions.com.
The promotion poster for The Fort at
York, a play being put on at Toronto's
Fort York from Sept. 20 to Oct. 13,
2007.