The Osoyoos & District Museum and Archives is pleased to announce a grant of $71,000 from the Minister of Canadian Heritage and Official Languages, Honourable James Moore, under the Celebration and Commemoration Program for the project titled:  “The War of 1812 in the West:  The Oregon Country Legacy.” The two-year project from 2012-2013 will involve the development of a travelling exhibit, the creation of an online exhibit, and the publication of learning materials that will tell the story of the impact of the War of 1812 on the West.

The War of 1812 had a legacy in Western Canada, although few Canadians today know about its repercussions on the region called the Oregon Country.   Although the War was declared in June 1812, news of the War did not reach the Pacific Coast until December that year. The American Pacific Fur Company sold out to the Canadian North West Company in the fall of 1813, thinking it would be attacked by a British warship. Part of British Columbia was affected by this event. As a result of subsequent British influence, sovereignty over the territory south of the 49th parallel was not resolved until the boundary was finally settled in 1846.

As well as the travelling exhibit which will be shown at several museums in the region , there will be a commemorative event in Kamloops in 2013, the location of a Pacific Fur Company outpost that was taken over by the North West Company during the War.

The Osoyoos Museum looks forward to its part in relating this little-known story to Canadians. For more information about the War of 1812 see 1812.gc.ca

For more information about the Osoyoos Museum project contact:

Kenneth Favrholdt Executive Director/Curator Osoyoos & District Museum and Archives 19 Park Place, Box 791 Osoyoos, BC, V0H 1V0 Ph/Fax. 250-495-2582 e-mail: museum1@vip.net www.osoyoosmuseum.ca