Sunset Ceremony by Bob MacKenzie of The Communication Centre

Sunset Ceremonies return to historic Fort Henry

by Bob MacKenzie

For the first time since it was cancelled in 1993 due to budget cutbacks, Kingston's famous Sunset Ceremony will fill Fort Henry hill with sound and light this summer. At 7:30 p.m. every Wednesday evening throughout the summer, the rattle of marching troops and the thunder and light of cannons and fireworks will thrill local residents and visitors alike.

According to John Robertson, Manager of Fort Henry, "until they were discontinued, the Sunset Ceremonies had been presented at the Fort for about thirty years. The Sunset Ceremonies certainly were very popular and continue to be popular. Their cancellation represented a loss to the Fort in terms of attendance."

The Sunset Ceremony returns in time for the celebration of the 60^th anniversary of the massive restoration and reconstruction of Fort Henry commissioned in the 1930's by then Prime Minister Mackenzie-King.

This year's reintroduction of the Sunset Ceremony is made possible thanks to a sponsorship agreement between Fort Henry and Diamond Hotels Inc. A local Kingston firm, Diamond Hotels operates the Ramada Plaza Hotel Harbourfront Kingston and Days Inn Kingston Hotel and Convention Centre.

"Knowing how memorable and important the Sunset Ceremony was, we feel the event is an important part of Kingston's heritage," says Laurence Marans, vice-president of operations for Diamond Hotels. "Fort Henry is a major attraction for visitors from around the globe," he adds, "and the Sunset Ceremony is certainly among the most dramatic and entertaining events at the Fort."

Featuring more than 60 participants, the ceremony is actually a series of events depicting elements of Fort Henry's historic past. Three units of the Fort Henry Guard -- the drill squad or infantry, the drum corps, and the artillery -- each put on a parade and presentation. As well, the three groups together present a battle sequence. This is followed by the traditional lights-out ceremony. The large guns on the east battery are fired, after which the flag is lowered and an evening hymn sung. The evening wraps up with an impressive display of fireworks over Fort Henry hill.

John Robertson points out that, "the Sunset Ceremonies are also a good economic driver for local hotels and restaurants. If people are going to come to Kingston to see the Ceremony, then they are almost certainly going to stay overnight at a local hotel, and they'll dine at local restaurants and they'll do some shopping too.

"This is one way for us to contribute to local tourism," asserts Robertson. "When the Sunset Ceremonies were cancelled, there were no evening events at the Fort. So there were mostly day visits. People would come for the day and then go home.

"When people come to the Fort for the Ceremonies and stay in Kingston overnight," he adds, "there is a trickle-down effect to other businesses."

First built as a rough stone structure and later reinforced as a defense against the invading Americans during the war of 1812, the original Fort Henry was demolished in 1832. Between 1832 and 1837, a larger, five-sided structure was built using limestone quarried between Kingston and Ganonoque. In the 1840's, four Martello towers, the Market Battery, and the Fort's two small towers were built along the shore between the Fort and Kingston. After having fallen into severe disrepair and neglect for almost a century, during the 1930's Fort Henry was restored by the government of Canada as a national monument and museum.

"Of course, the Sunset Ceremonies are for local people too," says John Robertson. "When it comes to local people, we also look to the visiting friends and relatives market. The event is very popular for locals. It's a good, positive atmosphere. It's a spectacular event, outdoors with the large area of grass and the water. People like to bring their out-of-town friends and relatives along."

According to Robertson, the Sunset Ceremonies also help to create jobs in Kingston's tourist and entertainment industry. He explains that,"The Sunset Ceremonies do not add any new positions at the Fort. Rather, we handle it with massive rescheduling of the staff we have for the summer. However, there is a trickle down effect, creating new positions in the local tourist service industry." As for the Fort itself, "Most of our summer staff consists of students from Queen's."

"There are no financial commitments yet to continue the Sunset Ceremonies after this year," says Robertson, "but we would like to continue them. We do already have some sponsor interest from the community for next year."

For this year at least, Diamond Hotels' Laurence Marans says, "We are very pleased to be associated with the Fort, and particularly with this event."

Click here to go to Kingston's historic Fort Henry.

Click here to go to Kingston's Entertainment Magazine.

About the Author

As an independent journalist, Bob MacKenzie writes articles for a number of print and internet publications. The local and national scope of his articles make them of interest to readers not just in Kingston but across North America. This article from Issue 10 of Limestone Live is reprinted here for your information. All material included in these pages is copyright © Bob MacKenzie, 1998. No reproduction for any reason is allowed without prior permission in writing from the author.

Last modified: September 29, 1999