War and Peace Bridge

The centennial marking the end of the War of 1812 prompted a flurry of plans to build highways, bridges, and monuments to celebrate a hundred years of peace between the United States, Britain, and Canada.

However, many influential Canadians opposed the Anglo-American Peace Centenary, since the American invasion of Canada was still fresh in their minds.

In the end, the vast majority of the proposed projects were scuttled, not so much because of Canadian opposition but because the start of the First World War in 1914 shifted attention away from the peace centenary.

One peace centenary project that did see completion was the Peace Bridge linking Buffalo, New York, with Fort Erie, Ontario.

Completed in 1927, the bridge is today one of the busiest border crossings in Canada.

The February-March 2014 issue of Canada’s History magazine includes the article “Trouble Over Bridged Waters” by Brandon Dimmel, which takes an in-depth look at the issues surrounding the peace centenary. The magazine is available at newsstands. Or, you can subscribe online by clicking on Subscribe at the top of this page.

See the slide show below to look at historic photos related to the Peace Bridge.