🇨🇦 Historic Hike - Laura Secord Legacy Trail Part 2 - Niagara College to Decew House Heritage Park, Thorold - 17 km

About the historic hike (part 2): This hike is part 2 of the series of 2 hikes. We will hike Laura Secord Legacy Trail, a modern day approximation of Laura’s actual route from her homestead in Queenston to DeCew House in Thorold where she delivered her fateful message to Lt. Fitzgibbon on June 22, 1813. Divided into five distinct stages and encompassing everything from ancient forested trails, a college, universities to modern city sidewalks and urban parks, to meadows, climbing the escarpment, valley descents, crossing bridges and finishing on the Bruce Trail to Laura's final destination Decew House Heritage Park. The 32km trail route was developed based on historical authenticity, safety, and natural ambiance.
We will end Laura's journey exploring the Thorold's Indigenous Unity Garden which includes the First Nations Peace Monument celebrating our relationship to the Indigenous community in the Niagara Region.
Congratulations on your successful completion of the Laura Secord Legacy Trail!

"Laura Secord – Walk Into History" - background on Laura to outline Laura’s remarkable effort to warn a British officer about an impending attack by the invading American forces. - the impact that this one person had on the War of 1812.  - the effort to commemorate Laura’s 32 km "walk" 200 years later (2013) and my involvement in the Secord Walk commemoration and unveiling of the related First Nations memorial near the DeCew house. Bob will deliver the talk in a War of 1812 uniform similar to that of Lt James Ftitzgibbon (the officer Laura went to warn). 

Hike leader: Jeanette Vincent 
Contact: vincentjeanette1604@gmail.com | 519-588-5916
About the Hike Leader: A hike leader for over 20 years, locally and for the Bruce Trail Conservancy. In the year 2000 Jeanette participated in Greg Vincent's End-to-End of the Bruce Trail along with 200 other hikers and it was then that she was hooked. 

About the guest: Bob Rennie UE is an amateur historian and historical living history reenactor.  Bob has given many presentations on various aspects of Canada’s early history and spends much of his time at War of 1812 enactments and commemorations. He will speak at the GVTA (Grand Valley Trails Association) AGM, Tuesday May, 12, 6:30 to 8:30 pm at the Forest Heights branch of the Kitchener Public Library. Bob will speak from 7:30 to 8:30pm. Register for the AGM to hear the Laura Secord presentation about this remarkable hero from the War of 1812 period.     

Where: Niagara-on-the-Lake
Length: 17 km
Category: Linear with car shuttle.
Hike level and pace: 2 (moderate). approx 3 1/2 - 4 km/hr. easy terrain, some small ascents and descents, sidewalks, some paved, & wooded trail areas.
Parking and departure: Meet at 9:30 am, Decew House Heritage Park, 2370 Decew Rd, Thorold, ON L0S 1E6, coordinates coordinates 43.107612, -79.249647. We will car shuttle from there to the start of the hike. 
From Kitchener allow 2 hours drive, add a little extra time if you are unfamiliar with the area.
Directions: Please use your favourite GPS app to obtain directions.