# Canada Erects New Statue to War of 1812 **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [November 5, 2008, 2:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canada-erects-new-statue-to-war-of-1812/471185 "2008-11-05T02:00:51Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2008, 2:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canada-erects-new-statue-to-war-of-1812/471185/1 "2008-11-05T02:00:51Z")
[http://www.cbc.ca/canada/toronto/story/2008/11/03/coupland-statue.html?ref=rss](http://www.cbc.ca/canada/toronto/story/2008/11/03/coupland-statue.html?ref=rss) I love it – the statue looks like two giant plastic army men, from 1812, bases and all. Part of the point is to remind Candians that the US lost that one. Apparently some of us Yanks have been starting to think we won: > [@](#): > > “I’ve grown up and a lot of people have grown up thinking 'Oh, Americans lost that one didn’t they?”’ Coupland said Monday after unveiling the Monument to the War of 1812 outside a condominium near Fort York in Toronto. > > "But once I began getting involved in the project and doing research, I began noticing that the Americans are now starting to change history and they’re saying, ‘Well actually we won that,’ or, ‘Actually, we didn’t lose’ or whatever. > > “So it’s a war monument but it’s also an incitement for people to remember what’s going on in the present as well as the past.” [http://network.nationalpost.com/np/blogs/toronto/archive/2008/11/03/coupland-statue-tweaks-u-s-noses.aspx](http://network.nationalpost.com/np/blogs/toronto/archive/2008/11/03/coupland-statue-tweaks-u-s-noses.aspx) Just a bit of non-election news to brighten your day. Actually, I never heard anyone say the US won. They generally say that it had no definite victor. And they ignore all the possible causes except for British impressment of US sailors, leaving out all the stuff about us invading Canada. ---
**Author:** ![Mahna\_Mahna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e47c2d/32.png) [@Mahna\_Mahna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahna_Mahna)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2008, 2:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canada-erects-new-statue-to-war-of-1812/471185/2 "2008-11-05T02:11:40Z")
I haven’t heard anyone claim that the US won the War of 1812, though a couple of people rather emphatically stated that “Canada didn’t win because the battles were fought by British troops”. Given that any Canadian soldiers back then would’ve been considered part of the British army, it’s a bit of a silly distinction to make… but if it makes you Yanks feel better, I’m willing to play along. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![jackdavinci](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackdavinci/32/3259_2.png) [@jackdavinci](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jackdavinci)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2008, 9:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canada-erects-new-statue-to-war-of-1812/471185/3 "2008-11-05T09:33:54Z")
It’s kinda cool but it wouldn’t have been better had they made another statue of my [great grandma](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laura_Secord). 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Mk\_VII](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Mk\_VII](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mk_VII)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2008, 10:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canada-erects-new-statue-to-war-of-1812/471185/4 "2008-11-05T10:55:19Z")
It was a draw, inasmuch as it was settled on terms remarkably similar to those both sides could have had before it began, if they hadn’t been so stiff-necked. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2008, 1:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canada-erects-new-statue-to-war-of-1812/471185/5 "2008-11-05T13:22:52Z")
> [@](#): > > It’s kinda cool but it wouldn’t have been better had they made another statue of my great grandma. 1.) Cool – I never heard that story (Of course, we don’t hear an awful lot of Canadian stories here in the states) 2.) Cool – having a famous great grandmother. 3.) Don’t be greedy. You already have a statue and a monument. There aren’t any statues of my great grandmothers. ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Mudd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f14d63/32.png) [@Larry\_Mudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Mudd)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2008, 1:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canada-erects-new-statue-to-war-of-1812/471185/6 "2008-11-05T13:32:34Z")
> [@Mahna\_Mahna](#): > > I haven’t heard anyone claim that the US won the War of 1812, though a couple of people rather emphatically stated that “Canada didn’t win because the battles were fought by British troops” One of my best friends has dual citizenship and attended high school in California for a year c. 1984. She brought home a history text that I can still quote from verbatim: “Canada was invited to join the union in 1812, but declined.” Full stop, next paragraph, new subject. …one hopes that little morsel was fleshed out a bit the next year. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2008, 1:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canada-erects-new-statue-to-war-of-1812/471185/7 "2008-11-05T13:34:13Z")
> [@](#): > > “Canada was invited to join the union in 1812, but declined.” “Oh, come on - we’re having it on your soil. It would be rude not to join in.” How do you decline an offer to join a war? ---
**Author:** ![devilsknew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4da419/32.png) [@devilsknew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/devilsknew)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2008, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canada-erects-new-statue-to-war-of-1812/471185/8 "2008-11-05T15:28:41Z")
Our [monument](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perry_Monument) is bigger than yours. You can see our phall…er, doric column from Canada. It’s a Victory and Peace Memorial, who won again? ---
**Author:** ![GingerOfTheNorth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/cdc98d/32.png) [@GingerOfTheNorth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GingerOfTheNorth)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2008, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canada-erects-new-statue-to-war-of-1812/471185/9 "2008-11-05T16:03:38Z")
> [@jackdavinci](#): > > It’s kinda cool but it wouldn’t have been better had they made another statue of my [great grandma](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laura_Secord). 😃 I miss your grandma’s mint bars, living down in the US. 😉 (COOL!) ---
**Author:** ![Kid\_A\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ed8c4c/32.png) [@Kid\_A\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kid_A_1)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2008, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canada-erects-new-statue-to-war-of-1812/471185/10 "2008-11-05T16:07:43Z")
I like it…this city has a definite lack of statues. ---
**Author:** ![Dread\_Pirate\_Jimbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dread_pirate_jimbo/32/3897_2.png) [@Dread\_Pirate\_Jimbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dread_Pirate_Jimbo)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2008, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canada-erects-new-statue-to-war-of-1812/471185/11 "2008-11-05T16:12:59Z")
My favorite War of 1812 highlight was when we burned the White House to the ground. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![spoike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/da6949/32.png) [@spoike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/spoike)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2008, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canada-erects-new-statue-to-war-of-1812/471185/12 "2008-11-05T16:14:17Z")
I’m embarrassed to say that I had no idea that Douglas Coupland is also an artist. Methinks I’m going to spend time this morning educating myself. > [@jackdavinci](#): > > It’s kinda cool but it wouldn’t have been better had they made another statue of my [great grandma](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laura_Secord). 😃 Really? Cool. ---
**Author:** ![Dread\_Pirate\_Jimbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dread_pirate_jimbo/32/3897_2.png) [@Dread\_Pirate\_Jimbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dread_Pirate_Jimbo)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2008, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canada-erects-new-statue-to-war-of-1812/471185/13 "2008-11-05T16:38:42Z")
> [@jackdavinci](#): > > It’s kinda cool but it wouldn’t have been better had they made another statue of my [great grandma](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laura_Secord). 😃 That’s way cool! Laura Secord kicks ass! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Sailboat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sailboat/32/461_2.png) [@Sailboat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sailboat)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2008, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canada-erects-new-statue-to-war-of-1812/471185/14 "2008-11-05T16:42:41Z")
> [@Larry\_Mudd](#): > > One of my best friends has dual citizenship and attended high school in California for a year c. 1984. She brought home a history text that I can still quote from verbatim: “Canada was invited to join the union in 1812, but declined.” Full stop, next paragraph, new subject. > > …one hopes that little morsel was fleshed out a bit the next year. 😃 Proposed new text: “Canada was invited to join the union in 1812, but declined _eloquently._” ---
**Author:** ![kingpengvin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9dc877/32.png) [@kingpengvin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kingpengvin)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2008, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canada-erects-new-statue-to-war-of-1812/471185/15 "2008-11-05T16:47:18Z")
> [@Sailboat](#): > > Proposed new text: “Canada was invited to join the union in 1812, but declined _eloquently._” …by force. ---
**Author:** ![Mahna\_Mahna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e47c2d/32.png) [@Mahna\_Mahna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahna_Mahna)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2008, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canada-erects-new-statue-to-war-of-1812/471185/16 "2008-11-05T16:48:37Z")
> [@spoike](#): > > I’m embarrassed to say that I had no idea that Douglas Coupland is also an artist. Methinks I’m going to spend time this morning educating myself. Not only is Coupland an artist (and a pretty good one at that), he’s also been dabbling in urban planning… Coupland was [commissioned](http://www.nationalpost.com/news/toronto/story.html?id=1ccf161e-f23e-4d37-8857-d49bdca69972) to design a new park to be built just a few blocks east as part of a new condo development. It’s still not completed, but if the plans are any indication, it should be pretty cool - especially since that part of the city is lacking in greenspace. (also, does having Laura Secord as a direct ancestor qualify you for a lifetime supply of French Mint bars? because that would be even cooler! 🙂 ) ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Mudd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f14d63/32.png) [@Larry\_Mudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Mudd)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2008, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canada-erects-new-statue-to-war-of-1812/471185/17 "2008-11-05T16:49:03Z")
> [@Sailboat](#): > > Proposed new text: “Canada was invited to join the union in 1812, but declined _eloquently._” “_Mostly_ harmless?!” ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2008, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canada-erects-new-statue-to-war-of-1812/471185/18 "2008-11-05T16:53:08Z")
Descendant of Laura Secord = cool. 🙂 Besides, Canada _did_ win the War of 1812, in the sense that it survived as a separate political entitiy from the US. ---
**Author:** ![Flutterby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Flutterby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Flutterby)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2008, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canada-erects-new-statue-to-war-of-1812/471185/19 "2008-11-05T18:33:48Z")
> [@Dread\_Pirate\_Jimbo](#): > > My favorite War of 1812 highlight was when we burned the White House to the ground. 😃 _sings_ And the White House burned burned burned and we’re the ones who did it. It burned burned burned and the President ran and cried. It burned burned burned and things were very historical. And the Americans ran and cried like a bunch of little babies wah wah wah in the War of 1812. The War of 1812 by Three Dead Trolls in a Baggie ---
**Author:** ![jackdavinci](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackdavinci/32/3259_2.png) [@jackdavinci](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jackdavinci)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2008, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canada-erects-new-statue-to-war-of-1812/471185/20 "2008-11-05T18:53:59Z")
> [@GingerOfTheNorth](#): > > I miss your grandma’s mint bars, living down in the US. 😉 Tee hee 🙂 Yes it’s very surreal to eat a piece of chocolate with the sculpted face of someone you are descended from. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canada-erects-new-statue-to-war-of-1812/471185.md?page=2)