By Mark Brownlee
OTTAWA — Federal government officials decided against using a historical image of War of 1812 icon Laura Secord in favour of creating a “younger” version commemorate the conflict’s 200th anniversary this year, newly disclosed records show.
Secord has played a prominent role in events the government is holding to educate Canadians about what happened during the war, which pitted the United States against Britain in a battle to control territory that is now Canada.
The first drafts of the campaign featured a portrait of Secord alongside three other figures from the war and “1812” inside a maple leaf. The words “The fight for Canada” appear at the bottom in French and English.
She has a bow tucked just underneath her collar and is wearing what appears to be a shawl over her hair. Her face appears to be wrinkled.
The officials instead commissioned a line drawing from an artist that showed Secord with hair flowing down the back of her head and a dress that shows more of her neck.
“I think this addresses the younger version of … Laura Secord that was requested,” wrote Anne-Sophie Lawless, the director of creative solutions and outreach with the Department of Canadian Heritage’s communications branch, in an email on July 26, 2011.
The email, one of several documents obtained by the Citizen under the Access to Information Act, doesn’t make clear from whom the request came.
The final version that appeared in the government’s promotional materials for the commemoration portrays Secord with a brightened, unlined face and brown hair on the top of her head with no covering.
The images of the other three figures — Maj. Gen. Sir Isaac Brock, native war chief Tecumseh and Lt.-Col. Charles-Michel d’Irumberry de Salaberry — all appear to be the same as in the original shown in the documents. Two of them came from Library and Archives Canada, the emails note, meaning they are likely historical documents.
Canadian Heritage officials made the decision because they could not find an image of “suitable quality” for their requirements, wrote Len Westerberg, spokesman for the department, in an emailed response to questions. They needed “high resolution images, in a large format.”
Officials spiked others because they couldn’t find their copyright holders.
“To avoid potential copyright issues and to obtain a portrait which would be easily integrated into the visual identity, a new portrait was produced,” wrote Westerberg.
Secord is best known for the roughly 30-kilometre journey she made in 1813 to warn Canadian forces of an impending attack by American soldiers, according to the Canadian Heritage website. First Nations warriors, who were fighting alongside the British, ambushed the Americans two days later and forced them to surrender.
She was in her late 30s at the time, making the younger version of her portrayed in the promotional material appear a little closer to the age she was when the event took place.
This isn’t the first time the image of Secord has been changed.
The most recognizable portrait of her is the logo for the Canadian-based chocolate company with which she shares her name. The company replaced the older-looking version of her with a younger one in the middle of the last century, then changed it again along similar lines in the 1990s.
The Canadian government has been holding events throughout the year to mark the war’s anniversary, such as a special exhibit at the Canadian War Museum and a tribute during Canada Day festivities on Parliament Hill this year. The government is also planning to build a monument to the War of 1812 on Parliament Hill.