Where Right and Glory Lead

Story time, kids! Grab a seat.

I started at Fort George in 2009. I got an email from the government that I honestly thought was spam at first; turns out, it would be the one to quite definitively change my life. It wondered if I was interested in joining Fort George's "Military Animation Squad", which meant dressing up in two-ply wool, performing firepower demonstrations for the public and engaging in "authentic and period military behaviour."

To quote the great Wayne Campbell: "Schwing!"

I landed an interview and as I entered the fort, I realized I'd only been there at night on a ghost tour (more on those later). Seeing it in the day was quite a treat. I'd done a bit of homework and research, but I'll admit: my knowledge on the War of 1812 on that spring morning was equivalent to the next person -- which is to say, next to nothing.

I entered the blockhouse and sat down; halfway through my interview, one interviewer (and my future boss) Peter pulled a Brown Bess musket out from under the table the three interviewers were sitting at.

Now normally, if someone pulls a gun out during an interview, chances are it's not going that well.  In this case, my strength and endurance were tested as I needed to be able to hold and point the thing (it weighs 11 lbs). Luckily, my experience as a part-time bodybuilder* gave me the upper-body strength needed to succeed. A few weeks later, I got the phone call that began this epic insanity.

And the rest, as they say, is history.

The 2009 41st Reg't of Foot Grenadier Company

Who's that handsome devil? No, the other one. No, not him, HIM. Ugh, never mind.

(*Author may not have been a bodybuilder)

-J-