At the grand celebration in Ottawa on June 30, 2007, of the 175th anniversary of the opening of the Rideau Canal, and the designation of the Rideau Canal as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, one of the clear highlights was the Fort Henry Guard Fife and Drum corps. These men and women were a clear audience favourite, second only to the canon and musket firing (also by the Fort Henry Guard). The fife and drum corps were everywhere - leading Colonel By and his family to the podium, marching over the plaza bridge, serenading a crowd in front of the Chateau Laurier Hotel and providing a deafening performance under the Plaza Bridge (tremendous acoustics).
It was fitting that they were there since Fort Henry and the Kingston fortifications (the Martello Towers) are included in the World Heritage designation. They reminded people that the Rideau Canal was built as a military project, a key element in the defence of Canada, providing a secure supply route to the critical British naval base at Kingston.
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