Military Lecture: Historical Reenacting: Why On Earth Do People Do This

Name: Military Lecture: Historical Reenacting: Why On Earth Do People Do This
Start: 2025-10-16T18:30:00-04:00
End: 2025-10-16T20:30:00-04:00
Location: 52 Norfolk St. , Guelph, ON, Canada, Ontario N1H 4H8

Schedule

Thu Oct 16 2025 at 06:30 pm to 08:30 pm

UTC-04:00

Location

52 Norfolk St. , Guelph, ON, Canada, Ontario N1H 4H8 | Guelph, ON

Drawing upon his 20+ years of experience as a War of 1812 reenactor, Tom Fournier will talk about his motivation for being a reenactor. He will share his memories on the field, travelling the globe, meeting royalty, and even experiencing the paranormal.
Tom started as a lowly private, not wanting any responsibility as he already managed an intense corporate career. Circumstances prevailed, however, and Tom embarked on a steady journey of promotion. He currently serves as the senior commander for all War of 1812 reenactors portraying British or Canadian soldiers in North America.
Tom will use an image rich slide show to support his talk and will also have on hand a number of uniforms, accoutrements and weapons for examination.
Doors open at 6:30 and the presentation starts at 7:00 pm, followed by a question period.
The lecture will premiere in-person at the Civic Museum, and online via our Facebook livestream. The recorded conversation is available on Facebook, YouTube, and our Museum Everywhere Portal. Guelph Museums’ Military Lecture series is presented in partnership with the Laurier Centre for the Study of Canada.
About the Speaker:
In his working life, after concluding a 30+ year corporate career, with much of it spent as a national sales manager, Tom Fourier founded and currently operates two Cambridge-based businesses.
Tom has a passion for history, particularly the Napoleonic era and the War of 1812. He has written extensively about both, as well as presenting lectures and participating on podcasts.
Tom also has several volunteer involvements, including co-chairing history conferences and live stream events with the History Symposium, a Canadian not-for-profit and charitable organization. Tom was the chair of the popular War of 1812 conference held at the University of Guelph in 2012. He is a member of the White Hackle Council, the regimental council supporting the Royal Highland Fusiliers of Canada. He is also involved with promoting history through his volunteer work in War of 1812 reenacting, where he assumed command as the Brigadier General of the Crown Forces North America in 2024.
Tom’s reenacting career has taken him to events in Canada, the United States and Europe.
He resides in Cambridge, Ontario.