By Rev. Dr. Ed
& Janice Hird
-an article published
in the Light
Magazine
Many Canadians associate Laura Secord with delicious
chocolates. No, she did not make her own chocolates. Rather Laura Secord Chocolates Company was
founded in 1913 by Frank P. O’Connor in Toronto. He named his chocolates after her because she
was a celebrated Canadian war hero. The company became Canada’s largest
chocolatier, later expanding to ice cream and other confections.
Few nowadays realize how strategic that Laura’s life really
was. So often we Canadians ignore or even cancel our heroes and heroines. The
concept of a hero comes from our Greek heritage, a key foundation of western
civilization. The Greek hero, according to the Concise Oxford Dictionary, is a
person of superhuman qualities favoured by the gods; an illustrious warrior;
one who has fought for his/her country. By those standards, Laura Secord was an
unlikely hero. She was gentle, a little shy, and soft-spoken.
Yet without her courage, Canada would likely not exist
today. On one of her tablets that records her brave act are these words: ‘A
Heroine of Upper Canada who saved her country from the enemy in 1813.’
As our Southern neighbours are currently celebrating their
250th anniversary, it is good to give thanks for the blessed peace
we have had with the USA for the past 212 years. Loving our neighbours as ourselves is a
win-win situation. Forgiving our neighbours is a core Christian value. We thank God that we are not suffering like Ukraine,
who has been attacked relentlessly since 2022 by their Russian
neighbour. Unforgiveness and
bitterness always ends badly.
During the War of 1812, thousands of Canadians and Americans
died from battle and disease. The beloved General Isaac Brock lost his life and
Toronto (York) was burnt to the ground. Most of the strategic Niagara Peninsula
had been captured and was in American hands. Only one small section remained
under Canadian control: Beaver Dam where Lieutenant
James FitzGibbons was bravely hanging on.
Laura Secord overheard the American
Colonel Cyrenius Chapin describe plans to have a surprise attack upon
Beaver Harbour. Laura’s husband James was badly injured and unable to pass on
the vital message. So Laura decided to go herself. James tried to stop her, but
Laura confidently said: ““You forget, James, that God will take care of me.”
Laura’s only chance of avoiding the military patrols was to
go through the Great Black
Swamp where she faced the three-fold dangers of rattlesnakes, wild cats,
and quicksand. Her clothes were quickly torn on the sharp burdocks and thorns
and the damp bogs soon soaked her to the skin. Alone and unarmed, she knew that
if one of the wildcats or wolves who inhabited the area attacked her, she stood
little chance of survival, but still she kept walking, stopping only briefly to
rest.
For nearly twenty miles, she fought her way through
overwhelming obstacles. When she finally reached Beaver Dam, Lieutenant
FitzGibbons listened carefully to her warning. With only fifty soldiers and two
hundred First Nation warriors, FitzGibbons was able to convince five hundred
American soldiers to surrender. Lieutenant FitzGibbons said to Laura: “Mrs
Secord, we have just experienced one of the most complete victories in the
history of our army. Madame, the credit for this victory belongs to you.” The
victory gave Canada time to rearm, and defend their borders. If the Americans had
won, they would have captured the whole of the Niagara region. We might have
easily ended up as the 51st State.
Most books about Laura Secord only talk about how brave she
was. Few, if any, talk about the source of her courage. Laura attributed her
unusual courage to her deep faith in God. Again and again in Laura’s letters,
she used the expression ‘If God so decrees’.
Courage for Laura came from a deep surrender to God’s will and purposes
in her life. She attended Holy Trinity Anglican Church in Niagara Falls until
her death at age 93 in 1868.
Few Canadians even knew about her heroism until she sought a
pension for her poverty-stricken family after the War of 1812. The Prince of Wales, while visiting Canada in
1860, heard of her heroism, met her at Holy Trinity Anglican Church, and sent
the 85-year-old Laura Secord one hundred pounds (worth 1500 pounds today.)
May we twenty-first-century Canadians also discover the same
courage and faith shown by Laura Secord.
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