Presented by 'The Thousand Islands River Heritage Committee'

-Gunboat logo "Engagement in the Thousand Islands" (1838),ca. 1840 courtesy of National Archives of Canada. Artist: John Richard Coke Smyth.

    Staged at the St.Lawrence Islands National Park in Mallorytown Landing, the Gunboat Weekend features naval engagements, longboat races, artillery and infantry demonstrations. During the activities on Saturday and Sunday, re-enactors from various infantry and artillery units from the War of 1812 and the Victorian era engage in mock battles and stage artillery tactics and manoeuvers.

    Staging the event at St.Lawrence Islands National Park is significant because a naval engagement between British and American vessels took place nearby. The weekend gets its name from the British royal Navy gunboats. These small but heavy wooden vessels were used to patrol the Baltic Sea, Lake Champlain and the Great Lakes nearby including nearby inland waterways. Built with stout oak ribs, the gunboats could support the weight and recoil of the single cannon mounted on the broad bow. Holding the Gunboat Weekend at St.Lawrence Islands National Park is also significant because the wreck of a gunboat was recovered just offshore by National Historic Parks and Sites divers. The wreck is now on display in the park at Mallorytown Landing.