If Toronto were invaded today, as Toronto was in April 1813, what would you do? Join a volunteer resistance movement? Stand aside to let the professional soldiers do their job? Accept there's no possibility of defeating numerically superior invaders? Or protest the war in a non-violent way? In 1812-14, our predecessors faced those same options.

As Toronto prepares to commemorate this turning point in our history, join historians RICHARD FELTOE, author of Redcoated Ploughboys: The Volunteer Battalion of Incorporated Militia of Upper Canada 1813-1815 (Dundurn, 2012) and SANDY ANTAL, author of A Wampum Denied: Proctor's War of 1812 (McGill-Queen's University Press, 2nd edition 2011) as they discuss the roles played by volunteer Upper Canadians, First Nations allies, and the regular British army in defending Toronto and Upper Canada in the War of 1812. A discussion with audience members will follow.

Complimentary Refreshments provided by Fort York Volunteer Historic Cooks

Presented in partnership with The Friends of Fort York, www.fortyork.ca

For more info: fortyork@toronto.ca  www.toronto.ca/fortyork  Twitter @fortyork  Facebook.com/fortyork

Parler Fort is a series of themed discussions that examines the impacts of past events on our lives today. Featuring novelists, historians, artists and city planners among others, each session explores a topic in a way that sparks dialogue and provides insight into issues that matter today. Fort York National Historic Site is an apt setting in which to enrich our understanding of our city and fortify our connections with one another.

We're finalizing the details for our PARLER FORT events in April, May and July events... more to follow very soon.

The Friends of Fort York are about to re-launch our website (www.fortyork.ca) with many new features and you'll be able to get updates on all special events at the Fort, including future PARLER FORT events. And now you can follow me on Twitter (@BrianPMacLean) for updates and discussions about our events and other topics relevant to our mission of "exploring Toronto's past, present and future."

Our upcoming schedule is posted at www.fortyork.ca/events.htm