The Battlefield Park National Historic Site Master Plan, prepared by Wendy Shearer Landscape Architect, a division of MHBC Planning, is an update of a 1993 plan. One of its major recommendations is for construction of a 20,000-square-foot interpretive centre to the south of the Nash Jackson House.

Volunteers are concerned its location will interfere with the Battle of Stoney Creek re-enactment and that its size will dwarf other buildings on the site.

Alex Cuberovic has been involved with Battlefield as a re-enactor and volunteer since he was 12 years old. He now studies heritage conservation at the Willowbank School of Restoration Arts in Queenston – in large part due to his experiences with the local museum.

“The re-enactment could not function with an interpretive centre of that size on the site,” he said, pointing out the 1993 plan called for a 7,600-square-foot centre.

In addition to thousands of visitors, the re-enactment includes merchant booths, an overnight encampment and the battle.

Alex’s father, Mike, is concerned about the location of the centre and parking lot.

“There are some good points to the plan, but it seems that instead of revering the very ground where men fought and died, they are desecrating the land with an interpretative centre and parking lot,” he said. “If constructing this structure and paving over part of the park takes place, we will have a real example of what is meant by Lest We Forget.”

While Mike agrees with the need for an interpretive centre, he fears it would kill the longest-running re-enactment in Canada.