Fort Malden-- Part 11: The Fort's Roles After the Upper Canada Rebellion

After the Upper Canada Rebellion and Patriot War, the fort was abandoned, but the people of Amherstburg complained they had no defense, so British troops were again stationed and, since there was no defending to be done, they improved the fort.

From 1851-1859, Fort Malden was  occupied by army pensioners in what became known as the Pensioner Scheme which was a way for Britain to replace active military units with retired personnel.  This worked well and most pensioners stayed and with their pensions and hard work, helped Amherstburg's development.

Before the Civil; War, Amherstburg and Fort Malden  played major roles in the Underground Railroad, enabling runaway slaves to get to Canada for their freedom.

From  1859 to 1875, the province of Ontario had ownership of the fort and it was turned into the Malden Lunatic Asylum.

From 1876 to 1935, Fort Malden was surveyed and sold at public auction after being divided into eleven lots.  Then, from 1935 to the present, Fort Malden has been  a National Historic Site of Canada.

--Brock-Perry