​Tale of betrayal or courage – daughter of Great Barrington made history that nearly was forgotten

To the Editor:

As we celebrated Canada Day, honouring freedom, and independence, it is worth asking what — and who — we choose to remember, and whether we have the courage to protect the history we inherit.

That is why I commend the people of Great Barrington, Massachusetts, for refusing to erase the plaque honoring Laura Ingersoll Secord, a true daughter of Barrington whose bravery shaped history far beyond her birthplace.

Born in Great Barrington in 1775, Secord risked her life during the War of 1812, walking 19 miles alone through swamps and forest to warn of a surprise attack. Her courage saved lives — yet for generations, her story was nearly forgotten because she was a woman acting at a time when women’s sacrifices were rarely recorded.

A plaque detailing Secord’s “tenacity and courage” was finally installed in 1997 at her former home — now the Mason Library — recognizing that this small American town produced a woman whose bravery connected two nations.

This public recognition might seem out of place to some, since the “foreign soldiers” Secord overheard were Americans — and the side she aided was the British Empire. Richard Allen of Egremont, in a letter to “The Berkshire Eagle,” argued her plaque should be removed — comparing her to Confederate generals whose names rightly face removal from United States bases. To Allen, Secord was a traitor.

But American and Canadian historians rightly defend Secord as a patriot of her time and a woman whose contribution to our male-dominated history deserves respect, regardless of flags. Her loyalty was to save lives and protecting neighbors — real courage that defies shallow labels.

Meanwhile, the Municipality of Kincardine did the opposite — destroying the monument to Dr. Solomon Secord, Laura’s nephew, despite clear conditions that it stand in trust forever.

For more than 110 years, his family, patients, and friends trusted Kincardine to protect the memory of a beloved doctor who devoted his life to serving his community. That trust was broken by a modern council chasing a fleeting “woke” impulse — and with it, part of local history was erased.

Great Barrington got it right, honouring a daughter whose courage outlived the politics of her day. Kincardine got it wrong, breaking faith with donors, families, and the community — and that decision must not stand unchallenged. When municipalities destroy monuments entrusted to them under clear conditions, they risk not only public outrage but legal accountability for breaching binding terms of donation.

We cannot cancel history but we can, and must, hold to account those who betray it. Let this stand as notice: the guardians of our shared past answer not just to public opinion, but to the law — and to history itself.

Happy Canada Day.
David Secord
Calgary, Alberta