This year marks the 200th anniversary of the War of 1812, and the federal government has earmarked millions of dollars to spruce up historic sites and sponsor battle re-enactments, including injecting a bit of a war theme in this year's Canada Day celebrations on Parliament Hill.

The Harper government has set aside $3.7 million for the July 1 festivities in Ottawa, and hired Toronto theatre producer Paul Shaw to bring the war to the big day.

"I do big-ass special events all the time, so they asked me to do that," Shaw told The Canadian Press. "It's sort of tricky to do a War of 1812 theme when you've got so many modern things in and around it."

On June 18, 1812, the United States declared war on Great Britain and attacked Upper and Lower Canada.

Most of the battles were fought around the Great Lakes, including a famous battle at Fort York, what is now Toronto. British forces also crossed into Washington and set fire to what is now the White House.

While the war gets little attention outside of academic circles, it had a lasting impact on both sides of the border.

"The Star Spangled Banner gets written because of this war," Clark Bernat, Niagara Falls Museums manager, told CTV News. "The White House becomes the White House because of this war."

Shaw helped organize Pope John Paul II's Toronto visit in 2002 and the Olympic torch relays on Parliament Hill in 2010. He was hired in December as a creative consultant for Canadian Heritage, and said his goal for the Canada Day celebrations will be to emphasize the last 200 years of work by the Canadian military.

The War of 1812 "may be the last time aboriginals, the French and the English worked together, and it's what I'm trying to key in on," Shaw said. "That's when we all helped each other, and because of it won some battles."

Ceremonies big and small will mark the bicentennial. One of the smallest will be put on by the Heykoop family of Niagara Falls, Ont. whose members regularly dress up in period clothes and re-enact famous battles.

The family even has a canon outside their home, built by family patriarch William Heykoop.

"For the most part we've tried to make everything ourselves," said Ruth Heykoop.

In Toronto, the city plans to commemorate the Americans' invasion of Fort York.

"Our forts were destroyed, our Parliament buildings were burned and the town of York was occupied for one week by American invaders," said Coun. Michael Thompson.

With a report from CTV's John Vennavally-Rao and files from The Canadian Press