Abandoned by the British, occupied and plundered by the Americans -  in the War of 1812, the people of Southwestern Ontario will spend several years living in a brutal war zone.

This is their Story.

A Desert Between Us & Them: Raiders, Traitors & Refugees in the War of 1812 will tell the little-known story of the devastating effect the War of 1812 had upon the Upper Canadian peninsula (now Southwestern Ontario), with a focus on what life was like for people on the ground. Residents were faced with numerous American raids, constant pressure to change one's allegiance, a shortage of food, thousands of refugees on the muddy roads, and the eventual abandonment of Southwestern Ontario by the British Army. Most civilians in Canada didn't experience the war directly, but for people in this area, the war came to their homes – sometimes repeatedly. Their homes were burned, their food and livestock stolen – they became refugees.

Narrated by R.H. Thomson, this 3-part documentary consists of 3 programs, 50 minutes each.

• Program 1: The Refugees
• Program 2: Traitors
• Program 3: Raiders