Elgin Military Museum
Encyclopedia
The Elgin Military Museum is located in St. Thomas, Ontario
. Its mandate is to preserve the local historical record of military service from the War of 1812 to present day peace keeping missions of the Canadian Forces.
The museum recounts the stories of Elgin County residents from the War of 1812 to Afghanistan. Exhibits include models by highly respected craftsmen and a collection of some 600 UN and NATO badges described by one appraiser as "the best collection I have seen outside of the UN in New York".
The Elgin Military Museum may well be the only such museum on the continent that has space dedicated to an elephant. However, Jumbo, the largest elephant ever held in captivity, met his demise here in St. Thomas, Ontario on September 15, 1885. In 1985, in commemoration of the 100th anniversary of his death, a life-size monument of this gentle animal was installed on the brow of the hill a hundred yards up the street from the Museum. Finding a home for the monument had proved to be a significant problem until several members of the museum board (who just happened to serve on the Jumbo Monument Committee) convinced other members of the museum board to permit the statue of Jumbo to be placed in the parking lot the museum had just built on Talbot Street.
Large scale elements are not confined to tributes to an elephant as the museum has two M113 Armoured Personnel Carriers on permanent display. Currently, the Elgin Military Museum is in the process of acquiring an Oberon Class Cold War Submarine, HMCS Ojibwa. At just under 300 feet long and five storeys high, she will be the largest artifact in the collection. As the city of St. Thomas is landlocked, HMCS Ojibwa will be the primary artifact in a satellite ‘sub station’ of the museum to be located in Port Burwell, Ontario on Lake Erie. The submarine is expected to be moved from Halifax, Nova Scotia to Port Burwell in 2011. Visit the museum at www.elginmilitarymuseum.ca and follow the progress of Project Ojibwa at www.projectojibwa.ca .
, CHIN
, OMMC
and Virtual Museum of Canada
.
St. Thomas, Ontario
St. Thomas is a city in southern , Ontario, Canada. It is the seat for Elgin County and gained its city charter on March 4, 1881.-History:...
. Its mandate is to preserve the local historical record of military service from the War of 1812 to present day peace keeping missions of the Canadian Forces.
History
The Elgin Military Museum was established by ordinary citizens in 1982 to recognize the contribution of other ordinary citizens who were, like themselves, called upon to meet the extra ordinary circumstances of war.The museum recounts the stories of Elgin County residents from the War of 1812 to Afghanistan. Exhibits include models by highly respected craftsmen and a collection of some 600 UN and NATO badges described by one appraiser as "the best collection I have seen outside of the UN in New York".
The Elgin Military Museum may well be the only such museum on the continent that has space dedicated to an elephant. However, Jumbo, the largest elephant ever held in captivity, met his demise here in St. Thomas, Ontario on September 15, 1885. In 1985, in commemoration of the 100th anniversary of his death, a life-size monument of this gentle animal was installed on the brow of the hill a hundred yards up the street from the Museum. Finding a home for the monument had proved to be a significant problem until several members of the museum board (who just happened to serve on the Jumbo Monument Committee) convinced other members of the museum board to permit the statue of Jumbo to be placed in the parking lot the museum had just built on Talbot Street.
Large scale elements are not confined to tributes to an elephant as the museum has two M113 Armoured Personnel Carriers on permanent display. Currently, the Elgin Military Museum is in the process of acquiring an Oberon Class Cold War Submarine, HMCS Ojibwa. At just under 300 feet long and five storeys high, she will be the largest artifact in the collection. As the city of St. Thomas is landlocked, HMCS Ojibwa will be the primary artifact in a satellite ‘sub station’ of the museum to be located in Port Burwell, Ontario on Lake Erie. The submarine is expected to be moved from Halifax, Nova Scotia to Port Burwell in 2011. Visit the museum at www.elginmilitarymuseum.ca and follow the progress of Project Ojibwa at www.projectojibwa.ca .
See also
- Organization of Military Museums of CanadaOrganization of Military Museums of CanadaThe Organization of Military Museums of Canada is a national organization for the promotion of military museums in Canada.The OMMC was established in 1967 by a group of military museums, historians, and military history enthusiasts. It has over 40 individual and 60 institutional members including...
- Military history of CanadaMilitary history of CanadaThe military history of Canada comprises hundreds of years of armed actions in the territory encompassing modern Canada, and the role of the Canadian military in conflicts and peacekeeping worldwide. For thousands of years, the area that would become Canada was the site of sporadic intertribal wars...
- Base Borden Military MuseumBase Borden Military MuseumBase Borden Military Museum is a military museum located on the grounds of CFB Borden, in Borden, Ontario, Canada. Combining four separate museums, it has numerous items, equipment and vehicles from all eras of Canadian military history, including a large number of historic armored vehicles and...
, - Maritime Museum of the AtlanticMaritime Museum of the AtlanticThe Maritime Museum of the Atlantic is a Canadian maritime museum located in downtown Halifax, Nova Scotia.The Maritime Museum of the Atlantic is a member institution of the Nova Scotia Museum and is the oldest and largest maritime museum in Canada with a collection of over 30,000 artifacts...
- National Air Force Museum of CanadaNational Air Force Museum of CanadaThe National Air Force Museum of Canada, formerly known as the RCAF Memorial Museum, is an aviation museum dedicated to preserving the history of the Royal Canadian Air Force and is located on the west side of CFB Trenton in Trenton, Ontario....
- The Military MuseumsThe Military MuseumsThe Military Museums is a reorganization of the former Museum of the Regiments in Calgary, Alberta, announced by Sophie, Countess of Wessex, on June 3, 2006...
, - The Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders of Canada Museum
- Virtual Museum of CanadaVirtual Museum of CanadaThe Virtual Museum of Canada is Canada's national virtual museum. With a directory of over 3,000 Canadian heritage institutions and a database of over 600 virtual exhibits, the VMC brings together Canada's museums regardless of size or geographical location.The VMC includes virtual exhibits,...
Affiliations
The Museum is affiliated with: CMACanadian Museums Association
The Canadian Museums Association is a national organization for the promotion of museums in Canada.The Canadian Museums Association is the national organization for the advancement of the Canadian museum sector, representing Canadian museum professionals both within Canada and internationally. The...
, CHIN
Canadian Heritage Information Network
The Canadian Heritage Information Network is a Canadian government-supported organization that provides a networked interface to Canada's heritage, largely through the World Wide Web. It aims to give access to Canada's heritage for both Canadians and a worldwide audience, by supporting the...
, OMMC
Organization of Military Museums of Canada
The Organization of Military Museums of Canada is a national organization for the promotion of military museums in Canada.The OMMC was established in 1967 by a group of military museums, historians, and military history enthusiasts. It has over 40 individual and 60 institutional members including...
and Virtual Museum of Canada
Virtual Museum of Canada
The Virtual Museum of Canada is Canada's national virtual museum. With a directory of over 3,000 Canadian heritage institutions and a database of over 600 virtual exhibits, the VMC brings together Canada's museums regardless of size or geographical location.The VMC includes virtual exhibits,...
.