The Military Museums
Encyclopedia
The 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 new museum comprises the former Museum of the Regiments as well as the relocated Naval Museum of Alberta and an Air Force Wing consisting of artifacts currently being acquired.
The Museum of the Regiments was formally opened by Queen Elizabeth II
on 30 June 1990, on what was then CFB Calgary
. The museum, partnered with the Calgary Military Museums Society (CMMS), was a joint venture of the four military regiments in Calgary at that time, each with its own gallery.
The Military Museums preserves and documents the history of all three branches of the Canadian Forces
and predecessor services (the Royal Canadian Navy, Canadian Army, and Royal Canadian Air Force), with a focus on Alberta history, through an extensive public gallery and archival holding.
The museum collects, preserves, arranges, catalogues, interprets and exhibits to the public and members of CFB Calgary, the history of the base and its garrison units. The goal is to stimulate the interest in the history of the base to all personnel of the base, and the general public to
cooperate with other organizations having similar objectives.
Strathcona's Horse was raised for the Second Boer War
in South Africa and was a Permanent Force cavalry regiment in Calgary until 1939. It served as an armoured regiment in the Second World War and maintained a garrison at Harvey Barracks until the 1990s.
The goal is to stimulate interest in the history and development of Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry within the context of the Canadian Forces. The PPCLI became a Calgary regiment after the Second World War but traced its history back to 1914.
regimental instructors to illustrate tactics and strategy of past campaigns.
The KOCR Gallery includes information related to the 103rd Regiment "Calgary Rifles", Calgary Regiment, Calgary Tanks, and 50th (Calgary) Battalion, CEF.
World War, United Nations Operations – Korea – 1950–1953, service during peacetime and its
ceremonies and traditions. It provides for the preservation of such material and for its availability to all those who wish to see and study it. The Calgary Highlanders Gallery covers the history of the regiment from the inception of the 103rd Regiment (Calgary Rifles) in 1910 through to the present, including the history of the 10th Battalion, CEF
and the Regimental Pipes and Drums
.
The LdSH (RC) and PPCLI regiments have since moved from the Calgary garrison to quarters in Edmonton.
The museum houses four galleries devoted to these four regiments, as well as a gallery devoted to the history of all military units in Alberta. Life size dioramas in the entryway to the museum highlight the four regiments, and there are several displays on the outdoor grounds of the museum, including an eternal flame, larger-than-life statues, and a collection of tanks, armoured cars and anti-tank guns.
The Founder's Gallery was officially opened in June 2009 by Sophie, the Countess of Wessex.
library, as well as the regimental archives of the four regiments. The library is open to the general public and is operated by the University of Calgary Library and Cultural Resources.
for a youth tour of Vimy Ridge arranged in 2006. An additional AMA award for excellence in public programming was presented in September 2007 for the museums' projects on the 90th anniversary of the battle for Vimy Ridge.
On June 3, 2006, the museum was renamed the Military Museums. The Naval Museum of Alberta and the Air Force Museum of Alberta and an improved library and archives facility have become part of the new institution. The museum has currently undergone renovations and an expansion to accommodate the Naval and Air Force Museums.
From February to April 2007, the Military Museums held its first major competition in honour of the 90th anniversary of the Battle of Vimy Ridge
. The two winners of five categories (Essay, Multimedia, Song composition, Poem, Comic Strip) were invited to participate in a tour of Canadian battlefields in France
and Belgium
in July 2007.
Calgary
Calgary is a city in the Province of Alberta, Canada. It is located in the south of the province, in an area of foothills and prairie, approximately east of the front ranges of the Canadian Rockies...
, Alberta
Alberta
Alberta is a province of Canada. It had an estimated population of 3.7 million in 2010 making it the most populous of Canada's three prairie provinces...
, announced by Sophie, Countess of Wessex, on June 3, 2006. The new museum comprises the former Museum of the Regiments as well as the relocated Naval Museum of Alberta and an Air Force Wing consisting of artifacts currently being acquired.
The Museum of the Regiments was formally opened by Queen Elizabeth II
Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom
Elizabeth II is the constitutional monarch of 16 sovereign states known as the Commonwealth realms: the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Jamaica, Barbados, the Bahamas, Grenada, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Belize,...
on 30 June 1990, on what was then CFB Calgary
CFB Calgary
Canadian Forces Base Calgary, also CFB Calgary, was a Canadian Forces Base located in Calgary, Alberta.-Currie Barracks:The Canadian Army opened what was called the Currie Barracks on the southwestern edge of Calgary in 1933, occupying a property on the level plateau above the south slope of the...
. The museum, partnered with the Calgary Military Museums Society (CMMS), was a joint venture of the four military regiments in Calgary at that time, each with its own gallery.
The Military Museums preserves and documents the history of all three branches of the Canadian Forces
Canadian Forces
The Canadian Forces , officially the Canadian Armed Forces , are the unified armed forces of Canada, as constituted by the National Defence Act, which states: "The Canadian Forces are the armed forces of Her Majesty raised by Canada and consist of one Service called the Canadian Armed Forces."...
and predecessor services (the Royal Canadian Navy, Canadian Army, and Royal Canadian Air Force), with a focus on Alberta history, through an extensive public gallery and archival holding.
The museum collects, preserves, arranges, catalogues, interprets and exhibits to the public and members of CFB Calgary, the history of the base and its garrison units. The goal is to stimulate the interest in the history of the base to all personnel of the base, and the general public to
cooperate with other organizations having similar objectives.
Museum of the Regiments
The former Museum of the Regiments consisted of galleries dedicated to four Calgary-area regiments:Lord Strathcona's Horse (Royal Canadians) Gallery
The mandate is to socialize the new recruit and junior officer, to bridge the gap between the regiment and the community and to undertake museum related tasks (e.g., preservation, presentation, etc.).Strathcona's Horse was raised for the Second Boer War
Second Boer War
The Second Boer War was fought from 11 October 1899 until 31 May 1902 between the British Empire and the Afrikaans-speaking Dutch settlers of two independent Boer republics, the South African Republic and the Orange Free State...
in South Africa and was a Permanent Force cavalry regiment in Calgary until 1939. It served as an armoured regiment in the Second World War and maintained a garrison at Harvey Barracks until the 1990s.
Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry Gallery
The gallery collects, arranges, catalogues, preserves, interprets and exhibits to the members of the regiment and the public, the medals, weapons, maps, implements, devices, and other goods and chattels of historical value and importance connected with the military and social development of Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry within the context of the Canadian Forces (Land).The goal is to stimulate interest in the history and development of Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry within the context of the Canadian Forces. The PPCLI became a Calgary regiment after the Second World War but traced its history back to 1914.
King's Own Calgary Regiment Gallery
The mandate is to supply regimental personnel and interested general public with a physical link to the unit’s history as well as providing knowledge of past activities, battles, exploits, deeds of valour, and equipment. It is a depository for the safe keeping of historical items and information on the regiment. It is used by regimental personnel as an aid to recruiting, and byregimental instructors to illustrate tactics and strategy of past campaigns.
The KOCR Gallery includes information related to the 103rd Regiment "Calgary Rifles", Calgary Regiment, Calgary Tanks, and 50th (Calgary) Battalion, CEF.
The Calgary Highlanders
The purpose of The Calgary Highlanders gallery is to collect, preserve, study and exhibit those objects that will serve to illustrate the story of the regiment in Canadian military history. Understanding its heritage gives a better appreciation of its traditions and uniqueness as a Western Canadian highland regiment. The gallery collects artifacts and specimens that depict the regiment’s past in terms of the origins of the regiment, the First World War, the SecondWorld War, United Nations Operations – Korea – 1950–1953, service during peacetime and its
ceremonies and traditions. It provides for the preservation of such material and for its availability to all those who wish to see and study it. The Calgary Highlanders Gallery covers the history of the regiment from the inception of the 103rd Regiment (Calgary Rifles) in 1910 through to the present, including the history of the 10th Battalion, CEF
10th Battalion, CEF
The 10th Battalion, Canadian Expeditionary Force was a Canadian field force unit created during the First World War. Technically distinct from the Militia from which its soldiers were drawn the unit served in the Canadian Expeditionary Force , specifically in the 1st Canadian Division from 1914 to...
and the Regimental Pipes and Drums
Regimental Pipes and Drums of The Calgary Highlanders
The Regimental Pipes and Drums of The Calgary Highlanders is an authorized volunteer pipe band associated with The Calgary Highlanders of the Canadian Forces. For many years, the band was a bona fide, and separate, military unit unto itself, with a separate Unit Identification Code within the CF...
.
Other galleries
The museum houses four galleries devoted to these four regiments, as well as a gallery devoted to the history of all military units in Alberta. Life size dioramas in the entryway to the museum highlight the four regiments, and there are several displays on the outdoor grounds of the museum, including an eternal flame, larger-than-life statues, and a collection of tanks, armoured cars and anti-tank guns.
The Founder's Gallery was officially opened in June 2009 by Sophie, the Countess of Wessex.
Library and archives
The museum also features an extensive military history library as part of the holdings of the University of CalgaryUniversity of Calgary
The University of Calgary is a public research university located in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Founded in 1966 the U of C is composed of 14 faculties and more than 85 research institutes and centres.More than 25,000 undergraduate and 5,500 graduate students are currently...
library, as well as the regimental archives of the four regiments. The library is open to the general public and is operated by the University of Calgary Library and Cultural Resources.
Education and outreach
The museum features a vibrant education programme for young people in the Calgary area; in addition to dozens of outreach speakers reaching thousands of people, approximately 7,000 children are given theme tours each year through the facility under the direction of Lorna Gutsche, the Manager of Education and Interpretive Programing. The museums have received a number of prestigious awards for such programming, including two from the Alberta Museums Association and one for Outstanding Achievement in Education from the Canadian Museums AssociationCanadian 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...
for a youth tour of Vimy Ridge arranged in 2006. An additional AMA award for excellence in public programming was presented in September 2007 for the museums' projects on the 90th anniversary of the battle for Vimy Ridge.
Upgrades and renovations
The entryway of the museum was renamed the Queen Elizabeth II Atrium in May 2005 during a royal visit.On June 3, 2006, the museum was renamed the Military Museums. The Naval Museum of Alberta and the Air Force Museum of Alberta and an improved library and archives facility have become part of the new institution. The museum has currently undergone renovations and an expansion to accommodate the Naval and Air Force Museums.
From February to April 2007, the Military Museums held its first major competition in honour of the 90th anniversary of the Battle of Vimy Ridge
Battle of Vimy Ridge
The Battle of Vimy Ridge was a military engagement fought primarily as part of the Battle of Arras, in the Nord-Pas-de-Calais region of France, during the First World War. The main combatants were the Canadian Corps, of four divisions, against three divisions of the German Sixth Army...
. The two winners of five categories (Essay, Multimedia, Song composition, Poem, Comic Strip) were invited to participate in a tour of Canadian battlefields in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
and Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
in July 2007.
Calgary Military Museums Society
The original foundation, the Calgary Military Museums Society (CMMS) is no longer a functioning entity of TMM, but continues to operate on other projects.See also
- Canadian War MuseumCanadian War MuseumThe Canadian War Museum is Canada’s national museum of military history. Located in Ottawa, Ontario, the museum covers all facets of Canada’s military past, from the first recorded instances of death by armed violence in Canadian history several thousand years ago to the country’s most recent...
- 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...