The Military Museums
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| The Military Museums | |
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| Established | 1990 |
| Location | Calgary, Alberta |
| Director | Rory M. Cory |
| Nearest tube station(s) | |
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The Military Museums is a reorganization of the former Museum of the Regiments in Calgary, Alberta, announced by the Countess of Wessex on June 3, 2006. The new museum will comprise 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 Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II on 30 June 1990, on what was then CFB Calgary. The museum, partnered with the Calgary Military Museums Society (CMMS), is a joint venture of the four military regiments in Calgary at that time; Lord Strathcona's Horse (Royal Canadians), Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry, the King's Own Calgary Regiment, and The Calgary Highlanders. 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 Museum also features an extensive military history library as part of the holdings of the University of Calgary library, as well as the regimental archives of the four regiments.
The Museums feature 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 Carolyn Foard, the Manager Education and Interpretive Programing. The Museums have recently 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 Association 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.
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 will be part of the new institution. The museum is currently undergoing renovations and an expansion to accommodate the Naval and Air Force Museums.
From February - April 2007, the Military Museums held its first major competition in honor of the 90th anniversary 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.[1]
The current curator of The Military Museums is Rory M. Cory.
[edit] References
- ^ Museum of the Regiments (2007). 90th Anniversary of Vimy Ridge Contest
[edit] External links
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