HISTORY REVISTED: THE CANADIAN WAR MUSEUM, OTTAWA
Written: Mar 18 '06
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Beautiful well laid out displays.
Cons: An unfortunate political overtone is present
The Bottom Line: "Those who fail to learn from history are often doomed to repeat it."
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| JAMES23's Full Review: Canadian War Museum |
When I was young we lived in Ottawa, the capital of Canada. One of the treats growing up there was visiting the various museums in the region. Among my favourites were the Aviation museum, the Science and technology museum and my personal favourite the Canadian war museum.
For a nine-year-old boy who envisioned of someday growing up and being a soldier this was the best possible place to visit. The only thing that made it better was if one of my uncles who had been a real soldier was in town and I went to the museum with him and my father and listened in rapt attention as they described the exhibits and their own experiences.
Young boys grow up and things change. I did go on to be a soldier serving almost twenty years. Somewhere along the way I also turned my love of military history into a university degree in the subject.
The museum of my youth changed to. The small crowded building adjacent to the National Mint eventually was replaced by a newer larger and more impressive structure. The new Canadian War Museum opened its doors amid much fanfare and controversy in 2004.
While I was labouring away on that degree all those years ago, there were certain subjects one was required to take. One involved studying the various “schools” or interpretations of history. One such school stuck out, revisionist history, the idea that events that occurred can be remained in a new or different context to support a specific idea or concept often political or social.
The idea of rewriting our history or reinterpreting our past has become prevalent in western society of late. It seems that as we “mature” as a society we discover the skeletons in our collective closet and do not like what we see, as they’re in today’s terms not politically correct.
Such was the case with the new Canadian War Museum or at least those responsible for it. As I noted when it opened its doors it was to controversy as much as to celebration, Canadians as a whole for some reason uncomfortable if not completely ignorant of their military achievements.
When the museum opened there were allegations by some including elements of the media and some veterans groups that there was an agenda in place to portray the military and the military heritage of the country in an unfavourable light. The museum comes under the purvey of the Museum of Civilization and there are arguments that the individuals appointed to run the new museum had a anti military bias
The evidence presented to support this was in the choice of some of the exhibits. First was a plaque that presented data regarding the numbers of Canadian soldiers in the Korean conflict that were treated for venereal disease. While the fact existed that these figures were correct, young men far from home and possibly facing their own demise sometimes do decide to live life to the fullest, the argument was that the presentation used facts out of context to imply something.
Worse was a pair of paintings done by a Canadian artist showing incidents in the Somali mission in 1993. One rather graphic painting done from a photograph shows a Canadian paratrooper torturing a Somali youth.
Again this unfortunate incident did happen and it had severe repercussions for the military for the next decade. The fact is it was an isolated incident but however is the dominant representation for this particular mission and tends to negate any favourable impression of the good that was done by Canadian soldiers in this region.
While I read the debates on the controversy I tried to keep an open mind at least until I had a chance to see the museum for myself. Recently I had that opportunity. I knew that the museum that so impressed and awed that nine-year-old impressionable boy was long gone but then so was he. I would be interested in the impressions of what he had become, the former soldier, and the military historian.
The new museum is visually striking, a modern large concrete, steel and glass structure located in the middle of a vast park in the west end of Ottawa. It is much more spacious than it’s predecessor and there is plenty of room for expansion if needed.
The museum building consists of five main galleries and two smaller galleries one for special temporary exhibits and the other containing some of the large collection of Canadian War Art the museum holds. Other examples of this are located throughout the main entry foyer and in the galleries themselves. There is a cafeteria and gif shop as well.
There is also a small memorial gallery to those who have fallen, the Memorial Hall and another gallery, the Hall of Honour dedicated to Canadian war heroes.
Four of the galleries cover Canadian Military history from Pre European times up to the present. Wandering through them one takes an abbreviated look at warfare as experienced by Canadians for almost 500 years.
The first gallery “ Battleground” covers the conflicts between the aboriginals prior to the arrival of the Europeans and then the conflicts between the First nations people and the Europeans and the various conflicts between the English, French, and Spanish for control of North America during the 17th and 18th Centuries.
The Canadian involvement in the American Revolution and the later attempted American invasion of Canada in the War of 1812 are also covered in some detail. The last sections of the Gallery cover the rebellions in Canada in 1837, the Fenian Raids, and the military actions in the west soon after Confederation in 1867.
The second gallery “For Crown and Country” covers Canada’ contributions to Britain’s Imperial Wars in the 19th and 20th Centuries, most notably the Boer War and the Fist World War. Canada entered the War to End All Wars nominally a self-Governing Dominion but still a partial Colony of Britain. It ended the War an Independent Nation recognised by the world as such. This recognition was won on the battlefields of the Ypres, the Somme, Vimy and Paschendaele.
The third gallery “ Forged in Fire” covers Canada’s not insubstantial contribution to the Second World War. All the theatres Canadians fought in, Europe, Africa and Asia are covered. The Battle of the Atlantic, The heroic but futile defence of Hong Kong, the bloody raid at Dieppe, Ortona, D-Day the Liberation of Holland and other battles and campaigns both big and small are here. The contributions of Canadian Industry to the Allied war effort are also touched on.
The fourth gallery “ A Violent Peace” covers the period since the end of the Second World War. Canada’s contributions to NATO And NORAD during the Cold War are displayed, as are the numerous UN and other Peacekeeping missions Canada has participated in during the past ix decades.
This gallery also covers the tumultuous period since the collapse of the Soviet Union and end of the Cold War up to and including Canadian contributions to the Golf War and the War on Terror after September 11, 2001.
All four galleries are well done. One follows through a logical path moving forward through history. Uniforms, weapons, medals, vehicles and other accouterments are all well displayed. A friend who toured the museum with me says he noticed an improvement in the signage since the opening in May 2005.
Some use of audiovisual displays is evident although a taped audio guide would be an excellent addition. There are a couple of really striking displays worth noting, the recreation of a typical First World War trench and a recreation of a house in Ortona the scene of savage house to house fighting between Canadians and Germans in 1943-44 are worth noting
The fifth Gallery is the La Breton Gallery a massive collection of armoured vehicles from the First and Second World War and modern conflicts. Most of the tanks and other vehicles are Canadian, but there are numerous examples of other allied and former enemy equipment on display here.
Of particular interest is the weather station established by the Germans in Word War Two in Labrador and not discovered until long after the war ended. There is also the Iltis Jeep driven by two Canadian soldiers through a Serbian ambush New Years Eve 1994. The vehicle has literally hundreds of bullet holes in it. Both soldiers were wounded but survived the ordeal. A Cold War era Voodoo jet fighter stands guard over the exhibit suspended from the ceiling.
There were some nice touches I noticed as I toured the place The CWM often uses volunteer veterans as guides for groups. Having a medalled veteran showing you around does seem some how appropriate. Like all museums they are able to display only a fraction of their exhibits. However there are windows from the LeBreton Gallery and several passageways that allow one a glimpse into the storage area including stuff being preserved and/or restored.
My only concern was my preconceived idea of some overriding political correctness agenda in the displays. Sadly it was evident. It’s subtle but for anyone familiar with Canadian military history of even Canadian history in general it is apparent.
There is of course the notorious Somalia paintings noted earlier on display. There are other subtle touches too. The signage covering the French and Indian Wars part of the Seven Years War that ultimately decided which European power would rule Canada, Britain or France have a certain bias to them. They refer to the gallant struggle of Les Canadiens against the British, and while the term used to describe the French settlers and their descendents is correct, the context it is displayed in could be seen as misleading.
The Metis rebellions started by Louis Riel in Western Canada against the central government just after Confederation are referred to as the “Metis Resistance” not rebellions which is incorrect they were in fact armed rebellions against the duly elected Government by an armed faction. This suggests an adherence to the revisionist history theory that sees Riel as a patriot not a traitor and rebel. Surprisingly the earlier 1837 rebellions against British rule that directly led to independence forty years later are not given the term “resistance.”
If one was to go through the Gallery dealing with World War Two without any prior knowledge of the conflict one would get the impression from the prominence of some of the displays that the major contributions of Canada during the conflict were the cruel internment of the Japanese Canadian citizens in British Columbia and the advancement of woman in the workforce due to the increased demands of war production.
Important issues yes, but probably not on a scale of the almost one million people in uniform and their contributions on the battlefields of the Atlantic, Italy, France, Holland and Germany.
At the least this is mildly annoying and petty. At worst it is deliberate misrepresentation of a vital part of a nations history and identity in pursuit of some political agenda. The former soldier and historian is capable of telling the difference and separating the truth form the presentation. Sadly the nine-year-old boy would not have been and that does bother me.
The Canadian War Museum is located at 1 Vimy Place, on LeBreton Flats, at the corner of Booth Street and the Ottawa River Parkway, west of Parliament Hill. The museum is easily accessible from downtown Ottawa, by foot, bus, or car, and offers on site parking.
Canadian War Museum
1 Vimy Place
Ottawa, Ontario
K1R 1C2
Telephone: (819) 776-8600 or 1-800-555-5621
Hearing impaired: TTY (819) 776-7003
Fax: (819) 776-8623
E-mail: info@warmuseum.ca
www.warmuseum.ca
Museum Hours
October 11 to April 30
Tuesday to Sunday, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.;
Thursdays until 9 p.m
May 1 to June 30
open seven days a week, 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.;
Thursdays until 9:00 p.m.
July 1 to September 4
open seven days a week, 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.;
Thursdays and Fridays until 9:00 p.m.
September 5 to October 9
open seven days a week, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.;
Thursdays until 9 pm
Open Mondays during March Break (February 27 and March 13)
Open Easter Monday (April 17)
Admission is $10.00 Canadian with discounts for seniors, students and children. Admission is half price on Sundays. Serving members of the Canadian Forces and Veterans are admitted free of charge.
Recommended:
Yes
Best Suited For: Students
Best Time to Travel Here: Anytime
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Member: James Smith
Location: Toronto Ontario CANADA
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