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Day at the War Museum

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Day 42 Wednesday 27 October – Day at the War Museum

Daybreak is full of promise, the sun is out and there's only the hint of a breeze. After another delightful breakfast Jenny and Linda set off to explore the wonders of the fabric shops in the district, David and I travel into Ottawa to visit the War Memorial.

On approach the building does not look at all impressive being set low into the ground and will in from the main road. Once inside the doors you realise just how massively large the building is. David has a magic card which provides him and a guest with free entry and we head for the exhibition wing. A long and wide passage lined with enlarged photos leads to the start of the exhibits. We don't need the directions available and David leads us down to the hall where the large collection of the machines of war are on show.

Tanks, APCs, self propelled guns and trucks are all dwarfed by the size of the hall. It is a huge area with over 150 vehicles on display and still enough free space to hold as many more. Most of the pieces are in mint condition or have been meticulously restored, others are in as was used condition with broken pieces hanging off and scars of battle clearly visible. In addition to equipment used by the Canadians, there is gear from the Russians, the Germans and some American hardware as well. It takes us over two hours to view most of this collection.

Time for lunch in “the Mess”, a spacious area with a sunny view and served by a compact cafeteria. David has to move the car to avoid the parking inspector while I nose around some of the other areas. There are a number I didn't visit, including the Gift Shop, the Theatre and the Research Centre – there just is too much to see.

The detailed displays are loosely divided into four zones or galleries. They are arranged in a rough circle and follow the chronology starting with the early wars on Canadian soil through to the present time. I was aware that the Canadians had fought in WWI and WWII and that they were prominent in Peace Keeping missions, but there's a lot more they were involved in.

The early wars were a complete revelation and it appears the fought against the British, the French, the Americans and the First Nation People. I'm sure they even fought each other when there was no-one else to fight.

The exhibits were well lit and easy to read in quite spacious corridors. Significant items of a particular period were interspersed with enlarged photos, paintings, posters and reconstructed street scapes. All in all a vast and pleasant contrast with the War Memorial in Canberra.

At the end of the last gallery there was a room which asked the question “What will you do?”. Beneath that question you're invited to express your views on what the Museum has meant to you. There is a large array of pre-addressed blank cards and you're invited to use them to send a message. The preprinted addresses include the President of the USA, the Secretary General of the UN, the Prime Minister of Canada, the Directors of the Museum, the Canadian Legion and and a lot of others I can't remember. According to a staff member these cards are regularly and frequently replenished.

Somewhat emotionally drained and leg weary we head back to Manotick, a drink and diner and prepare for the trip to Quebec City in the morning.

PS. Jenny and Linda had a great day out and bought a range of materials.

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Posted by greynomadm 04:26 Archived in Canada

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Comments

Looks awesome mate. Certainly less panic provoking than the dingy depths of our Wa Memorial!!

Travel safely to Quebec (I wanted to say it in French but Frog couldn't remember how to say it. Sigh. No accent and now he's failing simple sentences!)

Love to you both

Nat and the gang.

by DrTard

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