Elgin Military Museum facts for kids

The Elgin Military Museum is a special place in St. Thomas, Ontario, Canada. It's a not-for-profit museum that helps us remember and honor the brave people from Elgin County who served in Canada's military. The museum opened in 1982. It has many exhibits that show Canada's military history, from the War of 1812 to more recent conflicts like the War in Afghanistan.

Discover Canada's Military History

The Elgin Military Museum was started by veterans in 1982. They wanted to show how much people from Elgin County helped shape Canada's military story.

Stories of Local Heroes

The museum shares the stories of people from Elgin County. These stories cover different time periods, from the War of 1812 to the conflict in Afghanistan. You can see amazing models made by skilled artists. There is also a collection of about 600 badges from the UN (United Nations) and NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization).

Outside the Museum

The exhibits aren't just inside! Outside the museum, you can see two real M113 armored personnel carriers. These are armored vehicles used by the military.

Meet Jumbo and Friends

The Elgin Military Museum has a special area dedicated to an elephant named Jumbo. He was the biggest elephant ever kept by humans.

Remembering Jumbo

In 1985, a life-size statue called "Jumbo the Elephant (Bronnum)" was put up near the museum. This was to remember him 100 years after his death. This statue was the start of the museum's "menagerie" section. This section also includes displays about kangaroos and dolphins.

Explore a Real Submarine: HMCS Ojibwa

In 2012, the Elgin Military Museum got a real submarine! It's called HMCS Ojibwa S72. This submarine used to be an Oberon-class vessel. It's the biggest item the museum owns.

Where is the Submarine?

St. Thomas is not near the ocean, so the ex-Ojibwa submarine is located in Port Burwell, Ontario. This town is on Lake Erie. The museum won awards for the tours of the ex-Ojibwa in its first year.

The Vimy Poppy: A Symbol of Remembrance

A very important item at the Elgin Military Museum is the Vimy Poppy. A soldier from St. Thomas picked this poppy on Vimy Ridge. He found it a few weeks after the battle started on April 9, 1917. He picked it to remember his friends who died there.

Honoring Lance Corporal Ellis Sifton

One of the soldiers who died was Lance Corporal Ellis Sifton. He won the Victoria Cross that day, which is a very brave award. The tiny box that held his belongings, sent to his parents, is part of a display in his honor.

Images for kids

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  Lewis gun and Lee–Enfield No 1. Mk 2

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  German Uboat escape lung

See also

• Base Borden Military Museum
• Maritime Museum of the Atlantic
• Military history of Canada
• National Air Force Museum of Canada
• Organization of Military Museums of Canada
• The Military Museums
• The Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders of Canada Museum
• Virtual Museum of Canada

Affiliations

The museum works with these organizations: CMA, CHIN, OMMC and Virtual Museum of Canada.