Ontario Regiment Museum facts for kids
| Established | 1980 |
|---|---|
| Location | South Field of the Oshawa Municipal Airport, 1000 Stevenson Rd N, Oshawa, Ontario, Canada |
| Type | Canadian Forces Museum |
The Ontario Regiment (RCAC) Museum is a special place in Oshawa, Ontario, Canada. It's an official Canadian Forces Museum. This museum has two main parts: one shows the history of the Ontario Regiment, and the other has over 100 working military vehicles. These include Jeeps, trucks, and tanks! It's the biggest collection of its kind in North America. You can find the museum at the Oshawa Municipal Airport, about 50 km east of Toronto.
Contents
What the Museum Does
The museum works hard to fix up, keep safe, and show off items from Canadian military history. They especially focus on the Royal Canadian Armoured Corps, which uses tanks and other armoured vehicles.
They use old items to tell the story of the Ontario Regiment, from the 1850s until today. Their amazing collection of military vehicles helps "bring history to life." The museum wants to honor those who served and are serving now. They make history fun and exciting for everyone to learn about.
Who Helps the Museum?
The museum is a non-profit group. This means they don't make money for owners. They have two full-time staff members and more than 140 volunteers! These volunteers are super important. They act as guides, drive the vehicles, and help fix them up. They are the first people to start bringing old vehicles back to life.
Many groups support the museum. These include members of the Ontario Regiment, the Ontario Regiment Cadet Corps, and local Royal Canadian Legion branches. The Royal Canadian Airforce Association also helps out. Other supporters include the Royal Canadian Armoured Corp Association and the Canadian Forces Directorate of History and Heritage.
Exploring the Museum
The Buildings and Where It Is
The museum is located at the historic Oshawa Executive Airport. This airport first opened in June 1941. It was a training school for pilots during the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan. Pilots from many countries learned to fly here.
Today, only three of the original buildings are still standing. The museum has one main building. This building holds the history section, three workshops (not open to visitors), a vehicle bay, and the Military Vehicle Conservation Centre. The museum also uses two other buildings, but these are not open to the public.
The History Section
The History Section tells the story of the Ontario Regiment RCAC. It goes all the way back to 1866. You can learn about their role in World War I and World War II. Members of this regiment have served Canada in every military operation since the Fenian Raids.
The museum shows this history through different items. These include old uniforms, personal belongings, deactivated weapons, medals, pictures, and trophies. The items are grouped by time periods, like the South African War, World War I, World War II, and Afghanistan. You can explore this section on your own, but a guide can tell you cool stories behind the items.
The Military Vehicle Conservation Centre
The Ontario Regiment RCAC Museum is a "working museum." This means they don't just display things; they actively work on them! You can really see this in the Military Vehicle Conservation Centre. This large building was added in 2018. It gave the museum an extra 15,300 square feet for its vehicle collection.
In this part of the museum, you'll see the largest collection of working historical military vehicles in North America. You can also watch teams of volunteers fixing and restoring these amazing machines.
The Vehicle Collection
The vehicle collection began in 1976. The Honourary Colonel of the Ontario Regiment, Norman Wilton, bought nine Ferret Scout Cars. These were used for special ceremonies. Soon, the collection grew with the addition of BART. BART is an M4A2(76) W HVSS tank. It was used for training by the Ontario Regiment after World War II. Since then, the collection has grown even more! Here are some of the vehicles you might see:
Tanks and Vehicles from World War II
- M4A2(76) W HVSS - The museum has two of these, named BART and BILLY.
- M3A1 Stuart
- M24 Chaffee - This is one of only 24 acquired from the US after WW2.
- M8 Greyhound
- Several CMP Trucks - One was built in Oshawa and was the very first of its kind!
- Universal Carrier
- Panzer III - This is a reproduction using real German parts.
- Hetzer - The museum's Hetzer was changed to match German Army specifications.
- Sd.Kfz. 251 - These are Czech vehicles that were changed to look like German ones.
- T-34/85 - A famous Soviet tank from WW2.
- FLAK 88 - One of only three in Canada, currently being restored.
- Willys MB - The museum has several Jeeps, including one used by the Ontario Regiment in Sicily.
Cold War Era Vehicles
- T54A - The museum's T54 is painted in Iraqi colors.
- BMP-1 - This was a common Soviet armoured vehicle during the Cold War.
- M60 - The museum has M60A3 tanks from both the US Army and US Marine Corps.
- Leopard 1 - Five Leopards, including different versions.
- M113 - Both US and Canadian versions, plus special types for engineering or communications.
- Centurion - This tank is running again after 40 years!
- Chieftain - Mark 10 and Mark 11 versions.
- FV432 - A British Armoured Personnel Carrier.
- M151 MUTT - Canadian and US Jeeps.
- M551 Sheridan - A tank that could be dropped from planes and go in water!
Gulf War Era Vehicles
- CVR-T - A British family of tracked combat vehicles. The museum has examples of all of them.
- AVGP - A Canadian family of armoured vehicles: Cougar (for fire support), Grizzly (to carry people), and Husky (for recovery).
- HUMMV - A US Marine Corps version with a .50 cal machine gun mount.
Modern Era Vehicles
- LAV III - A famous vehicle used by Canadian Forces in Afghanistan.
- M113 TLAV - An M113 A3 that was updated for Canadian service.
- Sandcat Armoured Patrol Vehicle.
Exciting Events
The museum wants to make history fun and exciting. They do this through special events where you can see their vehicles in action!
Tank Saturdays
Tank Saturdays are one-day events, usually on the second Saturday of summer months (May to October). Each event has a special theme and a one-hour show based on that theme. Sometimes, people dressed in historical costumes (reenactors) are part of the show. You can often even go for rides in the armoured vehicles! Tank Saturdays end with a "Battle Royale" where two tanks and their crews battle it out in the museum's tank arena.
Aquino Weekend
Aquino Weekend is a big, two-day event held during the second weekend in June. There are two themed battle shows each day, Saturday and Sunday. Common themes include "WW2 - Western Front," "WW2 - Eastern Front," "Gulf War," and "Viet Nam." These pretend battles include vehicles, reenactors, loud sounds, and special effects. There are also vendors and historical displays. Each day ends with a "Battle Royale" in the tank arena.
Tank Rides and Experiences
The museum offers special experiences with their historic vehicles. These are more than just rides! You can get a full experience, working with the crews to get the vehicle ready. You can also get a complete tour of all the places where the crew sits inside. Check the museum's website or contact them for more details and to see which vehicles are available.
Tours
You can also arrange special tours for groups.
Other Special Events
The museum often has other special events throughout the year.
World of Tanks
World of Tanks is a video game partner of the Ontario Regiment RCAC Museum. The museum has a World of Tanks Gaming Station. Here, visitors can play the game on fast computers. You can use standard tanks from the game or even special tanks that look like the ones at the museum!
Other Cool Tank Museums
- Musée des Blindés – France
- The Tank Museum – United Kingdom
- Yad La-Shiryon – Latrun, Israel
- Parola Tank Museum – Finland
- Military museum Lešany – Czech Republic
- German Tank Museum – Germany
- Military Museum, Belgrade – Serbia
- Canadian War Museum – Ottawa, Ontario
- Base Borden Military Museum - Canada
- cavaleriemuseum - Amersfoort, The Netherlands
- Nationaal Militair Museum – Soesterberg, The Netherlands
- Royal Tank Museum – Jordan
- American Heritage Museum – United States
- Royal Australian Armoured Corps Memorial and Army Tank Museum - Puckapunyal, Australia
- Australian Armour and Artillery Museum - Cairns, Australia
