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 cool military museum in Oshawa, Ontario, Canada. You can find it on the South Field of the Oshawa Municipal Airport. This is about 50 kilometers (30 miles) east of Toronto, Ontario.
The museum has two main parts. One part shows the history of the Ontario Regiment. The other part is a "Vehicle Section." It has over 100 working military vehicles. These include jeeps, trucks, and tanks. It's the biggest collection like this in North America!
Contents
What the Museum Does
The museum works to fix, save, show, and remember the brave service of the Canadian Armed Forces. They especially focus on the Royal Canadian Armoured Corps and its vehicles. They want to show how these groups helped shape Canada's history.
They use old items to tell the story of the Ontario Regiment. This story goes from 1850 all the way to today. Their collection of historic military vehicles helps "bring history to life." The museum wants to honor those who served in the past and those serving now. They make history fun and easy for everyone to learn about.
Who Helps the Museum?
This museum is a non-profit group. It has two full-time staff members. But over 140 volunteers also help out! These volunteers are guides, drivers, and even fixers for the vehicle collection. They are the first ones to work on bringing old vehicles back to life.
The museum is a proud part of the Durham Region community. Many groups support it. These include members of the Ontario Regiment and the Ontario Regiment Cadet Corps. Also, Royal Canadian Legion Branches 43 and 637 help. The 420 Wing (Oshawa) of the Royal Canadian Air Force Association also gives support.
Other helpers include the Royal Canadian Armoured Corp Association (Cavalry). The Royal Canadian Armoured Corps and the Canadian Forces Directorate of History and Heritage also support the museum.
Exploring the Museum Buildings
The museum is located on the South Field of the historic Oshawa Executive Airport. This airport opened in June 1941. It was part of the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan. It was called No. 20 Elementary Flying Training School RCAF Station Oshawa. Only three of the original buildings are still standing today. Young military pilots from many countries trained here.
The museum has one main building. This building holds the Static or Museum Section. It also has three workshops, which are not open to the public. There is a vehicle bay and the Military Vehicle Conservation Centre. The museum also uses two other buildings, but these are also not open to visitors.
Inside the History Hall
The Museum Section tells the story of the Ontario Regiment RCAC. It starts from its early days in 1866. Back then, it was the 34th Ontario Battalion of Infantry. It continued through World War I as the 34th and 116th Battalions. In World War II, it was the 11th Armoured Regiment (The Ontario Regiment (Tank)). Today, it is the Ontario Regiment (RCAC). Members of this regiment have served Canada in every military operation since the Fenian Raids.
The museum shares this history using old items. These items are grouped by type and time period. You can see things from before Canada became a country, the South African War, World War I, World War II, and Afghanistan. These items include old uniforms, personal belongings, deactivated weapons, medals, pictures, and trophies. You can explore this section on your own. But having a guide is a good idea to hear the stories behind the items.
Where Vehicles Come Alive
The Military Vehicle Conservation Centre was added in 2018. This addition gave 15,300 more square feet for the vehicle collection. In this part of the museum, you will see the largest working collection of old military vehicles in North America. You can also watch teams of volunteers fixing and restoring them.
Amazing Vehicle Collection
The vehicle collection began in 1976. At that time, Norman Wilton, who was an Honorary Colonel of the Ontario Regiment, bought nine Ferret Scout Cars. He wanted to use them for special ceremonies. The first nine cars soon grew. They added BART, an M4A2(76) W HVSS tank. Bart was bought from the US after World War II. The Ontario Regiment used it for training until the mid-1970s. Since then, the vehicle collection has kept growing. Here are some of the vehicles you can see:
World War II Vehicles
- M4A2(76) W HVSS - BART and BILLY
- M3A1 Stuart
- M24 Chaffee - one of 24 bought from the US after World War II
- M8 Greyhound
- Several CMP Trucks including a Radio Van. This one has serial number 1 and was built in Oshawa.
- Universal Carrier
- Fox armoured car - built at the GM plant in Oshawa
- Daimler Dingo armoured car
- Panzer III - The museum's Panzer III is a copy made with real German parts or parts cast from originals.
- Hetzer - The museum's Hetzer is a G-13 model. It was changed to match German Army designs.
- Sd.Kfz. 251 - There is a C and D version. These are Czech OT-810s changed to match German Army designs.
- T-34/85 - A famous Soviet Tank from World War II. This vehicle fought in Eastern Europe as a 75 mm version. It also fought in the Soviet invasion of Manchuria in its current 85 mm setup.
- FLAK 88 - One of only three in Canada. It is currently being fixed up.
- Willys MB - The museum has several Jeeps. One was used by the Ontario Regiment in Sicily.
Cold War Vehicles
- T54A - The museum's T54 is painted in Iraqi colors.
- BMP-1 - Along with the T54A, this was a common Soviet armored vehicle during the Cold War.
- M60 - The museum has a US Army and a US Marine Corps M60A3.
- Leopard 1 - Five Leopards, including C1 and C2 types.
- M113 - Both US and Canadian versions. Also engineering, TOW, and communications types.
- Centurion - Running again after 40 years.
- Chieftain - Mark 10 and Mark 11.
- FV432 - British Armoured Personnel Carrier.
- M151 MUTT - Canadian and US Jeep.
- M551 Sheridan - An air-droppable and amphibious tank.
Gulf War Era Vehicles
- CVR-T - A British family of Combat Vehicles Reconnaissance - Tracked. Examples of all family members are at the museum.
- AVGP - A Canadian family of Armoured Vehicles. This includes the Cougar (for fire support), Grizzly (for carrying people), and Husky (for recovery).
- HUMMWV - A USMC version with a .50 cal mount.
Modern Era Vehicles
- LAV III - A well-known vehicle used by Canadian Forces in Afghanistan.
- M113 TLAV - An M113 A3 upgraded for Canadian service.
- Sandcat Armoured Patrol Vehicle.
- Land Rover Wolf.
Since December 2022, a new display features a rare World War II Howitzer Motor Carriage M7B1. This vehicle is often called the M7 Priest. More than 4,000 of these U.S.-made M7 Priests were built during the war. The tank was used by Americans, the British, Canadians, and the Free French. Many Canadian soldiers who stormed Juno Beach on D-Day advanced in M7 Priests.
Exciting Museum Events
The museum hosts special events. Here, the public can watch the vehicles in the collection move around. These events include Tank Saturdays and the famous Aquino Weekend.
Tank Saturdays
Tank Saturdays are one-day events. They usually happen on the second Saturday of each summer month, from May to October. These events have a special theme. There is a one-hour show based on that theme. Often, re-enactors are part of the show. You can usually even get rides in armored vehicles! Tank Saturdays end with a "Battle Royale." In this event, two tanks and their crews go head-to-head in the museum's tank arena.
Aquino Weekend
Aquino Weekend is a world-class event that lasts two days. It is held during the second weekend in June. Since 2024, it has also been held in July. There are two themed one-hour battle shows on both Saturday and Sunday. Common themes include "WW2 - Western Front," "WW2 - Eastern Front," "Gulf War," and "Viet Nam." Each pretend battle has vehicles, re-enactors, loud sounds, and special effects. There are also vendors and static displays by re-enactors. Each day finishes with a "Battle Royale." Here, two tanks and their crews face off in the Museum's tank arena.
Tank Rides and Experiences
The museum offers special experiences in their historic vehicles. These are more than just rides. They can be a full experience where you work with the crews. You can help prepare the vehicle and get a complete tour of all the crew positions.
Group Tours
You can also arrange group or special tours. If you are interested, you should contact the museum to ask about when they are available.
World of Tanks Gaming Station
The computer game World of Tanks works with the Ontario Regiment RCAC Museum. There is a World of Tanks gaming station at the museum. Visitors can play the game on fast computers. They can use standard World of Tanks vehicles or special vehicles from the museum.
See Also
- The Ontario Regiment (RCAC), Oshawa, Ontario
- Ontario Regiment Ferret Club, Oshawa, Ontario
- Oshawa Military and Industrial Museum, Oshawa, Ontario
- Royal Canadian Armoured Corps
Other 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
