Ontario Regiment RCAC Regimental Museum facts for kids
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| Established | 1980 |
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| Location | Oshawa, Ontario, Canada |
The Ontario Regiment (RCAC) Museum, also known as the "Ferret Club," is an official museum of the Canadian Armed Forces. It is located in Oshawa, Ontario, Canada. The museum started in 1980. It has grown into the special section for historic vehicles of the Ontario Regiment Museum.
The museum has many volunteers. These volunteers love military vehicles. They include regular people, plus current and former members of the Royal Canadian Armoured Corps (RCAC), the Canadian Army, and the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF). The museum's collection has many vehicles that still work or have been fixed up. These include old tanks like the Sherman Mark IV, Chaffee, M60, and Sheridan. They also have armored trucks and jeeps. Some of these vehicles are even used in parades and special events with the Ontario Regiment and other CAF groups.
The money needed to fix, keep up, and fuel these historic vehicles comes completely from the dedicated volunteers. The museum also earns money by letting some of its vehicles be used in Canadian and international TV shows or movies. You can see many of the museum's vehicles from Stevenson Road North. This road leads into the south field of the Oshawa Executive Airport.
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What You Can See at the Museum
Almost every vehicle at the museum either works or is being fixed up. Many vehicles, like the old Sherman Mark IV, Chaffee, M60, and Sheridan tanks, are often driven. This also includes armored trucks and jeeps. They are used in parades and other special events involving the Ontario Regiment or other groups from the CAF.
The money to fix, maintain, and fuel the museum's vehicles and displays comes entirely from volunteers. These volunteers include current and former members of the Canadian Armed Forces, veterans, cadets, and regular people. The museum also earns some money by letting its vehicles be used for certain Canadian and international TV shows or movies. Many vehicles in the museum's collection can be seen from Stevenson Road North. This road leads into the south field of the Oshawa Executive Airport.
How the Museum Started
The museum began in 1980. It was first called the Ontario Regiment Ferret Club. It started in a garage in north Oshawa. The collection began with nine fully restored Ferret armoured cars. These were vehicles that the Canadian military no longer needed.
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The club moved to an old dairy farm in Oshawa for most of the 1980s. Later, it found a permanent home on the Oshawa Airport lands. This airport was one of the many places where allied pilots were trained during the Second World War.
Museum Collections
Historic Vehicles (The Ferret Club)
The museum has over 70 vehicles. These include jeeps, carry-alls, carriers, tanks, and even a motorcycle. Besides fully restored Bren Gun Carriers and M24 Chaffee tanks, there are also two M4A2(76)W HVSS tanks. There is also one Centurion tank that is waiting to be fixed up. The collection also has some vehicles from other countries, like a Scania HLVW prototype.
Other cool vehicles in the collection include two M60A3 tanks and two M551A1 Sheridan tanks. Many former US Army M113A2s are kept in good shape and driven often. The M113C&R Lynx vehicles are also driven regularly. The museum also has many different types of Canadian military trucks and jeeps, including the Dodge M37. Trucks from after World War II are also on display.
Indoor Displays
The museum's Indoor Displays section has uniforms, medals, photos, diaries, history books, and other items. These items show the history of the Regiment, the Royal Canadian Armoured Corps, and the Canadian Army. They cover history from the 1850s up to today. These items are shown in displays that look like real scenes from the past. Among the medals on display are those of past members of the Ontario Regiment. This includes the original Order of Canada medal given to its longest-serving honorary leader, RS (Sam) McLaughlin.
