The Very Heart Of The Continent

 Video screens on either side of the path show a re-enactment of the Battle of the Plains of Abraham, which took place at Quebec City during the French and Indian War. It would decide the fate of the continent- the city occupied the high ground over the St. Lawrence River, and thus was the very key to holding North America.

A model of the battleground is seen here, with the lines of British, French, and militia laid out.

Both commanding generals made mistakes, as noted on the display alongside the model. But the mistakes of Montcalm would set the stage for the British victory, even though both commanding generals would die of their injuries.

This is a Loyalist uniform, dating to the American Revolution. Rebels attempted to seize Quebec City early in the war, but were pushed back out by British regulars and militia. Loyalists would move to Canada following the Revolution.

The War of 1812 would see American invasions again. In this display case are weapons and tools of the Revolution and the War of 1812.

This display case includes a painting of a Mohawk warrior, John Norton, along with other items- a musket, war club, tomahawk, medal, and wampum belt. Norton would fight alongside the British during the War of 1812.

This coat has particular distinction. It is the uniform coat of Sir Isaac Brock, the commanding general at the Battle of Queenston Heights. Brock was shot leading a charge, dying instantly. The bullet that killed him left its mark on the uniform, directly beneath the collar.

It was a bloody war, but time and again, British military, First Nations warriors, and Canadian militia pushed back the American invasion.

This surgical kit would have been common to that war and in the decades that followed.

Later in the 19th century, as the bloody Civil War raged south of the border, Canadian leaders took from that as an example not to follow, and united in Confederation. After the war ended, Irish American veterans of the Union Army launched what were called the Fenian Raids- an attempt to hold Canada for ransom to get the British to grant Irish independence. Each time, the invasions were pushed back. The display case includes a Union service cap and medals. We'll get back into this series after the theme day.

The Earliest Conflicts

The permanent galleries inside the War Museum are organized chronologically. The first one looks at early conflicts into the late 19th century. Conflict has been part of Canada for thousands of years, with inter-tribal hostilities.

Weapons of pre-contact peoples can be seen in reproduced versions below at left.

A model of an Iroquois village, with fortifications, is found here.

The Vikings were the first outsiders to make contact in North America, and for a number of years, there was conflict to be found between these travelers and First Nations peoples of the East Coast.

Hundreds of years later, Europeans would return to stay and establish settlements.

Firearms had become part of their arsenal. Conflict in the new world would take on a different form.

The French made alliances with tribes in eastern Canada. This would draw the French into conflict with the enemies of their new allies- the Post-Contact Wars.

 

This pair of life sized mannequins shows the bond of allies- the French militiaman and the Ojibwa warrior, learning from each other and sharing technology. 

The old rival of the French had established themselves in the New World, where the British jockeyed for position as well. This would ultimately lead to the French and Indian War.

Called the Seven Years War elsewhere, it raged across the world. Churchill described it as the first global war.

This mortar was used during the siege of Louisbourg.

A Tense Mission

 More from this exhibit at the War Museum about the UN mission to Cyprus.

In 1974, the mission changed significantly. Turkish forces landed and invaded the north part of the island to protect Turk nationalists on Cyprus. The fighting intensified, and Canadian peacekeepers were caught in the midst of it.

Canadian forces scaled down by 1993 in Cyprus, but not entirely, and the island and its mission still has a legacy in the history of Canadian military operations.

Sixth Company

 This unusual but creative work looks at history that never was. Sixth Company Battalion is a 2016 work by Anique Jordan, depicting her mother and aunts in Loyalist uniforms of the era of the War of 1812. Women at the time could not serve in battle.

This extraordinary portrait is one I've shown you before. Normandy Warrior is a 2020 painting by Elaine Goble, depicting Philip Favel, an indigenous veteran of the landings in Normandy during the Second World War.

I found this very creative. Barb Hunt created antipersonnel between 1998-2003. These are knitted versions of landmines, a commentary on the contrast between the weapons, which kill decades after a conflict has ended, and the healing that is inherent in the act of knitting.

This one, particularly, caught my eye. The real version is a claymore mine.

Injured: PTSD is a poignant 2002 painting by Gertrude Kearns.

This powerful portrait is Major-General Jennie Carignan, also by Kearns, done in 2020. A fitting way to close out this exhibit.

Out I went to the permanent galleries. Large photographs line the path on one side.

In a central hub that leads into the galleries is a temporary exhibit. This year marks the 60th anniversary of UN peacekeeping in Cyprus. Canadian soldiers joined up from the start. While the bulk of Canadian participation ended in 1993, there remains a Canadian presence to the operation to this day. This exhibit looks at the history of that operation.

It was a mission that would have casualties for the Canadians.