The Military Museums

the Calgary, Alberta, Canada museums

The Military Museums is a reorganization of the former Museum of the Regiments in Calgary, Alberta, announced by Sophie, Countess of Wessex, on June 3, 2006. The new museum comprises the former Museum of the Regiments as well as the relocated Naval Museum of Alberta and an Air Force Wing consisting of artifacts being acquired.

The Museum of the Regiments was formally opened by Queen Elizabeth II on 30 June 1990, on what was then CFB Calgary. The museum, partnered with the Calgary Military Museums Society (CMMS), was a joint venture of the four military regiments in Calgary at that time, each with its own gallery. The Military Museums preserves and documents the history of all three environmental commands of the Canadian Forces, the Royal Canadian Navy, Canadian Army, and Royal Canadian Air Force, with a focus on Alberta history, through an extensive public gallery and archival holding. The museum collects, preserves, arranges, catalogues, interprets and exhibits to the public and members of CFB Calgary, the history of the base (which closed in 1998) and its garrison units. The goal is to stimulate the interest in the history of the base to all personnel of the base, and the general public to
cooperate with other organizations having similar objectives.

The Lord Strathcona's Horse (Royal Canadians) Regimental Museum and Archives educates members of the regiment and public at large in both the history of the Strathconas and the day to day life its members experience. Additionally, they provide a variety of other educational services to interested parties, including the public and educational institutions. The curatorial team partners with The Military Museums Foundation to aid in the training and development of Calgary Museum and Cultural Resource Management students, as well as to provide outreach and educational opportunities to the Calgary Area. The archives draws on a collection of records, photographs and art from the history of the regiment, and provides family and personal history reports at no cost to the public. Finally, the collections manager oversees uniforms, artefacts, and weapons and ensures they are available for display, study or examination. The museum is staffed by three full time military members as well as part time volunteers and students. Assorted vehicles, to include tanks, from the regiment's history are found throughout the grounds of the Military Museums.

The gallery collects, arranges, catalogues, preserves, interprets and exhibits to the members of the regiment and the public, the medals, weapons, maps, implements, devices, and other goods and chattels of historical value and importance connected with the military and social development of Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry (PPCLI) within the context of the Canadian Forces (Land). The goal is to stimulate interest in the history and development of PPCLI within the context of the Canadian Forces. A statue, titled Let's Go! is dedicated to the 25,000 Canadians that served during the Korean War (1950–53), in particular Private Malcolm McNeil of 2nd Battalion PPCLI.

The mandate is to supply regimental personnel and interested general public with a physical link to the unit's history as well as providing knowledge of past activities, battles, exploits, deeds of valour, and equipment. It is a depository for the safe keeping of historical items and information on the regiment. It is used by regimental personnel as an aid to recruiting, and by regimental instructors to illustrate tactics and strategy of past campaigns. The memorial stained glass windows featuring 1944 and 1991 badges were dedicated by the Royal Canadian Electrical Mechanical Engineers Association of Alberta to members of the Electrical and Mechanical Engineering Branch and its predecessors. The Founder's Gallery was officially opened in June 2009 by Sophie, Countess of Wessex.

The original foundation, the Calgary Military Museums Society (CMMS) is no longer a functioning entity of TMM, but continues to operate on other projects and in 2012 was rebranded as Valour Canada.