The Royal Canadian Regiment Museum Wolseley Barracks London, Ontario ~ DownshiftingPRO

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Royal Canadian Regiment Museum at Wolseley Barracks

To honour the men and women that serve in our armed forces, I encourage you to visit the Royal Canadian Regiment Museum at the Wolseley Barracks in London, Ontario. The museum focuses on the first infantry regiment established in Canada. The regimental history is traced back to the War of 1812 and it overlaps with some of the most significant episodes of post-confederation Canadian history.

Located on Oxford Street east just off of Adelaide and west of Highbury Street. You can easily access the museum from the 401 and 402 highways. I visited the museum with my children and enjoyed the many exhibits and the grounds surrounding the museum. The museum was built and maintained “to preserve, collect and present artifacts from the Regiment and bring pride, esprit and solidarity amongst the members of the RCR.” The Royal Canadian Regiment (The RCR) is Canada’s senior Regular Force Infantry Regiment. Formed in 1883, it has garrisoned communities from Halifax to Victoria and has served in virtually every military campaign undertaken by the country.

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The active or serving component of the Regiment are:

Regimental Headquarters and The Regimental Warehouse co-located at Victoria Barracks in Petawawa, Ontario;
The 1^st Battalion at Victoria Barracks and the 3^rd Battalion at Foulkes Barracks, both in Petawawa, Ontario;
The 2^nd Battalion at Gregg Barracks in Gagetown, New Brunswick;
The 4^th Battalion at Wolseley Barracks in London, Ontario;
The Regimental Association, which includes retired or former serving members as well as serving soldiers, Non-Commissioned Officers and officers of the Regiment, is represented by established branches across Canada. Its National Headquarters is co-located with Regimental Headquarters.

The collection is a large variety of objects: regimental memorials, silverware, uniforms, medals, original art, weapons, military equipment, archives, musical instruments, etc. To fulfill its mandate, the museum continues to pro-actively collect historically significant objects and archives which connects to the regiment’s history. If you wish to donate artifacts to the museum or have inquiries about the collection, please contact the curator for an assessment.

The museum is located in the west wing of the Wolseley Barracks, this ensemble of buildings is a National Heritage site. This is a multilevel museum with a quiet room for reflection and contemplation. You can take in the beautiful stain glassed window and the artifacts commemorating our fallen soldiers.

The Royal Canadian Regiment Museum Wolseley Barracks –London, Ontario

Canadian Honours and Awards

In the Canadian Honours and Awards sections, you can see many of the commemorative awards. There are also many memorial and ceremonial trophies. They are beautiful and well displayed with memorials for the First and Second World Wars. There are also plaques and then you enter a section that is all about the medals that soldier can received.

As with many other military museums, it is always interesting to see the different regalia, formal and combat uniforms. It reminded me of the different uniforms on display in the Arc de Triomphe in Paris. With synthetic and man-made materials so light weight these days, it is amazing to see some of these uniforms. Those heavy woollen jackets had to be heavy and hot in the summer and far too cold in the winter.

History in the Making

War can be so abstract for students. The illustration of history through the years is great to see in this museum. It gives the visitor a greater perspective on when wars began and when they ended. This linear illustration is an area that you might want to spend extra time in. From the pictures and to the plaques, there is much to see.

As you tour the rest of the museum, you will see vignettes of different roles that the RCR have played in history. Whether it is as part of a United Nations Peacekeeping mission in Cyprus or the 2006 Operation Medusa in Afghanistan. The museum has the uniforms and weapons used during these missions.

The Royal Canadian Regiment Museum also has an extensive educational component. Visits that you can book for school children from SK to Grade 12. Programs are adapted for Ontario Curriculum and cover social studies, history, geography, mathematics, science and technology, Canadian and World Studies, English and science. This museum is a small treasure in our city and it is worth a visit. Give yourself about 90 – 2 hours for a comprehensive visit.

Directions

701 Oxford Street East
London, ON N5Y 4T7
Get directions on Google Maps

Hours

Tue, Wed & Fri: 10:00 – 16:00
Thu: 10:00 – 20:00
Sat & Sun: 12:00 – 16:00
Closed on Mondays and on statutory holidays except for Remembrance Day

Although the museum does not charge admission fees, an honorarium is recommended. The fee covers administration fees related to bookings and programs delivery.

Everyone is welcome to observe the remembrance ceremony conducted by 4RCR in the Parade Square at Wolseley Barracks. The museum will be open for extended hours. Veterans will be on-site throughout the day to interact with the public and other interactive activities will be available

Royal Canadian Regiment Museum at Wolseley Barracks

Canadian Honours and Awards

History in the Making

Directions

Hours

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