PREPARING FOR THE NEW CANADIAN WAR MUSEUM – VISIT VIMY HOUSE FOR THE LAST TIME!
Open House, free to the public, Saturday, September 6, 2003, 12 p.m. to 4 p.m.
Vimy House, the Canadian War Museum's collections and research facility, is closing its doors to the public as of September 1, 2003 in order to prepare for the move to it's new location at Ottawa's LeBreton Flats.
To mark this occasion, the facility will re-open its doors, free to the public, one last time on Saturday, September 6 from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. Visitors will have the chance to browse the collection and see up close the CWM's impressive large artifacts, such as 17th-century cannons, heavy artillery used during the
First World War, Second World War era tanks and other vehicles, and more recent examples of military technology such as a Cold War era Russian T-72 tank and a British Chieftain tank. The Military Technology Gallery at Vimy House also houses a number of rare items, including Second World War
artifacts of German manufacture: a V2 rocket, a Salamander (one-man) sub; a weather monitoring station recovered from the coast of Labrador where it had been placed by a German U-Boat; and the only example in the world of the Canadian-made Valentine tank, just to name a few. Veterans and staff will be
on hand to answer questions and share stories about how and when these artifacts were used. Guided tours
will be provided all afternoon.
"The facility must close to allow staff time to prepare the collections for their move into the new Canadian War Museum," says Joe Geurts, Director and CEO of the CWM. "This is a unique opportunity for visitors to see this collection up close, and have the chance to talk to veterans who've used the vehicles and equipment in action. When the doors close on September 6th at 4 p.m, the collections will not be accessible to the public until the new Museum opens in 2005."
One recent acquisition is a Second World War era reconnaissance vehicle commonly referred to as the Staghound. Journalist Doug Fisher, a former Staghound crewman, will be on hand with a few other
Staghound veterans to explain and share stories about the vehicle. Visitors will have a chance to see the vehicle up close and in operation. Other vehicles, such as a Universal Carrier, a Lynx, and a CMP truck, will also be displayed outside the facility. Operating demonstrations are scheduled throughout the afternoon.
Vimy House is located in Ottawa at 221 Champagne Avenue North, just off Slater Street, west of Preston Avenue. For more information, please call (819) 776-8600 or 1-800-555-5621.
Information (media):
Christina Selin
Senior Communications Officer
Telephone: (819) 776-8607
christina.selin@warmuseum.ca
Pierre Leduc
Communications Officer
Telephone: (819) 776-8608
pierre.leduc@warmuseum.ca
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