MISSION POSSIBLE: The Untold Story of Canada's Military Engineers and Communicators
Ottawa, Ontario, June 11, 2003 - Mission Possible: The Untold Story of Canada's Military Engineers and Communicators opens today at the Canadian War Museum (CWM). This interactive exhibition showcases a century of innovative contributions and tells the story of how these two groups have combined to achieve success in both war and peace, while overcoming a wide range of challenges. Mission Possible is the Canadian War Museum's major summer exhibition, and a must see for all.
"Because Canada has been, for the most part, a country of civilian soldiers covering all regions of the country, this exhibition is one that includes and should be relevant to all peoples and all areas of the country. Mission Possible takes a look at the men and women behind the technology, and tells exciting stories from wartime battlefields and peacekeeping missions", said Joe Geurts, Director and CEO at the Canadian War Museum.
“Today, at home and during operations overseas, military engineers are actively engaged in field and construction engineering, mapping, and fire protection and aircraft crash rescue. We are thrilled to be able to share our experiences with Mission Possible visitors,” stated Brigadier-General Steve Irwin, Director General Military Engineering at National Defence Headquarters.
“Mission Possible is an excellent opportunity, especially since this is the 100th anniversary of Canadian military communications, to not only celebrate the devotion and tremendous sacrifice of our military communicators, but also a superb opportunity for Military Communicators to show all Canadians what their Canadian Forces has done in the past, and continues to do today in support of their country, at home and abroad.” said Brigadier-General Kevin O'Keefe.
For more than 100 years, military engineers and communicators have provided vital services to their country and to their comrades in war and peace. The exhibition tells the story of Canadian military engineers and communicators, people who operate behind the scenes yet play a vital role in making our military and peacekeeping operations such a success. It presents the human experience and accomplishments of these people in peace and war, in Canada and overseas. From Vimy Ridge in 1917 to Afghanistan in 2002, they have built roads, established radio links, laid and removed landmines, and performed hundreds of other tasks in support of military missions from British Columbia to Bosnia.
Mission Possible will challenge visitors to test their own communications and engineering skills as they send messages, build a bridge and clear a virtual minefield. Visitors will discover that these tasks, routine to military engineers and communicators, have played an important role in military operations and in the development of our country.
The First Floor Gallery will catch the visitor's eye and tell story of our military engineers and communicators through four themes: wartime, the arctic, peacekeeping, and civilian applications. The Third Floor Gallery will show “What it Feels Like” to be a military engineer or communicator, through audio stations, photographs and war art. While changing technologies are displayed, the human face of these achievements is portrayed through various audio-visual components allowing the participants to describe their personal experiences.
During July and August 2003, the indoor exhibitions will be linked with an outdoor component in the General Motors Courtyard. Members of the Canadian Forces will be on hand to share their past and recent experiences and demonstrate equipment used in current military operations. Engineers will be featured in July and communicators in August. Repeat visits are a must since the components of the outdoor display will be changing regularly over the summer.
Mission Possible: The Untold Story of Canada's Military Engineers and Communicators is proudly presented by the Canadian War Museum in partnership with the Department of National Defence.
The exhibition is presented in three spaces at the Museum: the First Floor Gallery, the Third Floor Gallery and the exterior General Motors Courtyard (July and August 2003). Admission is free to the outdoor interactive exhibition, which runs from July 1st to August 28th, 2003.
The Museum is open to the public seven days a week from 9:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and until 8:00 p.m. on Thursdays. Admission is free to all on Thursdays from 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. and half-price on Sundays all day. For more information, please call 1-800-555-5621 or (819) 776-8600.
Media Information
Christina Selin
Senior Communications Officer
(819) 776-8607
christina.selin@warmuseum.ca
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