here & Now spotlight : canadian war museum photograph oF a carving in blenheiM quarry , arras , France . © brett killington 2015
Watercolour by alexander von erichsen , around 1866 . Fort erie historical MuseuM 994.085.008
A History of WArfAre
The Canadian War Museum is on the frontlines of Canada 150 celebrations with three memorable exhibits . Canada , as a nation , was forged in the mud and trenches of Vimy Ridge , a battlefield in France in which 10,000 Canadians fought — for the first time ever — under Canadian command . To mark the battle ’ s 100th anniversary , Vimy — Beyond the Battle ( APRIL 6 to NOV . 13 ) explores the epic conflict from different perspectives . Meanwhile , Preserved In Stone – Underground Art of the First World War ( Until JAN . 7 , 2018 ) spotlights the mark — quite literally — that Canadian soldiers made on the tunnels and quarries they used for shelter and storage ( and battleground stages ) in First World War France . 3-D reproductions and photographs depict these historic engravings . And finally , The Fenians — Unintended Fathers of Confederation ( Until SEPT . 4 ), tells the tale of the doomed Fenian — Irish-American veterans of the American Civil War — plot to conquer Canada and trade it for Irish independence from Britain . Instead , their threat united Britain ’ s North American colonies and helped paved the way for Confederation . Visitors can take in 23 historical watercolour paintings depicting the clashes between the Fenians and Canadian militia . — Chris Lackner
12 where . ca march / april 2017