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Ontario Regiment
Museum gets 10 new military vehicles
Contribution adds to
significant collection in Oshawa
October 30, 2010
Jennifer Stone
Museum pieces: The Ontario
Regiment Museum at the Oshawa Airport is in the
process of receiving a shipment of 10 new
vehicles from the Canadian military. The new
vehicles will become part of the museum's
permanent display. Museum chairman Leo Morin
sits in the back of a Husky Recovery Vehicle
with an M577 Command Post in the background.
October 30, 2010. (Photo: Ryan Pfeiffer)
OSHAWA -- When the offer came in for the Ontario
Regiment Museum to add to its already extensive
collection of military vehicles, the answer was
easy.
�When (military vehicles)
become surplus to the Canadian Forces, then
authorized Canadian Forces Museums can apply to
get some of them,� said retired Lieutenant
Colonel Leo Morin, chairman of the museum. �They
said they have this and this and this, and we
said, we�ll take one of each.�
To date, four of 10 new vehicles have arrived,
with the remainder slated to get to the
Stevenson Road North museum in the coming
months. Once there, the equipment will be
restored and added to the museum�s collection.
The Ontario Regiment�s
history pre-dates Confederation by 30 years. In
1837, an infantry company was formed in Whitby.
The museum traces the company�s history,
including involvement in the First and Second
World War.
At present, the organization restores and
maintains the largest museum collection of
operational military vehicles in Canada. There
is also an array of other regiment-related
artifacts including uniforms, medals and
weaponry.
The museum was founded about three decades ago.
The Regiment�s Honorary Lieutenant Colonel
Norman Wilton, a Second World War veteran,
provided initial funding for establishment of a
nine-car fleet of Ferret cars, which the
Regiment received from the Canadian Forces,
according to information on the group�s website.
A small group came together, and restored them
to �parade-ready, operational condition.� Since,
the collection has grown to include an array of
vehicles including Jeeps, Sherman and Centurian
tanks.
The new equipment includes a mechanic�s vehicle
and personnel vehicles.
�They could have been in Germany, Cyprus,
Bosnia, Croatia,� Lt.-Col. Morin said.
The museum closes for the season effective Nov.
1, but tours can be arranged outside of the
regular season. Visit
www.ontrmuseum.ca for more information. The
regular season runs from Easter to Nov. 1,
during which time it is open from 1 to 4 p.m.
Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays and holiday Mondays.
The Museum is located at the south field of
Oshawa Municipal Airport, 1000 Stevenson Rd. N.
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