The Vancouver Island Military Museum is located in the small city of Nanaimo on Vancouver Island in British Columbia, Canada. It’s located downtown, so close to the waterfront and cruise ship facility, which is how I arrived.
What’s in the Vancouver Island Military Museum?
The museum is considered British Columbia’s most significant military museum. With its spacious premises, there’s lots of room for their 25+ major exhibits and displays.
The two-storey building, which originally housed the Nanaimo Museum, is in an octagon shape. It was built by the Hudson’s Bay Company between 1853 and 1855 to defend their coal mining operations in the area.
So, while the building looks new, there’s a lot of history before you ever get inside!
Stepping Back in Time
I started my tour by stepping back in time to the War of 1812.
This war was a conflict between the United States and Great Britain over British violations of U.S. maritime rights in North America.
Indeed, in 1814, a British general even burned down the Presidential Mansion (which was replaced by the White House)!
I also found the story about Camp Nanaimo (1939 – 1946) intriguing.
During that period, 16,000 men with 36 regiments trained in the tiny community.
The Exhibits
The museum has many unique artifacts related to the military and life on the homefront. These include:
- 700 uniforms in storage with about 90 on display
- 300 firearms in its inventory with about 85 on display
- 2000+ military books
- Military history from the War of 1812 through the Cold War to Canada’s involvement in Afghanistan
Two of their possessions are incredibly rare and significant to military history. The first is a signed Christmas card from Adolph Hitler to his command structure in 1939. You can see it in their captured German items display.
The second is a 1937 Canadian dollar bill signed by flying ace George Frederick “Buzz” Beurling.
Beurling’s considered to be Canada’s most famous hero of WWII and was nicknamed both The Falcon of Malta and the Knight of Malta.
Linda’s Pick of the Exhibits
I found the Vancouver Island Military Museum particularly interesting due to its Canadian perspective. My pick of the displays was the evolution of Women in the Armed Forces.
Women’s service started back in the Boer War and WWI. More than 2800 Canadian Nursing Sisters served, many of them nuns, nicknamed the “bluebirds” due to their blue dresses and white veils.
By WWII, the first Women’s Division of the Royal Canadian Air Force was created. Membership totalled 1700+ members by the end of the war. While initially performing clerical and administrative roles, a number became radio/radar operators, plotters, coding technicians, and signallers.
Linda’s Road Trip Tips
If you like cake — and most of us do — you’ll love visiting Nanaimo! You may already be familiar with Nanaimo bars, but if not, you’re in for a real treat.
Technically, you’d probably call this tasty sweet treat Nanaimo cake.
However, since it’s cut into bars to serve, it’s called Nanaimo Bars.
Do you know what’s in Nanaimo Bars?
Nanaimo Bars were named Canada’s favourite confection in a 2006 survey by the National Post.
What’s in Nanaimo bars? Well, Nanaimo bars have three layers: a bottom crumb layer, a middle custard layer, and a final layer of chocolate. If you’d like to make your own Nanaimo Bars, there are several different mixes available.
So you’ll find one of the most important things to do in Nanaimo is to check out at least a couple of different recipes for these sweets on the Nanaimo Bar Trail!
The Nanaimo Museum is another should-see stop, as it’s a great introduction to the history and culture of the area.
Who Should Visit the Vancouver Island Military Museum?
The Vancouver Island Military Museum is a must see for anyone interested in military history.
I found it fascinating to learn more about Canada’s historic and current roles.
There are lots of artifacts that young people will enjoy viewing, along with information panels.
I didn’t have a lot of time as I had to get back to the ship, but a full tour would take several hours.
Check out the Bastion Historical site on your way there!
How Do You Visit the Vancouver Island Military Museum?
The most common way to get to Vancouver Island is to take the BC Ferries service. Or, if you’re lucky, Nanaimo will be a stop on your cruise ship itinerary as mine was.
Check out hours and admission costs at the Vancouver Island Military Museum website.
Watch a short CTV news clip about the museum on YouTube.
Follow the museum on Facebook.
Plan your visit to the Vancouver Island Military Museum with Google Maps.
Discover More Military & War Museums
- Excellent Military Museum: Nanaimo, BC
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A free attraction, the Hill Aerospace Museum is military aviation museum. The collection includes 90+ military aircraft and missiles. - 1942 Battleship & 1941 Submarine: Mobile, Alabama
Battleship Memorial Park is home to both a 1942 battleship and a 1941 submarine. It also includes an aircraft pavilion with some Cold War planes. - Incredible WWII Museum in Minnesota
Visit this Minnesota WWII museum to find many unique artifacts from the war. It also features large realistic wall murals depicting important battles. - Exposing WWII’s Manhattan Project in WA
The National Historical Park B Reactor in Hanford, WA, was one of three sites in the Manhattan Project. Take a free tour to see the reactor as it looked during operations. - Massive WWII Museum Collection in New Orleans
The National WWII Museum takes you to 27 countries around the world, covering all the theaters of WWII. It also has a Dog Tag experience that let each visitor have a real-life story to follow.
Reference(s)
VIMM. (2017). A day of celebration and dedication. https://militarymuseum.ca/museum/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/2017-Summer.pdf
guide2museums.com 