Museum in works for Afghan war
LAV arrives to kick off site in Calgary
CALGARY • Calgary will be home to a permanent museum marking this country’s longest ever conflict — the war in Afghanistan.
The Military Museums, alongside Crowchild Trail in the city’s southwest, has been designated by Ottawa as the official home displaying artifacts and individually narrated stories about a conflict that touched many people across this country.
The first step in what is expected to be a five-year journey before the Afghan museum becomes a reality will take place Monday, when a troop carrier, one that became synonymous with the difficult Canadian mission, is unveiled as a monument on the south side of the museums’ grounds.
The LAV III — an abbreviation for Light Armoured Vehicle — struck fear into the hearts of Taliban insurgents during the latter part of Canada’s involvement in the war-torn country.
Rory Cory, head curator at the Military Museums, said the LAV III was nicknamed The Green Monster by Taliban forces because it was so difficult to destroy, and its 25 mm machine gun was renowned for being able to “reach out and touch the enemy.”
“It was the primary support vehicle used by Canadians later in the mission when there was heavy fighting against the Taliban, who found it difficult to cause significant and lasting damage to it. In fact, they were terrified of it,” he said.
One of these symbolic vehicles is currently being welded into place, stripped of its weaponry and inner workings, to become a symbol both of the campaign and the promise to remember those who served, which will be the focus of the future Afghanistan museum in Calgary.
Monday’s unveiling, which will be attended by the U.S. consul general, veterans of the war and families of the fallen, will launch a multi-year program to eventually honour those sacrifices as well as understand the issues resonating today with many suffering with posttraumatic stress after their tours. More than 40,000 Canadians served in Afghanistan, and 162 died, between 2001 and 2014.
The Military Museums is the second-most-attended of such buildings in the country, after the Canadian War Museum in Ottawa. Cory believes it was chosen because of its popularity and because many of the fallen in Afghanistan were from Western Canada, the Princess Patricia regiment being heavily involved in the conflict.
Already, more than 120 personal stories have been gathered from veterans along with many exhibits. These will form the backbone of a travelling showcase called the Afghanistan Legacy exhibit.
“It will travel for the next four or five years while we are doing fundraising for the permanent installation here in Calgary. Then it comes back here for good,” said Cory.
The permanent museum will likely cover more than 10,000 square feet and will probably be built onto the current structure of the Military Museums. Cory said it should feature lots of interactive material, so visitors can understand the war through the eyes and voices of veterans.