On Thursday, February 12th, The Queen’s Own Rifles museum held another successful event to recognize and thank our dedicated team of volunteers. A dozen and a half volunteers, museum board members, and representatives once again gathered in the beautiful Royal Canadian Military Institute’s library for drinks, munchies and socialization.
Our volunteers include former and serving members of the Regiment, current and former members of the Master’s in Museum Studies program at the University of Toronto, and others with an interest in history and the military. They catalogue objects, process and describe archival materials, scan archival records for our website, redesign and update exhibits, clean existing exhibits, accession new donations, update our database and our website, respond to research requests, track expenditures to our allocated budget, and liaise with other military museums in the Greater Toronto area, to name just a few tasks!
For the more formal part of the evening, we gathered near the fireplace where each attendee introduced themselves and their role at the museum. We were especially pleased to have our wounded Curator join us with multiple pins in his ankle, and on his first outing in almost two months that didn’t involve a hospital visit!
On behalf of the Command Team, Deputy Commanding Officer Sam Leibel and Regimental Quartermaster Sergeant Mike Hyde expressed the Regiment’s gratitude for our volunteers’ efforts to both physically and virtually preserve and share the QOR’s long and detailed history.
They also provided an overview of the impacts of the current Canadian army modernization on the QOR. While this has significant organizational impacts at higher levels, it is clear that this will not impact the museum in any direct way. Neither will there be any significant impact operationally on the QOR, except for the sharing of the Command Team with the Ontario Regiment starting at the end of March 2026.
Modernization Inflection Point Podcast
The Museum’s Board of Governors members, Adam Hermant, Lisa Holmes, Jenna Misener and Tony Schultz, sent their regrets for the evening; however, Board Chair Michele McCarthy expressed the Board’s appreciation for the 1600+ hours of work our volunteers have given in 2025.
Museum Director John Stephens announced that we have just purchased our first interactive exhibit, which involves dressing a 1916 soldier in his uniform and equipment. We hope to receive and install the exhibit in mid-March.
With the help of the Regimental representatives, we finished the formal part of the evening with a draw for eight $50 gift certificates graciously provided by Liberty Entertainment Group for various restaurants they operate in Toronto.
If you would like to help financially support the work of our Regimental Museum, we appreciate your donation through our CanadaHelps portal.
The Queen's Own Rifles of Canada Regimental Museum and Archive 