Telling Our Stories

“Telling Our Stories” is the theme for our Regimental Museum and Archive’s next five-year Strategic Plan which was recently approved by the Museum’s Board of Governors. It overarches the five strategic directions we’ve identified:

1. Preserving the regiment’s history
2. Promoting the regiment’s history and current mission to the public
3. Serve the interests of a wider community through outreach and digital presence
4. Support and benefit from Casa Loma’s tourist business
5. Ensure the effective governance and management of the museum to accomplish the above

These extend directions which were identified in our 2017-2022 Plan. You can read more about our  Mandate, Mission, Vision and the newest plan (and how it was developed) here.

How are we telling our stories now?

Telling our stories isn’t new for us. Since the museum’s inception, we’ve been telling the stories of the Regiment and the Riflemen who have served in it. Here are some of the ways:

• Our physical exhibits are the most obvious example with hundreds of artifacts helping to tell the story of the regiment’s significant events as well as stories of individual riflemen. Over 300,000 visitors are exposed to these each year as they tour Casa Loma.
• We continue to work with Gurkha Company of our Reserve Battalion to ensure that each new recruit has an opportunity to visit the museum and learn about the history of the Regiment from our museum team.
• Our website has almost 500 profile pages – from Riflemen to Generals – from 1860 to the present. Of course, this is only a fraction of those who have served in the past 163 years but we continue to add new profiles regularly.  Last summer we completed profiles for each of the 61 soldiers killed on D-Day.
• We also use this blog to share stories as well as museum updates on this blog with 260 posts in the past 10 years.
• Our Online Collections catalogue includes a searchable section called People. It includes over 4,800 entries which are crosslinked to website Profiles where appropriate but also display any objects in our collection connected to that soldier such as photos in which they are named, and any related donated medals, diaries, uniforms, trophies, shadow boxes, etc.
• In addition, we’ve uploaded photos and information over 4,700 objects (and growing) that are available to anyone to access.
• We have digitized various archival documents such as early nominal rolls, regiment orders, diaries, correspondence, etc. to assist family genealogists and historians (as well as preserve the originals!)
• We have digitized and uploaded over 130 multimedia items (and created some of our own) to our museum’s YouTube Channel which has 2,500 subscribers and in 2023 has had over 133,000 views and 4,900 hours of watch time. Our most popular video is the “Evolution of the Rifleman’s Uniform 1860-1900s” which has more than 366, 200 views since being uploaded!
• We regularly share stories and artifacts on our Facebook Page (with 6,200+ followers) and Instagram (with almost 2,000 followers.)

Moving forward, we plan to expand on these efforts and identify new ones.

Who helps tell our stories?

All of our dedicated museum team are volunteers. First, we have a great museum Board of Governors, that meets periodically to provide governance oversight of the museum activity and financing.

• Ms. Michele McCarthy (Chair
• Mr. Jim Lutz (Past Chair)
• Major Anthony S. Schultz, CD (Ret’d)
• Captain (Adam Hermant, CD (Ret’d)
• Ms. Jenna Zuschlag Misener
• Ms. Lisa Holmes
• Mr. Tristan Strathy
• Major John M. Stephens, CD (Ret’d) (Director & Acting Archivist)
• CWO Shaun Kelly, CD (Ret’d) (Curator)

The major operational work is done with a team of volunteers under Shaun’s direction that includes Assistant Curator Graham Humphrey, Collections Officer Briahna Bernard, and Photography Officer Anne Frazer and works at the museum most Thursday evenings cataloging, photographing and properly storing new donations, updating exhibits, clearing cabinets, and a raft of other tasks that always need doing!

How do we fund our work?

We receive a small annual grant of $1,500 from the Ontario Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Sport however the remainder of our $25-30K annual budget is provided by The Queen’s Own Rifles of Canada Trust Fund.

Actual expenses vary year to year but generally include upgrades to exhibits, labels, interpretive panels and creation of pop-up banners, website and collection management database costs, association memberships with the Ontario and Canadian Museum associations and the Organization of Military Museums in Canada (which provide training and networking opportunities), archival grade storages materials from acid-free folders and boxes to mylar clothing bags and other supplies, third party conservation work, occasional purchases of important objects, general office supplies, and annual volunteer recognition reception.

In 2024 our exhibit upgrades include raising 4 four exhibit cabinets and adding LED lighting which is the last of a three-year project. The final year’s cost is estimated at $8,000.

How is the QOR Trust Fund funded?

The Trust fund receives some grants and foundation funding but the majority of income is from individual donations which are of course eligible for a charitable tax receipt.

How can you help?

Please consider making a donation to the QOR Trust Fund and directing it to the Museum Fund. You can mail a cheque to the Trust or donate online through a recurring donation, a one-time donation, or even by donating securities or certain cryptocurrencies. You can also make a Tribute donation in honour or memory of someone. All these options are available through the Trust’s CanadaHelps page and explanations, addresses and links to donate (which are preset to the Museum Fund!) are available on our Donate page.

Please help us “Tell Our Stories” and become part of our team by making a financial donation to support our museum.

PLEASE DONATE