Wood Buffalo Military Museum expands as demand for local history grows
Posted on November 21, 2024
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Fort McMurray’s military history is crowding storage rooms, but the region’s military museum is committed to find ways to showcase all of their growing collection.
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The Wood Buffalo Military Museum Centre, which is found at the Fort McMurray Legion, has a growing collection of different weapons, uniforms, flags, photos, documents and other military paraphernalia.
A Chieftain tank used in the British Army is parked outside near a LAV that stands as a monument for Canadians who died in Afghanistan. More vehicles are being restored by Keyano College students.
Kevin Rodgers, the museum’s curator and a history professor at Keyano College, says the collection appears random until Fort McMurray’s own history is considered.
“We’ve got hundreds of veterans in Fort McMurray. Most of them weren’t born here, but they choose to reside here. They bring with them their collections and stories from places like Yugoslavia and Afghanistan,” said Rodgers.
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“And it’s not just Canadian soldiers. We’ve talked to people who were Ukrainian soldiers and part of other sides. That’s still part of our history as a community. We’re not just a Canadian or local museum, even though we push that local idea. We also deal with global events.”
Rodgers says the museum has actively reached out to schools and community groups. There has also been a growing interest in local and Canadian history both from long-time residents and newcomers to Fort McMurray.
The museum had a soft opening in 2021 during the COVID-19 pandemic. Since then, the museum has grown professionally. There is a board of directors and partnerships with Keyano College, the Multicultural Association of Wood Buffalo and other military heritage groups across Canada.
He expects more visitors as new exhibits are shown or arrive. This includes a growing collection of armoured vehicles and an ongoing digitization of historical archives.
“There’s been changes since the soft opening but it’s not just what you see. The structure has changed to a much more professional model,” said Rodgers.
“We’ve been really working to making this a real important center for historical knowledge within our community.”
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Uniforms worn throughout the military career of Dale Bendfeld, president of the Wood Buffalo Military Museum, on November 6, 2024. Vincent McDermott/Fort McMurray Today/Postmedia Network Different uniforms worn by Canadian soldiers on display at the Wood Buffalo Military Museum at the Fort McMurray Legion on November 6, 2024. Vincent McDermott/Fort McMurray Today/Postmedia Network A collection of rifles in the armoury of the Wood Buffalo Military Museum at the Fort McMurray Legion on November 6, 2024. Vincent McDermott/Fort McMurray Today/Postmedia Network A collection of rifles and submachine guns in the armoury of the Wood Buffalo Military Museum at the Fort McMurray Legion on November 6, 2024. Vincent McDermott/Fort McMurray Today/Postmedia Network An M1919 machine gun in the armoury of the Wood Buffalo Military Museum at the Fort McMurray Legion on November 6, 2024. Vincent McDermott/Fort McMurray Today/Postmedia Network The uniform worn by Lance Cpl. Gordon White, a Fort McMurray-born Metis man who served in the United States Marine Corps and was killed in the Vietnam War in 1969, on display at the Wood Buffalo Military Museum at the Fort McMurray Legion on November 6, 2024. Vincent McDermott/Fort McMurray Today/Postmedia Network A display for Lance Cpl. Gordon White, a Fort McMurray-born Metis man who served in the United States Marine Corps and was killed in the Vietnam War in 1969, on display at the Wood Buffalo Military Museum at the Fort McMurray Legion on November 6, 2024. Vincent McDermott/Fort McMurray Today/Postmedia Network A Hitler Youth uniform at the Wood Buffalo Military Museum at the Fort McMurray Legion on November 6, 2024. Vincent McDermott/Fort McMurray Today/Postmedia Network Different military uniforms worn by Canadians and foreign militaries on display at the Wood Buffalo Military Museum at the Fort McMurray Legion on November 6, 2024. Vincent McDermott/Fort McMurray Today/Postmedia Network A Chieftain tank used by the British Army on display at the Wood Buffalo Military Museum at the Fort McMurray Legion on November 6, 2024. Vincent McDermott/Fort McMurray Today/Postmedia Network A Chieftain tank used by the British Army on display at the Wood Buffalo Military Museum at the Fort McMurray Legion on November 6, 2024. Vincent McDermott/Fort McMurray Today/Postmedia Network L-R: Kevin Rodgers and Geoffrey Jones at a display for the Wood Buffalo Military Museum at the Fort McMurray Legion on November 6, 2024. Rodgers is the museum’s curator and educational coordinator. Jones is the museum’s collections specialist. Vincent McDermott/Fort McMurray Today/Postmedia Network
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