Solid ground at Ontario Regiment Museum
CRH Canada and Dufferin Concrete (DC) are committed to giving back to communities we live and work in to help them grow and prosper. By aiming to make meaningful contributions, DC donated concrete for a concrete pad at the Ontario Regiment Museum which boasts the country’s largest collection of operational military vehicles.
The concrete pad is used to not only provide “parking” for tanks allowing them to stay clear of mud which erodes the tracks and causes rust and damage, but it also provides easy access to the site for the thousands of visitors it receives each year, in particular those with accessibility needs.
“The addition of this outdoor vehicle compound to our Museum not only helps preserve these unique vehicles for future generations, but more than doubles our vehicle display area. We are now able to present to the public twice as many vehicles from our collection on display at any given time. Our community partners are not only helping to preserve and present history, but are literally helping us build a world class facility for our visitors to enjoy.” Jeremy Neal Blowers, Executive Director, The Ontario Regiment RCAC Museum.
The museum initially began operating in the 1980’s and over the past three decades, its collection has grown to include a number of fully restored vehicles including several tanks and tracked vehicles used by the Royal Canadian Armored Corps, the Canadian Forces, and allied forces. The members felt there was no more historically appropriate location to have the official museum than the Oshawa Municipal Airport, home to the Commonwealth Air Training Plan for allied pilots during the Second World War. The airport also served as the drop-off point for candidates to the then top-secret spy school Camp ‘X’. James Bond’s creator, Ian Fleming, trained there along with numerous other agents who played a vital part in the winning of World War II.
We are proud to have contributed to such a meaningful part of our country’s history and hope that the concrete pad will keep the tanks safe and accessible to visitors for many years to come.
To learn more about the museum and plan your visit, click here.
