3. The Birth of a Nation and its Military
• Prior to Confederation (1867), Canada is known as
“British North America” and is divided into Upper
Canada (Ontario) and Lower Canada (Quebec)
• British military provided vast majority of colonial
protection
• British military support required elsewhere in world by
1850s, requires Canada to form its own military
• “Militia Act” introduced in 1855
5. The Canadian Militia: Our First Soldiers
• Canadian militia soldiers were volunteer
colonial citizens who enlisted to fight
alongside British regulars
• Required to purchase own uniforms,
weapons, six musket shots, gunpowder
• Participated in periodic training drills, but
otherwise maintained common lives and
jobs until called to active service
6. First Action: The Fenian Raids
• Fenians: Irish-American raiders, veterans of
Civil War
• Sought to take Canada and ransom back to
UK for freedom of Ireland
• Made incursions along Niagara, in Quebec,
and even into York (Toronto) and surrounding
counties
• Leads to Oshawa, Whitby and other Ontario
County (Durham) rifle companies being
combined into the 34th Ontario Regiment of
Infantry in 1866
• Fenian Raids of 1866 and 1870 stopped with
little difficulty, but reminded colonial citizens
of threats to borders with US
8. The First March to War: The South African War
• Britain enters South African (Second Boer)
War in 1899 fighting for control of South
Africa and Orange Free State
• Sought to acquire vast amounts of
precious resources, including diamond
mines
• Canadians allowed to enlist in limited
amounts: soldiers’ names entered into
lottery, one name per company drawn for
deployment
• Ontario Regiment sends total of nine
soldiers to South Africa under Royal
Canadian Regiment force
• Some remain in South Africa beyond war’s
end in 1902 as part of South African
Constabulary
10. World War I: Canada’s First Major Conflict
• Canada called to active service as member of
British Empire, sends Canadian Expeditionary
Force made up of numbered battalions overseas
• Ontario County sends some select smaller
contingents early in war, such as portions of 20th
Battalion, 2nd Overseas Contingent in 1914
• Sends its first own fully locally amassed
battalion, the 116th Battalion, in 1916, with
companies made up of men from Uxbridge,
Beaverton, Whitby and Oshawa
• Remained together as a unit throughout war
thanks to Lcol Samuel S. Sharpe
• Sends second battalion, the 182nd Battalion, in
1917 (later broken up in England)
• Toll: 490 Killed, over 1000 wounded
12. Return Home and Transition to Armour
• Ontario Regiment returns home on
reserve, becomes “Ontario Regiment
(Tank)” in 1936
• Begins training with Vickers 6-ton
tanks, transitions later on to FT-17
Renaults, then Churchills, and finally
Shermans
13. World War II: Canada Returns to War
• World War II begins in 1939 with British
and French declaration of war after
German invasion of Poland
• Ontario Regiment begins amassing
strength again, designated “11th
Canadian Tank Regiment” in 1941,
becomes part of 1st Canadian Armoured
Brigade
• Shipped to UK in 1941 for war training,
first Canadians to use Churchill tanks
• Finally deployed in 1943 in Operation
Husky (invasion of Sicily)
14. Two Years to Victory
• Ontario Regiment completes campaign in Sicily
with 12th (Three Rivers) and 14th (Calgary)
Canadian Tank Regiments under 1st Canadian
Armoured Brigade, continues up Italian peninsula
• Contributes to several major Canadian battles,
including Ortona, Florence, Monte Cassino,
Sanfatucchio, the Gothic Line, and the Hitler Line
• Sole regiment to hold “Battle of Aquino” battle
honour, responsible for taking of an airfield from
Germans alone with no infantry support
• Transferred to Holland with rest of 1st Canadian
Armoured Brigade in 1945
• Toll: 69 killed
16. Second Return Home and Postwar Duties
• Ontario Regiment returns home in
December 1945, remains “11th
Armoured Regiment” until 1958, when
it is designated “The Ontario
Regiment (RCAC)”
• Ontario Regiment has since remained
a primary reserve armoured
reconnaissance regiment as a unit,
though some troops have elected to
go overseas
• Several Ontario Regiment troops have
served in United Nations
peacekeeping missions such as those
in Cyprus and Bosnia
• Others have served in more recent
missions, such as war in Afghanistan
17. The Ontario Regiment (RCAC) Museum
• Group of Ontario Regiment reservists form “Ferret
Club” in 1980, with objective of restoring and
maintaining historical armoured vehicles (named
after first vehicle in collection, Ferret Scout Car)
• Museum collection begins growing in Col. R.S.
McLaughlin Armoury and Parkwood before moving
to 1000 Stevenson Road North on Oshawa Airport
South Field in 1993
• Ferret Club and Museum collection join under “The
Ontario Regiment (RCAC) Museum,” which
commemorates the history of the Ontario
Regiment and its cultural and historical
contributions to Durham Region and the world
18. Tank Saturdays: Our Pride and Joy
• The Ontario Regiment (RCAC)
Museum prides itself on
maintaining its entire collection of
over 80 armoured vehicles fully
operational
• Once a month, vehicles are
brought out for live display in a
drive arena for “Tank Saturdays,”
bringing vehicle displays to life
and giving visitors ability to
experience their presence as in a
conflict setting
• Rides in vehicles newly offered as
19. Legacies
The Ontario Regiment (RCAC) Museum is proud to perpetuate
and honour the legacies of those who served and continue to
serve in:
The Ontario County Rifle Companies
The 34th Ontario Regiment of Infantry
The 116th and 182nd Battalions, CEF
The Ontario Regiment (Tank)
The 11th Canadian Tank Regiment
The Ontario Regiment (RCAC)
20. Thank you!
Please feel free to visit the museum anytime at the
following address:
1000 Stevenson Road North
Oshawa Airport South Field
Oshawa, ON
L1J 5P5
Museum Hours: 12:00 PM to
4:00 PM, seven days a week
905-728-6199
sam@ontrmuseum.ca
