The Elgin Military Museum was established by ordinary citizens in 1982 to recognize the contribution of those who fought in war. The museum recounts the stories of Elgin County residents from the War of 1812 to Afghanistan. Exhibits include models by highly respected craftsmen and a collection of some 600 UN and NATO badges. Exhibits are not confined to the interior as the museum has two M113 armored personnel carrier on permanent display. The Elgin Military Museum may be the only museum on the continent that has space dedicated to an elephant. However, Jumbo, the largest elephant ever held in captivity, died in St. Thomas, Ontario on September 15, 1885. In 1985, in commemoration of the 100th anniversary of his death, a life-size monument of him was installed on the brow of the hill a hundred yards up the street from the museum. Finding a home for the monument had been a significant problem until several members of the museum board convinced other members of the board to permit the statue to be placed in the parking lot the museum had built on Talbot Street. This was the beginning of the menagerie which also includes kangaroo and dolphins.
HMCS OJIBWA
In 2012, The Elgin Military Museum acquired an Oberon ClassCold War Submarine, HMCS Ojibwa S72 See: http://www.hmcsojibwamuseum.ca/. At just under 300 feet long and five storeys high, she is the largest artifact in the collection. As the city of St. Thomas is landlocked, HMCS Ojibwa is located in Port Burwell, Ontario on Lake Erie. The submarine left Halifax, Nova Scotia in May 2012, arriving at Port Burwell in November that year with public tours beginning in the summer of 2013. http://www.hmcsojibwa.ca/. The Elgin Military Museum was the recipient of both the provincial and national tourism awards for the tours at HMCS Ojibwa after its first year of operation.
Vimy Ridge and The Vimy Poppy
A prominent artifact at the Elgin Military Museum is the Vimy Poppy, which was picked by a soldier from St. Thomas on Vimy Ridge a few weeks after the battle began on April 9, 1917 in memory of his fallen comrades. One of these comrades was Lance Corporal Ellis Sifton who won the Victoria Cross that day but lost his life. The tiny box in which his effects were posted to his parents is part of a poignant display in his honour.
