Canadian exhibits online

Nothing can quite compare to the experience of visiting a museum – the hushed hallways; the three-dimensional presence of Canadian heritage.  Of course there’s also the downside: parking, and admission hours, and most especially, the difficulty of getting to museums far away.

The Department of Canadian Heritage has developed a compromise: the Virtual Museum of Canada.  Opened online in 2001, the museum hosts exhibits from around the country, in partnership with various museums. You can visit at any hour from your desktop, and be directed to sites across the country. Many of the exhibits touch the core of the Canadian experience.

There are many exhibits at the Virtual Museum, with plenty more to come. Here are a few highlights, but we recommend that you visit the whole list at: http://www.virtualmuseum.ca/

Remembrances: Canada and the Second World War
http://www.virtualmuseum.ca/Exhibitions/Militaris/
This virtual exhibit highlights the human aspect and experience of war. It includes photos and memories of veterans, thes of the shared experience of those affected, and a look at weapons and equipment.  Other features of the site include a trivia quiz and a 3-d tour.

New Brunswick: Our stories, our people
http://www1.gnb.ca/0007/Culture/Heritage/VMC/default.asp
With a storyline, panoramas of historical locations, galleries of artifacts, and a poll, this site gives a good look back through the long history of New Brunswick and of the Acadian experience in Canada.

Pelee Island/Middle Island: How We Got to the Present Millenium
http://www.windsorpubliclibrary.com/digi/pelee/english/index2.htm
This site is for the naturalist in all of us – a host of information about this diverse and unique region, where many species of wildlife have managed to survive even as human beings settled the area.  As the site says, “The story line of contact between human society and wildlife on the islands is one that demonstrates a harmony uncommon in much of our country.”

Medi-Centre
http://www.virtualmuseum.ca/Exhibitions/Medicentre/en/
The Medi-Centre is a showcase of Canada’s greatest medical heroes – the men and women whose contributions have made a significant mark in the world of medicine. You can navigate the site one of several ways, including mapping a trail across Canada by testing your knowledge of significant advances in medicine made by Canadians.

The Women of Aspenland
http://www.albertasource.ca/aspenland/eng/index.html
This exhibit places artifacts and archival materials into context to explore the history of this area of Alberta through the eyes of the women who experienced it. Includes a database to search by name of the women included in the exhibit.