Canadian History: Detailed Exhibit Plan on WWII and Canada's Role

This report details an exhibit plan for the Canadian Museum of History centered on Canada's involvement in the Second World War. The plan explores Canada's contributions on the home front, in industry, agriculture, and military service, emphasizing the sacrifices made and the country's transformation into a significant military power. The exhibit aims to educate the public about Canada's role in WWII, using artworks, photographs, posters, and newsreels to highlight the global scale of the war and the efforts of Canadians. The report discusses the objective of the exhibition, its importance in educating the public, the unifying theme of Canada's role, and the inclusion of diverse materials to engage visitors. It covers the importance of honoring the contributions of Canadians and veterans, and the need for careful arrangement of artifacts. The report also touches on the process of promoting the exhibition and the work involved in creating and managing it, offering a comprehensive guide for an engaging and informative historical display. The exhibition aims to educate visitors about the sacrifices of the Canadian population, their veterans and honor their significant contributions.

Running Head: HISTORY 1
Canada’s history
Author's Name
Institutional Affiliation

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Introduction
Exhibitions are not easy to design and need lots of work and preparation. One has to
make major decisions like the topic, themes, and objects. Even after a detailed study and
preparation, there is still a long and detailed process of constant revisions and reviews. The
current exhibit plan focuses on an essential aspect of Canada’s history, the second world war.
The objective is to develop an exhibit plan that explores Canada’s role in the Second World War.
The paper offers a written report that outlines the exhibit plan in detail.
The new Canadian Museum of History was renovated just in time to celebrate the 150th
anniversary of Confederation. This is the era where museums are expected to convey complex
stories rather than just display artifacts (Taylor, 2012). The exhibits are anticipated to be
educative and entertaining with alluring interactive displays. However, it is not so easy to
display history in a truly engaging way. It is a good idea to study some curators or work with
them to understand the development of exhibitions and the complexities of this work. As the
focus of the exhibition is on Canada’s role during the Second World War, it is essential to
understand the background of the topic and related aspects.
Canada and The Second World War
The Second World War was a humanmade event that shattered millions of lives, and its
impact on the world was felt for many years to come. The war was fought on every continent
except Antarctica. Millions of people died in battle or due to disease or starvation. It was the
younger population that was involved with the fighting and died. Those who survived came back
with emotional and physical disabilities. The Second World War also damaged the collective
cultural heritage and natural environment of the world (Canadian War Museum. 2019a).

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Canadas’s contribution towards the Second World War involved the whole country. Its
people served on the home front in agriculture and industry and the military. The country
mobilized the economy of the war with its industrial and agricultural output. Hundreds and
thousands were wounded and gave their lives. For a country with just 11 million people, its
contribution towards the Second World War is indeed remarkable (Veterans Affairs Canada,
2019). Canada became a significant military power at the end of the Second World War and
became an essential member of the world community. It became the fourth largest air force and
one of the largest navies in the world after the ordeal of war (Veterans Affairs Canada, 2019).
The war indexed restored Canada’s self-confidence and economic health. It is essential that the
public should be aware of the role of Canada in WWII and remember the efforts made by the
country and its people. It would be an important and interesting topic for the museum exhibit.
Objective and importance of the exhibition
Before planning an exhibition, it is essential to focus on the objective behind and
potential visitors. Exhibitions are not just a simple display of artworks or images or objects. They
showcase different artworks to showcase objects and educate the audience. At the same time, the
visitors should enjoy the experience and feel connected to the exhibits. As museums and
galleries receive a diverse audience, the exhibition design and display should be accessible and
attractive. Accessibility means to serve diverse audiences and motivate them to visit and enjoy
the exhibit (Smithsonian, 2019). Exhibition designers and developers must exhibit the content at
multiple intellectual levels for the diverse community.
The exhibition on Canada’s role during the Second World War holds significant
importance as it educates the masses on the contribution of Canada towards the war. Not many
people are aware of the significant efforts and outstanding contribution of the Canadian

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government towards the war. The war placed a severe strain on Canadians as the country
manufactured war materials and other supplies for the Allied countries. The Canadian
contribution made a significant difference to the events and outcome of the war. The unifying
theme for the exhibition is Canadas’s Role in World War II. The exhibition intends to bring
different aspects together to make the larger whole and what the exhibition aims to convey. The
theme would include artworks, photographs, posters and newsreel related to Canadas’s role in
World War II. The most prominent and impressive work of the artists, photographers and
newsreels and posters would be selected for the exhibition.
It is essential to recognize the contributions made by the Canadians during the Second
World War and honor the efforts of those millions who participated in the war on the front lines
or behind the lines. The artists, photographers, newsreel and print media document those events
and are an indispensable source of authentic information on Canada’s role during the Second
World War. The exhibition would cover the global scale of the war and will highlight the role of
Canada during WWII. It would lend a voice to the countless many who contributed to the war in
their own ways and displayed the strength and courage, whether it was the artists the
photographers or the newsreel makers. The exhibition intends to highlight Canada role in the
Second World War and reflects the time of great pride and unity among the Canadian population.
The exhibition aims to educate the visitors about the sacrifices of the Canadian population, their
veterans and honor their significant contributions. When displaying the images of war
photographers and war artists, it is essential to keep space between them. As the objects will vary
in both size and subject matter, it is essential to arranged chronologically and aesthetically.
Once the exhibition is all set, the next step would be to promote the show and send press
materials to magazines and newspapers. It is indeed lots of hard work and effort to put together

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an exhibition. One has to plan and find a space in the galleries. The submission guidelines of the
gallery need to be followed carefully and based on the provided specifications. Once the location
is confirmed, it is time to work on the finer details of the exhibit, the installation schedule and the
show dates with the gallery.

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References
Canadian War Museum. (2019a). Second World War: Canada’s War Artists Perspective, war
museum Retrieved from
https://www.warmuseum.ca/cwm/exhibitions/artists/indexeng.html
Smithsonian. (2019). Smithsonian Guidelines for Accessible Exhibition Design, Smithsonian
Accessibility Program Retrieved from https://www.si.edu/Accessibility/SGAED
Taylor, K. (2012). The new Canadian Museum of History: Whose history will it tell?, the globe
and mail Retrieved from https://www.theglobeandmail.com/arts/art-and-architecture/the-
new-canadian-museum-of-history-whose-history-will-it-tell/article6390494/?page=all
Veterans Affairs Canada. (2019). Second World War (1939 – 1945), veterans Retrieved from
https://www.veterans.gc.ca/eng/remembrance/history/second-world-war

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