Westmount, Quebec – 09 November 2016: The RMR Museum has organized several school visits during the lead up to Remembrance Day, with a couple of hundred students expected to visit by mid-November. Organized by Alexandra Bilhete, the Outreach Coordinator, and Melanie Presseau-Dumais, the museum’s digital archivist, classes from several local schools have enjoyed private tours lasting about an hour each.
Each visit starts with a video that highlights the RMR’s achievements since 1914, the classes are then divided into groups to best take advantage of the limited space within the museum itself. While one group visits the museum, the other group completes a scavenger hunt on the parade square, searching for clues to unlock the history of the RMR and learn the story of Canada at war.
The students are also given a guided tour of certain key artefacts from the museum’s collection that really highlight the personal day-to-day life of a typical Canadian soldier during the First World War, as well as pointing out Montreal’s connection to the famous poem In Flanders Field, and encouraging the students to share their own family stories about war. “It is all about creating an interactive experience for the students”, commented Alexandra.
Admission is free (donations alwats gratefully accepted). To book a guided school tour of the RMR Museum, please contact GWEC@royalmontrealregiment.com.