Canadian War Museum’s Afghanistan exhibition attendance tops 125,000

Canadian War Museum’s Afghanistan exhibition attendance tops 125,000 – show extended to April 27, 2008

The exhibition’s compelling images and first-hand accounts of Canada’s involvement in the ongoing war in Afghanistan have been drawing visitors who want to learn more about Canada’s military history even as it unfolds. Canadian journalists Stephen Thorne of The Canadian Press and Garth Pritchard, a freelance documentary filmmaker, captured the photographic and video records during several visits to Afghanistan.

From 9/11 to the evening news, Afghanistan: A Glimpse of War shares personal stories born of the chaos of battle and the struggle for peace. It shows how Canada has responded to terrorism, and how Canadians are helping to rebuild a country shattered by decades of war. The exhibition does not shy away from showing the human cost of one of Canada’s most deadly military actions since the Korean War, and invites visitors to contribute their own voices, memories and thoughts to the exhibition through interactive stations.

“Seeing this conflict through the personal stories of Canadians who have lived it helps us recognize the reality of this and every other war,” said Mark O’Neill, Acting Director of the Canadian War Museum. “The War Museum is pleased to be able to contribute to our knowledge of contemporary military history and to foster a greater understanding of conflict in all its dimensions.”

In addition to photographs and video, Afghanistan: A Glimpse of War features artifacts that add a tangible human dimension to the ongoing struggle, including wreckage from a Canadian military vehicle destroyed by a roadside bomb, a piece of aircraft wreckage from the World Trade Centre terrorist attack, and material from the Afghan presidential elections in 2004.

Upcoming Public Programming for Afghanistan: A Glimpse of War

Walk and Talk Tour

November 25 – 3 p.m. (1 p.m. in French)
Join us for an hour-long, in-depth visit of the exhibition, led by the Museum’s post-1945 historian, Andrew Burtch. Register at the Information Desk on tour days; maximum 25 people per tour.

Building Knowledge Series
November 29 – 7 p.m.
Ghost Wars: The CIA, Afghanistan and bin Laden
Join Pulitzer Prize-winner Steve Coll as he explores the extent to which America’s best intelligence analysts grasped the rising threat of Islamist radicalism. Who tried to stop bin Laden and why did they fail? Barney Danson Theatre
In partnership with the Embassy of the United States of America.

December 6 – 7 p.m.
Afghanistan: Transition Under Threat
Dr. Barnett Rubin, author of several books on Afghanistan, talks about the challenges faced by the country as it tries to rebuild. Barney Danson Theatre

Admission to the Building Knowledge Series is free, and admission to the Walk and