A Story of Canada’s coastal war comes to the Canadian War Museum
December 18, 2006 |
A Story of Canada’s coastal war comes to the Canadian War Museum
Ottawa, Ontario, December 18, 2006 — The Second World War arrived at Canada’s doorstep on May 11, 1942, when a German U-Boat torpedoed a freighter in the Gulf of St. Lawrence. For much of the next two years, enemy submarines hunted merchant ships in the waters of the St. Lawrence, threatening a vital supply line to Britain, and changing forever the lives of local residents. This tragic and compelling story is the subject of a new exhibition opening on December 22, 2006 at the Canadian War Museum (CWM).Canada Under Attack: The Battle of the St. Lawrence (1942–1944) tells the stories of deadly torpedo attacks, espionage, and the spirited response of Canadian and Allied defenders. But above all, the exhibition explores the battle’s profound and lasting effect on the people of the Lower St. Lawrence and Gaspé regions.
“This exhibition highlights the fact that while Canada was never invaded during the war, enemy forces did breach our eastern border and threatened our coastal communities,” said Mr. Joe Geurts, Director and CEO of the Canadian War Museum. “Canada Under Attack serves to highlight the battle’s strategic importance and its enduring human cost.”
The Battle of the St. Lawrence claimed 375 lives and 23 Allied ships, including the ferry SS Caribou. The sinking of the Caribou killed of 137 passengers and crew, and sent shock waves across the country.
Canada Under Attack is a travelling exhibition jointly created by the Naval Museum of Quebec and the Musée de la Gaspésie. It showcases more than 40 artifacts, including a torpedo that hit shore near the village of Saint-Yvon in Gaspé; wreckage from ships and submarines; buoys from an anti-submarine net; and espionage equipment belonging to a German spy who was set ashore in Chaleur Bay to prepare for the arrival of saboteurs.
The exhibition also features the story of Maureen Spence-Hall, whose father was killed in a U-Boat attack. Her attempts to retrace the last moments of his life provide a personal and intimate window onto this long and costly naval battle.
During its presentation at the CWM, the exhibition will also feature several works of art and artefacts from the Museum’s own collections.
Canada Under Attack: The Battle of the St. Lawrence (1942–1944), will be presented at the Canadian War Museum from December 22, 2006 to April 15, 2007.
Information (media):
Christina Selin
Senior Communications Officer
Canadian War Museum
Telephone: 819 776-8607
E-mail: christina.selin@warmuseum.ca.
Pierre Leduc
Media Relations Officer
Canadian War Museum
Phone: 819 776-8608
E-mail: pierre.leduc@warmuseum.ca.
2006-12-18 00:00:00.000
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