Welcome to the Summer 2025 edition of The Despatch, the Military Communications and Electronics Museum Newsletter
Museum News
THE HIGHWAY OF HEROES MILITARY MUSEUMS ASSOCIATION
Update from Rory M. Cory, Museum Executive Director
This spring we launched an exciting formal partnership with eight other museums stretching from Borden to Kingston called the Highway of Heroes Military Museums Association. This collaborative effort is designed to promote military history and tourism along the 401 corridor through joint marketing initiatives and events. The association has a website www.highwayofheroesmuseums.ca , printed brochures and banners that can be shown at events. In the interest of encouraging visitation between multiple sites, the brochures have a passport included. If visitors collect stamps from six of the member museums on their passport, they get a prize bag.
A series of events are launching the association throughout the summer. The May 10 launch in Oshawa had over 800 people in attendance for their VE Day Tank Saturday event, and the June 22 Super Jimmy Day Highway of Heroes Military Museums launch at MCEM had 450 people in attendance with great engagement from the Branch leadership and all three levels of government. The launch in Belleville in June was similarly well attended by over 150 people, and Murney Tower’s event in Kingston July 12 was sold out. If you’ve missed these events, the next events are at Fort Henry on August 8 (included with their Sunset Ceremony) and in Trenton on August 16 (Wings & Wheels).
In addition to these successful events, most sites have noticed an increase in their attendance this year, in part due to the advertising for the association, as well as the added activity drawing people out. For example, the C&E Museum had 3164 visitors in May/June 2025 as opposed to 2419 in 2024. The Hastings & Prince Edward Regiment Museum had 310 visitors in May/June 2025 as opposed to 140 in 2024. Specific visitor demographics are also telltale. We’ve been concentrating our advertising on Toronto, and this has paid off. Some visitors from Toronto came out specifically for our events, and some of these even came for overnight stays to see other attractions in the area. It’s great to see our efforts paying off already.
Our advertising has been funded through Central Counties Tourism (administered through the Canadian Tank Museum in Oshawa) and the Kingston Association of Museums (administered through the Military Communications & Electronics Museum Foundation). This is another great example of how the association can benefit its members – each has access to funding sources that the others would not have access to. Next year we plan to concentrate our advertising in Montreal to capitalize on the strong visitation from Quebec that we already see. Assuming our funding applications are successful, this activity will be funded through grants from Experience Ontario and Destinations Ontario designed to promote tourism from Quebec.
The C&E Museum’s June 22 event saw wonderful engagement from many of the units around base. The Canadian Forces Joint Signal Regiment provided a field kitchen and cooks. They really showed off what military cooks can do by making quesadillas for those in attendance. Food was generously sponsored by Convergint and Idemia, both of whom had displays at the event as well. The technology they had available provided an amazing opportunity for the public. The Jiffy Jeep team was on hand from the Royal Canadian Electrical and Mechanical Engineers, amazing the crowd with their disassembly and reassembly of the jeep in 3-4 minutes! They even had a few little helpers from the younger visitors. RCEME also had weapons handling inside which proved very popular. Line trucks were on hand from 77 Line and the Canadian Forces School of Communications & Electronics. Some of the children going for bucket rides kept asking to go higher! Several vehicles were provided by 21 Electronic Warfare Regiment, and the Griffin helicopter provided by 1 Wing was a real highlight for people. The Canadian Forces School of Military Intelligence had a comprehensive close quarter combat display inside. Visitors could put on the gear and try their hand with practice dummies – one of the City Councillors even tried kickboxing! C&E Branch leadership was also on hand, including the Colonel Commandant, Martin Girard. All three levels of government were also in attendance, including MP Gerretsen, MPP Hsu and several City Councillors. We hope to make this an annual event, and to have even more units involved from the Base. This is an excellent public engagement opportunity for the military, and a potential recruiting event.
This year the association included the following museums:
- C&E Museum (Kingston)
- Royal Canadian Electrical and Mechanical Engineers Museum (Kingston)
- Murney Tower (Kingston)
- Fort Henry (Kingston)
- Royal Military College of Canada Museum (Kingston)
- Hastings & Prince Edward Regiment Museum (Belleville)
- National Air Force Museum of Canada (Trenton)
- Canadian Tank Museum (Oshawa)
- Base Borden Museum (CFB Borden)
Next year we hope to include museums up to Cornwall and have already been in discussion with including additional historic sites or forts associated with Parks Canada and the St. Lawrence Parks Commission. Watch the association website for updates!
New Exhibition at the MCEM
Join us for a special showing of the Mission: Afghanistan traveling exhibit, from Sept. 11 to Dec. 5, 2025. This exhibit was developed by The Military Museums and the Directorate of History and Heritage using over 400 interviews with members who served in Afghanistan, their families, government officials and more. Learn the real story of Canada's involvement in Afghanistan through the eyes of the participants. Components of Improvised Explosive Devices confiscated in Afghanistan will be shown alongside the exhibit for this showing only. The Poppy Memorial (constructed from parts of a vehicle damaged by an IED), and Portraits of Honour will also be on display alongside the exhibit in memory of the Fallen in Afghanistan.
Coffee With Veterans
Come join us August 12, 2025 at 1030!
Foundation News
The Foundation is looking for volunteers!
🪖 Serving Member and Veterans, Your Legacy Deserves to Be Preserved 📡
Join the Military Communications and Electronics Museum Foundation and help us honour the proud history of Canada’s military Communicators and Electronic Branch (and its predecessors). The Foundation is the charitable arm of the Branch Family. It receives funds from donors and in turns provides them to the C&E Branch Office, and to the Museum to fund their programs.
As a serving CAF member or veteran, your story is a vital part of our national heritage. By becoming a member, you’ll play a key role in preserving and sharing that legacy with future generations.
🎖️ Membership Benefits & Expectations
- Have a positive impact upon the Museum and C&E Branch
- No membership fees
- National organization based in Kingston, ON, with virtual meetings
- Minimal time commitment:
- Minimum: One 2-hour annual meeting
- Optional: Approx. 5 hours/month per committee joined
- Additional: Time as needed for project involvement
- Potential: Chance to progress to our Volunteer Board of Directors
📢 We Are Especially Seeking Volunteers With Skills In:
- Marketing, Communications, and Public Relations
- Fundraising and Grant Writing
- Event Planning and Leadership
- Accounting and Bookkeeping
- Photography and Visual Documentation
- Social Media Strategy and Content Creation
- Minute Taking and Administrative Support
- Legal Counsel (Ontario-based preferred)
- English-to-French Translation
- Chartered Professional Accounting (CPA)
📬 Interested in Joining?
Contact: Geoffrey Priems, Chair of the Board
📧 gpriems(at)cmcen-rcmce(dot)ca
🔗 Military Communications and Electronics Museum Foundation – CMCEN
Your service built the legacy. Your membership helps preserve it.
Not Forgotten
Captain Sean Maas-Stevens is currently deployed to Latvia. Not Forgotten will resume upon his return.