back to list

Model Ships Works of Art

The Elgin Military Museum has a fine collection of model ships that have been handmade by exceptionally talented craftsmen.  The Battle of Lake Erie took place in September 1813. This display is one of the most attractive in the museum. HMS Detroit and USS Niagara are fine examples of the modeller's art.

Mr. Ron White of Tillsonburg, Ontario, brought three ships into the collection in 2008. The three ships are HMS Ark Royal, (whose 'obsolete' Swordfish aircraft launched the torpedoes that crippled Bismarck-an attack that was carried out without loss), HMS Lion, Vice Adm. Beatty's Flagship, at the battle of Jutland in 1916 and SMS Scharnhorst, the First World War German commerce raider sunk in the Falklands, December 8, 1914.

To celebrate the 100^th anniversary of the Canadian Navy in 2010, the Museum commissioned four models from master boat model craftsman Joseph Vella of Rimouski, Quebec. The Castle Class Corvette HMCS St. Thomas, the German submarine U-877, HMCS Edmunston and HMCS Seacliffe are now part of the permanent collection of the museum and help to illustrate the tale of what happened on December 27, 1944 when fate brought them all together.

News & Updates

• Periscope Playhouse - Curtain Up on New SeasonPeriscope Playhouse Starts New Season July 5th Fresh from the success of last year's inaugural productions, the Periscope Playhouse starts off this season with a great comedy The Hand that Cradles the Rock by Warren Graves.  Novelist Ross Cameron is bored…06/19/2013
• The Ultimate Comfort SystemMeets the Ultimate Comfort Challenge COAD Plumbing, Heating and Air & Lennox give HMCS Ojibwa new lungs (PORT BURWELL, ON) - COAD PLUMBING HEATING and AIR is sure HMCS Ojibwa is a cool submarine and it will stay that way thanks to the St. Thomas-area Dave…06/19/2013
• Website Visitors Continue to ImpressAs small museum websites go, we are proud to say that ours certainly has an enviable record when it comes to visitors. So far this year, 17,142 individuals have visited 25,995 times and took in 95,456 page views. Our biggest day so far this year was Saturday,…06/01/2013
• HMCS OJIBWA's Amateur Radio Club Goes GlobalThe amateur radio club aboard HMCS OJIBWA is gearing up for the MUSEUM SHIPS WEEKEND EVENT hosted this year by The Battleship New Jersey Amateur Radio Station. This is a big weekend for those in the amateur radio world and so far 103 museum ships and boats have signed up already to partake in this marathon exercise in global relations. OJIBWA club member and team leader Trevor Taylor and his group have been working hard at getting the new amateur radio club up and running and everyone is really looking forward to this weekend... 05/28/2013
• Sea Cadet Corps 272 Ojibwa on the Real ThingThere is nothing like the real thing. That is what members of the Ojibwa Sea Cadet Corps from Etobicoke found out on Saturday when they visited the retired Canadian Cold War submarine HMCS Ojibwa in Port Burwell. 23 excited cadets and seven officers of the Royal Canadian Sea Cadet Corps, named to honour HMCS Ojibwa, arrived at the submarine around 10:30 in the morning ready to explore and lend a hand to making the submarine ready for tours.04/30/2013
• Ojibwa Staff on Liberation TourBonds forged almost seventy years ago are being reinforced by The Frank Graham Cycle Liberation Tour. Formal ceremonies marked by the governments of Canada and the Netherlands came to an end with the 65th anniversary of the Liberation of Holland in 2010 as…04/24/2013
• Minnan-Wong Endorses Project OjibwaCouncillor Minnan-Wong was impressed by the employment and economic opportunities flowing into the community as a result of the project. He indicated that he saw the Ojibwa as appropriate to receive funding from the Green Lane Trust whose funds are provided by the City of Toronto for distribution to worthy projects.03/25/2013
• Museum Responds to Concerns over $8 MillionDear Sir, Regarding your article, "Project Ojibwa cost hits $8 million" in your January 30 edition, I would like to reassure the people of Bayham and the region that Project Ojibwa is not only progressing well and on track for the planned opening this summer, but is also seeing signs of an extremely busy tourist season ahead... 02/14/2013
• Draft Chapter of Project Ojibwa Story _The Grant that DisappearedThe Executive Director of the Elgin Military Museum, Ian Raven, and the Project Coordinator for Project Ojibwa, Dan McNeil (RAdm retd), are in the process of writing a book: "HMCS Ojibwa - Canada's Cold War Go Boat". This is an initial draft of one of the chapters. HOW DND FEDERAL BUREAUCRATS LOST THE ELGIN MILITARY MUSEUM ONE AND ONE-HALF MILLION DOLLARS OF FEDERAL FUNDING - A Part of the PROJECT OJIBWA Story02/14/2013
• Ojibwa Officially Home!The stern of Ojibwa passes into the fenced compound that will be her new home. After a long day travelling the last 400 meters, Ojibwa arrived on her permanent foundations shortly after 7:00 pm tonight.  The journey took longer than anticipated as Mammoet…02/14/2013
• Ojibwa Move on Daily Planet Dec. 17 at 7:00 pmBe sure to watch the Discovery Channel program Daily Planet on Monday, December 17 at 7:00 pm EST.  The show will feature the move and offload of Ojibwa. The Daily Planet crew spent several days in Port Burwell filming for the episode and got some spectacular…02/14/2013
• First pictures of Ojibwa on landCheck out Ojibwa's first pictures on land.02/14/2013
• Mark Your MailCanada Post has created a unique method to honour the arrival of HMCS Ojibwa in Port Burwell. Starting Thursday, November 22nd, all mail sent from the Port Burwell Post Office will bear this special mark. While all mail from the Port Burwell area goes through…02/14/2013
• Volunteer AppreciationWe would like to thank all our wonderful volunteers for their time and dedication to the museum all year and for the arrival of Ojibwa.  Please join us on December 15th 2pm-4pm at the Elgin Military Museum.  We look forward to seeing you!…12/11/2012
• 70th Anniversary DieppeToday, The Elgin Military Museum looks back in sorrow in memory of the 70th Anniversary of the Raid on Dieppe, August 19, 1942 and to those who lost their life that day or were condemned to years of hardship as prisioners of war and a lifetime of anguish.…08/27/2012
• Museum Receives Grant from St. ThomasDuring recent budget meetings, the St. Thomas City Council approved a grant of $8,422 to the Elgin Military Museum for operating expenses.  This grant represents a $1,000 increase over last year to match the funds received from the Province.  The…04/13/2012
• Elgin Book of Remembrance on Royal TrainA faded photo, a newspaper clipping from the past; faces of those for whom Lest We Forget was ...02/24/2012
• Aussies Request Info About HolzmindenRecently, we were approached to assist with background information for a screen play regarding the notorious prisoner of war camp at Holzminden ...02/24/2012
• Old Elgin Band Donates2011 marked the end of over a century of military music in Elgin County ...02/24/2012
• Have You Heard the One About the Kangaroo?And you thought our connection to elephants was unusual, 'well, wait till I tell you'!02/24/2012
• Museum Wins Community Service AwardThe Elgin Military Museum's booth won the Community Service Award at the recent St. Thomas Home Show.04/07/2011
• Model Ships Works of ArtThe Museum has a fine collection of model ships that have been handmade by exceptionally talented craftsmen. 04/04/2011