By Alec Connor, Co-op student with The Guard

The Canadian War Museum is showcasing the personal protection used by soldiers and other warriors throughout the ages in their exhibition titled Armour.

Armour features such draws as beautifully decorated Renaissance armour and weapons, portraits of two fully equipped knights on horseback, samurai armour, all the way to modern police and military body armour. Those specifically interested in the armour of Canadian soldiers will appreciate the sections devoted to Canadian armour from the World Wars to the modern day.

“For centuries, armour has provided physical protection on the battlefield and in the sports arena,” said Caroline Dromaguet, Acting Director General of the Canadian War Museum. “It has reflected status and taste, served to symbolize chivalry and strength, and has been recreated and reimagined countless times in fiction and in real life. Armour captures all of this in a single outstanding exhibition that will appeal to families, history buffs, art lovers, military enthusiasts, sports fans, and aficionados of film and literature.”

The exhibit clearly demonstrates the evolution of body armour in reaction to battlefield necessities. Visitors will leave with an extensive understanding of how certain types of armour work, and why each component is needed. In addition, the exhibit features examples of armour used in culture and films, such as Mad Max, as well as a good selection of armour for kids (or kids at heart) to try on themselves.

It may interest Defence Team members in the National Capital Region and across the country to know that the Canadian War Museum offers free admission to active Canadian Armed Forces members and veterans and up to two of their accompanying family members. The museum also features exhibits on all of Canada’s conflicts, as well as the famed LeBreton Gallery, featuring scores of tanks, vehicles, and artillery pieces from across the world.