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Organization of Military Museums of Canada
Museum Studies Program
OMMC 2023 Course
Kelowna, British Columbia
12-16 June 2023
$1,300 (includes accommodation at UBCO, most meals, site visits and instruction)
To be released early 2023:
Registration
Course Program
Administration Points
Our Aim
One of the roles of the OMMC in the museum community is that of an educating body. To carry out this role the OMMC organizes and provides up to date instruction in the latest technology and museum practices through an annual museum studies program. The OMMC also acts in the role of spokesman for the military museum community within the larger body of the Canadian Museums Association.
The OMMC recognizes the importance of military museums as part of the study and preservation of Canadian military history, and it seeks to assist Canada to maintain that national identity which was forged, in part, on the battlefield. The OMMC also believes in the importance of our military heritage and the recognition of the military’s contribution to Canada.
The OMMC also recognizes the value of military museums to Canadian military personnel. The OMMC believes that as the military museums preserve and promote military history, they also provide a sense of belonging, or “home”, to the men and women in uniform across the country. Military museums preserve the traditions of the Canadian Armed Forces and help create a sense of continuity and purpose. Ultimately, however, OMMC believes that it is the Canadian public who benefit from its services when they visit Canadian military museums.
The Museum Studies Program
The OMMC annual program was established in 1967 to provide Canadians working in military museums, and others interested in the preservation of military history through museums, a meeting place to discuss mutual problems, instruction on new methods of interpretation and collection management as well as lectures on specific Canadian military historical events. Although the OMMC has diversified its services since then, the course continues to be OMMC's principal annual activity.
The objective of the course is the development of professional museum standards and practices in military museums. The course includes a programme of lectures, demonstrations, hands-on activities, and educational tours. Canadian and foreign experts speak on museum and related topics, discuss common problems and advise on the latest techniques in the field of museology as they apply to military museums.
The course provides the participants with an opportunity to meet with other curators, historians and museologists; to listen to presentations from recognized experts in the fields of museology and history and to visit local museums and historic sites. In order to foster a national outreach and exchange of experiences and ideas for our members the course is held in a different venue each year, traversing Canada from coast to coast. The course program will generally be of five days duration, will begin with the OMMC Annual General Meeting, will include at least two and one half days of education/training and at least one day of touring in adjacent military and civilian museums, galleries and back rooms alike.
OMMC designs its programme for its members and uses a format of lectures, hands on demonstrations and site visits which has been verified by the members as satisfactory for their needs. The OMMC endeavours to offer something new each year in order to encourage members to re-visit the programme. The OMMC invites non-military museum staff members and knowledgeable or interested civilians who would find the programme useful or interesting to become participants in the museums studies programme.
Proceedings
Notes and observations from OMMC Museum Studies Programs. Click to open PDF.