The Oil Museum of Canada in Oil Springs took on the sites and sounds of a Canadian First World War military encampment on the weekend.
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The Lambton County museum hosted the Oil Springs Great War Weekend with two days of demonstrations and historical presentations.
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Members of the Canadian Great War Society, a reenactment group with members from around southwestern Ontario, were there Saturday and Sunday demonstrating First World War military drills and training.
The group began in 1997 and members came from communities stretching from Windsor and Sarnia to London.
Demonstrations featured members of the society in uniform as both members of the infantry and the calvary.
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After which, members answered questions from museum visitors about equipment and practices of Canadian military members taking part in the war that raged from 1914 to 1918 in Europe.
Then a country of eight million residents, Canada sent 650,000 men and women to serve in the war where more than 66,000 Canadians and Newfoundlanders died, and another 170,000 were wounded, according to Veterans Affairs Canada.
Along with the society’s demonstrations, there will be a display inside about Oil Springs and the First World War, as well as presentations by museum staff about the community’s connections to the Great War.
They included the village’s Women’s Patriotic League which sent comfort packages to Oil Springs soldiers overseas containing hand-made socks, fruit cakes and other treats, as well as letters from home.
Fletcher Haley gives orders Sunday at the Oil Museum of Canada in Oil Springs during a demonstration march by the Canadian Great War Society during a weekend event about the First World War.Photo by Paul Morden /The Observer of the Canadian Great War Society prepares for a demonstration Sunday during a special event about the First World War held at the Oil Museum of Canada in Oil Springs.Photo by Paul Morden /The Observer Taking part in a calvary demonstration Sunday at the Oil Museum of Canada in Oil Springs are, from left, Ryan Schipper, Vance Stark and Bruce Lamb, members of the Canadian Great War Society.Photo by Paul Morden /The Observer Brian Carney demonstrates how to wear a First World War era gas mask Sunday at the Oil Museum of Canada in Oil Spring. Carney and other members of the Canadian Great War Society were part of an Oil Museum Great War Weekend of demonstrations and local history presentations.Photo by Paul Morden /The Observer Vance Stark bushes one of the horses taking part in a calvary demonstration by the Canadian Great War Society during an event Sunday at the Oil Museum of Canada.Photo by Paul Morden /The Observer of the Canadian Great War Society marched Sunday during a special event about the First World War held on the weekend at the Oil Members of Canada in Oil Springs.Photo by Paul Morden /The Observer Brian Carney answers questions Sunday at the Oil Museum of Canada in Oil Spring about rifles used by Canadian soldiers serving in the First World War.Photo by Paul Morden /The Observer Taking part in a calvary demonstration Sunday at the Oil Museum of Canada are, from left, Ryan Schipper, Vance Stark and Bruce Lamb, facing Bill Finlay. They are members of the Canadian Great War Society.Photo by Paul Morden /The Observer Brian Carney answers questions Sunday at the Oil Museum of Canada in Oil Spring about weapons used by Canadian soldiers serving in the First World War. Carney and other members of the Canadian Great War Society were part of an Oil Museum Great War Weekend of demonstrations and local history presentations.Photo by Paul Morden /The Observer
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