The Canadian War Museum is closed until further notice due to the latest COVID-19 restrictions.
Forever Changed dives into the heart of the Second World War. Discover the personal stories of Canadians for whom nothing would ever be the same.
- Watch the Virtual Opening
- About the Exhibition
- The Exhibition in Pictures
- Video Gallery
- Live Virtual Workshop
- Don’t Forget to Pick Up a Souvenir Catalogue
- Additional Resources
- Book Your Tickets Online
Watch the Virtual Opening
This event was hosted by Caroline Dromaguet, Acting President and CEO of the Canadian War Museum and the Canadian Museum of History, with insights from members of the Museum’s exhibition team: Dr. Tim Cook and Britt Braaten. Hear poignant personal accounts from descendants and see a sneak peek of the exhibition. (Duration: 15:27 mins)
“The stories are sometimes poignant, sometimes tragic, sometimes hopeful. All of them are compelling.”
Caroline Dromaguet, Acting President and CEO of the Canadian War Museum and the Canadian Museum of History
About the Exhibition
For Canada, the Second World War was a global conflict. For individual Canadians, it was personal. Developed to mark the 75th anniversary of the end of the Second World War, Forever Changed weaves together a diverse range of stories with 175 compelling artifacts, exploring the personal experience of war across Canada and around the world.
From a parachutist penning one last letter before being dropped into danger, to a “bomb girl” who was burned on the job; from a prisoner of war who turned to art to cope with the misery, to a Japanese Canadian teenager forced to move 600 kilometres from home; this new exhibition brings to life the impact of the Second World War on the lives of Canadians.
Forever Changed: an exhibition developed by the Canadian War Museum.
Forever Changed dives into the heart of the Second World War. Discover the personal stories of Canadians for whom nothing would ever be the same.
Photo: Canadian War Museum, CWM2020-0051-0001-Dm
The Exhibition in Pictures
Zone 1: Supporting and Defending
On the home front, Canadians supported the Allied war effort. In the North Atlantic, they protected supply lines to Britain, while merchant seamen transported crucial war material across the sea. The stories of “bomb girl” Edith Vollrath, George Boyer and others explore Canadian involvement in the defence of Canada and Britain, along with the country’s wartime industrial production.
Able Seaman George BoyerHis ship was torpedoed in the Barents Sea, near Russia.
George Metcalf Archival Collection
Canadian War Museum 20080073-005
Able Seaman George BoyerAble Seaman George Boyer served on several ships involved in protecting merchant vessels against German U-boat (submarine) attacks in the Atlantic.
Medal Set, Able Seaman George William Boyer
Tilston Memorial Collection of Canadian Military Medals
Canadian War Museum 20080073-004
Gwendoline (Green) McDonaldBritish citizen Gwendoline (Green) McDonald wore this suit for her wedding to Canadian airman John McDonald. Gwendoline was one of an estimated 48,000 war brides from Britain and other European countries, and their 22,000 children, who emigrated to Canada at the end of the war.
Wedding Suit Worn by Gwendoline (Green) McDonald
Canadian War Museum 20080052-004
Edith (Vollrath) WhitfordFactory Worker
She built bombs in Ajax, Ontario.
George Metcalf Archival Collection
Canadian War Museum 20170100-001_12a
Zone 2: The War Against Germany
Canadians fought a war of liberation against Germany, contributing significantly to the final victory against fascism. The stories of Alex Campbell, Hugh McCaughey, Winnie Burwash, and other Canadians featured in this zone attest to the struggles and sacrifices of the war.
Major Alex CampbellHe learned to lead in Tunisia, North Africa.
George Metcalf Archival Collection
Canadian War Museum 20100088-011_2
Molly Joan (Lamb) BobakThe paintings created by Molly (Lamb) Bobak, who served in uniform and was an official war artist, provide insight into the perspective and roles of women who served during the Second World War.
Signal Corps Teletypists on Night Duty Apeldoorn
Painted by Molly Lamb Bobak in 1945
Watercolour, ink, graphite and charcoal on paper
Beaverbrook Collection of War Art
Canadian War Museum 19710261-1632
Sergeant Hugh McCaugheySergeant Hugh McCaughey spent two years capturing film footage of the Canadians in Europe.
Canada. Dept. of National Defence / Library and Archives Canada / PA-150143
Sergeant Hugh McCaugheyCombat cameraman Sergeant Hugh McCaughey recorded the D-Day invasion and his work filming the returning casualties in this diary.
Hugh McCaughey’s Diary, 1944
George Metcalf Archival Collection
Canadian War Museum 20140022-001
Zone 3: The War Against Japan
As Japanese forces overran many British colonies in Asia, Canadian civilians and military personnel were captured and held under brutal conditions. Family back in Canada often knew nothing of the fate of a loved one for months or even years. This uncertainty and sacrifice can be seen in the stories of Will Kyle, Bill Chong, and others featured in this zone.
Flying Officer William KyleHis war ended in Burma.
© Government of Canada. Reproduced with the permission of Library and Archives Canada (2019).
Source: Library and Archives Canada/Department of National Defence fonds/RG24, vol. 27928
Dakota C-47This is one of several pieces of the Dakota C-47 that crashed on 21 June 1945 which were recovered in 1996. The wreckage gives some sense of the violence of the crash. The condition of the items also reflects their 50 years in the jungle.
Portion of Fuselage, Dakota C-47
Canadian War Museum 20010125-032
Signalman William AllisterSignalman William Allister created his depictions of life as a prisoner of war in Hong Kong in secret. His paintings were done using improvised art supplies: crankshaft oil and stolen pieces of tent took the place of oil paints and artist’s canvas. He hid them from his captors by sewing them into the pant leg of a fellow prisoner of war.
Untitled
Painted by William Allister in 1942
Oil on canvas
Beaverbrook Collection of War Art
Canadian War Museum 20120037-001
Ethel MulvanyEthel Mulvany carried this bible with her during her time in Changi Prison. While its words provided spiritual support, Ethel once turned to it for a more literal form of nourishment. She ate the spine off the book, reasoning that the glue, made of horses’ hooves, would contain desperately needed protein.
Ethel Mulvany’s Bible
Lent by Marion King and Suzanne Evans
Zone 4: A Country Shaped by War
Following the Allied victory in 1945, more than one million veterans joined their fellow Canadians, alongside new arrivals, to build a stronger country. Seventy-five years later, the Second World War continues to affect Canadians. The stories of Michiko Ishii, Hubert Brooks and Regina (Rosenbaum) Gertner offer glimpses into the lasting impact of the war.
Michiko (Ishii) AyukawaA photo from Michiko (Ishii) Ayukawa’s photo album from Lemon Creek, British Columbia, 1942–1946.
George Metcalf Archival Collection
Canadian War Museum 20150279-001
Michiko (Ishii) AyukawaIn 1942, more than 22,000 Japanese Canadians were forced to relocate from the West Coast amid fear of a Japanese invasion and because of a racist policy. Among them was 12-year-old Michiko Ishii, her parents and two brothers.
A photo from Michiko (Ishii) Ayukawa’s photo album from Lemon Creek, British Columbia, 1942–1946
George Metcalf Archival Collection
Canadian War Museum 20150279-001
Hubert BrooksWing Commander Hubert Brooks was captured over Germany in 1942 and made a prisoner-of-war. He escaped in 1943 and served with the Polish resistance until the end of the war. After the war, he was a member of the RCAF Flyers hockey team that won Olympic Gold in 1948.
RCAF Flyers Olympic Hockey Jersey belonging to Hubert Brooks
Canadian War Museum 19840238-001
Video Gallery
Forever Changed – Stories From the Second World War
The People
Hugh McCaughey
Cooking for Victory virtual workshop
Live Virtual Workshop
Activity
Don’t Forget to Pick Up a Souvenir Catalogue
Complete your visit by picking up the souvenir catalogue Forever Changed – Stories From the Second World War, on sale online and at the Museum Gift Shop.
Additional Resources
Exhibition
Online Exhibition
Online Exhibition
Online Exhibition
Book
Book
Resource
Book Your Tickets Online
We are open Wednesday through Sunday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and until 8 p.m. on Thursday. Following provincial guidelines, and to ensure a safe and memorable experience for all, we are limiting the number of visitors inside the Museum through timed online ticketing. Please book your timed admission ticket online. Please book your timed admission ticket online.
Other safety measures include masks inside the Museum (mandatory for visitors ages 5 and up, but highly recommended for ages 2 and up), signage for physical distancing and increased cleaning.
Safety MeasuresAll of our exhibition spaces are now open, with physical distancing and safety measures in place.
Photo: Canadian War Museum, CWM2020-0027-0001-Dm
Timed Admission TicketPlease book your timed admission ticket online.
Photo: Canadian War Museum, CWM2020-0027-0003-Dm
Welcome Back! We’re Glad to See You.Have an enjoyable and safe visit!
Photo: Canadian War Museum, CWM2020-0027-0004-Dm
Admission Fees (tax not included)
- Adult – $17
- Senior – $15
- Student – $13
- Youth (8-12) – $11
- Child (0-7) – Free
- Family (6 pers. – max 2 adults) – $43
- Members – Free