Date Posted: 2026/07/28
Apply by: 2026/08/30
Description of role:
In the “Witness to History” program you engage directly with visitors to share your lived military or civilian experiences and knowledge related to the Museum’s galleries, enriching their understanding of historical events and technology through a personal, human perspective.
Responsibilities:
- Roam within assigned areas of the permanent galleries (as established in collaboration with Museum staff) that align directly with your experience.
- Engage museum visitors in conversations about Canada’s military history, connecting these discussions to your own lived experiences and expertise.
- Represent the Canadian War Museum in a respectful, inclusive, and informative manner.
Skills and Competencies:
- Comfortable engaging with diverse audiences, including people of all ages and backgrounds, including the ability to confidently engage with visitors, initiate conversations, and create a welcoming and informative environment.
- Comfortable sharing relevant personal experiences in connection to Museum gallery content while exercising sound judgment about appropriate boundaries and audience needs.
- Comfortable spending time in a potentially busy, crowded, and loud environments with the flexibility to adapt to changing conditions in a dynamic setting.
Eligibility Criteria:
- 18 years of age or older.
- Applicants must meet one or more of the following criteria:
- Have lived or professional experience connected to Canadian military history—including military service, civilian roles, academic or research backgrounds (e.g. educators, historians), or family connections.
- Have current or previous professional experience in the Canadian Armed Forces and/or in civilian fields connected to defence, international affairs, or military history.
- Have lived experience of conflict, displacement, or other military-related contexts and the ability to situate those in ways relevant to historical and/or contemporary Canadian military context.
- Ability to communicate effectively in English or French; bilingualism is an asset.
Time commitment and Logistics:
- Volunteers will collaborate with Museum staff to create a personalized schedule that accommodates individual availability.
- To participate in the program, you may engage during an assigned time between Monday to Sunday during museum hours.
- Scheduling will depend on volunteer availability and special events.
- In the case of special events, additional volunteer shifts may be offered to interested participants, and may be scheduled outside of museum hours.
- The program will take place at the Canadian War Museum, with occasional opportunities for events at the Canadian Museum of History or other off-site engagement.
- All volunteers must attend a training session prior to starting.
- Volunteers are expected to inform the museum point of contact if you are unable to attend a scheduled shift.
- Leave, such as for vacation or illness, can be accomodated.
- Participation in the Witness to History program may be renewed annually, based on program needs and continued mutual benefit for both the participant and the museum.
The masculine form is used in this document for the sole purpose of simplifying the text: it is not discriminatory in any way.
We encourage applications from all qualified individuals, including candidates from all cultures, racialized communities, all abilities, all sexual identities and genders, and anyone else who can contribute to the diversity of ideas. We are committed to an inclusive, barrier-free selection process and volunteering environment.
Both the Canadian Museum of History and the Canadian War Museum were built on the traditional, unceded territory of the Algonquin Anishinabeg, on land that has held, and continues to hold – great historical, spiritual, and sacred significance. The Museums respect and honour the enduring presence of the Algonquin people and strive to ensure that this is reflected in their work.
If you require an accommodation (including alternate formats of materials) in order to participate in this application process, please contact us to make your needs known in advance. Information received relating to accommodation measures will be addressed confidentially. Contact: benevole-volunteer@museedelhistoire.ca
