Canadian War Museum and the Friends of the Canadian War Museum announce laureates of the 2017 Gunter History Awards

MEDIA RELEASE

Ottawa, June 15, 2017 — The Canadian War Museum and the Friends of the Canadian War Museum are pleased to announce the winners of the 2017 Colonel Douglas H. Gunter History Award. The prestigious prize recognizes outstanding works of art and scholarship from graduating secondary-school students from across Canada that explore the influence of military events on our development as a nation.

This year, in honour of the sesquicentennial of Confederation, students were asked to create original works exploring how historical military events have helped shape the Canada we know today. The 2017 laureates, chosen by a multidisciplinary committee, are:

• Timothy Hass of Burnsview Secondary School in Delta, British Columbia, for his essay “The Military Service Act”;
• Hannah Clarke of Penticton Secondary School in Penticton, British Columbia, for her painting “A Hundred Years.”

“The Gunter Award is a way to foster in young people an interest in our military history by inviting them to engage with the past in a thoughtful way,” said Linda Colwell, President of the Friends of the Canadian War Museum. “We are very proud to support this War Museum program.”

“We are pleased to once again partner with the Friends of the Canadian War Museum for the Gunther History Awards, which support students’ post-secondary studies as well as the Museum’s mandate to promote a better understanding of Canada’s military history,” said Stephen Quick, Director General of the Canadian War Museum. “As we look back on 150 years since Confederation and 100 years since the Battle of Vimy Ridge, we want to encourage Canadians to reflect on the enduring geographical, political, social and cultural impacts of armed conflict and the search for peace.”

The Colonel Douglas H. Gunter History Awards include a $1,000 cash prize for each winner. The award is named for a former member of the Friends who left a bequest for educational purposes when he passed away in 2005. Colonel Gunter served with the Royal Regiment of Canadian Artillery for 32 years, including during the Second World War, the Korean War and peacekeeping operations in Cyprus.

To see the winning entries, visit www.warmuseum.ca/gunter-award.

The call for submissions for the 2018 Colonel Douglas H. Gunter History Awards will begin in September 2017. The criteria and categories for the next year’s awards will be posted online at that time.

The Canadian War Museum is Canada’s national museum of military history. Its mission is to promote public understanding of Canada’s military history in its personal, national, and international dimensions. Work of the Canadian War Museum is made possible in part through financial support of the Government of Canada.

The Friends of the Canadian War Museum

The Friends of the Canadian War Museum is a charitable organization that contributes volunteer expertise, knowledge and financial assistance to promote and support the Museum, its programs and its activities. Find out more at www.friends-amis.org.

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Media contacts:

Bob Argent
Friends of the Canadian War Museum
Telephone: 819-776-8618
reargent82@gmail.com
www.friends-amis.org

Avra Gibbs Lamey
Senior Communications and Media Relations Officer
Canadian War Museum
Telephone: 819-776-8607
avra.gibbs-lamey@warmuseum.ca