A question of some delicacy...

[Grant Bowker]

I did some time at CFSME early 90s and did have the opportunity to spend time in the museum, mainly in preparation for the base's 60th anniversary. Yes, there was a lot of interesting stuff there, both inside and outside. The Google Maps satellite photos show a very different base from what I remember, no H huts, no gas hut (what training base is complete without one?), many of the admin and mess buildings also gone.

[sapper740]

Originally Posted by Grant Bowker

I did some time at CFSME early 90s and did have the opportunity to spend time in the museum, mainly in preparation for the base's 60th anniversary. Yes, there was a lot of interesting stuff there, both inside and outside. The Google Maps satellite photos show a very different base from what I remember, no H huts, no gas hut (what training base is complete without one?), many of the admin and mess buildings also gone.

Yes, it's a bare skeleton of what it once was...despicable end for the Home of the Engineers! Chilliwack was THE perfect place for the Engineer school what with the incredibly varied, remote terrain a short convoy from the base and B.C. was THE perfect place for the Engineers to be located in case of natural disaster. In my lifetime B.C. suffered typhoons, earthquakes, tsunamis, floods, avalanches (remember the Hope slide!), forest fires, and blizzards. What the heck ever happens in New Brunswick? Beer shortages? I'm sure moving the school to Gagetown was a political pay-off for the New Brunswick government going along with the H.S.T., that and a couple of Billion dollars for the other Liberal lick-spittle maritime governments. See what happens when we leave important decisions to politicians?
I was last there in 2001. The mess hall and H blocks were gone as well as the buildings in the training area down near the river. The "Blue Whale" is still there and DND is keeping a very small ASU (Area Support Unit) based there, mainly to prevent any Indian Bands from claiming the land. Canada Customs also uses an area for impounded vehicles there. My unit, the 192nd Airfield Engineers were allowed to move 4 small buildings and 2 mobile units to our base located just off Taxiway Delta at Abbotsford International Airport.

[Bruce MacMillan]

Heck, even I remember CFB Chilliwack and I was never in the military. Back in 1970 I worked for the BC Forest Service and we did training there. I learned how to embark and disembark from a helicopter without killing you or the pilot (carrying 90lbs of equipment). The best I remember was a demo of det cord and other stuff that could be used to blow trees to make a fire break. Those were the days!!

Bruce

[Ian Pullen]

Gentlemen, as a dedicated employee of a Museum, would I want to bequeath any of my items to a Museum? Having seen so many people come through the door and do this in the years I have been there still does not have me convinced if this is the particular way to go.

As previously stated, most Museums will really only be interested in what they need for the gaps in their collection. As hard as this seems, you have to be rational if you are having to account for the Tax Payer's dollars. This was part of the reasoning behind the Army Museum Network not purchasing the Bellfield collection complete. The network already had numerous examples of most of what was there. But, like most Museums, we had gaps that needed to be filled, and at a budget...... (Yes we have one, and it's tight too.)

At the risk of starting WW3 here in this wide brown land, there is something that you as a collector should consider if you are planning on doing this.

You need to make sure that the Museum that you intend to donate that item which has caused you so much heartache, blood loss, head aches and domestic arguments is actually going to go to the Museum and not the foundation or committee of what could be a privately owned collection.

There are a few Museums around that are privately owned, or even basically a group of collectors who co-op together in shed hire who would more than happily take what you offer.

The draw back is that your vehicle/collection may actually end up going to the owner/owners and not an actual Museum.

I am personally aware of numerous "gifts" to what people thought were museums that have in fact ended up actually (unknowingly) given to individual or private collection and those "given" artifacts eventually ending up at private homes or e-bay.

Like this or not, there are people within our hobby who do this knowingly.

I am not saying that this is illegal. Just do your homework first.