Base Borden Museum Update

[Jon Skagfeld]

Hello all who may be interested in the item in the subject line.

First of all, you may wish to refresh your memory by executing the search function on this forum (Borden Museum).

I've just returned from Borden, having attended a military function. I left home beforehand in lots of time so that I could recce the museum area. Herewith, my observations.

The museum building on Waterloo Road (the big white thingie) still stands. Outside it are: a Lynx (tracked), the Whippet (it's rear door open to the elements), a Universal Carrier with a blue tarp loosely tied over the top, a bomb trolly and an instructional engine display unit.

Buildings E 145 and 146 still stand. These are the buildings into which MLUers had a privileged look courtesy of Fred Olsen.

Close by, to the east, on hard stands are 20 Armoured vehicles...some tarped, some painted with the epoxy stuff, some bare naked.

On Armour Row, only the Wirblewind, Centurion, Panther and AVRE still rest. (Why the Armoured vehicles ever were taken away from here still puzzles me).

Some other vehicles/equipment are scattered about, in the open, notably the 120mm Long Tom cannon (the one which used to be outside the old Range Control), an Iltis and a multi fueler MLVW...all of which are covered in the (I think) epoxy resin coating, the colour of which looks like yer ol' GI Joe doll.

The "old" museum H hut building still stands, and is still identified as a Museum.

That's my SITREP.

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Thanks for the SITREP, Jon.

I just stumbled across some pictures taken in July of this year - see http://www.pbase.com/mrclark/cfb_borden_2004.

[Jordan Baker]

Hi everyone

I have a bit more info to add.

I was up to the base a few weekends ago and paid a visit to the museum.

I spoke to the commisionaire about being able to see the other vehicles in storage. Unfoutunalty form what he has told me is that the white building with the carrier and Whippet out front is full of the other vehicles. He also mentioned that the vehicles are being used by mechanic classes in order to learn about draining fluids. Once all of the vehicles have been drained they will be put on display somewhere and then the building will be torn down.

From the way he was talking about it the vehicles will be rendered non functioning.

This is all the info that I was able to get out of the commisionair for the museum.

Jordan

[Barry Read]

can somebody tell me where this Borden Museum is?

[Jon Skagfeld]

Originally posted by Barry Read
can somebody tell me where this Borden Museum is?

Barry:

Base Borden is a Training Base where many, varied millitary trade courses are conducted.

All the artifacts from different Schools were consolidated into the Base Borden Military Museum, whereas, each School previously had it's own museum.

So now, under centralized control (?) :, all the goodies from the following Schools are lumped...

Royal Canadian Army Service Corps
Royal Canadian Army Medical Corps
Royal Canadian Infantry Corps (including Combat Arms School)
Royal Canadian Armoured Corps
Canadian Provost Corps
Canadian Signalling Corps
Royal Canadian Air Force...(might have forgotten a couple of others)

BBMM is located in Ontario, Canada, about 100km north of Toronto and to the west of Barrie.

Look up the previously mentioned thread and you can see that there are some of us who look upon the budgetary restraints, with regard to the museum, with growing apprehension.

[barriefield-brian]

Hi All
I visited this museum in July. Was definitely not impressed by all the vehicles left outside to rust away. Sad to see the carrier was outside then only partly covered with a blue tarp. One of the buildings with a museum sign on it was locked, at the next a worker (i assume a summer student) said we couldnt enter that building either as they were sorting out the tanks. We left after that.
I can see leaving one outside at the entrance if it is one that is plentiful but some of these are priceless. That generic paint takes away from them as well. Went out of my way to see this place but not worth the visit in its present state. Brian

[mrclark]

Originally posted by Jon Skagfeld
Hello all who may be interested in the item in the subject line.

First of all, you may wish to refresh your memory by executing the search function on this forum (Borden Museum).

I've just returned from Borden, having attended a military function. I left home beforehand in lots of time so that I could recce the museum area. Herewith, my observations.

The museum building on Waterloo Road (the big white thingie) still stands. Outside it are: a Lynx (tracked), the Whippet (it's rear door open to the elements), a Universal Carrier with a blue tarp loosely tied over the top, a bomb trolly and an instructional engine display unit.

Buildings E 145 and 146 still stand. These are the buildings into which MLUers had a privileged look courtesy of Fred Olsen.

Close by, to the east, on hard stands are 20 Armoured vehicles...some tarped, some painted with the epoxy stuff, some bare naked.

On Armour Row, only the Wirblewind, Centurion, Panther and AVRE still rest. (Why the Armoured vehicles ever were taken away from here still puzzles me).

Some other vehicles/equipment are scattered about, in the open, notably the 120mm Long Tom cannon (the one which used to be outside the old Range Control), an Iltis and a multi fueler MLVW...all of which are covered in the (I think) epoxy resin coating, the colour of which looks like yer ol' GI Joe doll.

The "old" museum H hut building still stands, and is still identified as a Museum.

That's my SITREP.

Apparently a lot of those vehicles are now in the new ottawa war museum.

Were the tanks I took pics of last year still there?

[Jon Skagfeld]

I haven't heard the jungle drums on my net saying anything about Borden vehicles going to Ottawa.I was in Borden just this last weekend for a military retirement thingie. Since this affair was being held in Blackdown (within, but to the North of the Base), I didn't even bother to wander down to the former Armoured Corps lines, perhaps fearfull of whatever other desecration might be seen.

[Darrell Zinck]

Hi Jon

Not the greatest situation I know but rest assured the RCD are trying to get as much of that collection as possible. Namely the Stag since some B#stard seems to have stolen the Winchester Bog one!! I wish to someday find that person and personally confiscate all his holdings/collection. It's a Federal matter, in any case as it is Federal Property.

Keep your fingers crossed and hope CWO Gosse (Base RSM) can sway the decision makers down in Borden and get some of this stuff under cover.

On a positive note, you'll love what Pet has done to their softskins. Everything got cleaned up reallly nice. No runners but that wasn't the plan.

At a Dog&Pony at the waterfront in Kincardine on July 1st. Drop by.

Regards
D

[Geoff Winnington-Ball (RIP)]

Zipperhead...is that Dog and Pony show in conjunction with the one at Kelso Beach on the same day?

If not, will you be in cbt with toys on display, so that I can pick you out?

Give GR for locstat.

Regards

[Geoff Winnington-Ball (RIP)]

Ooops, somethings drastically wrong here...Sunrays address avatar comes up when I post.

This is Jon Skagfeld who posts.

Sunray...what's goin' on?

[Darrell Zinck]

Hello, hello!! Is this thing on?

Jon

All I know from the CSM in Meaford who is the OPI of sorts is that we are on the harbourfront. I'll be with the Coyote LAV and have the Surv Mast up the full 10m if we have level ground. Look for the RCD flag


Well....our "Bambi" is gold but you get the idea!!

Something like 200 Mil pers there with LAVIIIs, Weapons and vehicles. I'll also have a G-Wagen and our Ferret.

Since my name and rank on on my uniform; c'mon up and say hello if you plan to be in the area.

regards
D (or I could be Hanno or Mike or Karmen or even Jon!!)

[Robert Dabkowski]

DON'T PANIC !!!

I visited on Thursday, Sept 1/05 and wanted to let you all know what has been happening ... and things have been.

Was too late (6pm) to talk to museum staff or tour any museum buildings but there have been many changes since my last visit.

Approximately 40 cement pads have been poured beside base roadways/parking lots and both armoured and softskin MVs are being placed on them. Obviously the two previous museum building demolitions have resulted in a change of plan for bringing the vehicles inside, out of the weather. Most have been given a thick coat of gloss green paint with gloss black camo stripes, not accurate but it will keep the rain off for years, I expect.

The captured artillery has been painted a gloss blue/grey and the cemented-in PAK guns have been jack-hammered out of their pads. New to the museum MVs include a Lepoard I, and 6x6 Cougar and Grizzly vehicles. The Hetzer is back outside in Worthington Park with a few other tanks. A Sherman and a Kiowa helicopter (on a plinth) now grace the Angus north base entrance. Some aircraft movement off of plinths has occurred and another CF-100 is under plastic wrap on the hanger line. Two more hangers have been restored/aluminium clad since my last visit. Also spotted a new (to me anyway) militarized civilian type truck on the flightline, approx. 4 ton with crew cab and the name "Sterling" on the front grille. Anyone know anything about these ?

Last but not least were 28 freshly dumped loads of topsoil across the road from the three remaining tank hangers of the museum. It seems that they have some budget money to spend and at least the old building floors will be out of sight (and hopefully, out of memory).

Life goes on.

Robert Dabkowski

[sapper740]

Originally posted by Jon Skagfeld
Hello all who may be interested in the item in the subject line.

First of all, you may wish to refresh your memory by executing the search function on this forum (Borden Museum).



On Armour Row, only the Wirblewind, Centurion, Panther and AVRE still rest. (Why the Armoured vehicles ever were taken away from here still puzzles me).

It saddens me greatly to hear that the excellent display of armour that CFB Borden once had is no more. I took every opportunity to visit both the Tank Garden and the museum during my B.R.T. at Air Command's alphabet school (Discimus Ducere!) and while taking the HazMat Technician course at C.F.F.A. I still have many photos of the Sherman Flail, the Hetzer, the Russian tanks, etc. etc. I guess I'd better stop bragging about the great collection we had there and stop telling people to there to see it.
By the way, how's the "Hug and Slug" doing in Barrie? LOL! I don't know how many times the older guys (like me) would take some young buck down there just to watch the horror on his face as some 60 year old divorcee would come over, grab his arm, and drag him onto the dance floor. Absolutely priceless!
Anyway, if anybody is interested in seeing the former glory (1996) of what was a great armour collection, let me know and I'll scan some of the photos I've got

[Robert Dabkowski]

Derek,

Did you mis-understand my posting ?

All of the MVs are still on the base as far as I could tell via a quick drive-by. Just spread out rather than all parked side-by-side under the trees of Worthington Park. In fact some of them look better now in that they have been repainted and displayed in some excellent ambush positions. Gives someone a real appreciation of what it would feel like to be driving down a country road, turn a corner and be face-to-face with a previously hidden defender. And new additions have recently been made.

I'm hoping that some plaques, detailing each vehicle may be mounted soon. As much as I hate to see historic vehicles out in the rain, this method does give the public something to look at outside of the somewhat limited museum hours.

It is still a great collection, well worth a visit anytime. You'll just have to explore the base a little bit to find it all.

Robert Dabkowski

[sapper740]

Originally posted by Robert Dabkowski
Derek,

Did you mis-understand my posting ?



Robert Dabkowski

Oops, I'm sorry. I misunderstood what you were stating in your thread. Good to hear that collection is intact, just dispersed as you stated. C.F.B. Borden is and remains one of the better collections in Canada.
Any word on the "Hug and Slug"?

[Jon Skagfeld]

Yeah, the Hug and Slug in Barrie.

Spent a few wasted nights there, doin' the snuggle bunnie gig with those which you described above.

IIRC, the proper name of the place was spelled out in bones above the stage. Was it the Beaver Club?...(How appropriate!).

Last time I was there was c.1982 during our TQ2 Grizzly Driver Course. It was Hallow'een, and some of us dressed up in WWII Battledress...a couple of 48th had BD tunics and kilts...Great lead in to a conversation and subsequent horizontal activity!

[servicepub (RIP)]

Unfortunately, it is almost impossible to do any research at the Borden museum. it seems (so I am told) that the photos and documents have been crated up for long term storage and are completely inaccessible to researchers. Too bad. I have a family member on base who is all geared up to go and scan photos at the drop of a hat.