Have you ever considered that a city could be an artifact itself? Every day we go about our business forgetting about those in the past.

Local regiments were raised to fight in global conflicts overseas, a newly commissioned warship built in Collingwood sailed into Owen Sound harbour enthralling the local citizens, Polish soldiers marched on parade throughout the town displaying their spit and polish while Billy Bishop honed his early marksmanship skills that would make him a remarkable fighter pilot.

Owen Sound’s streets and avenues are steeped in history and places of memory. Our city is an artifact! Grab a good pair of walking shoes and your smartphone and unravel this history for yourself.

The Military Heritage Trail Story Map (MHT) was developed by the Billy Bishop Museum. It uses the City of Owen Sound as a backdrop identifying significant sites of history and places of memory related to our military heritage. Users can upload the Story Map to their smartphones and use the enclosed map to guide themselves on their own personal tour. At each stop play the enclosed video or read the text to find out more about this site of history or place of memory. The MHT begins and ends at the Billy Bishop Museum.

Enjoy Billy Bishop Museum and use this link to explore Owen Sound’s Military Heritage Trail: https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/6863a3246d1d43c39994e0787143a968

A supporting exhibit with artifacts for the MHT will be unveiled at the Billy Bishop Museum when the Billy Bishop Museum opens to the public for scheduled appointments. Guided tours for the MHT will be offered in July. Details will be posted on our social media platforms. The MHT was designed by Emily Jolliffe, Gloria Habart and Dave Alexander with contributions from Nick Van Alphen, Josh Blair and Kurtis Boyce. Find out more on Billy Bishop Museum’s website here https://www.billybishopmuseum.org/exhibitions

source: media release, Billy Bishop Museum