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Contributions

Share Your Story | Making a Contribution | Archival Services

  • Need to clean out the attic, basement or garage?

  • Inherited your Uncle Ed’s collection of military insignia

  • Don’t know what to do with your artifacts?

Give us a call!

The Museums are always interested in the acquisition of archival material and objects! If you think we may not be interested in your “stuff”, think again! There are 67 military museums in Canada, and if your collection does not fit our mandate, it could likely find a home elsewhere. We recently received a First World War trench periscope in almost mint condition – it was donated by an elderly gentleman who was going to throw it in the garbage!

We sincerely appreciate every donation we receive, and we will do our utmost to ensure the continued preservation of your valued mementos through the implementation of clear collections mandates, procedures and polices. Board members, staff and volunteers are bound by military regulations, museological standards and ethics guidelines, which ensures due diligence and responsible stewardship.

Donations must meet and support our mandates and collections criteria.

The following points must be considered when acquiring artifacts:

  • The provenance (history of use) must relate to the mission of Canadian Forces Base Petawawa Military Museums. If the artifact is not of interest to Canadian Forces Base Petawawa Military Museums, Canadian Forces Base Petawawa Military Museums reserves the right to refuse the gift, but may suggest
    alternate repositories.
  • The condition of the artifact must be considered when acquiring artifacts. If the artifact is of historic interest but is in such fragile condition that Canadian Forces Base Petawawa Military Museums cannot provide adequate care, the donor will be directed to a suitable institution.
  • Proof of legal ownership is of primary importance. All donors will be required to sign a certificate of gift stating that they are the rightful owners of the artifact(s), enabling the Canadian Forces Base Petawawa
    Military Museums to assume legal and valid title to, or custody of the artifact(s).
  • The cost for conservation, storage and display must be considered when acquiring any objects. An object that may require significant monetary expenditure, or require exorbitant amounts of staff time and expertise,
    may be refused. If the object is of significant historic interest, the donor may be directed to another institution that may have the necessary abilities to care for the object.

Specifics can be found in the Museums’ operating policy. The Museums will issue tax receipts for the fair-market value of the collection upon request by the donor. The Museologist determines the value to a maximum of $999.00. Collections with a possible higher value must be appraised by an interdependent appraiser at the donor’s expense. Please be aware that, due to space limitations, we cannot accept every donation or donations with conditions.

Cautions

Certain artifacts require special attention. These include weapons, ammunition and objects suspected of containing radium (usually compasses or watches). Please contact Museum staff before transporting these objects.

Wish Lists

The Canadian Airborne Forces Museum is currently searching for objects and archival material relating to the First Special Service Force. Of particular interest is anything relating to training and the invasion of Kiska Island.

The Base Museum is lacking material relating to broad spans of time – pre First World War, First World War and post First World War.

First steps

  • Contact Museum staff to set up an appointment to view the collection.
  • If the collection meets our criteria, and supports the mandates, a certificate of gift is completed.
  • If the collection (or parts thereof) does not meet our mandate we can contact another military museum on your behalf.
  • At that point a tax receipt is completed.
  • The collection is accessioned into our collection, and a thank you letter is sent to the donor

Thank you for your Artifacts

Museums are tasked with the preservation of our collective community heritage. To be able to do this properly, we must store the majority of collections in artifact friendly storage facilities, protecting them from light, dust, excessive humidity and temperature, and handling. If you, a family member or friend has donated something to our Museums, and you do not see it on display, chances are it is being held in storage for future generations to learn from and enjoy. Even exhibiting a uniform for a few months will damage the fragile textile, and fade the brilliant colors found on most military uniforms. If you have any questions or concerns, please let the Museums’ staff know. We would be happy to assist.

Looking for New Acquisitions

The Museums are continually looking for new acquisitions. If you have something you think we would be interested in, please contact Museums’ staff at info@petawawamuseums.com. It doesn’t have to be fancy, or used by an illustrious general in a famous campaign. Sometimes the most interesting and historically important artifact is the most mundane object imaginable! Tax receipts are issued, however any donation with an estimated value over $999.99, must be appraised by an independent appraiser at the donor’s expense.

Find out how you can Share Your Story