• The Whitchurch-Stouffville Museum is showcasing Worthy: The History of the Royal Canadian Armoured Corps, running until March 28, 2026.
  • The exhibit traces the RCAC’s evolution from the First World War to modern-day armoured units in Afghanistan.
  • It highlights Major-General Frederic Franklin Worthington’s pivotal role in shaping the Corps.
  • Artifacts, interactive displays, and personal accounts from veterans offer an insightful, human perspective.
  • The exhibit ties into the Town’s upcoming installation of a donated Leopard I tank in Vandorf Park.
  • A second exhibit, Fighting in Flanders, explores Canada’s First World War role in Belgium and the enduring legacy in Flanders.
  • The Museum is seeking local veterans and active service members to join a new expert panel supporting future programming.

 

As the Town awaits delivery of a donated Leopard I tank from the Department of National Defence (DND), the Whitchurch-Stouffville Museum is honouring the history of one of Canada’s most storied military forces: the Royal Canadian Armoured Corps (RCAC).

Worthy: The History of the Royal Canadian Armoured Corps traces the RCAC’s evolution from its early days in the First World War to the modern tanks and fighting vehicles deployed in Afghanistan. First-hand accounts from those who trained and fought in armoured vehicles add a personal dimension, reflecting both the triumphs and challenges faced by Canadian armoured personnel.

Central to the exhibit, and to the Corps’ history, is Major-General Frederic Franklin Worthington, known to his troops as “Worthy.” In addition to helping design early armoured vehicles, Worthington’s leadership and vision cemented the Corps’ role as a cornerstone of the Canadian Armed Forces.

Included displays combine historical and modern artifacts with interactive learning opportunities. Visitors can view uniforms, field equipment, and training manuals, then test their knowledge by matching different armoured vehicles to the terrains they were designed for.

The artifacts were generously loaned to the Museum by retired Warrant Officer Ryan Mitchell, who served more than 18 years in the Canadian Armed Forces, including as a tank and armoured crew commander. Mitchell, an active member of the Canadian Peacekeeping Veterans Association, regularly visits schools to share his military experience and insights on Canada’s peacekeeping efforts.

Local connections are also front and centre, with the Queen’s York Rangers—an armoured reserve regiment with long-standing ties to the region—featured prominently. Additional support for the exhibit was provided by the Canadian Tank Museum and the Stouffville branch of the Royal Canadian Legion.

Worthy runs until March 28 and is open Wednesday to Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The Whitchurch-Stouffville Museum is located at 14732 Woodbine Ave., and admission is free.

The exhibit also marks one of the Museum’s first efforts to connect military history and veteran commemoration with the planned installation of a donated Leopard I tank in Vandorf Park. Following a lengthy public debate over its location last year, the tank is set to be placed at the park’s southeast corner, opposite the playground.

Delivery of the decommissioned vehicle has been delayed, however, with the Town citing DND staffing changes that required “revisiting and familiarization of the project with new team members.” No installation date has been set, but transportation logistics are under review.

Weighing in at nearly 40 tons, the Leopard will require a reinforced concrete pad before it can be installed. DND is designing the pad and covering all associated costs, with plans to submit the completed designs to the Town once finalized.

The Museum also plans to develop additional programming and community initiatives tied to the tank. Staff are seeking local veterans, reservists, and active service members to join an advisory panel to help guide those efforts.

“We’re always learning at the Museum, and there are a number of veterans and currently serving military members here in Stouffville,” Museum Curator Krista Rauchenstein said. “We’d like to meet them. We would like to build relationships of trust, where they can advise, share their experiences, and help inform future exhibits and programming connected to the tank and monument space.”

Veterans and service members interested in participating can contact the Museum by email.

Also on display is Fighting in Flanders: Gas. Mud. Memory., a travelling exhibition exploring Canada’s role in Belgium during the First World War. Through photographs, personal accounts, reproduced artwork, and artifacts from the battlefield and home front, it traces events from the 1914 invasion to the battles of Ypres and Passchendaele, before considering how the memory of those events continues to shape life in Flanders today.

Together, the two exhibits provide a layered view of Canada’s military heritage, connecting the grit and sacrifice of the First World War with the armoured strength that followed.