This gallery introduces the concept of war and its relevance to Canadians and Canada. Visitors explore the Canadian experience of conflict from aboriginal warfare and post European-contact Canada, to Louis Riel and the Northwest Resistance of 1885.

Faced by a dramatic image of a first growth forest in summer and the partial reconstruction of an Iroquoian palisade, visitors are invited to examine the sophisticated military organization and equipment of First Peoples in their quest for survival. The mood in the gallery darkens as First Peoples encounter European settlers. During the ensuing post-contact wars First Peoples and the French engaged in both armed conflict and strategic alliances.

The Seven Year's War sets the stage for the next area, where visitors explore conflicts between the French and the British. Empires clashed around the world in a large-scale conflict that culminated in the Battle of the Plains of Abraham at Quebec City in 1759, a defining battle that changed the world forever.

The main highlight of this gallery is an exploration of the Battle of the Plains of Abraham via a large audio-visual presentation and a 3D model, to provide visitors with an in-depth exploration of this 30-minute battle and its impact on Canada and the world today.

The American Revolution of 1776-1783 and the War of 1812 highlight British victories against American invaders at Quebec City, Queenston Heights and Chateauguay.

The gallery ends by presenting how war shaped Canada as a transcontinental country, through the 1837 Rebellions, the Fenian Raids, and Western Resistance.

Canadian War Museum