Canadian War Museum's newest exhibit explores war gaming and the impact on popular culture
Do you remember playing with toy soldiers as a kid? A friendly game of Battleship, Chess, or maybe you immersed yourself in the latest online 'first-person shooter' video games.
War Games, played by many, are also used by militaries around the world.
Now the Canadian War Museum presents its newest exhibition, called 'War Games.' It opens to the public at the museum in Ottawa on Friday.
"It’s a chance to get off the couch and try something that you can’t download and play at home; but also, to look at the long and international history about war and playing games," said Andrew Burtch of the Canadian War Museum.
War, play, and games have long and interconnected histories. War has shaped the games people play, and militaries have used games for recruitment, planning and training.
War Games, the newest exhibition developed by the Canadian War Museum, explores the importance of gaming to military training and strategy, as well as the impact of conflict on games in popular culture.
Visitors can play and learn from games about war.
"The games that have been shaped by war, the people who have played in the hobby market and popular at-home games," Burtch said.
The exhibit also looks at ways in which militaries around the world have used games and game technology.
"The war games allow us to think, and they allow us to think in a way that we can take chances and we can take risk that we wouldn’t want to take on a battlefield or in a crisis situation. It allows us to play through different scenarios," Col. Christopher Horner of the Canadian Joint Warfare Centre tells CTV News Ottawa.
It’s not just about conflict on the battlefield.
"In 2020, I actually delivered a war game related to pandemic relief and CAF assistance in long-term care homes, vaccine rollout," says Brianna Proceviat, Canadian Joint Warfare Centre - War Game designer.
There are interactive displays, reproductions of historic war-games, strategy, simulations, artifacts, and even foreign games that represent other perspectives.
"The personal connection to history that this copy of the game provides is that its original owner, probably a German teenager, actually marked down British ships as they were sunk and turned over the card and put down the information about the U-Boat that sank it," David Steward-Patterson says.
Parts of his personal collection are on display.
"I’ve played war games since I was a kid because they’re good games, and often it’s about rewriting history. Hey, if I take on Napoleon, can I win the battle of Waterloo?"
WAR-THEMED VIDEO GAMES
If you're an online gamer, there's an entire section of the War Games exhibit devoted to war-themed video games and first-person shooter games like 'Wolfenstein 3D' and 'Call of Duty.'
"Often, when these games come out, their revenues can dwarf blockbuster films because they’re very, very popular," Burtch says. "So, I think they’re a point of contact for people to come and talk about war and games. But I really hope people looking at the surrounding information can draw the lesson that we hope they do, which is war isn’t a game and the effects of these wars is quite dire."
The new War Games exhibit opens Friday at the Canadian War Museum, and runs until Dec. 31. Visitors are welcome to reserve their tickets online ahead of their visit.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Grandparents killed in wrong-way crash on Hwy. 401 identified
A 60-year-old man and a 55-year-old woman killed in a wrong-way crash on Highway 401 earlier this week have been identified by the Consulate General of India in Toronto.
Police arrest 3 Indian nationals in killing of B.C. Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar
Three people have been arrested and charged in the killing of B.C. Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar – as authorities continue investigating potential connections to the Indian government.
Suter scores late goal, clinches series for Canucks
Pius Suter scored with 1:39 left and the Vancouver Canucks advanced to the second round of the NHL playoffs with a 1-0 victory over the Nashville Predators on Friday night in Game 6.
TD worst-case scenario more likely after drug money laundering allegations: analyst
TD Bank Group could be hit with more severe penalties than previously expected, says a banking analyst after a report that the investigation it faces in the U.S. is tied to laundering illicit fentanyl profits.
Quebec man who threatened Trudeau, Legault online sentenced to 20 months in jail
A Quebec man who pleaded guilty to threatening Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Premier François Legault has been sentenced to 20 months in jail.
Human remains found in rural Sask. possibly a decade old, RCMP say
RCMP say human remains found in a rural area in central Saskatchewan may have been there for a decade or more.
Britney Spears 'home and safe' after paramedics responded to an incident at the Chateau Marmont, source tells CNN
A source close to singer Britney Spears tells CNN that the pop star is 'home and safe' after she had a 'major fight' with her boyfriend on Wednesday night at the Chateau Marmont in West Hollywood.
Canadian doctor concerned new weight-loss drug Wegovy may be used inappropriately
As Wegovy becomes available to Canadians starting Monday, a medical expert is cautioning patients wanting to use the drug to lose weight that no medication is a ''magic bullet,' and the new medication is meant particularly for people who meet certain criteria related to obesity and weight.
Drew Carey is never quitting 'The Price Is Right'
Drew Carey took over as host of 'The Price Is Right' and hopes he’s there for life. 'I'm not going anywhere,' he told 'Entertainment Tonight' of the job he took over from longtime host Bob Barker in 2007.