The Billy Bishop Home and Museum has created an Owen Sound Military Heritage Trail.
It uses the city as a backdrop for the telling the story of the community’s military heritage, taking the approach that the city itself can be an artifact.
Users can upload a Story Map to their smartphones and use it to guide themselves on their own personal tour.
The idea is to play the enclosed video or read the text at each of the eight stops to find out more about the site and its history.
The museum is the starting point for the tour and the map includes the Horton Law Office, St. George’s Anglican Church, and Jervis Bay Park, among other sites.
Museum Director and Chief Curator Emily Joliffe says in a release, “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.”
You can find the interactive map here: https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/6863a3246d1d43c39994e0787143a968
Meanwhile, Joliffe says a supporting exhibit with artifacts for the Military Heritage Trail will be unveiled at the Billy Bishop Museum when it reopens to the public for scheduled appointments.
She says guided tours of the trail will be offered in July.