Kingsville Military Museum honours D-Day, kicks off $700K expansion campaign

Kingsville Military Museum marking 81st anniversary of D-Day. CTV Windsor’s Chris Campbell has details.

A local museum that’s spent decades preserving stories of service and sacrifice marked the 81st anniversary of D-Day with a renewed call to action.

The Kingsville Military Museum held a public event Thursday morning, using the moment of remembrance to launch a $700,000 fundraising campaign aimed at expanding its packed exhibition space and supporting long-term operations.

“It’s a special day to commemorate these brave souls who gave the ultimate sacrifice,” said museum board member Tim Dobson, speaking inside the museum, tucked behind Legion Branch 188 on Division Street South. “This museum is dedicated to a lot of local people in Essex County who sacrificed their lives and gave their lives for us.”

Founded by volunteers, the museum has grown into what Dobson describes as “one of the finest military museums in Canada,” filled with thousands of artifacts — from uniforms and medals to handwritten letters — donated by local veterans and their families.

But space has become an issue.

“This place is bulging at the seams right now,” said fellow board member Bob Lynch. “Unfortunately, we can’t show some artifacts that people have donated because we don’t have room for it. It’s crammed together. But really, they’ve done a wonderful job exhibiting things. We just need more room so we can do it properly.”

The June 6 event featured speeches, tours and a discussion of the museum’s vision for the future — including new interactive displays aimed at engaging youth, a dedicated curator position, and a larger, more accessible space.

So far, about $150,000 has been raised toward the campaign goal. Donors will be recognized with military-inspired titles ranging from Corporal ($10,000) to General ($100,000 and up).

“Everything here is volunteer and that shelf life gets a little worn after a while,” said Dobson. “We want to have an interactive museum with different displays. There’s a lot to do with this expansion project — and we’ll pull this off.”

Dobson said he hopes the funding can be secured within the next 6 to 12 months, through local contributions and increased awareness of the museum’s mission.

“All we need to do is educate the public of who we are and what we are,” he told CTV News. “People don’t know much about the museum, and it’s truly one of the greatest gems anywhere.”

Dave Marsh, a Canadian Forces veteran who served in the 1970s, echoed the importance of remembrance — not to glorify war, but to learn from it.

“If we forget or ignore it or put it away, we’re going to repeat it,” he said. “We are not about war at the museum here. We just want to remind people what the consequences of war are.”

Essex MP Chris Lewis, who attended the event, said it’s critical to keep these lessons alive for the next generation.

“It’s so vital for our young adults, our youth, future generations to remember all of the sacrifice to allow for our sovereignty and our freedom,” Lewis explained. “There are so many families that lost so much. And we have a real opportunity to really put Essex right in the middle of something really awesome and really huge.”

To learn more about the campaign or make a donation, visit the Kingsville Military Museum at 145 Division St. S. or contact a museum board member.