 On 1 October 2005, a contingent of 29 members and friends of the Kingston Historical Society left Kingston by bus for the new Canadian War Museum in Ottawa. Our guides, Melissa and Geneviève, took us on the Grand Tour of the museum. The focus of the guided tour was the innovative architectural design by Raymond Moriyama and Alex Rankin, based on the theme of ‘regeneration,’ which brings to mind not only the impact of war on the land and the people, but also nature’s ability to regenerate and to recover from the devastation of human conflict.Following the tour, we explored the museum including the galleries, which trace the wars and military involvement by Canada from earliest times to recent conflicts and peacekeeping endeavours. Some of our group meandered through the LeBreton Gallery, which contains a diverse collection of vehicles, artillery and other large artifacts including a 1960s RCAF “Voodoo” jet fighter. We were awed by the more than 330 pieces of original artwork that were on display. It is worthwhile noting that the museum has 400 paintings and sketches by Alex Colville and 370 by the Group of Seven.  In the afternoon, our small force invaded Merrickville and had afternoon tea at the Sam Jakes Inn, the former residence of Sam Jakes. By 1861, Sam Jakes, an enterprising Irish immigrant who arrived in Merrickville in the 1830s, operated a three-storey department store (now the Baldachin Inn), which was considered the largest department store between Montreal and Chicago. It even had an elevator. Following tea, our contingent divided into two platoons. One ventured into the Merrickville shops and studios that were hosting its annual studio tour and came away with sundry booty. The second platoon enjoyed a tour of the Merrickville Blockhouse, the largest blockhouse on the Rideau Canal. Our hosts were Pat Molsen and John Cowan of the Merrickville Historical Society, which operates the blockhouse. Taking us into the Parks Canada Reception Area beside the hydropower dam, Pat regaled us with some of the history of the over 50 water-powered industries, which dotted the shoreline of the Rideau at Merrickville. Some of these included a gristmill, sawmill, tannery, cheese factory, creamery, blacksmith shops, ironworks shops, and mills for textiles and wool. Our return to Kingston allowed us to reflect on the day that we had including the fall foliage, excellent cooperation by Mother Nature and most notably the enjoyable camaraderie. Please mark your calendars for another excursion on 30 September 2006.  
 
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