The Lincoln & Welland Regiment Foundation is building the new Niagara Military Heritage Centre (Home of the Lincoln & Welland Regiment Museum) to honour the citizen soldiers and peacekeepers that served, and continue to serve.

The Lincoln & Welland Regiment Foundation is building the new Niagara Military Heritage Centre (Home of the Lincoln & Welland Regiment Museum) to honour the citizen soldiers and peacekeepers that served, and continue to serve.

The Lincoln and Welland Regiment’s history dates back to Butler’s Rangers, a volunteer force during the American War of Independence, through the War of 1812, the Fenian Raids, World Wars I and II, to peacekeeping missions throughout the world, and to civilian support in times of danger and disaster in Canada.

Since May 2000, the Lincoln and Welland Regiment Museum has operated in the Butler’s Barracks National Historic Site in Niagara-on-the-Lake under a license agreement with Parks Canada. The historic site was not in proper condition for housing artifacts. The museum opened in 1994, when it was based in a room at the Niagara Falls Armoury. The museum is currently located at a 12761 Sodom Road, Niagara Falls, Ontario, L2E 6S6.

A new permanent museum is now required. The new Niagara Military Heritage Centre will be a climate-controlled historical interpretation facility on a portion of the property in Niagara Falls, on the site of the former Russell Aviation Group. The Airfield Property dates back to the Second World War, where it was used as part of the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan.

The Centre will also be home to one of the largest collections of military vehicles in Canada and, as a result, works with the Canadian War Museum.

The new Centre will provide an opportunity to display and interpret the historically significant role of Niagara’s citizen-soldiers and for the development of displays, exhibits and educational outreach. The Regiment’s important contribution to peacekeeping will be a key element as well. It will also educate visitors and increase awareness by effectively telling the story of Niagara’s military legacy, and the stories of the women and men who served and continue to serve.

The Centre will be operated by the The Lincoln and Welland Regiment Foundation. The Foundation provides financial support to the Regiment, the Museum, the Regimental Band as well as undertaking certain projects on its own, such as the publications of the regimental histories by Don Graves, Geoffrey Hayes, Bill Smy and Vicki Hartman. The ownership of all Regimental memorabilia, artifacts in the collections of the Museum and property in the various Messes, has been vested in the Foundation.