Jun
9
1:00 PM13:00

D-Day Was Just the Beginning: Radar and the Long Liberation

Join Maya Hirschman, PhD Candidate at the University of Toronto, as she introduces us to the importance of radar to the success of D-Day and its role in the Liberation of France, Belgium, and the Netherlands. Her talk uses objects, images, and oral histories from the Secrets of Radar Museum to illustrate how June 6, 1944, momentous as it was, was only the first day in a months-long, exhausting, at times heart-breaking, operation that required hundreds of radar personnel to make it succeed. Maya will highlight the experiences of Canadian and British radar personnel and display a selection of rarely exhibited artifacts from the collection.

The $10 cost of tickets supports Secrets of Radar Museum operations and collections care. This event is part of our 20th Anniversary programming and is being hosted by the 427 Air Force Wing. Click here to purchase tickets online through Eventbrite. If you'd like to make a day of it, why not reserve a seat for the Wing's hot lunch starting at 11:30A.M.? Separate reservations for lunch required. Call Flo 519-455-0430.

View Event →
Aug
26
6:00 PM18:00

Annual General Meeting 2022

It’s that time again, that time when we eat cheese and mingle before sitting down and discussing the museum’s business over the preceding 2021-2022 fiscal year. Remember, active members are entitled to vote on proceedings so please make sure your membership is up-to-date. If you’re unsure, send us a message. If you’d like to vote but are unsure if you can attend, you can access the Proxy Form here, available in two formats so you can fill it in at home.

View Event →
Sep
18
to Sep 19

Doors Open London is Virtual

  • Secrets of Radar Museum (map)
  • Google Calendar ICS

Doors Open London is a free weekend celebration of everything that makes our city an amazing place to live. Doors Open London is the city of London’s largest collective celebration of history, heritage and culture. Celebrating its 20th year, Doors Open London is one of the longest-running community celebrations in Ontario. The family-friendly two-day event offers access to heritage and cultural sites and programming, free of charge. And SORM is a long-standing participant. Under normal circumstances, we’d be offering hundreds of keen visitors a slate of tours or activities, but due to the unpredictability of COVID-19, the decision was made that all programming would be digital. We will be open normal hours on Saturday, with health and safety precautions in place.

Doors Open London 2021 is scheduled for September 18th and 19th, 2021. The theme for 2021 will be “Celebrating 20 Years of Doors Open London.

View Event →
Sep
11
6:00 PM18:00

Notice of AGM 2020

AGM.jpg

Dear Friends and Members of the Secrets of Radar Museum,

On behalf of the Board of Directors, I would like to extend a warm invitation to attend our Annual General Meeting (AGM) set for Friday Sept 11, 2020 from 6:00-7:30 at the Secrets of Radar Museum (2155b Crumlin Sideroad). Light refreshments will be provided.  

There will be a brief meeting to discuss the museum’s year and we will be electing new Board members. In particular, we are seeking a board member who has fund raising and/or event organization skills. If you are interested in putting your name forward, please contact a member of the Board.

While we will be hosting a physically distanced AGM on site, in person, we also understand that many of our members may not be able to do so. For that reason, we will also enable virtual attendance (details are still being worked out). If you are an active member who is unable to attend (or just in case), please fill in and return the Proxy. Without your support the future of the museum is in jeopardy.

A lot of progress has been made this year and we are excited to carry forward this momentum!

The AGM provides an opportunity for members and community to come and see the museum, as well as interact with Board members at this historic institution. Please join us for the evening and have your voice heard. Face masks are required for those not exempt. If you do not have a mask, one will be provided.

Sincerely,

Steve Bourdeau, President

View Event →
Feb
15
9:00 AM09:00

Secrets of Radar Museum at Heritage Fair 2020

For more information about the LHC’s Heritage Fair 2020, visit their website.

For more information about the LHC’s Heritage Fair 2020, visit their website.

Join us and many others at the London Heritage Council’s 8th annual Heritage Fair on Saturday, February 15, 2020, from 9 am – 3 pm. In commemoration of the 75th anniversary of the end of World War II, Heritage Fair 2020 will focus on “Remembering Their Sacrifice – 75 Years Later.” The event will feature prominent guest speakers, interactive activities, as well as an informative “Exploration Zone” featuring 20+ local organizations, all showcasing Canada’s contribution in the Second World War.

View Event →
2019 London Heritage Fair
Feb
16
9:00 AM09:00

2019 London Heritage Fair

  • London Public Library - Central Branch (map)
  • Google Calendar ICS

Join us (and a whole lot of other wonderful local organisations) as we celebrate music at the London Heritage Fair on February 16. You might not expect a museum about radar to have musical stories to tell, but we do! Doors open at 9A.M. and close at 3P.M. at the Central Library branch of the London Public Library.

2019+Heritage+Fair+Poster.png
View Event →
May
11
10:00 AM10:00

Spooner Legacy Stone Ceremony

On May 11, at 10AM, the 427 (London) Wing celebrates the legacy of LAC Kenneth Gerald Spooner with a ceremony celebrating his memory.  The Museum will be open to welcome visitors and guests of the ceremony.

Student navigator, LAC Kenneth Gerald Spooner, GC

Student navigator, LAC Kenneth Gerald Spooner, GC

The Spooner Story:
Leading Aircraftsman (LAC) Kenneth Gerald Spooner, age 20, was a student navigator at No. 4 Air Observer School, RCAF, Station Crumlin (now the London International Airport).  In mid-May, 1943, Spooner, with three other students and the pilot, took off in an Avro Anson on a training exercise. Shortly after take-off, the pilot fainted and could not be revived.  Spooner, who had no pilot training, took control of the falling aircraft and struggled to keep it level long enough for the other three students to bail out.

The Anson eventually crashed into Lake Erie, killing Spooner and the unconscious pilot.  The testimony of the surviving students brought Spooner his posthumous award of the George Cross, considered the equivalent of the Victoria Cross for comparable heroism in non-combat situations.  He was the second RCAF serviceman to receive this medal.

View Event →
Apr
27
7:00 PM19:00

Annual General Meeting

Notice of AGM: April 27, 2018

Join us for light refreshments as we discuss the year ending March 31, 2018.  Hear about projects currently under way.  Get to know your Board, staff, volunteers, and fellow members.  Members in good standing are able to vote in person at the meeting or by filling out the proxy form available by clicking the link below and sending it back to us.

Click here for Proxy Form.

View Event →
Feb
21
10:30 AM10:30

Time Out 2018 at Metropolitan United Church

Join Curator Maya Hirschman for the entertaining and informative talk Top Secret: London's Hidden Radar History in the Met Hall at the Metropolitan United Church. 

YOU MUST BE PRE-REGISTERED THROUGH TIME OUT.  For information, please call 519-432-7189 to register and the session may be sold out.

If you're not familiar with the Time Out outreach programs offered by the Metropolitan United Church, this is a great time to get acquainted.  Now in its 45th year, Time Out is a way to learn, share, and socialise in an atmosphere of fellowship and intellectual curiosity.  Wheelchair accessible.

View Event →
Jul
14
to Jul 17

Vimy Flight at 427 (London) Wing

Join our friends at the 427 Wing, on Crumlin Sideroad, for Vimy Flight: Birth of a Nation, July 14-17.  Three replica, bi-wing Nieuport 11 aircraft will be making an appearance at the Wing.  The aircraft, known as Vimy Flight, are making a cross-country tour of Canada as part of a Department of Canadian Heritage sponsored program celebrating both Canada's 150th anniversary and to recall Canada's integral contributions in the evolution of First World War aviation.

We will be participating with a display exploring the technology that led to the development of radar. 

Four Nieuport 11s that were flown over Vimy Ridge in France to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the great battle visited 12 Wing Shearwater Nova Scotia.


Aircraft will be on static display from Friday afternoon until late morning Monday.  The big day will be Saturday, with a full schedule of events.

Schedule of events for Saturday, July 15th:
1100: Ted Barris will present his Vimy talk in the Wing
1200: Outside in the Vimy Memorial Garden for remarks from City Councillor
1215: Randy Warden, President of Vimy Legion Branch 145
1225: Reverend Frank Mantz blessing
1230: Ceremonial tree planting of the two Vimy Oaks
1245: Public meet and greet with the Vimy Flight pilots and invited guests
1315: Possible flight of Vimy Flight, weather permitting
1415: Aircraft return to static display at the Wing for viewing, photography, etc.
1700: Aircraft taxi to hangar for overnight, Wing remains open until 2100.

 

View Event →
Jul
1
12:00 PM12:00

Canada Day in Harris Park

  • Harris Park Entrance London, ON, N6A Canada (map)
  • Google Calendar ICS

We'll be ringing in Canada's 150th in Harris Park !  Join us and our friends from other local and regional museums and military and heritage organisations as we pay tribute to the country we call home, its amazing, diverse peoples, and the impact they've had upon its history!  There will be First Nations dancing, a citizenship ceremony, live demonstrations, military vehicles, music, and lots to eat and drink.

View Event →
Nov
29
7:00 PM19:00

Terrific Tales of London brings you London's Secret Radar History, November 29 at 7pm

  • Byron Branch, London Public Library (map)
  • Google Calendar ICS

Come out to Byron Branch of the London Public Library to hear Manager Maya talk about London's Second World War radar history.  She'll touch on training, research, and manufacturing in her talk, illustrated with images from the Museum's permanent collection.  As this research is ever on-going, Maya will be happy to hear new research leads from audience members following the talk.

View Event →
Nov
5
to Nov 6

Live History presents "Circa" at Radar

Join us for this season's most unique theatre experience, right here at the Museum !  We are delighted to announce that we will be a venue for the pioneering history theatre company, Live History, this autumn in the lead-up to Remembrance Day.  Live History will presenting site-specific "Circa" at the Museum, November 5 & 6.

Showtimes are 10AM, 4PM, and 7PM, Saturday and Sunday.

Advance tickets can be purchased with cash at the Museum: $17 adult; $15 seniors, students, and veterans.  They can also be purchased by credit card (service fees apply) through Eventbrite.ca.  At-the-door tickets are $20 for everyone.

About Circa: It’s almost closing time at the museum when you run into a strange figure, dressed in period clothes and seeming confused. The mysterious character, identifying only as Circa, is horrified to discover they are in the modern era, and many of things they remember and love are now behind glass. They have no recollection of who they are, or how they got there. Only items from the past seem to trigger memories and stories about their identity. Stay with Circa for anecdotes from the main exhibit’s time period, and travel through other exhibits, searching for clues.

View Event →
Oct
1
to Oct 2

Doors Open London 2016

Once again, Secrets of Radar is participating in Doors Open London!  Join us Saturday, October 1st and Sunday, October 2nd from 10AM to 4PM.  We'll have staff and volunteers on hand to answer questions and share favourite anecdotes, and members of the London Amateur Radio Club will be on the air.  This year, we're pulling some very special artefacts out of storage to put on display for this special event.  And, of course, we'll have "radar popcorn" and light refreshments available for a donation.

To see what other events are going on, visit LondonCulture.ca.

Original RCA advert, c.1944. Collection of the Secrets of Radar Museum

View Event →
Sep
16
7:30 PM19:30

Annual General Meeting 2016

Join us for light refreshments as we discuss the year ending March 31, 2016.  Hear about projects currently under way.  Get to know your Board, staff, volunteers, and fellow members.  Members in good standing are able to vote in person at the meeting or by filling out the proxy form, available here.  Not in good standing?  Renew your membership online through PayPal.

View Event →
Jul
23
to Jul 24

Pride Weekend in London

Along with our friends at Jet Aircraft Museum, we're participating in Pride London this weekend.  If you're out celebrating, make sure you come visit our shared booth in the community tent in Victoria Park.  We'll also be in the Pride Parade with JAM on Sunday.  Look for the "cockpit" !  The Parade starts at 12:30PMand travels west from Western Fair along Queens Ave.

View Event →
Jun
11
10:00 AM10:00

June Jet Blast Day at JAM

Join us at Jet Aircraft Museum for Jet Blast Day!  We'll be in the hangar, along with JAM's T-33s, with a table booth, displaying a selection of objects and items telling the Canadian radar story.  What is a 'Jet Blast'?  It's s a fly day where the museum and/or visiting jets are out flying. 

We'll also be open regular hours at our own site, if you happen to want a substantially quieter museum experience.

 

View Event →
May
23
11:00 AM11:00

Victoria Day at 'Radar'

In celebration of Museum Month, we will be offering a hands-on day at the Museum.  Come visit us May 23, 11AM-3PM for an all-ages, family friendly event featuring magnets, radios, flight mechanics, scrapbooks, and more! 

See our ad in the London Free Press Classifieds for more information.

Check out museumsontario.ca to find out what other Museum Month events are taking place at museums near you!

View Event →
Feb
15
10:00 AM10:00

Family Day Open House 2016

Taking advantage of the trails around Westminster Ponds this Family Day? Drop by the Secrets of Radar Museum and warm up with us.

Hot refreshments and “radar popcorn” will be available for purchase and volunteers will be on hand to introduce the museum’s permanent exhibits. We'll have family-friendly activities, touchable artefacts, and the London Amateur Radio Club will be on the air!
 

View Event →
Feb
2
7:00 PM19:00

Budweiser Gardens: The Band of Her Majesty’s Royal Marines

The Band of Her Majesty’s Royal Marines, featuring the Pipes, Drums and Highland Dancers of the Scots Guards, is coming to London's Budweiser Gardens on February 2nd!  The Secrets of Radar Museum will be on-site for the event, too, with artefacts and items from the Museum's collections. 

Make sure to take advantage of the $5 off coupon code if you're planning to purchase tickets.  Book online at www.budweisergardens.com/password. Make sure to quote promo code: GBRM!

View Event →
Nov
14
11:00 AM11:00

We Remember at Markham Village Library

Join us at Markham Village Library on Saturday, November 14th for a special Remembrance event honouring our veterans and their experiences. 

Yes, you heard correctly - we'll be in Markham, Ontario.  The story of Canada's radar involvement isn't limited to London, ON, after all, so neither are we!  If you're in the GTA and looking for something a little different, come out and join us at the Markham Library along with the Markham Museum. 

Book time with a member of the Markham District Veterans' Association and hear their personal story.

For more details, visit weremember.eventbrite.ca

View Event →
Sep
26
10:00 AM10:00

Doors Open London, coming September 26th

We're doing something a little different for Doors Open this year.  We will be partnering with Jet Aircraft Museum on the 26th of September with our display in their airplane hangar.  We will be open at our own location, per usual, but we will not be open the 27th.  So, for Doors Open programming, on the Saturday, please join us at either location for family fun, history, heritage, and culture.

For information on other participating Doors Open and Culture Days sites and locations, from which there are many to choose, please visit the London Heritage Council.

 

View Event →
Sep
18
6:00 PM18:00

Annual General Meeting

Our Annual General Meeting is scheduled for September 18th, 2015 at 7P.M.  You are welcome to come in person beginning at 6P.M. to enjoy some refreshments and get to know SORM's Board of Directors and myself.  Current members of the museum are able to vote in the proceedings.  If you cannot attend in person, but still wish your voice to be heard, please fill in and return the Proxy form and either fill in, scan, and email it to president@secretsofradar.com, or mail it to us at the address indicated.

View Event →
Aug
8
9:00 AM09:00

Join us at JAM's Jet Blast Day

We're joining our friends at the Jet Aircraft Museum July 11th, 9AM-5PM for Jet Blast Day.  We'll be on-site at their hangar with our display.  We'll also be open our regular summer hours, 10-4, at our museum. 

A "Jet Blast" is a fly day where JAM takes museum or visiting jets out flying.  Jet Blasts days are the only place in Canada that you can go for a flight in a vintage RAF Jet Provost T4 or a RCAF T-33 jet.  Visit their website for details.  We're pretty excited for the visiting B-17, so let's hope for great weather.

View Event →
Jul
1
12:00 PM12:00

Canada Day 2015 in Harris Park

Join us in Harris Park for Canada Day 2015!  We'll have our display in the Canada's Heroes area, along with veterans' grousp and military re-enactors.  Events kick off at noon and we'll be there through 5PM.  There will be a Citizenship Ceremony, entertainment, food, and more.

Volunteer Bethany poses at SORM's Canada Display, Harris Park, 2014.

Volunteer Bethany poses at SORM's Canada Display, Harris Park, 2014.

The celebration goes on all evening, closing with the fireworks finale at 10PM. 

View Event →