The Sidney Museum & Archives is excited to unveil a new travelling exhibit, Lost Liberties: The War Measures Act. 

During the 20th century, the War Measures Act was enacted three times by the Canadian Government. During World War I, World War II, and the 1970 October Crisis, the civil liberties of Canadians were suspended in the name of national security. Lost Liberties focuses on minority groups who were targeted during these times including the instances of internment of Canadians of European origin, the forced relocation of Japanese Canadians, and the arrest of people in Quebec. 

An additional display of local connections has also been created by Museum staff. Displacing Differences will present how these injustices happened right on the Saanich Peninsula by showcasing information on the D’Arcy Island lazaretto, the imprisonment of Doukhobors on Piers Island, Japanese Canadians who were forcibly uprooted from Sidney, and the forced displacement of W̱SÁNEĆ Peoples.

“Lost Liberties provides us with a unique opportunity to share historically under-represented narratives”, says Michael Goodchild, Executive Director of the Sidney Museum. “The impact of the War Measures Act over the 20th century is not widely known, and we are honoured to pair the exhibit’s national perspective along with examples closer to home.”

Lost Liberties: The War Measures Act is a travelling exhibition developed by the Canadian Museum of History and generously supported by a grant for the Endowment Council of the Canadian First World War Internment Recognition Fund. It runs from August 5-November 29, 2024 at the Sidney Museum. 

Learn more about the museum on their website.