An Exhibition on Lost Liberties at Peterborough Museum and Archives

Peterborough, ON - The Peterborough Museum and Archives is pleased to present Lost Liberties – The War Measures Act, a travelling exhibition from the Canadian Museum of History that invites visitors to reflect on the difficult balance between national security and individual liberties in times of crisis. 

The exhibition explores the fears, racism and crises that drove the suspension of civil liberties in Canada during the First World War, the Second World War, and the 1970 October Crisis. In each crisis, the federal government applied the War Measures Act, which had serious impacts on the civil liberties of many individuals, groups and communities in Canada. 

Lost Liberties examines, notably, the internment of Canadians of Ukrainian origin and other nationalities during the First World War, the internment of Italian Canadians and the internment and forced relocation of Japanese Canadians during the Second World War, and the arrest of hundreds of people in Quebec during the 1970 October Crisis. 

“The exhibition sheds new light on the enduring impact of this act on Canada and its people, and allows the public to learn more about these difficult chapters in Canadian history,” said Dr Xavier Gélinas, curator, political history of the Canadian Museum of History and co-curator of the exhibition.  

“Lost Liberties not only places these crises in their historical context, but it also examines them through multiple perspectives and, above all, presents poignant first-hand accounts from the men, women and children who lived through them,” added Dr Mélanie Morin-Pelletier, historian war and society of the Canadian War Museum and co-curator of the exhibition. 

Developed by the Canadian Museum of History and generously supported by a grant from the Endowment Council of the Canadian First World War Internment Recognition Fund, Lost Liberties – The War Measures Act will be on display at the Peterborough Museum and Archives from June 20 to September 13, 2026. 

The Peterborough Museum and Archives, 300 Hunter St. E., is open Monday to Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. Saturdays, Sundays and most holidays. 

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About the Canadian Museum of History: Located on the shores of the Ottawa River in Gatineau, Quebec, the Canadian Museum of History is Canada’s most popular national museum. The Museum’s principal role is to enhance Canadians’ knowledge, understanding and appreciation of the events, experiences, people and objects that have shaped Canada’s history and identity, as well as to enhance Canadians’ awareness of world history and culture.