When people visit him at the Ashton Armoury Museum, director Major Derek Brown says he’s preaching to the converted.

"It's only when we make our presence at a mall or an event that we're unexpected," said Brown, about the Saanich-based museum's fleet of Canadian military vehicles.

Brown was there when the museum was added to the armoury 17 years ago. Since then, he's put in thousands of hours organizing the exhibits and displays, including the notable Peacekeeper's Corridor. It documents a timeline of Canada's United Nations missions since the UN's inception in 1948.

Canada's role as peacekeepers is changing, Brown said.

What started out as a concept to help keep a lid on the Cold War in 1947 has become a complicated world of UN and NATO combined efforts. It’s a different world than the one former Prime Minister Lester B. Pearson, considered one of the fathers of peacekeeping, lived in when he won a Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts.

"You don't see NATO vehicles painted white (like the UN)," said Brown, noting the different role for our military in the early the 21st century.

"(The Canadian Forces) are doing more NATO missions now and they're not peacekeeping. They're there to put down an insurgency and/or create order."

But the armoury’s museum isn't just for history's sake. It also plays a role in reshaping the image of the Canadian Forces and recruiting.

Working with Master Corporal Les Gardener, Brown takes the work seriously. The two deploy the armoury’s main attractions.

"We have the largest selection of running military vehicles in a Canadian museum," Brown said. "And by ‘running’ I mean 28 operational vehicles and mounted artillery guns."

Many of the vehicles have seen service during UN missions, including a 1952 Jeep, once used in Korea and still painted in its original white with blue UN decals.

There's also a camouflage 1962 Daimler-built armoured Ferret Scout car, also with UN decals.

"This weighs about four tonnes and isn't effective against the missiles they have these days," said volunteer Mike Deakins-Macey, who was on hand to show visiting school kids the out-of-service but fully functional military vehicles he helps maintain. "The speedy Ferrets are still used in some places. This one was used to accompany white UN Jeeps when they needed some added muscle. Just like when a kid brings an adult, it would help make a statement." he told the students.

All week, Deakins-Macey is letting school kids sit in the armoured, tank-like vehicle whlie Gardner lectures during a multi-media presentation to hundreds of students visiting from six local schools.

"We're trying to recruit, but with kids we're just trying to educate, let them know what we do is to help, not just in the past but now," said Gardner.

Deakins-Macey will be on hand with what is Canada's largest fleet of functioning museum vehicles and artillery pieces for the Remembrance Day Ceremony, 11 a.m. at Saanich municipal hall.

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