Hong Kong was Canada and Quebec’s first action in WWII—a dramatic stand against Japan in 1941. Outnumbered, Canadian soldiers fought fiercely before enduring 44 harrowing months of captivity, leaving a lasting scar on them. Discover their story in our exhibit Impossible Odds!
The physical version of our exhibition is available exclusive by reservation. However, it is also available in its virtual version, with exclusive content such as videos, interactive modules and more!
How to book our exhibition Impossible Odds?
To host one of our traveling exhibitions at your institution, simply fill out our reservation form with your contact information, reservation dates, and requested materials. Alternatively, you can also contact us at to make your reservation. Once you have filled out the form, we will contact you by email: please check your spam folder so you don’t miss our message!
Our exhibit Impossible Odds consists of 6 panels in total measuring 6 feet by 8 feet wide. Each panel contains a metal frame to assemble and a canvas to install over it. No tools are required! See how to assemble a panel in our video.
Finally, check out our exhibition kit for more information!
Activity objectives
The goal of these activities is to allow secondary cycle two students to have a greater understanding of World War II and Canada’s role in the Battle of Hong Kong. Students will also learn to appreciate the contributions of Canadian Armed Forces personnel from Quebec.
These activities were created as educational tools to complement the Quebec Education Program of secondary 4 History and secondary 5 History of the 20th and Contemporary World courses. In addition, these activities can also be used as language tools in the following courses: Francais langue maternelle (in secondary 3, 4 and 5), Français, secondary language, English, secondary language (in secondary 3, 4 and 5) and English Language Arts.
Activities you might also like
Replica uniforms from the First World War
Get the chance to interact with our replica uniforms from the Great War! In addition to our travelling exhibits, we lend both a soldier’s and a nurse’s uniform so that students can picture how people dressed during wartime. The uniforms offer a small insight into the daily lives of the ordinary people who participated in this unprecedented event.
Understanding the Battle of Hong Kong
To understand the Battle of Hong Kong and Canada’s role in the Pacific during the Second World War, we must first gain some general knowledge and understanding of why the war happened and how it affected the entire world, including Asia and the Pacific region. This activity serves both as a way to introduce World War II to your students and as a quiz for our exhibition Impossible Odds: The Battle of Hong Kong.
Consensus Building Jirga: To intervene or not?
What was 9/11? How did it change the world forever? What is NATO? What happened in Afghanistan’s history that led to war? Students will engage in a consensus building activity to exercise their critical thinking skills involving Canada’s involvement in Afghanistan and the War on Terror.