Winnipeg, Manitoba
John David Wawryk was a member of the Royal Winnipeg Rifles Museum and Archives for over 25 years. While the museum has been around since the 1970s, its holdings were stored until the “Museum and Archives” was formed in 1994, and Dave Wawryk was an essential part of the volunteer base since almost day one.
The original collection was quite disorganized and Dave Wawryk took on the monumental task of organizing, restoring and properly displaying the collection while also assisting with family requests for research.
He committed between four to eight hours per week on artifact restoration, doing military research for families, and often continued working outside of the museum’s hours to complete projects. He also assisted in recruiting and mentoring new volunteers with the museum.
In 2017, under new management, the museum underwent a significant remodel and modernization. Dave Wawryk embraced the new direction, learning new technological skills and helping to create a First and Second World War database for the Royal Winnipeg Rifles.
While he is no longer directly involved with the museum for health reasons, he still communicates with staff and members of the Royal Winnipeg Rifles Association frequently.
He has also promoted the history of the regiment outside of the museum by giving lectures to the general public and students, creating and installing displays for Commemorative events and sharing his own personal collection of documents and photographs.
Dave Wawryk is also a long-serving board and executive member of the Military History Society of Manitoba.