List of armouries in Canada facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

Armouries and drill halls are special buildings found across Canada. They were built to help train soldiers and store military equipment. Most of these buildings are in Ontario and Quebec.

Building Styles
- Who Designed These Buildings?
- Architects for the Militia Department
History of Armouries
List of Armouries in Canada

Building Styles

Who Designed These Buildings?

Many important public buildings in Canada, including armouries, were designed by special architects called the Chief Dominion Architects. These architects worked for the government. Some famous ones were Thomas Seaton Scott (1871–1881), Thomas Fuller (1881–1897), and David Ewart (1897–1914).

These architects used different building styles. Scott, Fuller, and Thomas W. Fuller often used the Dominion Style which was a type of Neo-Gothic style. This style looks a bit like old churches or castles. David Ewart liked the Baronial style, which also looks like castles with towers and strong walls.

Armouries might also show other styles like:

Gothic Revival (from the 1740s onwards)
Tudorbethan (1835–1885+)
Romanesque Revival (1840–1930)
Colonial Revival (1890s+)
Châteauesque (1887–1930)
Edwardian Baroque (1901-1922)

The original drawings for almost all these buildings are kept at the National Archives of Canada in Ottawa. Sometimes, other architects from the federal Department of the Militia also helped design these buildings.

Architects for the Militia Department

Some military buildings were designed by architects working directly for the Federal Department of the Militia. These architects made sure the buildings were designed, built, and kept in good condition. They also designed buildings to store weapons, uniforms, and ammunition, often right next to the drill halls. Key architects in this department included Henry James (1886–1893) and Lieutenant Frederick W. White (1893–1897).

History of Armouries

Why Were They Built?

In the 1860s, people in British North America (which is now Canada) were worried about their safety. The American Civil War was happening nearby, and there were attacks called the Fenian Raids. To protect themselves, Canada decided to make its militia (volunteer soldiers) stronger. Many towns built drill halls so these volunteers could train.

At first, in the 1870s to 1890s, local militia groups were in charge of building their own armouries. These buildings were usually placed in the center of towns, making them well-known landmarks.

Between 1876 and 1918, eleven drill halls were built in Ontario. This was part of a plan to make the Canadian military better. This effort helped turn the militia into a strong fighting force, ready for the First World War. These buildings were often made of brick, with flat roofs, stone bases, and castle-like features called crenellations.

From 1896 to 1918, over 100 drill halls and armouries were built across Canada.

What Were Armouries Used For?

Armouries were very important during the First World War, the Second World War, and the Korean War. They were used for:

Training: Soldiers practiced drills and learned skills.
Recruitment: New volunteers joined the military here.
Headquarters: They served as the main office for local militia groups.
Community Events: The large drill halls often doubled as assembly halls for town meetings or events.

Common Building Features

Many armouries in North America look like medieval castles. They have strong features such as:

Jutting towers and buttresses (supports on the outside walls).
Crenellations and battlements (the notched tops of castle walls).
A large door for troops, like a fortified gate.

These buildings were built with good materials and excellent craftsmanship. The drill halls inside were large and open, often with high gable roofs. Foundations were usually stone with concrete floors and steel frames. The outside walls were often red brick with quarry-faced stone (like limestone or sandstone). They had arched wood sash windows and strong doors. Inside, armouries had the drill hall, meeting rooms, classrooms, and storage areas.

Some armouries, built between 1901 and 1922, had a simpler, more practical Edwardian Baroque style. They still had large drill halls with exposed steel beams. Decorative features included Flemish style parapets, towers, and low arched entrances that looked like fortified gates. They often used red brick with stone foundations and decorative shields, giving them a strong, stable look. To make them seem even more like medieval castles, they had buttresses, crenellated walls, and small, narrow windows.

Armouries built in the 1920s and 1930s often used the Colonial Revival style, which was inspired by French colonial buildings. Later, in the 1930s, some armouries used modern designs with concrete floors, steel frames, and large, open spaces. These buildings often had a Châteauesque style, with smooth surfaces and geometric shapes. They featured red brick, white limestone towers, and fancy arched entrances.

Many armouries are now recognized as National Historic Sites of Canada or Federal Heritage Buildings because of their history, architecture, and importance to their communities. In the 1950s, the Department of National Defence started using a standard, simpler design for drill halls on military bases.