Armour Heights Field was home to a
Royal Flying Corps airfield in
Toronto, Ontario
Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the ancho ...
, Canada during
World War I
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
, and was one of three in the area. Many RFC (later,
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the United Kingdom's air and space force. It was formed towards the end of the First World War on 1 April 1918, becoming the first independent air force in the world, by regrouping the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) an ...
) pilots
trained in Canada due to space availability. The airfield was opened in July 1917, but closed in 1919 as the war had ended. It was later developed as a
residential development
A residential area is a land used in which housing predominates, as opposed to industrial and commercial areas.
Housing may vary significantly between, and through, residential areas. These include single-family housing, multi-family resi ...
and remains as such today.
In 1917, an airfield was constructed near the site of the present Avenue Road and
Route 401 interchange, and early the following year, the
School of Special Flying
A school is an educational institution designed to provide learning spaces and learning environments for the teaching of students under the direction of teachers. Most countries have systems of formal education, which is sometimes compul ...
opened. Student pilots received instruction on the basics of flight,
aerial reconnaissance
Aerial reconnaissance is reconnaissance for a military or strategic purpose that is conducted using reconnaissance aircraft. The role of reconnaissance can fulfil a variety of requirements including artillery spotting, the collection of i ...
and
aerial combat. However, the school had a short life as it closed around the time the
Armistice
An armistice is a formal agreement of warring parties to stop fighting. It is not necessarily the end of a war, as it may constitute only a cessation of hostilities while an attempt is made to negotiate a lasting peace. It is derived from the ...
was signed, on November 11, 1918.
The airfield had six hangars and a smaller structure housing offices.
In 1919,
Bishop-Barker Airplanes Limited, founded by World War I Royal Flying Corps veterans
William "Billy" Bishop and
William Barker William Barker may refer to:
Politicians
*William Barker (translator) ( 1570), English translator and MP for Great Yarmouth and Bramber
* William Barker (MP for Berkshire) (died 1685), English Member of Parliament for Berkshire
* Sir William Bark ...
, took over the
aerodrome
An aerodrome (Commonwealth English) or airdrome (American English) is a location from which aircraft flight operations take place, regardless of whether they involve air cargo, passengers, or neither, and regardless of whether it is for publ ...
. This business venture was also short-lived, closing in 1921, and one of Canada's busiest airfields at the time was simply abandoned. Evidence of the field's tarmac was still visible until late 2015 on Ravenhill Road, but was paved over shortly after. This was the last piece of visual evidence of the aerodrome's existence.
The site is now the
Canadian Forces College
The Canadian Forces College (CFC) is a military school for senior and general officers of the Canadian Armed Forces. The college provides graduate-level military education courses to enable officers to develop their leadership quality within the ...
, which teaches the Command and Staff courses to officers of all three service branches. The only remnant of the
Royal Flying Corps days is the stone building currently housing the Armour Heights Officers Mess, a Tudor-Revival home built in 1914 by George and Moorhouse Architects for
Colonel
Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations.
In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, a colonel was typically in charge o ...
Frederick Burton Robins Frederick may refer to:
People
* Frederick (given name), the name
Nobility
Anhalt-Harzgerode
* Frederick, Prince of Anhalt-Harzgerode (1613–1670)
Austria
* Frederick I, Duke of Austria (Babenberg), Duke of Austria from 1195 to 1198
* Frederic ...
(1866-1948),
Honorary Colonel of the
Toronto Scottish Regiment
The Toronto Scottish Regiment (Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother's Own) is a Primary Reserve infantry regiment of the Canadian Army. It is part of 4th Canadian Division's 32 Canadian Brigade Group.
Lineage
File:Tor Scots Colour.jpg, The regiment ...
and real estate developer.
http://canadianorangehistoricalsite.com/ThomasKaiser.php
/ref> Robins had acquired the land from family of original settler John Armour, for whom the area is now named.
See also
* List of abandoned airports in Canada
This is an alphabetical list of abandoned airports in Canada that were at one time important enough to warrant an article. Most of these also appear in :Defunct airports in Canada. This list is sorted by province or territory.
Alberta
List of ai ...
* List of airports in the Greater Toronto Area
The Greater Toronto Area (GTA) contains ten airports, eight heliports, and one water aerodrome. These aviation facilities are situated within and around Toronto and its neighbouring cities, serving airline passengers, regional air travel and co ...
References
External links
Bruce Forsyth's Military History Page
{{authority control
Defunct airports in Ontario
Royal Flying Corps airfields