The Connaught Armoury is a former Canadian armoury located at 10310 85 Avenue in

Edmonton Edmonton ( ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Alberta. Edmonton is situated on the North Saskatchewan River and is the centre of the Edmonton Metropolitan Region, which is surrounded by Alberta's central region. The city ancho ...

, Alberta, Canada. This building was built in 1911–12 in what was then the

City of Strathcona Strathcona was a city in Alberta, Canada on the south side of the North Saskatchewan River. Originally founded in 1891, it amalgamated with the City of Edmonton in 1912. History Strathcona's recorded history began in the 1870s. Its first r ...

at a cost of $35,000. The early twentieth century, two-storey, rectangular brick building is the oldest

armoury An arsenal is a place where arms and ammunition are made, maintained and repaired, stored, or issued, in any combination, whether privately or publicly owned. Arsenal and armoury (British English) or armory (American English) are most ...

in Alberta.

Facilities

In addition to a main floor drill hall, it incorporated storerooms for arms, saddles and uniforms; offices and a caretaker's apartment. In the basement, the drill hall had a rifle range and bowling alley.

History

The Edmonton Historical Board Plaque states:" Edmonton is home to several armoury buildings, reflecting the importance of the armed forces in our city's history. The Connaught Armoury was built in what was then the City of Strathcona in 1911-12. It was named for Prince Arthur, Duke of Connaught and Strathearn, the third son of

Queen Victoria Victoria (Alexandrina Victoria; 24 May 1819 – 22 January 1901) was Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until her death in 1901. Her reign of 63 years and 216 days was longer than that of any previo ...

and Canada's Governor-General from 1911 to 1916." The armoury was built to house the B Squadron of the

19th Alberta Dragoons The 19th Alberta Dragoons was a cavalry regiment and later an armoured regiment of the Canadian Militia and later the Canadian Army. It was placed on the Supplementary Order of Battle in 1965. In 2006, it was taken off the Supplementary Order of ...

. The 19th Alberta Dragoons was a cavalry, and later armoured regiment which served during the

First World War 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 in the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposi ...

. After the Second World War, it became the 19th Alberta Armoured Car Regiment. When the Dragoons were removed from the Order of Battle in 1964–5, the City of Edmonton acquired the armoury from the federal government.

Legacy

The building was vacant for 14 years. The building has been leased out to various restaurants over the years, but they did not succeed. The Strathcona Legion Branch 150 requested the use of the armoury after the building they were occupying became too expensive to continue using. However, Edmonton City Council decided to use the building as a drop-in centre for the

Youth Emergency Shelter Society Youth Empowerment & Support Services, commonly referred to as YESS, is a youth empowerment and housing organization in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. History YESS first registered as a not-for-profit in 1978, although its youth shelter at 9310 82 Av ...

References

*''Historic Edmonton—An Architectural and Pictorial Guide'', page 78–79
Old Strathcona Business Assoc. News Letter February 2006
{{Canadian Forces Infrastructure completed in 1911 Armouries in Canada Provincial Historic Resources in Edmonton Buildings and structures in Edmonton

Facilities

History

Legacy

See also

References