The Halifax Armoury is a military structure in central
Halifax,
Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia ( ; ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. It is one of the three Maritime provinces and one of the four Atlantic provinces. Nova Scotia is Latin for "New Scotland".
Most of the population are native Eng ...
, Canada. The armoury is the home base of
The Princess Louise Fusiliers
The Princess Louise Fusiliers is a Primary Reserve light infantry regiment of the Canadian Armed Forces.
Lineage
File:Regimental Colour of the Princess Louise Fusiliers.jpg, Regimental Colour of the Princess Louise Fusiliers
File:Camp_Flag ...
, and several cadet units.
Architecture
The armoury was designed in 1895 by
Chief Dominion Architect Chief Dominion Architect was a position created in 1871 by the Government of Canada to help design public federal buildings across Canada. The role reported to the Minister of Public Works.
From World War II onwards to 1973 (renamed Chief Architect ...
Thomas Fuller
Thomas Fuller (baptised 19 June 1608 – 16 August 1661) was an English churchman and historian. He is now remembered for his writings, particularly his ''Worthies of England'', published in 1662, after his death. He was a prolific author, and ...
, and was opened the next year and work on the structure was completed in 1899. While the sandstone exterior is based on a medieval castle, it was actually one of the most advanced structures of its day. It was pioneering in its use of a series of
Fink truss The Fink truss is a commonly used truss in residential homes and bridge architecture. It originated as a bridge truss although its current use in bridges is rare.
History
The Fink Truss Bridge was patented by Albert Fink in 1854.
Albert Fink des ...
es to create a large interior space with no columns or walls, and is today the oldest surviving example of such a building. It was also one of the first buildings in Halifax to be lit by
electricity
Electricity is the set of physical phenomena associated with the presence and motion of matter that has a property of electric charge. Electricity is related to magnetism, both being part of the phenomenon of electromagnetism, as described ...
. The plan is similar to that of Fuller's Toronto Armoury, completed in 1894.
History
It has played an important part in many Canadian wars, being an important transit point for soldiers before departing by ship for the
Boer War
The Second Boer War ( af, Tweede Vryheidsoorlog, , 11 October 189931 May 1902), also known as the Boer War, the Anglo–Boer War, or the South African War, was a conflict fought between the British Empire and the two Boer Republics (the Sou ...
and both
World War
A world war is an international conflict which involves all or most of the world's major powers. Conventionally, the term is reserved for two major international conflicts that occurred during the first half of the 20th century, World WarI (1914 ...
s. It was damaged in the
Halifax Explosion
On the morning of 6 December 1917, the French cargo ship collided with the Norwegian vessel in the waters of Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. The ''Mont-Blanc'', laden with high explosives, caught fire and exploded, devastating the Richmond ...
in 1917, the west wall being displaced by about 60 centimetres.
[Staff,]
North Park Armoury gets permanent fix 100 years after Halifax Explosion
" ''Chronicle Herald'' (Halifax), January 25, 2017. Retrieved 3 February 2017 Still usable after the explosion, the armoury provided shelter for many who had lost their homes.
The armoury again served as an emergency shelter during the 1945
Bedford Magazine explosion
The Bedford Magazine explosion was a conflagration resulting in a series of explosions from July 18 to 19, 1945, in Bedford, Nova Scotia, Canada. During World War II, the adjacent cities of Halifax and Dartmouth, provided heavy support for Can ...
s, when thousands of North End residents evacuated toward the Halifax Common. The St. John Ambulance Brigade and the army worked together to shelter the evacuees for about 25 hours following the first explosion.
The building was designated a
National Historic Site of Canada
National Historic Sites of Canada (french: Lieux historiques nationaux du Canada) are places that have been designated by the federal Minister of the Environment
An environment minister (sometimes minister of the environment or secretary of t ...
in 1989. In 1991, it was designated a
Classified Federal Heritage Building
The Federal Heritage Buildings Review Office (FHBRO) was established in 1982 after the Government of Canada adopted an internal policy on managing heritage buildings. Today, federal heritage is incorporated into the Government of Canada's Treasury ...
.
Restoration
Major renovations were announced in January 2017 to restore the west wall to its original position after being damaged in 1917 by the powerful blast of the Halifax Explosion.
[ Up to 20 per cent of the wall required replacement and it was decided to use stone from the original quarry after the source was located in Beckwith, near ]Pugwash, Nova Scotia
Pugwash is an incorporated village in Cumberland County, Nova Scotia, Canada, located on the Northumberland Strait at the mouth of the Pugwash River. It had a population of 746 as of the 2021 census. The name Pugwash is derived from the Mi'kmaq ...
.[Anne Farries,]
Group goes on stone treasure hunt for North Park Armoury rehab project
" ''Chronicle Herald'' (Halifax), January 27, 2017. Retrieved 3 February 2017
First phase
The first phase of the rehabilitation project centres on restoring the damaged west wall, as a tilt caused by the Halifax Explosion has gradually been increasing. Reconstruction of the wall is expected to be complete in October 2019.
Second phase
The restoration's second phase is expected to be complete by 2024. The interior will be restored, as will the other three facades as well as the building's roof.
See also
* List of armouries in Canada
A number of armouries and drill halls exist in communities across Canada. Of these, the majority were built in Ontario and Quebec.
Architecture
Chief Dominion Architects
The Chief Dominion Architect(s) designed a number of prominent public bui ...
*
* Military history of Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia (also known as Mi'kma'ki and Acadia) is a Canadian province located in Canada's Maritimes. The region was initially occupied by Mi'kmaq. The colonial history of Nova Scotia includes the present-day Canadian Maritime provinces and th ...
References
External links
Halifax Armoury Commemorated
{{coord, 44, 39, 6.4, N, 63, 35, 13.1, W, display=title
Buildings and structures in Halifax, Nova Scotia
Armouries in Canada
National Historic Sites in Nova Scotia
Tourist attractions in Halifax County, Nova Scotia
Romanesque Revival architecture in Canada
Government buildings completed in 1899
Thomas Fuller buildings
Classified Federal Heritage Building
1899 establishments in Nova Scotia