Description of Historic Place

The Armoury, also known as the Canadian Grenadier Guards’ Armoury, sits prominently on its residential streetscape in Montréal. It is a large, two-storey, brick drill hall with a low-pitched gable roof. Its principal façade is decorated with two small copper-domed towers, bull’s eye windows, stone details, a coat of arms and an elaborate central entrance that leads to the large drill hall space. The designation is confined to the footprint of the building.

Heritage Value

The Armoury is a Recognized Federal Heritage Building because of its historical associations, and its architectural and environmental values.

Historical Value
The Armoury is closely associated with the reform and expansion of the Canadian militia. It is an important relic of the history of military architecture in Canada. Its construction was prompted by the reform of the militia undertaken in the 1890s by Frederick Borden, Minister of the Militia and Defence, which was continued after 1911 by his successor, Sir Sam Hughes. Created in 1859 under the name First Battalion, Volunteer Militia Rifles of Canada (First Prince of Wales’ Rifles), the Canadian Grenadier Guards (6th Battalion, Canadian Guards) is one of the oldest volunteer militia regiments in Canada. Its main victories are South Africa (1899-1900), Vimy Ridge, France and Flanders (1916-1918), the Rhineland and Northwestern Europe (1944-1945).

Architectural Value
The Armoury is valued for its good aesthetic and very good functional design. Its design details are derived from the Edwardian Classical style public buildings that are grandiose and robustly modeled and have rich surface decoration. The building’s compact plan expresses the program developed by the federal government for buildings of this type at the turn of the century. The large, unobstructed interior spaces with exposed two-hinged steel trusses accommodates drill, teaching and recreational facilities, elements considered innovative at its time of construction. High quality craftsmanship is evident throughout.

Environmental Value
The Armoury is compatible with the present residential character of its streetscape setting in Montréal. It is a familiar building in the area.

Sources: Jacqueline Hucker, Canadian Grenadier Guards’ Armoury, Montréal, Québec, Federal Heritage Buildings Review Office, Building Report, 93-019; Canadian Grenadier Guards’ Armoury, Montréal, Québec, Heritage Character Statement, 93-019.

Character-Defining Elements

The character-defining elements of the Armoury should be respected.

Its standard plan, very good functional design and good craftsmanship and materials, as for example:
- the compact plan, which comprises a large drill hall topped with a pitched roof, and the sections that house the administrative services and the utilitarian areas, including the “head house” and the rear block;
- the Edwardian Classical character of the façade evidenced in the central main entrance that is comprised of a large, wooden portal, the two small copper-domed towers, the four bull’s eye windows, the stone elements such as the coast of arms, the bands between storeys, window sills, entablatures and keystones, and the brickwork around the windows and the panels separating them;
- the masonry walls and the treatment of the openings, including the flat arches, and the bricks used to mark the upper level of the rear block;
- the clear and functional lines of the painted masonry walls and the utilitarian floors, which are representative of military interiors at the turn of the century;
- the large, open volume of the drill hall with exposed steel trusses.

The manner in which the Armoury is compatible with the present residential character of its streetscape setting in Montréal and is a familiar building in the area, as evidenced by:
- its scale, high standards of construction and materials, which harmonize with its residential surroundings and neighbouring houses;
- its high visibility due to its corner lot and the surrounding parkland, which makes it a local landmark.