Description of Historic Place

Building 21, also known as the Drill Hall, is located on a large site on the southeast side of an airfield, at Canadian Forces Base (CFB) Winnipeg. The building is a wood, metal and brick armoury with a large interior space for the drill hall, and low, shed-roofed ‘lean-tos’ running along its north and south elevations. The designation is confined to the footprint of the building.

Heritage Value

Building 21 is a Recognized Federal Heritage Building because of its historical associations, and its architectural and environmental values.

Historical Value
Building 21 is associated with the history of the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan (BCATP), under which 130,000 aircrew members were trained at 107 BCATP schools in Canada during the Second World War. Winnipeg was one of the major centres for the BCATP program. BCATP buildings at Winnipeg were later transferred to the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) and became part of the training facilities for observer training and air navigation.

Architectural Value
Building 21 is a good example of a standard military design of the 1940s. It was constructed to a standard plan for Second World War drill halls and hangars. The design made use of available materials; and, economical and efficient construction methods in the face of wartime restrictions.

Environmental Value
Building 21 reinforces the airfield character at its military base setting. The airfield area has become Winnipeg International Airport and continues to serve as an airfield and RCAF base. The building is familiar to those who live and work in the area.

Sources: Building 21, Drill Hall, CFB Winnipeg, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Federal Heritage Building Review Office Building Report, 96-075 INF; Building 21, Drill Hall, CFB Winnipeg, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Heritage Character Statement, 96-075.

Character-Defining Elements

The following character-defining elements of Building 21 should be respected.

Its role as an illustration of the history of the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan, reflected in:
- its conformity to the standard design for Second World War drill halls and hangars.

Its standard design for Second World War drill halls and hangars, for example:
- its large, open, central space, flanked on either side by one-storey 'lean-tos' to accommodate ancillary functions;
- its wood frame construction using Warren-truss supports for the roof.

The manner in which the building reinforces the airfield character of its military base setting, and is familiar to those who live and work in the area, as evidenced in:
- its large scale and specialized military design which are compatible with adjacent industrial buildings, and which make the drill hall readily identifiable as part of an airfield;
- the visibility of the building and its use as a gymnasium at the base.