Description of Historic Place

Located in the gorge of the Prince of Wales Bastion at the Citadel of Québec National Historic Site of Canada, Building 15, also called the Former Powder Magazine, the Museum of the Royal 22 Regiment and Canadian Forces Museum, is a solid looking, rectangular masonry structure reinforced by five large buttresses on each of its two side elevations and capped by a steep gabled roof. The entrance faces south and there are windows in the upper part of the gable ends of the roof. The designation is confined to the footprint of the building.

Heritage Value

Building 15 is a Classified Federal Heritage Building because of its historical associations, and its architectural and environmental value.

Historical Value
Building 15, now the Museum of the Royal 22 Regiment, also known as the Canadian Forces Museum, is associated with the defense of New France during the period of the Royal Government, from 1663 to 1759. The building is one of several constructed to enclose the southwest corner of Québec during the campaign of 1745 to 1759, the first major step toward establishing a permanent system of defense in Québec. It is one of the few buildings from the French Regime still standing in Québec.

Architectural Value
Building 15 is an outstanding example of a magazine structure based on the standard design developed by Vauban, King Louis the XIV’s military engineer in the 17th century. It is distinguished by its design as a defensive work and its high quality fieldstone construction. Chaussegros de Léry was involved in all of the major public works projects approved by the Royal Government for 40 years in New France where he was the most prolific engineer. His many projects bear witness to his great expertise in military engineering. Building 15 is one of only two buildings designed by Chaussegros de Léry that is still standing.

Environmental Value
The location of Building 15 was chosen based on the principle that a magazine had to be built a certain distance from the town and in the gorge of a bastion. Located in the gorge of the Prince of Wales Bastion as part of the Citadel of Québec, Building 15 reinforces the defensive military character of the site. Owing to its value as an historic building from the French Regime and because it houses the Museum of the Royal 22 Regiment it is very well known. It is one of the main buildings in the Prince of Wales Bastion and one of the two structures mentioned by name on the Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada plaque commemorating the Citadel.

Sources: Rhona Godspeed, The Citadel, Québec, Québec, Federal Heritage Building Report 88-161;Former Powder Magazine (Building No. 15), Museum of the Royal 22 Regiment, The Citadel, Québec, Québec, Heritage Character Statement, 88-161.

Character-Defining Elements

The character-defining elements of Building 15 should be respected.

Its standard magazine design, construction and high quality craftsmanship and materials such as:
-its rectangular form and solid masonry structure with side elevations bolstered by five large buttresses or counterforts and three additions;
-its steep gable roof finished with sheet copper with batten seams;
-its entrance and windows in the north and south gable walls, with iron shutters on some of the small pane windows;
-the fieldstone masonry of the main building and the regularly coursed masonry of the three additions;
-the interior walls and barrel vault that have been covered with a protective coating;
-its elements related to the original function of the building such as iron doors, iron shutters etc..

The manner in which Building 15 reinforces the defensive military character of its fort setting located in at the Québec Citadel.