Bay Street Armoury is located at 715 Bay Street in Victoria, British Columbia. [1]
The Bay Street Drill Hall was completed in 1915. It was created to provide training facilities for local militia units such as the Fifth Regiment of artillery, as well as to provide a home for two newly formed units, the 50th Gordon Highlanders of Canada and HQ Military District No. 11. The Armoury was designed by architect William Ridgway Wilson, (1863-1957). [2]
In its earlier years the armoury had more extensive use for public events as modern public facilities in Victoria had not yet been built. [3]
It was designated a historic building in 1989. [4] it is a two-storey drill hall with Tudor Revival elements, built during the 1896 to 1918 period when over 100 drill halls and armouries were erected across Canada; its scale reflects the dramatic increase in military participation following Canada's performance during the Second Boer War. [1]
The units stationed at the Bay Street Armoury are the 89th Royal Canadian Air Cadet Squadron, 5th (British Columbia) Field Artillery Regiment, RCA, and The Canadian Scottish Regiment (Princess Mary's).
Units that formally worked at the Bay Street Armoury included 11 (Victoria) Service Battalion (renamed 39 Service Battalion), 11 (Victoria) Medical Company (renamed 11 (Victoria) Field Ambulance), and 11 (Victoria) Military Police Platoon (renamed 12 Military Police Platoon). These units moved to Ashton Armory in 1994. [5]
The 5th (BC) Artillery Regiment Museum is located in the armoury. The museum's artefacts reflect the history of 5th (British Columbia) Field Artillery Regiment, RCA and associated units from 1861 to the present day. Exhibits include field artillery and cannons, uniforms, band instruments, medals, weapons, insignia, photographs and more. [6] The museum is open on Tuesday evenings.
The Royal Regiment of Canadian Artillery is the artillery personnel branch of the Canadian Army.
The 4th Canadian Division is a formation of the Canadian Army. The division was first created as a formation of the Canadian Corps during the First World War. During the Second World War the division was reactivated as the 4th Canadian Infantry Division in 1941 and then converted to armour and redesignated as the 4th Canadian (Armoured) Division. Beginning in 1916 the division adopted a distinctive green-coloured formation patch as its insignia. In 2013 it was announced that Land Force Central Area would be redesignated 4th Canadian Division. It is currently responsible for Canadian Army operations in the Canadian province of Ontario and is headquartered at Denison Armoury in Toronto.
The 5th Canadian Division is a formation of the Canadian Army responsible for the command and mobilization of most army units in the provinces of New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland and Labrador; as well as some units in Kingston, Ontario. The division is recognized by the distinctive maroon patch worn on the sleeve of its soldiers.
The 1st (Halifax-Dartmouth) Field Artillery Regiment, RCA, is a Canadian Army reserve artillery regiment. It is located in Halifax, Nova Scotia, at 73 Hobson Lake Drive. The unit consists of two batteries, 51st and 84th Field Batteries. There are two units located within 1st (Halifax-Dartmouth) Field Artillery Regiment. One is in Halifax and the other is the 84th Independent Field Battery located in Yarmouth NS. Both share the same Commanding Officer.
The British Columbia Regiment (Duke of Connaught's Own) is a Primary Reserve armoured reconnaissance (recce) regiment of the Canadian Army; the regiment is subordinate to 39 Canadian Brigade Group of the 3rd Canadian Division. Established in 1883, it is the oldest military unit in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. It parades at the Beatty Street Drill Hall at the corner of Dunsmuir and Beatty in Downtown Vancouver. The regiment has been variously designated as garrison artillery, rifles, infantry, and armoured, but has been reconnaissance since 1965. It has received 41 battle honours in its history, and has been a unit of the Royal Canadian Armoured Corps since 1942.
The Hastings and Prince Edward Regiment is a Primary Reserve infantry regiment of the Canadian Army. The regiment is part of 33 Canadian Brigade Group, one of four brigade groups of 4th Canadian Division. The regimental headquarters and one company are at 187 Pinnacle Street in Belleville and on Willmott Street in Cobourg, with another rifle company in Peterborough. The Peterborough Armoury houses what was traditionally B Company or Moro Company. Moro Company also serves as the headquarters for the regiment’s Assault Pioneer Platoon. Normally, the regiment deploys as a composite, Ortona Company, while the headquarters and administration form Somme Company.
The Canadian Scottish Regiment (Princess Mary's) is a Primary Reserve infantry regiment of the Canadian Army based on Vancouver Island in British Columbia.
15th Field Artillery Regiment, RCA, is a Primary Reserve Royal Canadian Artillery (RCA) regiment based in Vancouver, British Columbia, at the Bessborough Armoury. 15th Field Regiment is part of the 39 Canadian Brigade Group of 3rd Canadian Division.
Bessborough Armoury is a Canadian Forces armoury located at 2025 West 11th Avenue in Vancouver, British Columbia.
The Beatty Street Drill Hall is a Canadian Forces armoury located at 620 Beatty Street in Vancouver, British Columbia. It is the home of The British Columbia Regiment, an armoured reconnaissance reserve regiment, the oldest military unit in Vancouver, and the most senior militia in the province.
The 64th Field Battery, RCA is a sub-unit of the Canadian Army. It is a reserve artillery battery, under command of the 38 Canadian Brigade Group Artillery Tactical Group, and a component of 10th Field Artillery Regiment, RCA.
39 Canadian Brigade Group is a Canadian Forces formation of the Canadian Army under the 3rd Canadian Division. The brigade group is composed of Canadian Forces (CF) Primary Reserve units, all of which are based within the province of British Columbia. 39 CBG Headquarters is at the Major-General B.M. Hoffmeister OC, CB, CBE, DSO Building, 1755 West 1st Avenue, Vancouver.
The Seaforth Armoury is a Canadian Forces armoury located at 1650 Burrard Street in Vancouver, British Columbia. It is the home of The Seaforth Highlanders of Canada, a Primary Reserve Infantry unit. The building was designed by the architectural firm of McCarter and Nairne, and is now listed as a Class A Heritage Building.
The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to British Columbia:
12 (Vancouver) Service Company is a Canadian Army Primary Reserve combat service support unit of the Canadian Forces that can fight in a defensive role and provides logistical support to the units within 3rd Canadian Division's 39 Canadian Brigade Group, which consists of all Primary Reserve units in British Columbia.
The 5th Field Regiment, Royal Canadian Artillery is a Canadian Army Reserve artillery regiment based at the Bay Street Armoury in Victoria, British Columbia. It is part of the 3rd Canadian Division's 39 Canadian Brigade Group. Although having served for nearly one-hundred and sixty years as a field artillery unit, the early history of the regiment is inextricably intertwined with the defences of the naval base at Esquimalt. The regiment is currently equipped with C3 towed 105mm gun-howitzers.
11 (Victoria) Field Ambulance is a unit of the Canadian Forces Health Services (CFHS) Group assigned to 1 Health Services Group in support of 39 Canadian Brigade Group, a component of 3 Canadian Division, and Maritime Forces (Pacific). The unit charged with conducting individual, platoon and collective training and provides medical support to other units undergoing training, as well as operating a Brigade Medical Station (BMS) for brigade- level exercises in various training areas in British Columbia and Washington State. Operating the BMS is done in conjunction with 12 (Vancouver) Field Ambulance, which illustrates the close cooperation that exists between the two units.
The Armoury also called The Armouries is a Canadian Forces armoury located at 530 Queens Avenue in New Westminster, British Columbia and it is the oldest active wooden military structure in Canada. It is the home of The Royal Westminster Regiment, an infantry reserve regiment.
The British Columbia Hussars was a light cavalry regiment of the Non-Permanent Active Militia of the Canadian Militia. In 1939, the regiment was converted from light armour to artillery.
The St. Catharines Armoury is a Recognized Federal Heritage Building in St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada. The building is currently used by the Canadian Armed Forces as a drill hall. The armoury trains the Lincoln and Welland Regiment and serves the 10th Battery of the 56th Field Artillery Regiment, RCA.
48°26′6.75″N123°21′50.16″W / 48.4352083°N 123.3639333°W