Cartier Square Drill Hall

Cartier Square Drill Hall
Cartier Drill Hall in January 2005
General information
Type	Drill Hall / armoury
Location	on the bank of the Rideau Canal just south of Laurier Avenue, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
Current tenants	The Cameron Highlanders of Ottawa) and The Governor General's Foot Guards
Inaugurated	1879
Design and construction
Owner	Canadian Forces
Architect	Thomas Seaton Scott, Dominion Architect
Awards and prizes	Classified - 1985 Register of the Government of Canada Heritage Buildings

Statue to Wm. B. Osgoode and John Rogers who fell in action at Cutknife Hill, 2 May 1885

The Drill Hall at Cartier Square is a dedicated military training facility in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. It has been a local landmark since its construction in 1879. The drill hall is 70 meters (230 ft) long and has two 43 meters (141 ft) tall mansard towers.

The hall is located on the bank of the Rideau Canal just south of Laurier Avenue. The area to the west was once a large open field used for drilling, but today is the location of the Ottawa City Hall and courthouse.

Architecture

The building was designed by Thomas Seaton Scott, first Chief Architect of the Dominion of Canada. The building is a rare surviving example of a military training facility built in the immediate post-confederation era when establishing a military presence and asserting the role of the federal government were important government aims.

Units

The building was designed to house elements of the 43rd "Ottawa and Carleton" Battalion of Rifles (later named The Cameron Highlanders of Ottawa) and The Governor General's Foot Guards (GGFG).

In the Canadian Forces, an armoury is a place where a reserve unit trains, meets, and parades. Today the Drill Hall remains home to the GGFG and The Cameron Highlanders of Ottawa. Both of these units are active components of Canada’s Primary Reserves, providing trained volunteer soldiers to augment the Regular Army in peace and war. Each day during the summer months, it is from the Drill Hall that the Ceremonial Guard departs to initiate the Changing the Guard ceremony on Parliament Hill.

History

For over 125 years, the Drill Hall at Cartier Square has been at the centre of military mobilization and training for soldiers recruited from the Ottawa-Carleton area, overseeing soldiers deployed for service in:

• North-West Canada, 1885
• South Africa, 1899–1902
• The Great War, 1914–1918
• The Second World War, 1939–1945
• Korean War, 1950–1953
• Several peacekeeping operations including Cyprus, Sierra Leone, and the former Yugoslavia.
• Afghanistan War, 2001–present

Soldiers of The Cameron Highlanders of Ottawa - Weapons Training in Drill Hall

Features

The Parade Square provides ample area for training at the section, platoon and company level and it is often loaned out to a wide variety of civilian organizations to hold large dinners and entertainment events such as the City of Ottawa Christmas Party, the Ottawa Heritage Ball, and the Ottawa Garrison Ball.

The Officers' Mess is used by both the Governor General's Foot Guards and The Cameron Highlanders of Ottawa. Originally constructed in the 19th Century for the officers of the Foot Guards, the mess was the scene of Sir Sam Hughes' (the Minister of Militia and Defence at the time) declaration of war by Canada in 1914. In addition to an extensive art and regimental silver collection, the mess also houses the current Queen's and Regimental Colours of both regiments.

Drill Hall

Site	Date(s)	Designated	Location	Description	Image
Cartier Square Drill Hall	1879	Classified - 1985 Register of the Government of Canada Heritage Buildings	Ottawa, Ontario	large centrally located building with a low-pitched gable roof houses The Cameron Highlanders of Ottawa and The Governor General's Foot Guards

See also

• List of armouries in Canada
• Military history of Canada
• History of the Canadian Army
• Canadian Forces

External Links

• List of Memorials at Cartier Square Drill Hall