Daddy What did You do During the Great War

With the outbreak of the First World War in 1914, a recruiting poster for the Canadian army was put up on the South African War memorial.  In this one, a young girl asks her father, "Daddy, what did you do in the Great War?".  Those who remembered the war in South Africa must have been terrified by the global scale of the First World War.  At the bottom left hand corner of the sign, volunteers are directed towards the old Armoury Building, which once stood where the University Avenue courthouse does today.  One of Toronto's grandest buildings, the Armoury was demolished when Nathan Phillips Square was built.

For some, the name, “The Armouries” immediately conjures up images of a majestic building on University Avenue.

The Armouries long since demolished, were built between 1891 to 1893 by architect Thomas Fuller to house the local militia regiments and host trade shows and social engagements. Initiated by the federal Department of Public Works, it was one of several across Canada that were built in the 1880s and 1890's. For a time, they were the largest buildings of their kind in North America, and certainly in Canada, located north of Queen Street on the east side of University Avenue. The architect designed the Armouries in the Romanesque style using red brick and fine Kingston limestone to echo the solidity and power of the militia. To some, it had the look and feel of a castle!

Inside could be found a massive drill hall, bowling alleys, and rifle ranges. The Armouries were used during the Boer War, and the First and Second World Wars. In 1963 they were demolished in response to need for space to accommodate the provincial courts at Osgoode Hall.

The Armouries is remembered by the naming of Armoury Street that runs near the site. To some, the Armouries was among the greatest buildings of 19th century Toronto.