Major upgrades near completion for historic Halifax Armoury

The Halifax Armoury has been a towering presence in the city since the late 19th Century.

Historian Ken Hynes says, with its Romanesque architecture, the armoury is a throwback to an era when Nova Scotia was a major military player in the British Empire.

“Built in the late Victorian period, it has basically been in continuous use for regiments in Nova Scotia since that time,” says Hynes, who is the curator of the Army Museum at Halifax Citadel.

Construction of the massive structure was completed in 1899.

“The Armoury came about because the Halifax Common was a military field and the Citadel was right there, so they needed the space,” said Halifax historian and author Blair Beed.

Five years ago, a long-awaited two-phase renovation project was launched. In 2019, the building's front wall was taken down stone-by-stone and then re-assembled.

“It’s been about three years they’ve been working diligently on the outside west front,” said Beed.

Some major repair work included fixing damage caused by the Halifax Explosion.

“They straightened the front façade of the building which had been knocked askew in 1917,” said Hynes.

The second phase of Armoury upgrades will feature green efficiency improvements, interior structural renovations and support work to the remaining outside stone walls.

In an email to CTV News, the Department of National Defence confirmed the cost of renovations has ballooned to more than $160 million, which is roughly $30 million over budget.

So far, one historic marker has been removed.

“Right above the original doorway were the initials of the reigning sovereign, Queen Victoria," said Beed. "That had to be taken away to make room for the larger door needed because of the larger vehicles going into the armoury.”

Finding matching stone was initially a problem for those overseeing the project.

“Nova Scotia had a lot of buildings built of stone from Wallace and Pugwash," said Beed. "For the armoury, they searched the world trying to match the colour of the stone. They said, ‘Hey, let’s go back to the original quarry.’ In a nearby farmer's field there was a quarry of the right stone.”

Designated a Federal Heritage Property, Hynes said a big slice of Halifax history is tied to the building.

“It was used significantly during the First World War for basic training for soldiers prior to them going overseas," said Hynes. "And it played a significant role in the Halifax Explosion as well, as it was a place of safety.”

When it was first built, the Halifax Armoury was one of the biggest military indoor spaces in the world.