Remember This? Sabotage at the Armoury?

From the archives of the Sault Ste. Marie Public Library:

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Remember This? Armoury

By 1950, the memory of fighting in two world wars was still fresh in everyone’s minds and the federal government was anxious to be better prepared in case of another potential military conflict. Therefore they decided to build military armouries across the country to facilitate ongoing training of reserve personnel.  Sault Ste. Marie was chosen for an armoury given its strategic importance and the poor accommodations for the local military reserves. 

In August of 1950 the location of the Armoury had been selected and was to be located on Queen Street at the foot of Elizabeth Street.  However the project rapidly came to a halt with the discovery of quicksand on the site.  A search for a new site was undertaken and the property on Pine Street was selected due to the bedrock foundation.  Unfortunately, the bedrock was so solid it took months of blasting to get through it, which caused significant irritation amongst the neighbours.  There were even rumours of possible sabotage when careless workers lost sticks of dynamite.   At the time that the cornerstone was being laid, explosives were found at the reviewing platform which only fuelled these rumours. 

The Sault’s Armoury was intended to be the largest one in Canada but was later surpassed by other armouries.  The construction was riddled with problems right from the beginning.  In addition to the change in location, increasing costs and rumours of sabotage continued to plague the project.  The price tag was originally estimated at $750,000 with the city issuing a building permit for $800,000, which was the largest since WWII. 

Piggot Construction Company was awarded the contract and the armoury was built with concrete and covered with siding.  It was equipped with a 3,000 seat drill hall, a 500 seat theatre, bowling alley, club rooms, lecture rooms, a museum, library, hobby shop, darkroom and machinery for woodworking and metal working.  Prime Minister Louis St. Laurent dedicated the new Armoury on January 19, 1952, marking the first time in 21 years that a Canadian Prime Minister had visited the Sault.  The structure was completed at a cost of $2 million, significantly higher than the original estimated cost for construction.  The Armoury would become home to the 49th Sault Ste. Marie Heavy Anti-Aircraft Regiment, RCA and the 34th Technical Squadron.  Today army reserve units and cadet units use the facility for their ongoing military drills and training. 

Though it was a military facility, community organizations were allowed to use these amenities with the permission of the federal government.  One of these organizations was the Sault Theatre Workshop.  They used the facility to store their costumes and props for 34 years.  However in 1986 the Department of National Defense issued an eviction notice to them indicating that the federal government’s new commitment to the military meant that they would need the space for the storage of military equipment.  The Sault Theatre Workshop and City Council made an appeal to the government and the DND allowed an extension on the lease since the military equipment would not arrive all at once.  In 1989 the federal government once again issued an eviction notice and this one would stick.  In 1995, the armoury went through some renovations replacing the hardwood drill hall floor with a concrete floor coated in rubberized paint. 

Outside of the armoury two anti-aircraft guns stand guard.  These guns are similar to the ones used in the Second World War by the American infantry and were stationed at the U.S. and Canadian locks during the war.  American soldiers were assigned to protect the shipping channel and lock system and our local steel industry. 

Though these guns are silent today this building stands as a reminder of the Soo’s proud military tradition and represents the men and women of the Canadian Military and the sacrifices that they make for our country.    

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Each week, the Sault Ste. Marie Public Library and its Archives provides SooToday readers with a glimpse of the city’s past.

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