Black Watch Armoury

The Black Watch Armoury is a Scottish baronial-style armoury in Montreal, completed in 1906 to house the 5th Regiment "Royal Highlanders of Canada" (now the Black Watch (Royal Highland Regiment) of Canada). Designed by Samuel Arnold Finley and David Jerome Spence, the armoury was declared a National Historic Site of Canada in 2008.[1] It was previously designated a Recognized Federal Heritage Building, in 1994.[2]

Armoury of the Black Watch of Canada
Front entrance
Alternative namesCaserne du Black Watch
General information
Architectural styleScottish baronial
Address2067 Bleury Street
Town or cityMontreal
CountryCanada
Construction started1905
Completed1906
Design and construction
ArchitectSamuel Arnold Finley
David Jerome Spence
Architecture firmFinley and Spence
Website
www.blackwatchcanada.com/en/home-mainmenu-1
Official nameBlack Watch (Royal Highland Regiment) of Canada Armoury National Historic Site of Canada
Designated2008

The armoury is home to the regiment's museum, which was opened on 8 November 1949 by the then-colonel of the Black Watch, Field Marshal Lord Wavell.[3]

History

On May 9, 1963, the armoury's exterior was damaged as part of a campaign of terrorist bombings in Montreal by the Front de libération du Québec (FLQ).[4][5] In March 1983, two Molotov cocktails were thrown at the building, with a communique issued to local media claiming to be on behalf of a group carrying on the revolutionary politics of the FLQ.[6] Quebec politics came into play again in 2009, when a protest by 200 demonstrators disrupted a Remembrance Day visit to the armoury by Charles, Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall.[7]

Black Watch (Royal Highland Regiment) of Canada Museum
The Black Watch (Royal Highland Regiment) of Canada Museum
Established1949
Location2067, Bleury Street, Montreal Canada
TypeRegimental Museum
WebsiteBlack Watch of Canada Museum

Opened in 1949, the regiment's museum includes uniforms, weapons, musical instruments, maps, medals, photographs and documents that focus on the history of the regiment, the city and the Canadian armed forces. The museum is open to members of the Regimental family as well as to the public on Tuesdays and by appointment. The museum and archives are located at the regiment's headquarters on rue de Bleury in Montreal. The museum portrays the history of The Black Watch (Royal Highland Regiment) through a collection of regimental uniforms, accoutrements, trophies of war, and mementos.[8]

It is currently undergoing renovations and is closed for the time being

References
  1. Black Watch (Royal Highland Regiment) of Canada Armoury. Directory of Federal Heritage Designations. Parks Canada. Retrieved 13 August 2012.
  2. "Armoury". Federal Heritage Buildings. Parks Canada. Retrieved 13 August 2012.
  3. "Regimental Museum". Official website. Black Watch (Royal Highland Regiment). Retrieved 13 August 2012.
  4. Fong, William (24 October 2008). J.W. McConnell: Financier, Philanthropist, Patriot. McGill-Queen's Press. p. 573. ISBN 9780773532700. Retrieved 13 August 2012. black watch bleury.
  5. "Montreal Armoury Bombed". Calgary Herald. Canadian Press. 10 May 1963. Retrieved 18 August 2012.
  6. "Firebombs hit Montreal armoury". Regina Leader-Post. Canadian Press. 8 March 1983. Retrieved 18 August 2012.
  7. "Montreal police defend handling of royal visit". CBC News. 11 November 2009. Retrieved 18 August 2012.
  8. A-AD-266-000/AG-001 Canadian Forces Museums –Operations and Administration 2002-04-03


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