DCHP-3

armoury

DCHP-2 (Jul 2012)

Spelling variants:
armory

n. — Military

a place where military units train; frequently in the plural armouries (see Image 1).

Type: 3. Semantic Change — The original meaning, 'a place where arms are kept, an arsenal' (OED-3, s.v. "armoury" (3)), has changed in Canada to ‘a place where soldiers train'. Armouries were built to provide volunteer soldiers with better conditions while in training (see Canadian Encyclopedia reference). While most of the original armouries were abandoned or demolished in the 20th century, the remaining buildings are either still in use or are preserved as historical landmarks (see the 2004 and 2014 quotations).
See also COD-2, s.v. "armoury" (2), which is marked "Cdn", Gage-1, s.v. "armory" (2), and ITP Nelson, s.v. "armoury" (2), which is marked "Canadian".

Quotations

1817
A Petition of the Officers of the Twenty-Sixth Battalion of the Nova-Scotia Militia, was prefented by Mr. Dimock, and read, paying an aid from the House for the erecting an Armoury, [...]
1856
They recommended that Armouries and Magazines for the use of Sedentary Militia be established at the several localities set forth in Schedule F. attached [...]
1873
The body of General Canby will arrive here about midnight and will be taken to his widow's residence. On Friday the remains will lie in state at the Armory, [....]
1918
Every School, Church, Library, Hotel, Town Hall, Court House, Post Office, Armoury or institutional building in the Dominion of Canada should fly The Union Jack.
1946
On that night the Herd will play for a dance at the Troy armory, for which the only admission will be cans of food to relieve famine suffering abroad.
1950
Join the Regiment of your choice and get full details on how you may best serve in your own area. Get in touch with your local Armoury today!
1962
Mayor Nathan Philips and members of the City Council will be hosts of a garden party on Sunday afternoon at Fort York Armoury in honor of the Princess Royal.
1971
The orders came at 9.30 on the evening of Friday, March 27; the troops were to be on parade the following morning in greatcoats, busbies, and leggings -- the Grenardiers at the Armoury at eight, the Queen's Own and the Infantry School at the drill shed, St. Lawrence Market, at nine and ten respectively.
1996
* The Prince of Wales Armory, 10440 108th Ave., was opened in 1915. It was abandoned about 1977 by Edmonton military units and soon transferred by the Defence Department to Public Works Canada.
2014
Any development must retain the "historical and architectural significance" of the neighbouring armouries, the city said, and Heritage Barrie will be consulted. [...] The cash from the sale of the lot, located behind the historic armouries building, will go into the city's parking reserve, which is falling into the red because of $10.5-million debt associated with the Collier Street Parkade.

References

Images

Image 1: The Prince of Wales Armoury, Edmonton, AB. Source: Wikimedia Commons. Photo: WinterE229

Image 1: The Prince of Wales Armoury, Edmonton, AB. Source: Wikimedia Commons. Photo: WinterE229