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After many years at London City Hall Neighbourhood Watch London  is now in the historic “Military Stores” building behind Wolseley Barracks and near the Carling Heights Community Centre.

 

The Military Stores building, is, in fact, two blocks -- “T” and “A” -- and was “probably” built around 1889. A significant though not attractive building (even the city’s official Heritage Designation [No.236] describes it as an "important although austere presence"), it is not even built in any one style, mixing several. (It was, however, made of high quality materials and with considerable craftsmanship, this no doubt accounting for its prolonged and effective life.) The City’s designation was given because it is one of the earliest buildings that created London’s “distinctive character”.

As one can see by looking east, right at the front entrance, the T Block is the larger building to the right (south), with its “tuscan towers” on either side of the top floor, and the A block, (also called the “PMQ”, see below) is the smaller portion to the left (north).

The blocks were constructed as part of the program creating the London Infantry School: the Dominion Government had formed the Infantry School Corps in 1883 to train local militia, and especially militia officers. (The reader is invited to look further into the history of the Royal Canadian Regiment for more details on these formative years. Also, London’s famous Wolseley Barracks was the main and ongoing part of this building effort.) T Block served mainly as a depot, and housed a variety of military personnel until after WW2. The “PMQ” – for “Permanent Married Quarters” – was a residence for married officers, and later, in the early 20th Century, occupied by ordnance officers. (Ordnance personnel are those who procure, maintain, and issue weapons, ammunition, and combat vehicles). After WW2, the personnel again varied until the entire building became the HQ of the Central Region Cadets. It later passed into the hands of the City of London and is now used to house a variety of nonprofits.

(A historical aside: Elizabeth Street itself is named for Ms. Elizabeth Forsythe, wife of Mr. Noble English, on whose pioneer farm London East was built.)

by David Sanders

Former Neighbourhood Watch London Board member

Current Staffer: London Community Resource Centre