GUIDED TOUR - BAY STREET ARMOURY
This event at the historic Bay Street Armoury (BSA) will include visits to the museums of the
5th (British Columbia) Field Artillery Regiment, Royal Canadian Artillery and the
Canadian Scottish Regiment (Princess Mary’s) followed by presentations by the museum archivists on the archives and collections managed by each museum. This will include time for questions and discussion.
You will learn about the information military museums have on soldiers who served and the engagements in which they participated. Artifacts including uniforms and weapons provide a deep sense of the military world of which soldiers were part. This information will help you make inquiries with regimental museums elsewhere in the country where an ancestor may have served.
Both regiments at the BSA are active Canadian Army Reserve units. The origins of the 5th Field Artillery in Victoria go back to October 12, 1883. The kilted 50th Regiment (Gordon Highlanders) of Canada was established on 15 August 1913 and served in the First World War as part of the 16th Battalion (Canadian Scottish). A reorganization on 15 March 1920 combined the 50th Gordon Highlander with the 88th Victoria Fusiliers to form the Canadian Scottish Regiment and brought the date of origin back to the 3rd September 1912.
This tour ends about noon.
OPTIONAL LUNCH - TRAFALGAR/PRO PATRIA LEGION 292
Participants are invited to join in a lunch at the
Trafalgar/Pro Patria Legion 292 to discuss the workshop and to trade stories of ancestors who served. Participants will pay for their own lunch and drinks.
Please register for the separate lunch activity (as below) if you wish to attend. Approximate time noon to 2pm.
JOHN AZAR
John Azar is a retired business and organization consultant with a strong interest in social history and the stories of the people who shaped the history. This interest is assisted by his membership in organizations such as the VGS, the Old Cemeteries Society and the Victoria Historical Society. John is also an avid amateur military historian and is a member of various military history and military affairs organizations.