Elora Drill Shed National Historic Site of Canada, Ontario
Posted by: 
colincan
N 43° 40.798 W 080° 25.741
17T E 546023 N 4836486
Elora Drill Shed was built in 1865 and is considered the oldest stone built drill shed still surviving in Canada. Soon after its completion it was used to train militia who were recruited to fight off the Fenians, American based Irish sympathisers.
Waymark Code: WM6BZM
Location: Ontario, Canada
Date Posted: 05/11/2009
Views: 9
Elora Drill Shed sits in a prominent position above the Elora Gorge and Grand River. It represents the early phase of drill hall construction in Canada. It was built by British authorities in response to turbulent times in the United States. In the mid 1860s Britain feared British North America would be impacted by the Civil War to the south. Equally they were wary of anti-British sentiment from Irish settlers in America opposed to British rule in Ireland who were willing to carry that fight across the Atlantic. Britain's (soon to be Canada's) fears proved justified when in short order, 1866, Fenians crossed the border from the States to raid. Local militia trained at the Elora Drill Shed were amongst those to fight off the raiders. Over the years the hall has been a favoured venue in the community for theatre, meetings, concerts and parties. The drill hall is now leased to the LCBO as a liquor store. It was designated a national historic site in 1989 and plaqued by the Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada in 2002.
Sources: (
visit link) and Wikipedia "The Fenian Brotherhood"
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