Let's take a look at the Bessborough Armoury at 2025 W 11th Ave in 1932 and 2020.
This picture was taken the year the Art Deco-style Armoury was built. A 2010 book about the home of the 15th Field Artillery Regiment highlighted the challenges of getting financing for construction during the Great Depression.
Its designation as a Recognized Federal Heritage Building ensures that it will remain a Kitsilano fixture for many years.
"The Bessborough Armoury is closely associated with the development of Canada’s militia regiments during the interwar years," according to Parks Canada. "It is an example of the success of the militia reform of 1936 and the enthusiasm of the units in initiating the construction of drill halls. The building is also associated with the housing of Vancouver’s artillery and cavalry units."
John Bentley is an architectural photographer who has photographed the inside and outside of thousands of buildings around Vancouver. Using images from the Vancouver Archives he offers a glimpse of the past and present on his site Vancouver Now & Then.
