Before Stanley Barracks stood a different fort. A wooden one. This is Stanley Barracks. It was built in the 1840s. It replaced the original Fort York. This new fort was much stronger. Many buildings were made of limestone. A protective wall was planned. It was never built.
The British Army used Stanley Barracks until 1870. Then the Canadian military took over. Soldiers trained here for many wars. The Second Boer War. World War I. World War II. Even the North-West Mounted Police trained here. After World War II the military left. The barracks were demolished in the 1950s.
Only one building remains. The Officers’ Quarters. This two-story building is made of Queenston limestone. It cost a lot of money. About 19000 pounds. That’s over two million pounds today. The building housed various museums. Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame. The Hockey Hall of Fame. Even the Marine Museum.
Stanley Barracks was more than just a military base. It served as a detention center during World War I. German Austro-Hungarian and Turkish citizens were held here. They were called enemy aliens. Up to 90 men were interned at one time. Many were released later. A plaque remembers their internment.
The barracks also hosted the annual Canadian National Exhibition. The CNE grew bigger each year. It took over more and more land. The CNE even used the barracks’ buildings during World War II. The buildings housed soldiers before they went overseas. The CNE was a big event. It continued even during the war years.
As the CNE expanded the military moved out. Stanley Barracks became public housing. The buildings were in poor condition. They were eventually demolished. Only the Officers’ Quarters survived. It’s a reminder of Stanley Barracks’ rich and complex history. A history of war training. A history of internment. A history of the CNE. A history that continues to shape Toronto today.