It was pioneering in its use of a series of Fink trusses to create a large interior space with no columns or walls, and is today the oldest surviving example of such a building.

The armoury again served as an emergency shelter during the 1945 Bedford Magazine explosions, when thousands of North End residents evacuated toward the Halifax Common.

[4] Major renovations were announced in January 2017 to restore the west wall to its original position after being damaged in 1917 by the powerful blast of the Halifax Explosion.

[1] Up to 20 per cent of the wall required replacement and it was decided to use stone from the original quarry after the source was located in Beckwith, near Pugwash, Nova Scotia.

[5] The first phase of the rehabilitation project centres on restoring the damaged west wall, as a tilt caused by the Halifax Explosion has gradually been increasing.