Living History is an ongoing series showcasing just a small assortment of the more than 350,000 items housed at The Salvation Army Heritage Centre in Toronto. This month, we spotlight four trowels in the centre’s collection.

The Heritage Centre currently has approximately 30 trowels in its archives. More than just simple hand shovels, these trowels provide a fascinating glimpse into some of the most historic, significant and impactful buildings belonging to The Salvation Army in Canada throughout its history. Indeed, some of these structures were considered state of the art at the time of their creation, and many important figures in The Salvation Army and in Canada were integral to their development. While some of these buildings have been forgotten or no longer exist, their legacy lives on through these trowels.

1885

In 1885, construction began on territorial headquarters, which was located on Albert Street in Toronto, opposite City Hall. Also housing Toronto Temple, a trade store and a printing press, the new headquarters cost $27,000 and was made possible, in part, by the generosity of a local businessman, William G. Gooderham, who laid the cornerstone. Known as one of the greatest benefactors Toronto ever knew, Gooderham was regarded by Salvationists at the time as “the best friend the Army ever had.” The structure served as headquarters for the territory until 1956.

1916

The cornerstone for Toronto’s William Booth Memorial Training College was laid in 1916 by Commissioner W.J. Richards, territorial commander, and the building opened the following year. However, the need for the accommodation of returning wounded soldiers from the First World War became so pressing that the new building was taken over by the Military Hospitals Commission. After serving as a military hospital for hundreds of wounded soldiers, it was handed back to The Salvation Army in 1922. The building was remodelled and redecorated for its original purpose, and the first session of cadets entered the new college in September 1922.

1919

The cornerstones of the new Salvation Army maternity hospital in Halifax were laid in 1919 by Nova Scotia Lt.-Gov. MacCallum Grant and Commissioner William Richards in the presence of a large group of citizens who had assembled at the site of this institution on the old campus of Dalhousie University. As planned, the hospital would provide accommodation for 81 persons: 44 in private rooms and 37 in the dormitories. When the facility opened in 1922, a letter from Nova Scotia Premier George Murray commended the Army on its completion: “It will always be a monument to the courageous zeal of your organization for the betterment of humanity.”

1954

In January 1954, with temperatures hovering around 30 degrees below zero, Commissioner William Dalziel, territorial commander, laid the cornerstone of the men’s social centre in Edmonton. The commissioner placed in the cornerstone a set of coins, a copy of The War Cry, a copy of the Edmonton Journal and a men’s social service bulletin. The centre officially opened later that year with a well-equipped recreation room and rehabilitation ward, along with other modern conveniences.

Photos: Camilo Mejia; inset photos: courtesy of The Salvation Army Heritage Centre

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