Eight years after a massive fire at its headquarters and barracks, Canada’s oldest French-Canadian regiment – The Voltigeurs – has found a way to celebrate its rich history. On April 4, 2008, the Voltigeurs’ iconic drill hall, the Québec City Armoury, was badly damaged. The back wall and several turrets beside the front door were the only pieces of the then-123-year-old structure to survive; however, most of the artifacts housed in the armoury’s museum were saved thanks to the efforts of the regiment members and local firefighters. “I was back in Québec from Afghanistan; I was on a break,” Lt.-Col. Jonathan Chouinard told CBC News in October. “But like every Voltigeur, we all went to see what was going on. We have always been in that building. That’s why it struck us.” The armoury’s suspended wood ceiling, which was the largest of its kind in Canada, collapsed during the fire. Investigators said the flames spread rapidly through the ceiling’s wood before sending tonnes of copper to the ground. Continue reading →
The soldiers on the obverse design represent a battle from each of the three centuries in which the Voltigeurs were active. The reverse design depicts the Voltigeurs coat of arms with the dates ‘1862’ (when the regiment was formed) and ‘2016’ around the top. Photos by Artisans du Passage.
