Amherst hopes to turn historic armoury into housing for veterans

When Amherst Mayor David Kogon learned that the Department of National Defence intended to offload the town's historic armoury he immediately began working on plans to turn it into housing for veterans.

The building is one of five named in the recent federal budget that has the potential for housing and DND no longer needs. The budget says DND is working with Canada Lands to divest the properties.

The budget did not specify if the buildings would be sold or handed over.

The Amherst Armoury was built in 1915 and made a federal heritage building in 1990.

Kogon met on Thursday with interested parties including MP Bill Casey, and Debbie and Jim Lowther, the co-founders of VETS Canada, a national organization based in Halifax.

Kogon said VETS Canada will develop a proposal to take to Ottawa. (Taryn Grant/CBC)

Kogon said VETS Canada will develop a proposal to take to Ottawa to convert the building into housing for veterans.

"This is an enormously important historical building so the proposal will allow housing to be developed that will meet a need ... for veterans who are either homeless or on the verge of homelessness," Kogon said.

"It will maintain the historical building, which contains a museum that's magnificent and extremely important to our community."

The building is home to the North Nova Scotia Highlanders Regimental Museum and is used by local cadets and for public gatherings.

Debbie Lowther is the CEO and co-founder of VETS Canada. (Eric Woolliscroft/CBC)

Debbie Lowther said she and her husband are excited about the building's potential.

Lowther said the armoury could easily have another floor added. She said in addition to providing about 25 housing units, it could also continue to house the museum and provide support services that would make it a "one-stop shop" for veterans.

According to Lowther, a portion of the building could also be used as a Canadian Armed Forces recruitment centre.

John Wales, the museum's former deputy curator who now serves as a consultant, said DND has been trying to offload the building for years and the museum has been threatened with closure for almost two decades. He said he would like to see the museum remain in a redeveloped armoury building.

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