RMC Alumni Fund Currie Hall Renovation Project – Kingston

Students past and present at Kingston’s Royal Military College (RMC) gathered in Sir Arthur W. Curry Hall on Tuesday morning to celebrate the space’s 100th anniversary of use.

“This is, in many ways, the heart and soul of RMC,” says 1961 graduate Bob Thomas.

The retired Navy Captain is one of the RMC alumni celebrating its 100th anniversary by donating nearly $500,000 towards the restoration of the frescoes designed along Curry Hall.

“The former cadet wanted this properly preserved and maintained,” says Thomas. “It would have been all too easy for it to be used for other purposes and degraded to the point of losing its meaning. Now it is not.”

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Also, the space can be used not only to commemorate history, but also as an educational tool.

“You can actually use this setting to talk about the Great War, not just the war, for about three hours,” says RMC Honorary Principal John Scott Cowan. “It can be used as a lens for different topics.”

Alumni of 1959, 61 and 72 worked together to raise funds for its restoration. He ensured that the hall remained adorned with the royal monograms, the initials of senior generals, the badges of all units of the Canadian Armed Forces, and the city’s coat of arms.

“I think the gesture of the three classes that funded the cleanup, including repainting some of the hall’s decorative elements, was very important,” says Cowan.

“Because these things show how you handle memories. Memorial Day is fast approaching, and it’s nice to see memories well taken care of.”

As we celebrate the 100th anniversary of the museum’s opening, we will work toward its preservation for the next 100 years.

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