Out of sight, out of mind, old boy.
This building has been home to horses, butter-makers, soldiers, and artists. As I began researching the history of the building I searched for a way to connect these seemingly disparate tenants and their relationship to the space.
What really interested me was the name “Ortona”. I had heard that word before but couldn’t recall from where. So I looked. Ortona is a small, seaside city on the Eastern coast of Italy; it was also the setting of an important and bloody WWII battle in which Canadian soldiers, and namely The Loyal Edmonton Regiment, devised a tactic called “mouse-holing” wherein they would blast holes in buildings with adjoining walls in order to travel from building to building under cover, avoiding enemy fire on the streets, and contributing greatly to the Allied victory in the battle¹. I had studied this in a history course a number of years ago.
This is where I found connection. I feel that there is parallel between these soldiers and this building; adapting to their circumstances in order to survive.
This building has bones of brick and mortar and has stood its ground while the city has grown around it. My work and I will not last long. But I have no doubt that Ortona Armoury, as its name suggests, will figure out a way to survive.
Carly Greene
2014
- Macleod, Dr Rod. “The Loyal Edmonton Regiment Museum.” Ortona. Web. 20 Sept. 2014
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