the toronto garrison

 The Toronto Garrison, centered around  Fort York and  established in 1793 by Lieutenant-Governor John Graves Simcoe, was the primary British and Canadian military defense for the town of York (later Toronto) and its harbour. It served as a key strategic site during the War of 1812, and saw continuous military use until the 1930s. 

 The fort was the focal point of the Battle of York in April 1813, where it was heavily damaged by American forces before being rebuilt.  Due to the original fort's deterioration, the "New Fort" (later named Stanley Barracks) was built further west in 1840-1841 to replace it.  Both sites were used for training through the Fenian Raids, the Northwest Rebellion, the Boer War, and both World Wars.  The Imperial government transferred the lands to Canada in 1867, and by the 1930s-1950s, the military abandoned the sites. 

 Fort York became a historic site in 1923 and is now a museum with Canada's largest collection of War of 1812 buildings. Only the Officers' Quarters remains of the Stanley Barracks (New Fort). 

 The Toronto Garrison today comprises 17  primary reserve regiments and units.  These are:

The Governor General's Horse Guards
The Queen's York Rangers (1st American Regiment) (RCAC)
7th Toronto Regiment, RCA
56th Field Artillery Regiment, RCA
32 Combat Engineer Regiment
32 Signal Regiment
The Queens' Own Rifles of Canada
The Royal Regiment of Canada
The Lincoln and Welland Regiment
The Grey and Simcoe Foresters
The Lorne Scots (Peel, Dufferin and Halton Regiment)
48th Highlanders of Canada
The Toronto Scottish Regiment (Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother's Own)
32 Service Battalion
25 Field Ambulance
2 Military Police Regiment
2 Intelligence Company