MILLER, Brigadier Gideon ( 1866-1949) served as Staff Architect for the Salvation Army in Canada from 1906 until 1931, and from his office at Army Headquarters in Toronto he designed more than 100 buildings for the Army in cities and towns across Canada, including meeting halls (often called 'citadels'), hospitals and hostels. He employed a variety of military-style elements in his citadel designs, and invariably used brick in the elevational treatment that incorporated square towers, battlements and crenellations deemed appropriate for the quasi-military structure of the organization and for the devotional activities of Army members who met regularly in the assembly halls within each citadel.
Born in Paris, Ont. on 4 August 1866 he was the son of a local builder, and served an apprenticeship under him. He had no formal education or training in architecture, but his skill at drafting prompted him to take up correspondence courses in design and construction. He joined the Salvation Army in May 1886 at the young age of 20 years, and quickly rose through the ranks as Adjutant, then Staff Captain, and he finally accepted the appointment as Staff Architect at Toronto headquarters in April 1906. In 1914 he was appointed Brigadier, and the following year as Property Secretary & Architect, overseeing the design and construction of dozens of Salvation Army facilities from British Columbia to Newfoundland. Miller retired in August 1931 and died in Toronto on 12 February 1949 (obit. Telegram [Toronto], 12 Feb. 1949, 39; Globe & Mail, 14 Feb. 1949, 34; inf. Christine Ardern, Salvation Army Archives, Toronto). His successor to the post of Staff Architect for the Salvation Army in Canada was Frank Palmer.
OTTAWA, ONT., Salvation Army Citadel, Slater Street near Bank Street, 1904 (Ottawa Journal, 21 July 1904, 2, illus. & descrip.)
TORONTO, ONT., Salvation Army Citadel, Davenport Road, 1907 (dwgs. Building Records Div., City Hall, Toronto)
BRANDON, MAN., Salvation Army Citadel, 1907 (Manitoba Free Press [Winnipeg], 11 May 1907, 27)
ST. JOHN'S, NFLD., Salvation Army College, Springdale Road, 1907 (Evening Telegram [St. John's], 29 May 1907, 4)
ST. JOHN'S, NFLD, residence for Salvation Army officers, Le Marchant Road, 1907 (Evening Telegram [St. John's], 29 May 1907, 4)
VANCOUVER, B.C., Salvation Army Citadel and Men's Hostel, Upper Hastings Street, 1907 (Vancouver Daily World, 18 June 1907, 6, descrip.)
QUEBEC CITY, QUE., major alterations and remodelling of the Salvation Army Citadel, 1908 (C.R., xxii, 3 June 1908, 26)
MONTREAL, QUE., Salvation Army Citadel, St. Alexander Street, 1908 (Le Prix Courant [Montreal], Week No. 34, 1908, 44)
MONTREAL, QUE., Salvation Army Citadel, De Montigny Street, 1908 (Le Prix Courant [Montreal], Week No. 36, 1908, 38)
MONTREAL, QUE., Salvation Army Citadel, Bourgeois Street, Point St. Charles, 1908 (Montreal Daily Star, 4 Dec. 1908, 15; Le Prix Courant [Montreal], Week No. 36, 1908, 38)
MONTREAL, QUE., in Westmount, a new Women's Hospital, Dorchester Boulevard West, between Greene Avenue and Gladstone Avenue, 1909 (Montreal Daily Star, 25 May 1909, 6, but credited to "A. Miller [sic], the Salvation Army architect")
TORONTO, ONT., Men's Hostel for the Salvation Army, Victoria Street at Dundas Street East, 1909 (dwgs., Building Records Div., City Hall, Toronto)
PRINCE ALBERT, SASK., Salvation Army Citadel, 1909 (inf. Frank Korvemaker, Regina)
TORONTO, ONT., Salvation Army Citadel, Dovercourt Road, 1910 (dwgs. Building Records Div., City Hall, Toronto)
TORONTO, ONT., Salvation Army Citadel, Lisgar Street, 1911 (Toronto b.p. 28150, 13 June 1911; dwgs. Building Records Div., City Hall, Toronto)
KINGSTON, ONT., Salvation Army Barracks, Queen Street at Bagot Street, alterations to existing building, 1910 (Daily British Whig [Kingston], 14 March 1910, 2)
WINNIPEG, MAN., major addition to Grace Hospital, for the Salvation Army, 1909-10 (Winnipeg Daily Tribune, 14 June 1910, 8, illus. & descrip.; Winnipeg b.p. 2233, 1909; dwgs. Winnipeg City Archives)
WINNIPEG, MAN., The Metropole Men's Hostel, for the Salvation Army, Rupert Street East, 1910 (Manitoba Free Press [Winnipeg], 28 April 1910, 20)
WINNIPEG, MAN., Salvation Army Sunset Lodge, Main Street, 1911 (Winnipeg b.p. 258, 1911; dwgs. Winnipeg City Archives)
REGINA, SASK., Salvation Army Citadel, Broad Street, 1912; demol. after 1973 (inf. Frank Korvemaker, Regina)
WINNIPEG, MAN., Salvation Army Citadel, 1912 (Winnipeg b.p. 2778, 1912)
HALIFAX, N.S., Salvation Army Citadel, Argyle Street, 1912 (Evening Mail [Halifax], 29 Feb. 1912, 12)
TORONTO, ONT., Salvation Army Citadel, Parliament Street at Coatsworth Street, 1912 (Toronto b.p. 36504, 9 Aug. 1912; dwgs. Building Records Div., City Hall, Toronto)
SASKATOON, SASK., Salvation Army Citadel, 20th Street, 1912 (C.R., xxvi, 20 March 1912, 67)
STRATFORD, ONT., Salvation Army Citadel, 1912 (C.R., xxvi, 6 March 1912, 66)
EDMONTON SOUTH, ALTA., Salvation Army Citadel, First Street West at First Avenue South, 1912 (Edmonton Daily Bulletin, 9 Aug. 1912, 2, descrip.)
KINGSTON, ONT., a new Salvation Army Citadel, Princess Street, 1912-13 (Daily Standard [Kingston], 27 Nov. 1911, 8; and 25 Nov. 1912, 8; and 27 Feb. 1913, 4, t.c.; and 24 April 1913, 7, detailed descrip.; and 12 Jan. 1914, 7-8, descrip.)
HAMILTON, ONT., Salvation Army Citadel, Barton Street East near Leeming Street, 1912-13 (C.R., xxvi, 4 Sept. 1912, 68, but erroneously credited to "B.N. Miller [sic], Architect"; inf. Dr. Sarah Sheehan, Hamilton)
TORONTO, ONT., lodging house for the Salvation Army, Queen Street East, 1913 (C.R., xxvii, 30 July 1913, 67)
MONTREAL, QUE., Booth Memorial Hospital, Outremont Avenue, 1913 (C.R., xxvii, 30 July 1913, 67)
TORONTO, ONT. Booth Memorial Training College & Home, Davisville Avenue, east of Yonge Street, 1915 (C.R., xxix, 13 Oct. 1915, 44, t.c.)
LONDON, ONT., Salvation Army Citadel, 1916-17 (Const., ix, July 1916, 242; Dec. 1916, 431)
WINDSOR, ONT., Grace Hospital for the Salvation Army, London Avenue West at Crawford Avenue, 1918-19 (Detroit Free Press, 4 Oct. 1918, 6; Border Cities Star [Windsor], 20 May 1919, 3, descrip.; inf. Salvation Army Archives, Toronto)
HALIFAX, N.S., Maternity Hospital for the Salvation Army, Morris Street, 1919-21 (C.R., xxxiii, 9 July 1919, 41, t.c.; Evening Mail [Halifax], 3 July 1919, 15, descrip.; and 26 Aug. 1920, 15; and 1 May 1922, 9, illus. & detailed descrip.)
OTTAWA, ONT., Maternity Hospital for the Salvation Army, Wellington Street West at McCormick Street, 1920-22 (C.R., xxxiv, 7 April 1920, 59; Ottawa Journal, 16 April 1920, 1, illus. & descrip.; 8 May 1922, 7, descrip., but incorrectly credited to "Lieut. Col. Gideon Moore [sic], architect" )
WELLAND, ONT., Salvation Army Citadel, Cross Street at Division Street, c. 1920 (inf. Salvation Army Archives, Toronto)
SUDBURY, ONT., Salvation Army Citadel, Larch Street, c. 1920 (inf. Salvation Army Archives, Toronto)
SAULT STE. MARIE, ONT., Salvation Army Citadel, Spring Street at Queen Street East, c. 1920 (inf. Salvation Army Archives, Toronto)
MOOSE JAW, SASK., Salvation Army Citadel, High Street East, c. 1920; demol. after 1981 (inf. Salvation Army Archives, Toronto; inf. Frank Korvemaker, Regina)
CALGARY, ALTA. Salvation Army Citadel, 1st Street East near 7th Avenue, c. 1920 (inf. Salvation Army Archives, Toronto)
LONDON, ONT., Bethesda Maternity Hospital, Riverview Avenue, c. 1920 (inf. Salvation Army Archives, Toronto)
KINGSTON, ONT., Salvation Army Citadel, Princess Street, c. 1920 (inf. Salvation Army Archives, Toronto)
ST. CATHARINES, ONT., Salvation Army Citadel, Geneva Street, c. 1920 (inf. Salvation Army Archives, Toronto)
TORONTO, ONT., Salvation Army Citadel, Dufferin Street near St. Clair Avenue West, 1921 (C.R., xxxv, 30 March 1921, 326, illus. & descrip.)
MONTREAL, QUE., Salvation Army Citadel, Adam Street, 1928 (City of Montreal b.p. 4350, 1928)