1912 – Bank of Ottawa, Vancouver, Canada

Costing $225,000 and constructed with a reinforced concrete structure. In 1919 the Bank of Ottawa were merged with the Bank of Nova Scotia, and it stayed a branch of the new owners for over 30 years. In 1956 noted local architects Sharp, Thompson, Berwick and Pratt were given the design job of enlarging the bank building. The new project stripped the old building to its frame

On September 1st operations will be commencing at the southwest corner of Seymour and Hastings streets, Vancouver, for the new eight-storey building of the Bank of Ottawa The plans for this structure, which is to cost in the neighborhood of a quarter of a million dollars, have just been completed by Architect W. Marbury Somervell, 43 Exchange Building, Vancouver. The work will be finished by the end of May, 1911, and the building is expected to be ready for occupancy early in June next.

The plans call for ground floor space 52 feet by 120 feet, the base to be of granite and stone, with brick and stone trimmings above on reinforced concrete. The whole will be absolutely fireproof. There will be 16 offices to the floor, with the exception of that on the street level, which will be occupied by the owners, the Bank of Ottawa, for banking premises. On this floor also will be the elevators leading to the upper storeys. The entrance to the vestibule and lobby will be handsomely done in marble, while the floors above will be trimmed throughout in birch and finished with mahogony.

Other features of this latest addition to Vancouver’s tall buildings will be a vacuum heating system throughout, hot and cold water in all the offices, the Durham plumbing system, mail chute equipment, vacuum cleaning system for all the offices, and commodious toilet rooms on every floor.
Engineering and Contract Record, August 31 1910

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