1912 – Former Bank of Montreal, Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan

Built in 1912, this two-storey structure was originally commissioned by the Bank of Montreal and designed in a Classical style by Montreal architect Frank Peden. With its rusticated granite base, ornate limestone entrance, and Doric columns, it was built to impress, embodying stability, grandeur, and progress. In 1922, the Bank of Montreal relocated across the street after only a decade and the Bank of Nova Scotia took over the building, and it operates as a bank branch for that company today.

“The building is built of No. 1 “Menominee” brick, laid in Flemish Bond. All the stonework is in Roman stone, manufactured by the Roman Stone Company, of Toronto. The base course, to a height of 6 feet from the street line, is in Stanstead granite. The building is 42 feet from the street line to the top of the parapet. The internal arrangement of the counter is on the centre-feed principle with wickets for seven clerks at the counter. The vault is roomy, to allow for future expansion, and is so placed that the banking room may extend around it. A large well ventilated stenographer’s room is provided. The public space is laid with Rust’s mosaic tile. From the main street a stairway leads up to the clerks’ quarters above. Accommodation is provided on this floor for six bedrooms, with large sitting room, dining room, kitchen and reading room, with lavatories and toilet accommodation. A wide metal additional stairway gives further egress from this floor to the ground. Tn the basement a large room is provided for clearing house work, the balance of space being, used for book vaults, stationery room, lavatories, locker room and furnace room. The cost of the building is in the neighborhood of $55,000.”
Engineering and Contract Record, November 15, 1911

Share!

More!