Description of Historic Place

The Former Bank of Montreal Building is a Municipal Heritage Property occupying one civic lot on the corner of 22nd Street (Main Street) and 2nd Avenue in the Town of Battleford. The property features a two-storey, stucco-clad building constructed in 1916.

Heritage Value

The heritage value of the Former Bank of Montreal Building resides in its association with the establishment of professional services in the Town of Battleford. Originally constructed as a Merchants Bank of Canada, this building has had various uses throughout the years, all significant in the development of Battleford. In the early 1920s, it was a law office and winter home for a local lawyer and in 1928 it housed a real estate and insurance office. Its longest serving owner, however, was the Bank of Montreal, which occupied the building from 1932 until 1977, when it became home to the town library.

Heritage value also resides in the building's architecture, which reflects muted Classical elements typical of bank buildings. Seeking to project images of conservatism and stability, most banks erected functional, solid buildings, which helped establish a sense of authority and permanency. Though the Bank of Montreal in Battleford was constructed on a smaller scale than the more imposing banks of the cities, its symmetrical lines, evenly placed windows, pediments, pilasters, and location on the town's original Main Street evoke this sense of order and stability. A unique architectural feature is the building's broad, overhanging hipped roof with elaborate soffit detailing, which distinguishes this bank building from many others in Saskatchewan.

Source:

Town of Battleford Bylaw No. 3/81.

Character-Defining Elements

The heritage value of the Former Bank of Montreal Building resides in the following character-defining elements:
-those elements that reflect the muted Classical elements used in bank construction, including its form, its straight, symmetrical lines, regular window and door patterns, and pediments;
-the broad, overhanging hipped roof and elaborate soffit detailing;
-its prominent location on the corner of 22nd Street West and 2nd Avenue.