Molson's (Toronto Dominion) Bank - Calgary, AB - Western Canadian Heritage on Waymarking.com

This substantial and elegant building was built in 1912 for the Molson's Bank (established by the Molson family of brewery fame). (visit link) The Molson's Bank was founded in 1885 (the date on the top left side of the facade). The building is made of red brick, with a facade of white Indiana limestone (visit link) rather than local sandstone.

Like other Canadian banks of the time, Molson's Bank issued its own currency. (visit link)

The Molson's Bank merged with the Bank of Montreal in 1925. Although many Molson's Bank locations became branches of the Bank of Montreal, this one was sold to the Bank of Toronto (now the Toronto-Dominion or TD Bank). It seems likely that soon after the building changed hands, the Molson's Bank coat of arms (visit link) was removed from the shield above the main entrance, to be replaced with "B of T" for "Bank of Toronto". The motto below the shield ("Industre et Spe" - "Labour and Hope") and the winged crescent crest above the shield are both used by the Molson family. Other ornamental touches include a row of lion's heads just below the third storey windows.

The building was home to the Toronto-Dominion Bank until 1993. In 1997, the James Joyce Irish Pub opened in the old bank building, and still operates there (December 2023).


REFERENCES and FURTHER READING

Sanders, Harry M. _Historic Walks of Calgary_, "Molson's Bank (James Joyce Pub)", pp. 60-61. Red Deer Press: Calgary, 2005. (visit link)

City of Calgary: Inventory of Evaluated Historic Resources: Molson's Bank (visit link)

University of Calgary Digital Collections. “Molson’s Bank Building, Calgary, Alberta.” [photo c. 1912-1913] (visit link)

Wikipedia: Molson Bank (visit link)

Library and Archives Canada Blog: What is Heraldry? [illustration: Molson family coat of arms] (visit link)

CanadaCurrency.com: Value of Old Banknotes from The Molsons Bank of Montreal, Canada (visit link)


RELATED WAYMARKS

Molson's Bank - Revelstoke, BC (visit link)

The Molson Bank Mosaic - Ottawa, Ontario (visit link)

Marshall Building - Ottawa, Ontario [former site of Molson Bank branch] (visit link)

Molson Bank Building - Montréal, Québec (visit link)

Banque de Montréal, Drummondville, Qc, Canada [originally Molson's Bank building] (visit link)

Official Heritage Registry: [Web Link] Address: 114 - 8 Avenue SW Calgary, Alberta Heritage Registry Page Number: Not listed

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