This two-storey brick and Tyndall stone building on Portage Avenue in Winnipeg, measuring 44 feet by 65 feet, was designed by Montreal architect Kenneth Guscotte Rea (1878-1941). It was constructed between 1927 and 1928, at a cost of about $70,000, by the Wyatt Construction Company, supervised by local architect John Nelson Semmens, with site excavation done by James Murray Reid, structural steel provided by the Dominion Bridge Company, floor coverings from Eatons, and decorative carvings by sculptor Hubert A. Garnier. A branch of the Bank of Montreal, it opened officially on 1 June 1928.
Major renovations to the building occurred in 1948 at a cost of about $50,000 and 1971 at a cost of about $25,500.
A municipally-designated historic site, the building was vacated when the bank moved its operations into an adjacent shopping centre.
Bank of Montreal Building (1928)
Source: Winnipeg Tribune, 2 June 1928, page 5.
Interior of Bank of Montreal Building (1928)
Source: Winnipeg Tribune, 2 June 1928, page 5.
Bank of Montreal Building (April 2017)
Source: George Penner
Bank of Montreal Building (May 2024)
Source: Jordan MakichukSite Coordinates (lat/long): N49.89147, W97.14905
denoted by symbol on the map above
See also:
Memorable Manitobans: John Nelson Semmens (1879-1960)
Manitoba Business: Manitoba Engineering Company / Wyatt Construction Company
Memorable Manitobans: James Murray Reid (1882-1933)
Manitoba Business: Dominion Bridge Company
Memorable Manitobans: Hubert A. Garnier (1903-1987)
Manitoba Business: Bank of Montreal
Historic Sites of Manitoba: Municipally Designated Historic Sites
City of Winnipeg Building Permit 3087/1927, City of Winnipeg Archives.
“Bank of Montreal plans delayed,” Manitoba Free Press, 25 June 1927, page 32.
“Bank of Montreal Portage and Vaughan Branch,” Winnipeg Tribune, 2 June 1928, page 5.
“Bank of Montreal,” Winnipeg Tribune, 2 June 1928, page 39.
City of Winnipeg Building Permit 5294/1948, City of Winnipeg Archives.
City of Winnipeg Building Permit 580/1971, City of Winnipeg Archives.
Bank of Montreal, 426 Portage Avenue, Winnipeg Historical Buildings Committee, June 1989.
We thank Jennifer Doyle, Glen Toews, and George Penner for providing additional information used here.
This page was prepared by Jordan Makichuk and Gordon Goldsborough.
Page revised: 11 July 2025
Historic Sites of Manitoba
This is a collection of historic sites in Manitoba compiled by the Manitoba Historical Society. The information is offered for historical interest only.
Browse lists of:
Museums/Archives | Buildings | Monuments | Cemeteries | Locations | OtherInclusion in this collection does not confer special status or protection. Official heritage designation may only come from municipal, provincial, or federal governments. Some sites are on private property and permission to visit must be secured from the owner.
Site information is provided by the Manitoba Historical Society as a free public service only for non-commercial purposes.
Send corrections and additions to this page
to the MHS Webmaster at webmaster@mhs.mb.ca.Help us keep history alive!
