Finance, news and food

It is the year 1912 and Britain is a significant supplier of funds for Vancouver's buildings. Architects Somerville and Putnam designed this Edwardian Commercial style bulding for the  London and British North America Company.

The Haddington Island stone exterior, ornamental iron panels and elaborate cornice protect the interior. Inside one will find an open staircase that runs the full height of the building and has marble treads, cast iron risers and Missisquoi marble wainscotting.

When the London Building was built Marbury Somervell was considered the city's most sophisticated architect.

Next door the London Building, at the corner of Granville and Pender street is the Bank of Montreal building.

W.M. Summerville designed this Second Renaissance Revival temple bank in 1915 for the Merchants Bank. (1915-1916) When the Merchants Bank amalgamated with the Bank of Montreal in 1922 additions were added such as the central entrance and southern half. Architect  K.G. Rea was responsible for work in 1924.

Inside these imposing walls is an even more imposing interior. Marble columns are enhanced by plaster work by local sculptor Charles Marega.

Joseph Segal and family donated this building to the Simon Fraser University and was renovated by Paul Merrick Architects. It opened as SFU' Segal Graduate School of Business in 2005.

Away from finance and onto newspapers and such. Another example of an Edwardian Commercial style building. This one, the Edgett Building, was designed by architect A. Arthur Cox and built in 1911 at the corner of Cambie and Pender Street.

The Edgett Building was built for Frances Carter - Cotton - a Vancouver MLA and newspaper publisher - who had previously had the building across the lane built to house the Province newspaper. Originally this building was home to the 'largest, best and most complete grocery store in the Dominion of Canada' or at least so residents Edgett's - Store of Plenty claimed.

This two storey arched bridge was added in 1924 by the Southam family. The purpose was to join the two buildings as the Province newspaper expanded. In 1998 the Edgett Bulding was renovated to

serve as a home to the Architectural Institute of BC.

This is the buildng the Edgett Building is linked to - the Carter-Cotton building located at Cambie and Hastings.Besides the fact that it was once home to the Province newspaper, I don't much about it. I do know though that there is a plaque commorating Mayor Gerald McGeer's reading of the riot act in 1935.

In April of 1935 a group of unemployed men from the relief camps marched to Victory Square to demand financial assistance from the city. A group of the men went to City Hall to voice their demands. The mayor had them arrested then proceeded to Victory Square to read the riot act to the crowd there and have them disperse. A riot ensued that night when police raided the worker headquarters.  This was a move by McGreer severely fragmented the city and divided the population.

Tomorrow the system is disabling image uploads for a couple of hours due to maintenance. Hopefully everything will go smoothly and I will have no problems with my blog entry. But if I do you will know why.

I hope you find the beauty around you.

TAGS:Vancouver, Karen Magill, Carter-Cotton, Edgett Building,Bank of Montreal,London Building,walk,history,