The year 1892 marked an important milestone for the young town of Vernon and the entire Okanagan Valley—the opening of the Vernon Branch of the Bank of Montreal. Despite Vernon’s newness, the bank saw promise in the region, particularly due to several mining ventures in the South Okanagan and the developing townsite of Fairview. It was believed that a bank located at the railhead of the Shuswap and Okanagan Railway—hence, in Vernon—would be best suited to serve these mining interests.
The first Bank of Montreal office in Vernon operated out of a rented space shared with a real estate firm, located one block west of the CPR station. The staff of three lived in an apartment above the office. Despite this careful oversight, the bank’s early days were not without challenges. In December 1892, much excitement surrounded the arrival of a new J. & J. Taylor safe, equipped with double time locks. However, the enthusiasm was short-lived—the safe malfunctioned just days later and refused to open, requiring an expert locksmith to be sent by J. & J. Taylor to resolve the issue.
The bank later moved to a purpose-built facility at the corner of 30th Avenue and 32nd Street. Designed by prominent English architect Robert Fripp and constructed in 1894 by contractor T. E. Crowell, the building featured pressed brick from Enderby—considered superior to early Vernon brick—while its exterior was faced with locally sourced brick.
In 1909, in a remarkable feat of engineering, the entire building was moved one block south to 2908 32nd Street using horses and log rollers. It went on to house several businesses, including The Vernon News, while the Bank of Montreal relocated to a new building at 3200 30th Avenue. The bank remained at this location, with periodic upgrades, until 2009, when it moved to 2806 32nd Street.
Today, the original building—once relocated by sheer horsepower—remains a fixture of Vernon’s downtown, now home to several local businesses, including Lunch Matters… Breakfast Too.
Archives Manager, Gwyneth Evans