Description of Historic Place

The Old CIBC Building is a Municipal Heritage Property prominently located on two commercial lots on the corner of Main Street and 1st Avenue in the Town of Turtleford. The property features a two-storey, brick-clad building that was constructed in 1920.

Heritage Value

The heritage value of the Old CIBC Building resides in the building's architecture, which features Classical elements commonly seen in public buildings. One of only a dozen banks of this type in Saskatchewan, it was constructed to house the Canadian Bank of Commerce. The building's symmetrical lines and brick-clad veneer reflect a simple, functional design and impart a sense of order and stability. At the same time, the building's Classical elements, which are evident in the portico and entablature, contribute to the overall sense of authority that the building evokes.

Heritage value also lies in the building's long association with the Canadian Bank of Commerce, which operated in this building from 1920 to 1990. In 1961, the Bank of Commerce merged with the Imperial Bank of Canada to become the Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce. These 70 years of banking brought continuity and stability to the community. One of the oldest remaining buildings in Turtleford, the Old CIBC Building is one of the few remaining bank buildings of its kind in Saskatchewan and continues to be an important landmark to the community.

Source:

Town of Turtleford Bylaw No. 138/90.

Character-Defining Elements

The heritage value of the Old CIBC Building resides in the following character-defining elements:
-those features that reflect the Classical style of architecture, such as the wooden cornice with metal flashing, the portico, the symmetrical lines, and the brick-clad veneer;
-its prominent location on a corner lot.