Description of Historic Place

The Bank of Montreal is located on the corner of Charlotte and Dorchester Streets, in downtown Sydney, on Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia. The Bank of Montreal is a classically inspired, sandstone building with a copper domed roof. It is a landmark in Sydney’s downtown. The Cape Breton Regional Municipality designated the building and land a registered heritage property.

Heritage Value

The Bank of Montreal is valued for its association with the history of Sydney and as an excellent example of classical architecture.

The bank was completed in 1901, constructed as a direct result of the industrial economic boom that occurred in Sydney at the turn of the twentieth century. Large steel plants located in Sydney, fed by nearby coal mines, made Sydney a hub of commercial and industrial activity, as reflected in the establishment of the Bank of Montreal in town’s commercial core.

Not only did a large bank establish a branch in Sydney, but it constructed a large, elaborate building to house its activities. The building was designed by renowned architect Sir Andrew Taylor of Taylor and Gordon. Among Taylor’s work in Canada are many of the buildings on the McGill University campus. It was built by James Reid of North Sydney using olive green sandstone quarried in Wallace, NS. One of the few lots left in Sydney’s bustling downtown core was awkwardly shaped, for which Taylor made accommodations in his design. Its Palladian windows, copper dome, columns, and pediments combine to make a striking building and is one of the best examples of commercial Neo-classic architecture in the province.

Source: Cape Breton Regional Municipality, Municipal Heritage files

Character-Defining Elements

Character-defining elements of the Bank of Montreal relate to its Neo-classic architecture and include:

- Wallace sandstone construction;
- pedimented pavilions;
- pedimented gables;
- ornamental oval medallions;
- copper dome roof;
- iconic columns;
- Palladian windows;
- numerous decorative carvings;
- small round windows;
- commemorative plaques;
- all original interior elements including rotunda and decorated vaulted ceiling.