The Bank of British North America was founded by Royal Charter issued in 1836 in

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...

with offices in

Toronto Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the ancho ...

Montreal Montreal ( ; officially Montréal, ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, second-most populous city in Canada and List of towns in Quebec, most populous city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian ...

Quebec City Quebec City ( or ; french: Ville de Québec), officially Québec (), is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Quebec. As of July 2021, the city had a population of 549,459, and the Communauté métrop ...

Saint John, New Brunswick Saint John is a seaport city of the Atlantic Ocean located on the Bay of Fundy in the province of New Brunswick, Canada. Saint John is the oldest incorporated city in Canada, established by royal charter on May 18, 1785, during the reign of Ki ...

, Halifax and

St. John's, Newfoundland St. John's is the capital and largest city of the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador, located on the eastern tip of the Avalon Peninsula on the island of Newfoundland. The city spans and is the easternmost city in North America ...

. It was the first bank operating in

British Columbia British Columbia (commonly abbreviated as BC) is the westernmost province of Canada, situated between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains. It has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that include rocky coastlines, sandy beaches, ...

. It also operated agencies in

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

and

San Francisco San Francisco (; Spanish language, Spanish for "Francis of Assisi, Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the List of Ca ...

. Like the other Canadian chartered banks, it issued its own paper money. The bank issued notes 1852–1911. The end dates are the final dates appearing on notes, which may have circulated for some time after. The

Bank of Canada The Bank of Canada (BoC; french: Banque du Canada) is a Crown corporation and Canada's central bank. Chartered in 1934 under the ''Bank of Canada Act'', it is responsible for formulating Canada's monetary policy,OECD. OECD Economic Surveys: Ca ...

was established through the Bank of Canada Act of 1934 and the banks relinquished their right to issue their own currency. It merged with the

Bank of Montreal The Bank of Montreal (BMO; french: Banque de Montréal, link=no) is a Canadian multinational investment bank and financial services company. The bank was founded in Montreal, Quebec, in 1817 as Montreal Bank; while its head office remains in ...

in 1918.

British North America British North America comprised the colonial territories of the British Empire in North America from 1783 onwards. English overseas possessions, English colonisation of North America began in the 16th century in Newfoundland (island), Newfound ...

was the common name by which the British colonies and territories that now comprise Canada were known prior to 1867. Many Canadian banks disappeared as a result of mergers in the 20th century and by 2007, only five or six major banks and several smaller ones still operate in

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...

Branches

The Bank of British North America in

Dawson, Yukon Dawson City, officially the City of Dawson, is a town in the Canadian territory of Yukon. It is inseparably linked to the Klondike Gold Rush (1896–99). Its population was 1,577 as of the 2021 census, making it the second-largest town in Yuko ...

built in 1899 is on the Registry of Historical Places of Canada. The Bank of British North America in

Winnipeg, Manitoba Winnipeg () is the capital and largest city of the province of Manitoba in Canada. It is centred on the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine rivers, near the longitudinal centre of North America. , Winnipeg had a city population of 749,6 ...

, constructed in 1903-04, is on the Registry of Historical Places of Canada.

49 Yonge Street, Toronto

The first Toronto branch, designed by

John George Howard John George Howard (born John Corby; July 27, 1803 – February 3, 1890) was the official surveyor and civil engineer for the government of Toronto in Upper Canada and later Canada. He was also the first professional architect in Toronto. He d ...

was built in 1845, with exterior work by

John Cochrane and Brothers John Cochrane and Brothers was a family of Scottish sculpture, sculptors known for works in both the United Kingdom and Canada. They were David, James and John Cochrane, the sons of James and Elizabeth (née Paton) Cochrane.

,John Cochrane
–

Dictionary of Canadian Biography The ''Dictionary of Canadian Biography'' (''DCB''; french: Dictionnaire biographique du Canada) is a dictionary of biographical entries for individuals who have contributed to the history of Canada. The ''DCB'', which was initiated in 1959, is a ...

at the northeast corner of

Yonge Street Yonge Street (; pronounced "young") is a major arterial route in the Canadian province of Ontario connecting the shores of Lake Ontario in Toronto to Lake Simcoe, a gateway to the Upper Great Lakes. Once the southernmost leg of provincial Hi ...

and Wellington. The current building, designed by architect Henry Langley, replaced the original in 1875. A restaurant occupies the ground floor with offices above.

276 Duckworth Street, St. John's

The former Bank of British North America in

built in 1849 is on the Registry of Historical Places of Canada. This bank building was constructed in 1849, after the St. John's fire of 1846, by Halifax architect David Stirling.

1211 King Street West, Toronto

The former branch constructed in 1906-07 at the southwest corner of King Street West and

Dufferin Street Dufferin Street is a major north–south street in Toronto, Vaughan and King, Ontario, Canada. It is a concession road, two concessions (4 km) west of Yonge Street. The street starts at Exhibition Place, continues north to Toronto's northe ...

in the Parkdale area of Toronto continued to operate as a branch of the

until its closure in 2018.Toronto Heritage Properties Inventory, 1211 King St W
/ref>

Gallery

File:Bank of British North America in Dawson.JPG, Bank of British North America in (Dawson, Yukon) File:Plans for bank of British North America Toronto.jpg, Drawings for Bank of British North America (Yonge and Wellington, Toronto) File:BankBritishNorthAmericaYonge23.jpg, Bank of British North America (Wellington St., north east corner at Yonge St.) File:Bank of British North America 1867 Toronto.jpg, Bank of British North America, 1867 Toronto File:Former Bank of British North America August 2012.JPG, Bank of British North America, St. John's

References