661 – Imperial Bank of Canada Municipal Historic Resource Designation Bylaw — full text

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5. The Imperial Bank of Canada building shall not be destroyed, disturbed, altered, restored or repaired other than with the written approval of the Village of Donalda Council or a person appointed by Village of Donalda Council. in Canada. 4. All interventions to designated Municipal Historic Resources in the Village of Donalda will be carried out in accordance with the Standards and Guidelines for the Conservation of Historic Places Plan 5965AE, Block Two (2), all those portions of lots nine (9) and ten (10), described as follows: Commencing at the southeasterly corner of lot ten (10) thence north westerly along the north easterly boundary of lots ten (10) and nine (9) respectively a distance of fifty-two (52) feet to the north easterly corner of lot nine (9); thence south westerly along the north westerly boundary of said lot nine (9) a distance of ninety (90) feet; thence south easterly and parallel to said north easterly boundary of lots nine (9) and ten (10) a distance of fifty-two (52) feet to its intersection with the south easterly boundary of lot ten (10); thence north easterly along said south easterly boundary a distance of ninety (90) feet to the point of commencement, excepting thereout all mines and is described as follows: 3. The land that the Imperial Bank of Canada building is located on 2. The Imperial Bank of Canada building, together with the land it is situate on, as described below, shall be designated as a Municipal Historic Resource. Bylaw". Bank of Canada Municipal Historic Resource Designation 1. This by-law shall be known and may be cited as the "Imperial NOW THEREFORE, the Village of Donalda Council, duly assembled, enacts as follows: AND WHEREAS, the preservation of the old Imperial Bank of Canada building located on parts of Lots nine and ten, Block 2, Plan 5965AE appears to be in the public interest: WHEREAS Pursuant to Section 26 of the Historical Resources Act, RSA 2000, as amended, the Village of Donalda Council can designate any historic resource within the municipality whose preservation Council considers to be in the public interest, together with any land in or on which it is located, as a Municipal Historic Resource; A BY-LAW OF THE VILLAGE OF DONALDA IN THE PROVINCE OF ALBERTA, TO DESIGNATE THE OLD IMPERIAL BANK OF CANADA BUILDING AS A MUNICIPAL HISTORIC RESOURCE ## BYLAW #661 ## VILLAGE OF DONALDA  By-Law #661 was given third and final reading this 13" day of August, 2009 on a motion by Councillor McKay. - By-Law #661 was introduced for third and final reading this 13" day of August, 2009 on a motion by Mayor Nordahl. - a motion by Councillor Larson. - By-Law #661 was given second reading this 13" day of August, 2009 on 7. This bylaw shall come into force on the date of its final passing. By-Law #661 was given first reading this 13" day of August, 2009 on a motion by Councillor McKay. 6. The Statement of Significance outlining the historical significance of the Imperial Bank of Canada Building shall be attached to this bylaw as Schedule 'A'. ## 5002 Main Street  ## Description of the Historic Place The Old Imperial Bank of Canada is a two-storey commercial building with a frontfacing gable roof, clapboard siding, large classically inspired pilasters with square capitals, and a cornice and pediment adorned with dentils. It is located on a corner lot of Main Street and Railway Avenue in the village of Donalda, overlooking the west bank of Meeting Creek Coulee on Highway 53 in east-central Alberta. ## Heritage Value The Old Imperial Bank of Canada is significant for its association with the theme of commercial development in Donalda, as a variation on the prairie bank design of the early 1900s, and as a local landmark. Constructed in 1928 by the bank of Montreal after the previous bank was destroyed by fire, the Old Imperial Bank of Canada is significant for its association with the theme of commercial development in Donalda. Donalda's previous bank was constructed on the same lot in 1912 by the Merchant's Bank of Canada, and after the Merchant's Bank and the Bank of Montreal amalgamated in 1922, the Bank of Montreal assumed operations at the Donalda branch. The 1912 bank building was destroyed by fire in late 1926 or 1927, and although the vault survived, several days passed before it had cooled enough for bank employees to retrieve its contents. When the Bank of Montreal built this structure in 1928, it incorporated the original vault into the new design. In 1932 the Imperial Bank of Canada took over banking operations in Donalda and became an important source of economic stability in the community. The Imperial Bank of Canada assisted farmers through the Great Depression by allowing them to use their life insurance as collateral for loans because the non-productive land was nearly worthless. The Imperial Bank of Canada continued to meet the financial needs of the Donalda through World War Two and the subsequent economic boom. In 1961 the Imperial Bank of Canada merged with the Canadian Bank of Commerce to become the Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce (CIBC). In 1996 the CIBC closed their Donalda branch, and the building was sold to the  ## Old Imperial Bank of Canada  ## Highway 21 Heritage Inventory  Donalda Museum Society for $1.00. Shortly thereafter the bank presented the Society with a generous donation of $5000 to assist in restoring the structure that had become a landmark within the community. The restored bank is currently used as an art gallery, and its importance to the village of Donalda was recognized when it was designated a Registered Historic Resource by the Province of Alberta in 2003. The Old Imperial Bank of Canada is also significant for its design, which is a variation of the prefabricated bank design found throughout the prairies in the early 1900s. The communities that rapidly populated Western Canada in the early 1900s needed banks, and the banks needed a way to quickly construct inexpensive buildings that inspired confidence in investors. Prefabricated bank buildings were designed and used by several banks in Canada at that time, including the Bank of Montreal, and often incorporated classical elements such as pediments, pilasters, and Palladian style entrances. The 1928 wooden frame bank building in Donalda follows these same design principles, although it is not believed to be a prefabricated structure. The Old Imperial Bank of Canada is unusual for several reasons. The bank incorporates a pediment in its design, an element found on less than one third of prairie banks sharing a similar overall design. The building was also constructed much later than the other prairie style banks in Alberta with known dates of construction, all of which were built prior to the First World War. The Old Imperial Bank of Canada is significant as a landmark in Donalda. The building is one of the largest in the community, and presents the most impressive architecture. Employing Greek Revival design elements, the bank was designed to be visually appealing and to inspire a sense of permanence and pride when it was built in 1928, and it continues to act as visual anchor in Donalda's commercial downtown. The building is one of the first structures seen when driving into the village along Railway Avenue, and its location, a corner lot overlooking Meeting Creek Coulee adjacent to the train station, further enhances its value as one of Donalda's most important historic landmarks. ## Character Defining Elements The character defining elements as expressed in the form, massing, and materials of the 1928 two-storey Old Imperial Bank of Canada include: - The front-facing gable roof with pediment and dentils - The classically inspired pilasters on the corners with inset rectangular designs and square capital - The clapboard siding - The cornice with dentils - The tall brick chimney - The applied lettering underneath the pediment that reads "IMPERIAL BANK OF CANADA" - The pattern, style and construction of all wooden windows, especially the round window openings in the gable ends