A few years ago, I was in Point-Aux-Roches/Stoney Point, when I spied this on a pizza place on the main road through town.
Turns out that the Banque provinciale du Canada a.k.a. Provincial Bank of Canada according to Wikipedia, … merged with the Banque Canadienne Nationale to form the National Bank of Canada in 1979.
Looking at the building above, as you will see, it’s obvious they used the plans for small town branches more than once…
From the Windsor Daily Star, July 30, 1936:
TWO GUNMEN RAID ST. JOACHIM BANK, BIND MANAGER AND ESCAPE WITH $2,700
Two young gunmen robbed the St. Joachim branch of the Provincial Bank of Canada yesterday afternoon, taking $2,700 (about $27,000 $42,000 in 2008 dollars) – including $50 in pennies and $168 in silver. The left Camille Dicaire, young manager of the bank in a vault which they had believed they had securely locked. Mr. Dicaire is shown above…
… With the front of the St. Joachim bank …
… and Mr. Napoleon Trepanier, one of the only two persons who saw the bandits enter or leave the bank. Mr. Trepanier was seated on a bench in front of the General Store next door, chatting with Stanislaus Pinsonneault, but the two of them did not know there had been a hold-up until informed by Mr. Dicaire, 10 or 15 minutes after the bandits had gone.
The safe from which the gunmen, extracted all but a few hundred dollars of their loot.
Above is a view of Highway 2 (today, county Rd. 42), in front of the bank, showing the bank in the background.
I wonder if they ever got caught? I wonder how much they loved $50 in pennies!
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At about 10 cents for gallon of gas back then, $50 in pennies would go a long way. Just think, you could fill your tank with a handfull of pennies.
If you are out that way again, go inside and talk to Paddy. He's the nicest guy you'll ever meet and he's very active in the community and he might even know some of the history.
Very nice. Paddy has been kind to the exterior of this old former bank while re-using it as a Pizzeria. Gotta love county folk.
Dare I say if this was in Windsor it would be covered by Andrew's favorite veneer and unrecognizable from the original.
That's not true John. If it had been in Windsor it would likely be a parking lot :)
They're using stucco in or for parking lots!
It's nice that the building is being reused, but without that upper fascia treatment, it's just a box. It's a commercial building doing its job - but it's no arch. gem.
Where are all the testimonials about the impending demo of the Trim Plant? Any drive to preserve that for future generations? See, kids, a long time ago they used to make car parts here. But Dad, I thought China made all the cars? They do, son, but years ago that wasn't the case.
I had expected to see a story in here about that London developer's plan for the plant property - any opinions? Windsor - the retirement mecca of Canada?
JB
When I get my home computer back from the shop and when I'm done stressing about the bike races on Sunday I will be getting to the development of Windsor's New Downtown. As I live within a stones throw of Lear/GM Trim and the new arena I might have an opinion or two to throw around.
Wait until the bridge company builds their enhanced span and then go to tear down the now Ambassador Bridge!! You're JB, our industrial heritage is disappearing just as fast as our regular heritage! i keep saying the main architectural theme throughout all of Windsor and the county is the Parking Lot!
Free parking, is the Viagra for cars!
Speaking of banks, I came across a Windsor Star article recently that said that Windsor spent half a million bucks years ago saving the TD Bank facade in Beaux Arts style from the old Norwich block and has been storing it in a warehouse ever since and there was a rumour that they would incorporate it into the new bank to be built at the Manning house site. Any truth to that Andrew? Is the city offering any grants or incentives for them to use it?
I found the article online http://www.canada.com/windsorstar/news/story.html?id=d1227a4a-0f36-49fd-8d32-465594d4c2fd