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In the course of our daily reporting, we often uncover unusual projects, places, or connections that don't make the final cut. Instead of keeping it to ourselves, we're pleased to share our Architrivia.
Overshadowed by the physical dominance of the McLeod Building, the Canada Permanent Building at 10126 100 Street doesn't quite attract the same attention. But its relatively petite stature belies its significance as one of Edmonton's finest examples of Edwardian Baroque architecture and its association with the Canada Permanent Loan Company, which was the oldest and largest loan institution in the country when the structure was erected in 1910.
Advertised as the city's first "fireproof bank", the three-storey reinforced concrete, brick and stone structure was designed by Roland W. Lines and built by contractors Pheasey & Batson for $65,000. Ionic pilasters, a segmentally arched pediment, and a balustraded parapet are some of the architectural details fashioned into the stone building. Below another pediment marking the main entrance is the winged lighthouse emblem of the company.
The Canada Permanent Loan Company established its first Edmonton branch in 1901, four years prior to the creation of the Province of Alberta. The move was a direct reflection of the confidence entrepreneurs had in the local economy, with the branch soon thereafter becoming the company's provincial headquarters.
Both the McLeod and Canada Permanent Buildings were targeted for demolition in 1980 before the provincial government stepped in to acquire the properties. The popular Japanese Village restaurant occupied the Provincial Historic Resource from 1974 to 2012, remaining vacant in the five years since. A recent proposal from four French entrepreneurs seeks to transform the historic property into a bakery, market and bistro topped by a roof terrace.
Do you have building trivia to share? Join the conversation in the Architrivia Tipline thread in our Forum.
