Key Number:	HS 22701
Site Name:	Royal Bank of Canada
Other Names:
Site Type:	0402 - Mercantile/Commercial: Bank 1307 - Governmental: City, Town or Community Hall

Location

ATS Legal Description:

			Twp	Rge	Mer
			35	28	4

Address:	5004 - 50 Street
Number:	4
Street:	50
Avenue:	50
Other:
Town:	Innisfail
Near Town:

Media

Type	Number	Date	View	Source

Architectural

Style:
Plan Shape:	Rectangular
Storeys:	Storeys: 2
Foundation:	Basement/Foundation Wall Material: Concrete
Superstructure:	Brick
Superstructure Cover:
Roof Structure:	Flat
Roof Cover:
Exterior Codes:	Wall Design and Detail: Pier or Pilaster Wall Design and Detail: Spandrel Wall Design and Detail: Plain Parapet Window - Trim Outside Structural Opening - Head: Plain Lintel Window - Sill Type: Plain Lug Sill
Exterior:	Pier and spandrel wallls on second storey; plain parapet; lugsills and plain lintels on windows; entablature. It is a two storey, red brick structure, built in 1914 by the Union Bank. The building is typical of small banks constructed throughout pre-war Alberta. The bank features a secondary cornice with dentils demarcating the first and second floors, piers of raised brick, an off-centre front entrance and courses of raised brick on the lower storey which help create a horizontal emphasis.
Interior:	Little of the original period detailing remains.
Environment:	Located in the central business district of Innisfail. It is one of the few remaining heritage structures in this area.
Condition:	Good (1983). This brick structure sits on a corner lot in the downtown business district of Innisfail. The structure was well maintained and serviced by its previous owner, the Royal Bank. Some electrical and mechanical upgrading has taken place. The interior main floor exhibits little in the way of original period design, although the upper floor has been gutted to the original partition and the owner plans on restoring this area to period for use as living quarters. The basement area is dry and no foundation problems are evident. The exterior brick is in need of some repointing and the roof requires some minor flashing and tar work.
Alterations:	Some electrical and mechanical upgrading has taken place.

Historical

Construction:	Construction Date:
Constructed	1914/01/01
Usage:	Usage Date:
Union Bank Town Hall	1914/01/01 1963/01/01
Owner:	Owner Date:
Union Bank of Canada Town of Innisfail Pendy's Holding Ltd. Margaret Clark & Scott Mackinnon Donald A. Ausenhus & Leta L. Ausenhus	1914/01/01 1963/01/01 1977/02/16 1981/03/30 1982/06/09

Architect:	N/A
Builder:	N/A
Craftsman:	N/A
History:	Building presently used as the town office. (1979). * * Historical Significance: The Union Bank of Canada was founded in 1866 in Quebec and survived until its merger with the Royal Bank in 1925. It quickly established itself as Canada's 'pioneer bank' and moved across the country opening branches on the edge of settlement. By 1899, it had seven branches in the Northwest and Alberta's first branch opened in Lethbridge in 1887. The first Innisfail branch was opened in 1904 and in 1914 it built the structure that is now known as the Innisfail Town Hall. Architectural Significance: The Innisfail Town Hall, 1914, originally a Union Bank, is typical of small branch banks throughout Alberta. The simple, two storey red brick building features an off-centre front entrance on the main floor. The upper floor is divided into two bays at the front and three at the side by decorative raised brick piers which gives the effect of capitals, as in classical columns. Each bay on the front facade contains double windows while those on the side are single. The windows have stone lintels and stone sills. A corbelled brick cornice runs along all four sides of the building. There is a secondary wooden cornice demarcating the first and second floors. The secondary cornice features dentils along its full length and the first storey features courses of raised and recessed brick which echo similiar courses on the piers, contributing to the impression of horizontality which the building conveys. The bank was constructed at a time when large urban banks were elaborate structures with many classical details that were intended to give the building an aura of stability and permanence. The Town Hall in Innisfail represents an attempt by the bank to impart this same aura but on a much smallar scale. Thus the secondary cornice, the brick piers and capitals can be seen as roughly classical details.

Internal

Designation Status:	Designation Date:

Register:

Links

Internet:
Alberta Register of Historic Places: