Identity area
Type of entity
Corporate body
Authorized form of name
Bank of British Columbia
Parallel form(s) of name
Standardized form(s) of name according to other rules
Other form(s) of name
- Canada’s Western Bank
Identifiers for corporate bodies
Description area
Dates of existence
1968-1986
History
Centred in Canada’s Western provinces, the Bank of British Columbia operated between 1968 and 1986. Promoted by W.A.C. Bennett, the Bank of B.C. was first officially proposed for incorporation by Senator J.W. Farris in 1964. Royal Assent for incorporation was granted after the passing of Bill S-20 in December 1966, and a chartered licence to commence operations was established in October 1967.
After initial capital acquisition, common shares were posted for trading on the International Section of the Vancouver Stock Exchange (trading symbol “BBC”), February 1st, 1968. On July 16th, 1968, the Bank’s first branch was opened at 999 W. Pender in Vancouver. By 1986, shortly before its closure, the Bank had branches in British Columbia, Alberta, Manitoba, and Saskatchewan as well as offices in London, England, Hong Kong, San Francisco, Los Angeles, and the Cayman Islands. The Bank is credited with having introduced several innovative programs later pursued by other institutions in Canada. With its main offices in Vancouver, B.C., it is also noted for being the only federally chartered bank headquartered in Western Canada at the time of its creation.
In November, 1986, the majority of the then failing Bank of B.C. was acquired by the Hong Kong Bank of Canada (now the Hong Kong Shanghai Bank of Canada). In April, 1987, the Bank of B.C. and its remaining assets were renamed B.C. Bancorp. Slated with the liquidation of remaining assets and the distribution of the proceeds to its shareholders, B.C. Bancorp ultimately conclude its affairs in 1996 through the acquisition of its shares by the Canadian Western Bank.
Places
Legal status
Functions, occupations and activities
Mandates/sources of authority
Internal structures/genealogy
General context
Relationships area
Access points area
Subject access points
Place access points
Occupations
Control area
Authority record identifier
Institution identifier
Rules and/or conventions used
Status
Level of detail
Dates of creation, revision and deletion
MV-Dunbar 2015-07-23
Language(s)
Script(s)
Sources
Sound Recording Database SMIDDEV_SR_SUBJECT_HEADINGS.
BC Archives, Bank of British Columbia fonds, PR 2343.
Canadian Press (1987, April 9). Bank of B.C. investors could face wait of up to four years to get sale benefits. The Glove and Mail, p. B12.
Greene, Ronald (1987). The Bank of British Columbia. The Canadian Paper Money Journal, 23(3), 69-70.
Howlett, Karen (1989, August 17). B.C. bank has plans for payout. The Globe and Mail, p. B1.
Unknown Author (1996, May 31). Canadian Western Bank Offers to Buy B.C. Bancorp. Canadian Corporate News [Press release].