Sun Life Building

Sunlife Building, a photo by susanvg on Flickr.

I was listening to CBC 1 - a discussion about gold. I learned about Operation Fish. During the Second World War, Churchill ordered Britain's gold reserves as well as negotiable securities to be packed into crates and shipped to Canada, despite the danger of U-boats. It arrived in Halifax and from there the securities travelled here. They were stored in vaults below the Sunlife Building while the gold was stored in Ottawa at the Bank of Canada. In this way Britain was able to sell securities to pay for the war effort (the US liked to be paid - no armaments on credit!).

I shudder to think what would have happened if one of those ships had been torpedoed. You can learn more about the Sunlife Building here.

Sun Life Building

Sunlife Building, originally uploaded by susanvg.

I like to walk in downtown Montreal and look at the different architecture. There are a number of buildings that reflect the architectural style of the early 1930s but the Sun Life Building is one of the best. It announced through its massive size (it had the most square feet of any building in the British Empire when it was completed in 1931) it announced the solidity of the Sun Life Insurance Company.

There is lots to admire with the variety of architectural features. I don't know if it is true, but one web site said that the crown jewels of England as well as bullion from the Bank of England were stored in the basement vaults during World War II. This building was built to last; it dominates Dorchester Square.