Immeuble de la Sun Life
Immeuble de la Sun Life
La Sun Life avait acheté en 1909 l'immeuble de la Young Men's Christian Association (YMCA), qui occupait le côté est du square depuis 1892. En 1913, elle avait commandé les plans de son nouveau siège social à l'agence d'architectes Darling and Pearson de Toronto. Agrandi deux fois (en 1923-1926, et à nouveau en 1927-1933), le bâtiment a conservé une forte unité architecturale. Son ossature d'acier est revêtue de granit gris de Stanstead. La compostion en gradins et les lourdes colonnades corinthiennes
sont typiques du style de l'École des Beaux-Arts qui a exercé une grande influence sur l'architecture montréalaise de la fin du xixe siècle. La richesse ordonnée de l'extérieur se retrouve dans les espaces intérieurs décorés de marbres et de dorures.Lors de la Première Guerre mondiale (1914-1918), de nombreuses femmes furent employées au sein du personnel de bureau de la Sun Life pour remplacer les hommes qui avaient joint les rangs de l'armée. À la fin de la guerre, en 1919, le personnel comptait 250 femmes pour 150 hommes. En 1930, les employés de la Sun Life bénéficiaient déjà de certains services inusités pour l'époque, dont une cafétéria et une clinique médicale. Pendant la Seconde Guerre mondiale (1939-1945), le troisième sous-sol de l'immeuble fut aménagé pour abriter les fonds du Trésor britannique. Envoyée par bateau en 1940, une partie importante de la richesse de la Grande-Bretagne y fut conservée secrètement sous une garde constante.
Si cet immense demi-continent a un cœur, c'est bien la qu'il se trouve.
Hugh MacLennan
Deux solitudes, 1945
[Légende de photo lit]
Le R-100 naviguant au-dessus de l'immeuble de la Sun Life, 1930
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Sun Life Building
In 1909, Sun Life acquired the Young Men's Christian Association (YMCA) building, which had occupied this corner site since 1892. The Toronto architectural firm of Darling and Pearson received the commission for the Sun Life Building in 1913. Though the building was later extended twice (in 1923-1926 and again in 1927-1933), remarkably, the appearance of a unified whole was retained with each addition. Clad in Stanstead granite on a steel structure, the building's stepped volumes and heavy Corinthian colonnades are typical of the École des Beaux-Arts style that dominated much of Montreal architecture at the end of the 19th century. Equally rich are the entrance lobbies, decorated with marble panelling and stencilled ceilings.
During the First World War (1914-1918) a large female workforce was recruited to replace male staff that had joined the armed forces. By the war's end in 1919, women
outnumbered the men 250 to 150. By 1930, employees here enjoyed some advantages that were unusual for the time, such as a cafeteria and a medical clinic on the premises. With the outbreak of the Second World War (1939-1945), the building's lower basement was modified to house the securities of the British Government. Sent overseas at great risk in 1940 and placed under constant guard, much of Britain's wealth was secretly kept here.
If this sprawling half-continent has a heart, here it is.
Hugh MacLennan
Two Solitudes, Macmillan, 1945
[Photo caption reads]
The R-100 flying over the Sun Life Building, 1930.
Erected 2004 by La Financière Sun Life/Sun Life Financial. (Marker Number 5.)
Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Notable Buildings. A significant historical year for this entry is 1933.
Location. 45° 29.98′ N, 73° 34.188′ W. Marker is in Montréal, Québec, in Communauté-Urbaine-de-Montréal. It is in Golden Square Mile. Marker is at the intersection of Rue Metalfe and Boulevard René-Lévesque Ouest, on the left when traveling east on Rue Metalfe. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: Rue Metcalfe 1155, Montréal QC H3B 2V6, Canada. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Monuments Macdonald et/and Laurier Monuments (within shouting distance of this marker); Fontaine commémorative
Also see . . .
1. Sun Life Financial. (Submitted on April 2, 2018, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania.)
2. Sun Life Building. (Submitted on April 2, 2018, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania.)
3. Operation Fish. Military Wiki entry on the World War II evacuation of British wealth from the UK to Canada. (Submitted on August 12, 2020, by Larry Gertner of New York, New York.)
Credits. This page was last revised on February 9, 2023. It was originally submitted on April 2, 2018, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania. This page has been viewed 381 times since then and 15 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on April 2, 2018, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania.